Disappointing experience! Was sent here for simple trim piece replacement, by car wash owner because their carwash equipment malfunctioned and ripped the part. An essential part for maintaining weather/water seal (i.e. preventing water/snow from entering the vehicle)
First they blew me off for a day and a half for estimate. Finally, was told to come over at 1:00 on Tuesday. Then when there, they call dealership for part and am told it will be delivered the next morning, because they ordered it before 2:00, and that they will call me to confirm its arrival so as to schedule when I am to come in for installation.
Well, they didn't call Wednesday, so I call them at the end of the day and i am told they hadn't ordered it yet! The next day (Thursday) I hear nothing, so I call and leave message with the person screening calls, it isn't returned. Friday I call several times, am asked who I am when I ask to speak to Rob, and am kept on hold for long times so I hang up both times. I finally get a call back from Rob, with a story about "the part having arrived broken" [this part is stocked in its own box with packing material by the manufacturer (OEM)] and they have already talked to the dealership and they "will get a replacement that day or the following Tuesday" - a full week after they told me they were ordering the part before 2pm for delivery the following morning!!!
I told Rob "No thank you," and that I had no faith in them as I felt they had been disingenuous from the get go. (I had in the interim called all seven of the dealerships in a 20 mile radius of this shop and determined that every single one had several of said part new in box in inventory and were available immediately on will call. I called the dealership they claimed to deal with, and was told that no one had ordered this part all week, and they had the same three in stock since Monday.)
This particular small part requires painting (black easiest color) with flex additive (which they failed to specify on their quote) and a clear coat. It takes exactly three minutes to remove the existing and to mount the replacement on the hatch back gate. It takes five minutes to mix the paint, prime the spray pot, hang the part and spray it. Of course there is clean up/purging of the spray gun/pot, wait time going back to clear coat, and cure time, clean up again, and disposal costs for pot paint. I understand the extra half hour x2 padding for overhead but this was and is not a blending or a masking project its a gravy job in the biz.
I wouldn't and don't begrudge a shop a profit on work, esp. smaller jobs, but this was an easy, quick filler job where they weren't burdened even by storing the vehicle. But this shop wasted time, never ordered, and couldn't be bothered to order the part, nor make a phone call, and then lied about having done so for four straight days.
I can only imagine the nightmares involved should there be significant damage involving removal and replacement of more significant parts and more extensive work, requiring surrender of ones vehicle indefinitely!!
RUN, don't walk AWAY!! They have recently changed the name of this place again, are operating under an assumed name, obviously they have something to hide. I consider myself lucky I didn't have damage rendering my car undrivable!
I went to ABRA in Elgin, and they did it the same day, and called me first thing the next morning for me to come over at my leisure for it to be installed, which took exactly three minutes to remove the broken one and install the new one. read more
