[Tim Greer]

Well, this wasn't about the paint not being exactly as promised, it's that its got too many problems to even try and list here. I should have legal recourse, because I didn't have a choice -- they didn't have a booth and said it would be at least another two months to reshoot the car, and they had it for 22 months, when their estimate was 3 months in mid-May of 2007. I think the judge would agree that it was unreasonably long, since there's no reason for the huge difference (the shop has none). They lost items, damaged other items, and the paint job I had paid for was not performed.

They didn't live up to their end of the contract (I have absolute proof of this, it's not just my own interpretation) and I offered every means for resolution, but they weren't going to replace the windows they damaged, the lost stereo, etc. However, before I open a report with the Cal BAR, I will most certainly have a list of repair estimate costs for them to agree to pay -- I will give them a chance.

It would be different in the paint was simply just not perfect, but this is in sub standard condition by a long shot, not including the fact they failed to put the car back together to be mechanically sound, the electrical fails for a lot of things, the glass, the stereo, the parts they damaged that I brought in to them new with no damage, the brakes, and on and on. I'm pretty sure I have a case.

As for the clear, the scratches and other issues run to the base coat and to the metal, so it's not going to buff out. I understand that some people can't properly detail a car, but these problems aren't going to be able to be buffed out. If they could be, I'd not have such a big problem with it. Also, they'd never have agreed that it needed to be re-shot. The fact that they didn't demand I pay the final balance is just them admitting their work sucked and wasn't what I paid for, if it says anything, not including the additional problems I found as I was driving it home.

Anyway, I get what you mean about the clear, it's not how many layers, it's about how thick the layers are as well, how much is actually on the car, etc. Four layers of clear might not be as thick as one or two that someone else shot, if they skimped (intentionally or not) and just sprayed it with light coats (which is what it appears they did). I asked them if I needed to sign anything or if there was anything else when I was about to drive off with the car and he said no, so I didn't ever sign anything saying the work was complete, and in fact I told him specifically to that effect that there were a lot of issues that needed to be resolved and asked if "in those two months from now" if it was something they would be willing to resolve if I brought the car back.

I asked if he'd reshoot it and reclear for the final balance if I decided to do that, and he said he would, but didn't know when he could and it would "be a while". They haven't set up their paint booth yet and they don't even have the permit to do it, and it's not an easy thing to do (it's very difficult to get a permit to run a paint booth at a location where there isn't already one, so he better hope it's zoned for it, or he's screwed). The booth he said he was renting is at a shop that's going out of business.

So, in the end, through absolutely no fault of mine, they failed miserably to perform the work as outlined on the work order and caused numerous additional problems and damages that I'm going to have to get fixed -- and they will pay. If they don't, I will sue them in small claims and I will win (I have no doubt about it). If it ends up being a difference of only $1,000 or less, I might just call it a loss, but over that, especially in the $2-4K range, I'm not going to take a loss.

I paid them to perform work that they didn't perform, they knew they did terrible work and it was worse than even I thought when I picked up the car (they never mentioned any of these other issues and said everything was working -- it wasn't). No freaking way would I lose. I do understand they may be shut down and moved away by the time I take them to court or win, let alone for them to have the money to pay me when they lose, but luckily it's not too much to file.

I also understand that just because you're being fair and doing the right thing, and even if you're right, it doesn't mean you'll win, but I just don't see how I couldn't. I'm taking the car to the same mechanic that worked on these very same things (to a point) before these fools got a hold of it and screwed everything up. What a mess. Oh, and ironically, this is pretty funny, I noticed on their new business cards today, on the back, it says "COMPLETE PAIN STARTING AT $500". "Pain"? That's is one hell of an ironic typo!