I started the ball rolling on getting my car upholstered and a new convertible top in Oct. 2004. I was quoted a price for the work. I had this in writing, thank god. I thought this was a reasonable price and the guy was very nice so I decided to go for it.
I dropped off the seats and side panels to be started on and was to bring the car down when they were ready for the top. After 2 months (!) I was finally asked to bring the car in Mid- December.
Mind you, this is a classic car and had a brand new 3 stage paint job. I didn't like the idea of possibly having it out in the snow but it was only supposed to take a week or two. January came and went. The excuses I kept getting for the delay was "Christmas rush."
I work down the street from this place and saw other cars come and go while mine sat there. I couldn't figure out why everyone elses work was more important than mine. Then I got the excuse that he thought his employee knew how to install a top but he didn't so he had to wait to get someone else to come and do it.
Then, without my permission, he towed the car, improperly (and damaged it) to another place to have the top installed.
Finally in February after many snows the car was ready. Went to pick it up only to find that the guy wants DOUBLE the money and my car is a disaster area!
Here's just some of the problems...
1) The car was left under a makeshift canopy for the entire winter with the WINDOWS OPEN!!! The battery died and the guy didn't have the brains to either charge it and close the electric windows or call me to let me know so I could do something about it.
2) The above mentioned canopy was about 20 feet from a very busy highway and the car is covered with salt and debris inside and out. Many metal items are pitted.
3) The arm rest in the rear seat doesnt go down all the way. IT sticks up like its "happy to see you."
4) Car has GOUGES down to the primer on every panel of the car but the hood! This is 3-stage paint so every panel affected will have to be sanded down and repainted. Can't just touch it up.
5) Rear bumper is damaged from towing it with a strap. A STRAP! This car should have been towed with a flat bed!
6) Windshield wiper assembly is completely missing.
7) Workmanship is poor on the door panels.
8) Convertible top has rust spots all over it apparently from metal filings left on it from somewhere.
I can go on but you get the point. Art, the owner, tried to charge me for towing the vehicle elsewhere to get the top put on and pay an extra amount of money, which doubled my original quote! Had the audacity to insult me about the car and tell me what a complete pain it was to work on. He basically tried to intimidate me into paying him and tried to make it like it was my fault that he was too incompetent to complete the work he was hired to perform.
He said he didn't know that I had this certain type of top and since I do he has to charge me more. HE claimed the damages where "Vandalism" done by "those darn kids that have been hanging around since he got the soda machine." (I can't make this stuff up!)
He did file a claim with his insurance company and they sent me a check, which I haven't cashed, because its not nearly enough to cover the paint job let alone the complete abortion he did on the interior of my car. I must say though, I wish I knew where he had the top done because it is beautiful.
I tried to work with him about honoring his original price but he went off on me like a mad-man saying he is sick of looking at the car and if I don't pay him and get it out of there in two days, he was having it towed away and I will have to pay storage fees.
I had no choice but to contact an attorney, which was money well spent. Art had to honor the original price, much to his chagrin. It would have been nice if that was the end of this but it is not. I sent a tow truck (flat bed, of course!) to get the car the following day and he gave the tow truck driver a hard time and bad mouthed me fiercely. The poor driver's dispatcher called me and I had to practically beg them to take the car.
Currently I am following up with the insurance company.
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