I want to cry right now

[Linnea]

After waiting 8 months for the bodywork to get finished on my hearse, I finally got it back today. The story I was given was that the guy that did it wants the clearcoat to cure ('cause he put on a thick fucking layer) for 2 weeks, then he wants it back so he can sand and buff it, and paint the crinkle coat (which he forgot to do.)

There are waves in the side where he didn't sand down the bondo. There's a spot over the rear wheel where bondo's sticking out through the paint. He sprayed paint on my wheels (you can tell where it was parked when he painted it.) He painted my side mirrors. He didn't even open the doors to paint it. The bodywork looks like shit, the paintjob looks like shit.

I'm thinking I should take it back in two weeks so he can finish his "work," and then take him to small claims court, and try to get cash for what it would cost a non-sucky body shop to fix what he did. Its either that or firebomb his shop. I'm also thinking of putting a sign in the back window that says "Body work done by Collin at "Auto Artist" Don't take your car there unless you want it to look as bad as mine."

It pisses me off. This guy got a $3000 custom built guitar in exchange for maybe 10 hours of work (spread out over 8 months) that I think a four year old could've done a better job with.

I'll post pictures tomorrow. Its too dark now to photograph the sucktitude that this asshole caused.

[tonytheskin]

Sucks, sorry to hear that. How were you recommended to them?

[Linnea]

The guy was somebody who had previously painted guitars for my husband's company. He approached my husband about working out a trade in exchange for a custom AHK guitar.

[msc0nduct]

hat really sucks. Take him to small claims court.

[spastic_chicken]

Get the guitar back too!

[Psychoholic]

man that sucks ass!

I hope you can get the guitar back or get him to repair the terrible job he has done on your car.

[Linnea]

Ok, I have pictures today.


On this one you can see where he gouged my fiberglass with his sander, and didn't fix it before he painted it.


Here's where he didn't bother to sand the hard to get to area by my fins.


The 3D bondo stripe poking out from the paint


the wavies down the side of the hearse


where my wheels got painted (they're all like this)


visible dents and bondo


The rust hole that wasn't fixed


Unfixed cracks


A nice dent that was never pulled out.


Right in the center of the photo (its hard to tell), you can see where he put the tape too far, and there's a nice navy blue "missed" spot.


The guitar that the guy got in trade. The only part of this guitar that's not flawless is the paintjob. Guess who painted it?

[Christine]

Thats disgusting!

I'd run him over with the botched Hearse, and then take the guitar!

[R U INJRD]

Holy Sheeit! Did he do the body work with an axe? That car looks like it probably looked better before he started on it!

[mdeanr]

i'd take it to court.

[jlprigmore]

That really sucks!!!! Not as extreme but I had a friend of a friend do my exhaust on my '73 grabber maverick and it came back lookin like swiss cheese and I was out the 300 bucks I paid him plus another 100 bucks to pay someone else to fix his mistakes. I would definetely take him to court or break his knee caps or something.

[Morella]

I would take it to court too. That's a poor job by beginner's standards.

[Riff Raff]

First off I think you are totally in the right, but you need to think of a few things before taking him to court.

1) Do you have an agreement on paper?
With his signature?
He could say you commissioned him to paint your car, he needed the room told you to come get it and bring it back, but you refused to pay him. And he would have to prove it in court and you would have to prove otherwise.

2) Does it state/was the quality of the paintjob and/or bodywork discussed beforehand? If you said, "I'll trade you a guitar for a paintjob, then he gave you a "Paintjob" and therefore he would win in court.

3) Was any guarantee/warranty dicussed? Agreed upon?
He doesn't have to stand behind his work unless he states that fact.

[tonytheskin]

First off I think you are totally in the right, but you need to think of a few things before taking him to court.

1) Do you have an agreement on paper?
With his signature?
He could say you commissioned him to paint your car, he needed the room told you to come get it and bring it back, but you refused to pay him. And he would have to prove it in court and you would have to prove otherwise.

2) Does it state/was the quality of the paintjob and/or bodywork discussed beforehand? If you said, "I'll trade you a guitar for a paintjob, then he gave you a "Paintjob" and therefore he would win in court.

3) Was any guarantee/warranty dicussed? Agreed upon?
He doesn't have to stand behind his work unless he states that fact.

I was thinking the same thing. Bodywork and paint aside, if this was just a verbal agreement, you may have some problems "legally" getting anything back.

[Linnea]

I don't have a written contract, but I do have tons of myspace messages between him and my husband discussing the work, and tons of empty promises from him about when it'll be done (starting july of last year.)

Its only $40 bucks to file in small claims court. If I lose, it wouldn't be too big of a deal. Then I'd just have to move onto a more evil plan b.