I normally take reviews with a grain of salt but after my experience with Factory Finish and the condition they left my vehicle in upon returning it, I felt compelled to caution people before they decide to choose this shop to take care of their repair work, especially if you have a valuable vehicle or value communication about your repairs.
I first contacted Roeuth in October 2019 with my initial estimate for my 2002 WS6 Trans Am that had some passenger/front end damage after an accident. My car is rare (only 2000 were made), all original, low miles, always garaged etc, so I was careful selecting a place that had good reviews. Over the phone, Roeuth was confident they could repair everything once they had sourced parts and stated my car would be stored inside once it was disassembled. Fast forward to the end of November and he said they were still waiting for parts, I was patient and chalked it up to GM's strike. Moving into December, they take my vehicle in and partially disassemble the passenger side leaving a large open area where they took off the side mirror. They discovered that they would need additional parts and that all parts were discontinued, which is a no brainer because it's an older vehicle and it's typical to require used parts, but he seemed apprehensive locating them.
I called several times to try to speak with Roeth after insurance encouraged me to total it out because that's what Factory Finish recommended, Factory Finish appeared concerned about the necessary repairs and they sounded weary of how long it would take to locate parts and complete the repairs. Every time I called in, Roeuth was unavailable or busy (I have call records) and keep in mind, I initiated all contact with the shop, they did not reach out to me updates.
I ultimately get Roeuth on the phone and he says they are not comfortable working on my car because they do not want to use recycled parts or warrantee the work. This is disheartening after spending so much time in limbo, but I figured maybe they were just a small shop and took on too many projects at once. Insurance states that if I can find a shop that has the time and resources to source parts, they will approve any necessary supplements.
I find another shop that is competent in working on older cars that require used parts, and insurance has my car towed from Factory Finish to the new shop on January 16th 2020. I have included photos of the condition Factory Finish left my car in and it is evident that it had been stored outside improperly for the majority of the time it was in their care...I'm assuming they figured it was going to be a total loss so why bother, as both Roeuth and Alex encouraged me to total it out. The entire interior from front to back of the trunk was coated with green mold and all of the floor boards were damp with water. I had to throw away all my personal belongings that were left in the car because they were so moldy. The parts they took off the vehicle were stored haphazardly on the back leather seats and created deep creases on previously untouched leather. The tires all had flat spots from sitting in one place for too long, and the battery was dead too (I had just purchased a new battery in the spring of 2019). The engine had corrosion it never had before. I called Factory Finish, and once again Roeuth was busy. I called again and the he wasn't in the shop that day. Roeuth returns my call February 12th and states that car was stored outside uncovered during business hours (7:30am - 4:00pm) with a sheet of plastic over the opening, and then pulled in the shop at night with the windows left down while they had it i their care. If you're from the Pacific Northwest, you know these are ripe conditions for creating an environment for mold to flourish, especially when water is coming in around the plastic and you can see condensation under the plastic.
All in all, Factory Finish left my car in poor shape and were careless with my car and the parts associated with it (I'm still trying to locate the front bumper they removed and Roeuth delivered the parts to the new shop in a BUCKET, unlabeled - very careless), and now we will be spending a lot of time and money on trying to fix the mold problem with extensive detailing and and will most likely need to replace the bucket seats in the back from the damage they caused. I requested to speak with the owner but haven't received any communication from them. Tough lesson learned, be careful if this is the shop you're researching. read more