By far THE WORST decision I EVER made by having Gianni powder coat my vintage patio set!
I hired him last year to paint a table and six chairs. I chose a pearl white finish and dropped the set off with him. He talked a really good game. He assured me that after sandblasting the set and applying the powder coat finish that the set would look as if it just came out of the showroom and would look brand new and the paint would last at least 10 years if stored out of the elements in the winter months.
Upon pick up of the set, I did not approve of the application on 2 chairs and they were touched up. I took all the pieces home and within 2 months of being outdoors under a covered pergola the pieces began to rust! I emailed Gianni 2 times with pictures attached and no response. I finally called him and he said he would warranty the pieces that were rusting.
I stored the pieces in my garage for the winter before bringing them back to a Gianni. I was not able to get them to him until the Spring. I did take the liberty of doing my own homework to see why this would have happened after only 2 months of being outdoors. I contacted the paint manufacturer and had a lengthly conversation with them. I sent photographs to them and was told the set was not prepped properly before painting. They also suggested that white was not the best choice for paint longevity. They informed me that once the set had been sandblasted that the metal would need to be out gassed in a very high heat oven to burn off any moisture. Upon removal from the oven it would need to be primed immediately so that rust would not occur. I thanked the paint manufacturer for their information and took that info back to a Gianni when I dropped the set back to him.
So, I dropped the set back to Gianni. I showed him the rusting pieces and he agreed to cover the cost of repairing JUST the rusting pieces. I did agree to have the rest of the set repainted and pay for those pieces as I was afraid those would rust as well if left outside. I did ask to change the color of the set since the paint manufacturer didn't advise not going with white again. Gianni agreed to change the color but would have me pay for the color change. All was amicable at this point.
Gianni told me he would order the powder right away and have his crew start hand sanding the set right away.
Probably about 3 weeks later I received a call from him saying it wasn't going well and that I would not be happy. He needed to have the set sand blasted again at an additional cost to ME! At this point the amount to have the set fixed and now sandblasted just about equaled what I paid him originally to have the set done. I really loved the set so I did agree.
Fast forward to 2 months after dropping the set back to be repaired. The work was still NOT done! I was extremely frustrated. At this point I had lost all hope that he would ever fix the set and do it properly. I texted him and said I didn't want him to complete the work and that I would pick the set up that day. He called and said I had to pay him for the effort he put into the set and owed him $250 to pick up a set that is in horrific condition now due to his incompetence! I did not acknowledge or agree to pay him. He was supposed to do part of the work under warranty! We argued on the phone and he texted me several times trying to get me to allow him to finish the work. I did not agree. This was NOT an honorable or trustworthy man.
I arrived with my mother later to pick up the set. Gianni was not there. No one at the shop acknowledged our arrival. We waited 5 minutes for a worker to address us. He told me I had to pay before I took MY PROPERTY!!! I told him I WASN'T paying! My mother and I carried a chair each to my car. Then the worker locked us out of the building. I am sure this was all premeditated. It appeared the workers knew to stay out of getting involved. Gianni knew not to be there when I arrived as well.
I called the cops...
Gianni finally showed to his business after I called the cops. He would not give me my set back... the cops took a while to arrive. When they got there Gianni had already left because it was time for his business to close for the night! He told me the cops wouldn't make him give me the set anyway and that I would have to take HIM to Court to get the set back!
Two weeks later... he called to say I could pick up the set free of charge. WHAT A GUY! Now I have my set back that is going to cost me tons of $$$ to fix.
Since hiring him the first time, his business changed locations AND his business name changed as well! He is located in Babylon now and he's operating as Gianni Design. YOU decide why he would have to change locations AND his business name! Sounds to me like he HAD to!
Terrible Business and owner!!!!! read more
