I started working out a new gym, which happened to share the parking lot with the WRAP District. Arash quoted me $800 for the wheels and $2600 for the front end PPF. He said he would do the badges for free since (paint front and rear Tesla badges, remove the "DUAL MOTOR" badge for me. I pay $500 deposit. (Spoiler alert: I ended up needing to get the PPF done correctly, elsewhere, for cheaper)
I dropped my car off on Monday January 17. I was told it could be done Wednesday 1/19 but likely Thursday 1/20.
Wednesday, 1/19: I text Arash and check in. He confirms car will be ready Thursday 1/20 "some time afternoon."
Thursday 1/20 : I get a call from Arash with some bad news. He explains that his "PPF guys took the money and dipped." Apparently, he has had the same problem with these contracted PPF technicians in the past.
Arash goes on to explain that he and his employee were up all night trying to install the PPF themselves, and that it turned out so bad, that he could not charge me for the service. Arash tells me that I can come in and see if I want to keep it on until I find another business to fix, or if he should just take it off. I told him that I would be in at 3pm to pick up on my way to my 4pm appointment. When I arrive, the wheels are still being put back on. The PPF job looks unfinished and wrinkled. Given that I can't drive my car without the wheels on, I tell him to remove the PPF and I will rideshare to my 4pm and be back around 5p.
When I get back at 5p, the PPF is removed, the wheels are on, but the front emblem is missing. When I ask for it, Arash explains that he will gladly hold it for me until the PPF is done elsewhere, and that he can install it "in 30 seconds" and that he hasn't actually painted it yet because he didn't want it "to take up space" as it was drying.
I agree, take the car. I pay the remaining $300 balance (for the wheels).
I take my car to the same shop that completed my window tint (where the PPF was originally recommended and where I should have stayed) on 1/26. He quotes me $800 less. I head to the gym that weekend 1/29 and plan to swing into the WRAP District to grab my front badge. Shop is closed.
On Monday 1/31, I text Arash around 12:00p and ask if I can grab the badge after work that day around 5pm. At 4pm he texts back and says he can have it ready for me on Tuesday 2/1. I call him and explain that my work/commute hours don't align with this shop hours most days, and we decide that he will give the front badge to the gym on Tuesday, so that I can pick it up when I work out at 6:15am Wednesday morning. I confirm with my other shop that they can approve the PPF cure and apply the badge later that morning.
On Wednesday morning, at 12:45am I get text from Arash that he just remembered that he was supposed to drop off the badge and he didn't. He suggests that he give it to them "tomorrow" or I can stop in later. At 5:30am when I wake up and receive the message, I text back: "Arash - I need the emblem today for install. Can you have someone at the shop this morning at 7:15am and I'll pick up then. Like I said, I'm not in the area during your shop hours. I'm starting to get the feeling that you don't have my emblem at all, which is concerning."
30 minutes later, Arash fires off:
"No that's not possible.
It's a $10 emblem, I have multiple extras on hand because we do teslas every week. I didn't lose the emblem you contacted me 4 hours before needing it and I explained the day u took the car as well as the other day you contacted me that I couldn't paint it and leave it sitting around for weeks , u never gave me any heads up that the car was getting the ppf job done elsewhere finally or I would've had it ready for u. U only told me the day of
I literally lost over $1000 working on the car because I'm an honest person and you're questioning that I lost a $10 emblem and want me to drop everything I'm doing to give u an emblem for your car ?"
Realizing that this was not worth any more of my time, I tell him to leave the badge at the gym. I plan to pick it up on Friday.
Friday 2/4. When I check in at the gym at 7:30a, I ask if there is a Tesla badge left for me. They can't find it. By the time I finish my workout, they bring out a piece of cardboard that appears to have been spray painted, with a sticky note on it, and the large part of the badge on top of that. She carries it to me with both hands as it is all loose - no bag, tape, envelope. I notice that the smaller, top piece of the emblem is missing. I ask the gym employee if she has seen that part. She has not. We look through the front desk unsuccessfully.
Reluctantly, I text Arash that the gym only has the larger emblem piece and not the top line of the "T" portion of the emblem, thinking that maybe he still has it. Arash texts back:
"No it was all together
They just have not seen it"
I don't respond. Later, he texts:
"It probably slipped off the cardboard when she picked it up"
Indeed. read more