Advice on what to do (bodyshop)
- Thread starter AndyC
- Start date
OP
OP
Update June 18th
There is no update unfortunately. I was last at the bodyshop on April 28th (post number 139 above)
The frame work is done since last January. It's now June and I still don't have my car back.
Since April 28th the below texts are all I have to go on since then.
May 16th WhatsApp text sent by me "Any progress on the car (name)?"
No reply, message UNREAD as of today
June 2nd WhatsApp text sent by me "5 weeks since I was last there. Whats the latest progress on the Subaru? Is it in primer yet?"
No reply, message UNREAD as of today
June 7th WhatsApp text sent by me "Update on my car please (name). Any progress made since I was there on April 28th?"
No reply, messages UNREAD as of today.
So I've taken the decision to consult a solicitor and I have a meeting scheduled for next week. This guy has had total control over my property now for the last 20 months (October 2021) having quoted me 6 to 8 weeks job. I have no idea when my car will be retuned to me since I keep getting told "we'll get her done and out of here" and the weeks and months just roll by. I'll be going to the bodyshop tomorrow to find out the current state of the car so I can get latest info for the Solicitor.
Initial advice is that I have a strong case to seek monetary restitution.
There is no update unfortunately. I was last at the bodyshop on April 28th (post number 139 above)
The frame work is done since last January. It's now June and I still don't have my car back.
Since April 28th the below texts are all I have to go on since then.
May 16th WhatsApp text sent by me "Any progress on the car (name)?"
No reply, message UNREAD as of today
June 2nd WhatsApp text sent by me "5 weeks since I was last there. Whats the latest progress on the Subaru? Is it in primer yet?"
No reply, message UNREAD as of today
June 7th WhatsApp text sent by me "Update on my car please (name). Any progress made since I was there on April 28th?"
No reply, messages UNREAD as of today.
So I've taken the decision to consult a solicitor and I have a meeting scheduled for next week. This guy has had total control over my property now for the last 20 months (October 2021) having quoted me 6 to 8 weeks job. I have no idea when my car will be retuned to me since I keep getting told "we'll get her done and out of here" and the weeks and months just roll by. I'll be going to the bodyshop tomorrow to find out the current state of the car so I can get latest info for the Solicitor.
Initial advice is that I have a strong case to seek monetary restitution.
Well done Andy about time
You’re waisting your time going legal on him you’d be better off putting your time into finding another body shop. Call over have a chat settle up and part ways .
All that will happen is he will say that your car was way worse that first inspection showed and has dragged on. Case closed
and regarding someone telling you you have a case , ever one in the legal profession will tell you you have a case as it’s a win win for them .
Settle up Pull your car and find a new garage .
This is just my advice and is what I’d do .
My first comment on this was last august was to pull the car it will never get done and it’s nearly a year now .
All that will happen is he will say that your car was way worse that first inspection showed and has dragged on. Case closed
and regarding someone telling you you have a case , ever one in the legal profession will tell you you have a case as it’s a win win for them .
Settle up Pull your car and find a new garage .
This is just my advice
and is what I’d do .My first comment on this was last august was to pull the car it will never get done and it’s nearly a year now .
OP
OP
Update June 19th 2023
Went to the bodyshop this morning. No further work done since end of April. Spoke with the guy and got the usual "we'll get her done", "She's nearly there", "I'll have it in primer by Friday" (he's been telling me the car will be in primer since March). I said "this is all too familiar. I come here, you tell me the same thing over and over and the weeks and months roll by. The engine bay has been in primer since January and here we are 6 months later and the car is not even in primer let alone painted. If I didn't keep coming up here every few weeks the car would still be sat at the back of your yard with the front cut on the ground beside it".
I went there this morning with no intention of mentioning anything about a solicitor. I was going to just beg the guy to please finish the car and hoped after 20 months he'd feel sorry for me. I brought up the previous text messages over the last 7 weeks that he hasn't even read and he said "I can't get to everything. I'm too busy".
So I asked "Can I have an exact date when the car will be finished". He said "there's probably a couple weeks work left in her". A couple to me means 2 so thought I'd give him a buffer so I said "So 4 weeks and it's done?" He kind of hemmed and hawed and I said "6 weeks then, I'm trying to be reasonable here. I just want to pay you and be done coming here". He said "yeah probably". I said "can I have a completion date agreed and in writing on your company headed paper"? He said "ah now I don't put stuff like that in writing". Now bare in mind I have nothing in writing regarding the work to be done, a quote for the work etc etc so after 20 months without the car, asking for a completion date in writing I think was not too much to ask. I honestly don't think that was an unreasonable request.
So with him reluctant to put anything on paper I saw no end in sight to this fiasco so the topic of solicitor came up. I have to take back some sort of control of this situation. He was quite shocked. So the "mood in the room" changed and the conversation moved from the shop floor to his office. The diary came out and a completion date was agreed. He has told me confirmation of this date will be emailed to me tomorrow (something on paper which is what I was looking for).
I know a few guys have said just rock up with a trailer and take it out of there but realistically the body work industry in this country is a joke. Nobody wants the work. Example of a new thread here by a guy looking for a respray who has now decided to take it on himself. I had a dozen places turn me down for this work over a 2 year period.
I think if I took the car back I'd be months if not another year or possibly more trying to get someone else to finish someone else's work. I'm "all in" with where the car is now. At least I now have a date that I can expect the car to be finished and if its not then the guy is aware a solicitor is involved already.
I just want this situation to be over because it's actually affecting my mood and sleep.
Went to the bodyshop this morning. No further work done since end of April. Spoke with the guy and got the usual "we'll get her done", "She's nearly there", "I'll have it in primer by Friday" (he's been telling me the car will be in primer since March). I said "this is all too familiar. I come here, you tell me the same thing over and over and the weeks and months roll by. The engine bay has been in primer since January and here we are 6 months later and the car is not even in primer let alone painted. If I didn't keep coming up here every few weeks the car would still be sat at the back of your yard with the front cut on the ground beside it".
I went there this morning with no intention of mentioning anything about a solicitor. I was going to just beg the guy to please finish the car and hoped after 20 months he'd feel sorry for me. I brought up the previous text messages over the last 7 weeks that he hasn't even read and he said "I can't get to everything. I'm too busy".
So I asked "Can I have an exact date when the car will be finished". He said "there's probably a couple weeks work left in her". A couple to me means 2 so thought I'd give him a buffer so I said "So 4 weeks and it's done?" He kind of hemmed and hawed and I said "6 weeks then, I'm trying to be reasonable here. I just want to pay you and be done coming here". He said "yeah probably". I said "can I have a completion date agreed and in writing on your company headed paper"? He said "ah now I don't put stuff like that in writing". Now bare in mind I have nothing in writing regarding the work to be done, a quote for the work etc etc so after 20 months without the car, asking for a completion date in writing I think was not too much to ask. I honestly don't think that was an unreasonable request.
So with him reluctant to put anything on paper I saw no end in sight to this fiasco so the topic of solicitor came up. I have to take back some sort of control of this situation. He was quite shocked. So the "mood in the room" changed and the conversation moved from the shop floor to his office. The diary came out and a completion date was agreed. He has told me confirmation of this date will be emailed to me tomorrow (something on paper which is what I was looking for).
I know a few guys have said just rock up with a trailer and take it out of there but realistically the body work industry in this country is a joke. Nobody wants the work. Example of a new thread here by a guy looking for a respray who has now decided to take it on himself. I had a dozen places turn me down for this work over a 2 year period.
I think if I took the car back I'd be months if not another year or possibly more trying to get someone else to finish someone else's work. I'm "all in" with where the car is now. At least I now have a date that I can expect the car to be finished and if its not then the guy is aware a solicitor is involved already.
I just want this situation to be over because it's actually affecting my mood and sleep.
OP
OP
Update June 20th 2023
Email confirmation of agreed completion date received by me today. However it came with a caveat. He said the spoiler may not be done by the agreed date. No idea why that would be a problem. The agreed completion date is 7 weeks from now (EXTREMELY generous on my part and I believe more than enough time to complete the car) so to say the spoiler won't be ready by then is baffling to me. The only thing I can think of is he is already setting himself up a "get out of jail free card" with the spoiler if he misses this deadline.
Anyway, if I get further updates with pictures I'll post again.
Email confirmation of agreed completion date received by me today. However it came with a caveat. He said the spoiler may not be done by the agreed date. No idea why that would be a problem. The agreed completion date is 7 weeks from now (EXTREMELY generous on my part and I believe more than enough time to complete the car) so to say the spoiler won't be ready by then is baffling to me. The only thing I can think of is he is already setting himself up a "get out of jail free card" with the spoiler if he misses this deadline.
Anyway, if I get further updates with pictures I'll post again.
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OP
OP
After 2 years of this, that would be a very very grave mistake on his part. I'm highly motivated.
He told me on Monday the car would be in primer yesterday. Should I text and ask or would that piss him off? LOL
I took some time to read back my own thread from the start and ^&*$ me I've had an infinite amount of patience dealing with this guys crap LOL
He told me on Monday the car would be in primer yesterday. Should I text and ask or would that piss him off? LOL
I took some time to read back my own thread from the start and ^&*$ me I've had an infinite amount of patience dealing with this guys crap LOL
The shite about the spoiler not being painted is a joke, and I can’t figure out the point to it in his email, but no doubt it’s there for a reason.
Had you agreed a price on this job back at the start?
OP
OP
No concrete quote was given as he said it would be impossible to say without first digging in to the car and seeing how bad the frame rails were and any hidden stuff like rust or previous bad repair etc. He did give me ball park and I told him my budget to get the car done right would be more than that ball park by a couple if grand.
OP
OP
Jaysus I hope not LOL
What will you do if he comes back and says you owe him crazy money?
My thoughts exactly...
