Bad business?? Or is it just me?

Yup all the signs are there.

Bail and recover all you can while doing so.

 

I've been on both sides of these kinds of deals. I've had customers bring me cars to do work on....and it ends up being a deal where the guy wants to build a show car on an unemployment check budget and he didn't have a place to store his car. And I've also taken a couple of my cars to other people and waited a year to get a trunk pan replaced....finally get it back after making threats and it looks like it was hastily done the day before I came to pick it up. So....I don't work on other peoples cars any more unless they sign my contract. I don't take my cars to other people to get major work done....I buy the tools and learn to do it myself.

 

I agree with Big Duce and Lawman ..... I had the same experience in a paint shop one time ..I bought the materials and they went to finishing older projects ..so with Lawman in mind …DO NOT use Kenny Brooks in Thurmont Maryland !!!!

 

"I don't want to piss people off?" Just keep paying them then and if you need any more work done call me.

 

Some people started in a hobby and with no intent it grew into a business. All of the sudden they have this business with no life training to operate a business. Unfortunately a high percentage of them fail and wonder where they went wrong and wishing that it had stayed just a hobby. It's hard to operate a business while not knowing how a business should be ran, sorta a catch 22.

 

Sad to say,but just because the man that has the shop is a Hamber and has has a car on the cover of a magazine doesn't make him a good business man.

I hope you are able to salvage something for your money,,but if you side of the story is correct it's time to spend a few more bucks with a lawyer and have him send a letter of intent. HRP

 

There are two sides to every story. I have no clue who is in the right here since there are so many factors to take into account.
That being said, the only way I would have a shop build me a chassis is weekly invoicing with a deposit up front to get the ball rolling. It keeps both the customer and the shop on the up and up. This way neither customer nor shop can get fucked financially. I would be visiting the shop,within reason, to see progress and where my money is going. At this point I would part ways from the deal since neither one of you seems happy with it.
Just my 2 cents. Hope it all works out for you.

 

You're a victim of a bad businessman who may also be a crook. Kinda like a Ponzi scheme where all the new customers pay for the previous customers work until the word gets around and there are no new customers and the last few customers with projects in the shop eat it.
There is almost always a customer base in these shops that fork over tons of money over time and keep going back because they don't want anyone to know what dumbasses they are.
I don't know about other places in Texas but the Houston area has always been a hotbed of this kind of activity. Anybody from here into cars in the 70s-80s could tell you some hairy stories about Houston area rod shops. YEOOOOOWWWW!
This doesn't mean that existing shops in Houston NOW are like this, but it is the history of the region.

 

Yea sounds like the Broke Back Garage to me.

I'll bet you told him they call you slick bastard and he thought that ment that you can't grow hair on a race track. Try and get your money back or at the very least your materials and the "chassis."

Tell you what I'll do, if you can get what they have and a refund or partial refund send it to me and we'll make a deal to get it finished up. You don't have to worry I like women over 40.

 

yup, all I got for my $150 at the machine shop was a butchered 440 block that was only needing 20 over, and is now junk, and 3 1/2 years of excuses

shop was ....never mind, no reason to start @#$....
now I will learn myself, yet another hot rod skill

dr

 

THEY are the ones who are off the chain on your (verbal) contract at this point. Tell them you will settle up the DAY they call and tell you the original job is completed...just like you agreed upon. Remind them that a verbal contract is binding in court.

If I had a dollar for every time I've heard this exact same story... All the money for the job is spent before the work ever starts. Sad, but that's pretty much the way our entire society works now.

 

One other bit of advice to those looking for a shop to build or paint anything. Ask for a look around. If there are projects that look like they have been sitting for awhile, ask the owner (you should be talking to the owner or manager) WHY. If all you hear is "we're waiting on money"... RUN.

 

Sometimes you win by losing.
Pick up your frame before they sell it to pay bills or [SIZE=+0]the IRS padlocks his doors and they red tag everything inside for auction including your frame.[/SIZE]

 

cars sitting around isn't always an indication of the shop not doing thier job....it could be the dead beat customer not bringing the money. Been there a couple of times. They think they can just let you store it for them while they come up with some extra cash or win the lottery.

 

This has me confused. Why would THEY be contacting YOU to settle up? Maybe the frame is ready and they are awaiting final payment?

 

When a shop says, "we're not taking any more customer orders" that's generally not a good sign.

 

PM me their name and phone number and I will gladly contact them for you as your agent. I won't devulge their information on here and will try to sort through this mess for you, and I won't even charge you. Sometimes getting a 3rd party involved cuts through the fog and can get results.

Don

 

There is a concept in the Commercial Code of Law in Texas that speaks to the
question "did you receive value for money paid?".
You need to have a consultation with a GOOD lawyer on this matter.
Even though you seem to be in awe of him and his abilities, he may still be a crook.
If you are in the right here, a judge in small claims court will make him fully refund
your payments as well as asses punitive damages on him and require him to pay
the cost of your lawyers fee plus court costs.
As a small business man in Texas, I have represented myself in court with no lawyer
and lost on a technicality. The judge said he could see that I had suffered a loss but
had to rule against me based on the technicality. Grrrrr!
The next time I took a lawyer and won on all counts!
Don't go with a cheap lawyer. Your cost will be $0 if you win!

 

That sucks.
I hope you get some satisfaction.

 

i cant believe he told you he dosnt give refunds. this means if he screws up he dosnt stand behind his work and he has the nuts to tell you to your face. get a lawyer and write articles in your local paper,better business etc, till this guy chokes.

 

When i opened my welding shop, i bought an existing business thinking it would be easy.maintain customer base build new clients and move to a good location.It worked out good, mostly ...until the bottom fell out of the building business and we went to primarily piece work to survive.All the while we were building ourselves hot rods in the back corner of the shop....guys would come in and see what were doing and before long ,we were off and running on the hot rod business.meantime the fabrication and welding kinda just started to decline.so i thought well hell lets try to keep our heads afloat until the economy recovers(still hasent really).then we started getting the storage cars,the ones who leave a deposit to get started,then want you to build a 100,000.00 car on a 5000.00 budget in the meantime its taking up space waiting on the customer to come up with enough money to go to the next phase.some times they would bring 500.00,id say ok that gets you a days labor what about materials?if you think i was gonna buid a car for some one else on my money,pay the staff and overhead,then get stuck with it your crazy.you just cant extend yourself out like that when your small.you need cash flow everyday.anybody here work for free?me niether.the power needs paid ,the rent the taxes ,the phones...if you truly own a small business and run it correctly it aint cheap..if your a guy working out of your garage and dont have insurance and all the other things that make a real business you can work differently.maybe you can take a 500 deposit on a 3000.00 job,but add in employees and ecerything else and youll find out quick that you need to pay for overhead.not siding with the shop just giving another perspective.oh by the way ,closed my shop... got a job and paid rent and overhead to finish two customers cars to completion.because i said i would.the guy needs to finish your frame or you need to settle to a poin that your comfortable with and part ways.

 

Maybe give us a hint who it is? How about what part of town they are in-as in zip code? Is it an actual shop or, just some guy with a garage?

 

Some people will bitch if you hang them with a new rope.

 

Just because it's a big named shop doesn't mean anything. Word of mouth is better than anything. There's a shop in SoCal that had a show on T.V.. The owner of the Auto Palace had them re-do a Model A into a Hot Rod. What a joke! There was no suspension travel and they ruined the body. After 10 years, he took his car out of the shop and took it some place else that does quality work. The guy I use to deal with was strictly word of mouth. Great job and a decent price. Over time, word got out, he was the one to see for an award winning car. Now he's so expensive, I couldn't afford him. In 2000, he painted my car for $8K. Now, his prices are $25K.........

 

To not give out the name of the shop is like screwing other unsuspecting hot rodders by putting them in potential harms way just to protect the identity of the shop that is screwing you. That seems selfish. It's like your bitching about getting screwed but not caring if someone else gets it next.


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I would just show up with a truck and get that frame back, sounds like a bad deal.

 

Oh c'mon guys - the OP isn't even sure he really got screwed. You're all like a bunch of school girls! "Tell us who, tell us who - let's out them!!"

Again, the only reasonable tact is for the OP to go in and force the shop to either: (a) honor the original agreement (completed frame for ~$5200) even tho it's late, or (b) tell him you have paid him for the work done and you want your stuff because he didn't meet the deadline. If he doesn't, have a lawyer write them a letter.

 

Maybe you should go to them and have a chat. Before you go, write an agreement(something you now know you should have done) about when the completion date really is and how much money you have given them, have them sign it complete with a DL number of the guy signing it and then tell em no more bucks till it is finished. They will likely go burn the next guy with no written contract with money to pay for yours.
Judges like it when you show up in small claims court and have your ducks in a row. If a judge agrees then you have recourse to get you frame back. The judge can order them to release the frame as they have not fulfilled the contract. They think that they can just keep your frame and that is not so.
This is very common for newbies paying folks to do work.. and getting cheated.
The lesson here is put it in writing with serious details like how much and when and what will be done and how much will be paid and when. Never give any more than the agreed up front money..period. The first sign of problems go get your stuff.
Good luck.
Your results may vary

 

Now that some of you mention other cars there that may have been sitting around, every time I have been there all the same cars in the same stage were there. The only thing being worked on was the owners personal project. I also have only been a few times but that has been my experience

I'm aware that you guys want to know who it is. I stated earlier that I was keeping their name quiet until they were informed of this thread an given the chance to make right. If they done then you guys will know who it is


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Here is a small part of one of the emails I sent them a while back asking for a refund.

"It has been 10 months so I would assume it could be finished by now. If this is no the case, I have paid 3000 dollars to you, I have received nothing in return for that 3000. I can not even pick up the unfinished product for that.

I am asking for one of two things.
Either the frame finished as quoted to me for quote price, or I have my 3000 returned.

I have other parts that I dropped off there and would like them back as well. I will be coming to pick up the frame and parts or just the parts soon."




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