Avoid. Called around to get quotes on my 1961 15 window VW bus that I had for almost two decades. Decided time to do restoration, down to every nut and bolt. Waag quoted me an insanely low price to sand blast these 57yo irreplaceable bumpers so I ran right over. Turns out it was a misunderstanding and they meant per bumper, which made more sense even though I clarified the quote over phone. Anyway, place looked legit and price was still decent so went ahead with it.
Guy taking my order was very nice and kept talking up how detail-oriented they are and how the owner restores classics too so I'm in good hands etc. They said bumpers will be done in week to 10 Biz days, even wrote it on the order form. That's important bcuz once the metal is blasted, the surface rust starts so it's important to budget time and money on these projects.... this was Friday.
Monday morning I get a call that the bumpers are done
So I leave my work to go over. My bumpers were sitting there half done. There was rust and paint all over, in the corners. I show the guy and he replies: you want us to do it again? I say I just want all the rust and paint gone, kinda the whole point. No problem, but they are busy so I'll have to wait a bit. Sure whatever. About an hour or so later they return the bumpers w/ rust and paint still all over. I show it to the guy and he shrugs and says something like: So you want it all removed? Like everywhere?
Um yeah.
So he shrugs and says they are super busy so it'll be a while...
3.5 hours into my Monday and the bumpers come back, third times the charm but my day is shot, I missed a full days work cuz no point in going in to the shop now.
I meet the owner and he asks me if I was happy w/ the job and I tell him what happened and he just isn't phased. He says, guess I'll just have to retrain the guy for the fourth time. ?!? Then I tell him that I was expecting to get these in a week and what if the Surface rust hits it before I get to spray? He says just bring it back (for a fourth blasting).
Anyway, I'm loading my bumpers in the lot and this other customer passes me and says, "Are those for a splitty? Why did you get the aluminum trim blasted so coarse?" He then told me that these guys should have known to blast the aluminum trim much finer and much softer than the steel bumpers." Yeah, ya think a pro would be educated on the difference between materials....
But I guess someone who has to be trained 4 times either isn't being trained at all or is so incompetent that he just doesn't care. Needless to say I was pissed! So now I have to go get these re-blasted elsewhere and I'm out my money and a days work on my bus.
I just don't understand how a biz can treat people's stuff like this, especially on a project w/ irreplaceable parts that I have been working a long time on to get right.
I brought these here hoping I would get a better job than what I can do, and I got something beyond amateur.
So buyer beware I guess is the moral of the story here.
I'm not even coming back for that fourth re-blast, just don't feel there's any pride and craft in the work here and feel strongly that my money should have been refunded. I def would've refunded my clients if the tables were turned. read more