So should I be annoyed?

[89Rallye]

I know this will probably get back to the bodyshop in question as he is well known but am I right to be annoyed?

They were originally due to start the van on the 21st January so against my better judgment the van was moved in the snow (and salt as it went up 3 motorways ) on the 18th jan,

Id decided not to push them and also with distractions in work id completely put the van to the back of my mind, Roll on 8 weeks and there was still no news from them.

So I went up yesterday to find this..

Now they have a legitimate reason for not touching it which true or not I can't do nothing about now, I just wished they had dried it off and put some sort of primer on it. I'm being assured its just surface rust but I think with the salt etc its worse than they think and surely any body shop worth there salt wouldn't let it get like that?

Now do I trust my instinct and leave it with them? Do I need to be more pushy and get on there backs more ( which I don't want to do as I don't want them to rush the van ), or do what i think I'm going to do which is just chill out and forget about it for the time being and leave it as their problem to sort.

I'm gutted and feel like there just ripping the piss out of me, no matter how much they re-assure me.

Ironic thing is I've had a tiny leak in my garage roof for the last 6 months stressing me out as it kept leaving a small rusty rain mark on the front panel that I was constantly sanding down. :x

 

[Supertramp]

I'm sure I'll get shot down for this, but I've found the service in the VW industry has been nothing short of diabolical, yet they get defended constantly because 'they're on VW time', 'he's a nice guy, just really busy', 'you just gotta chill man' and it infuriates me.

On your issue, if that was my bus, I'd be fuming. I'd like to think if I left my bus with a body shop, they'd be knowledgeable and conscientious enough to ensure it was protected if it's left. Maybe I'm expecting too much, but it's your hard earned money they're getting, so the service should be up to scratch.

Personally, if they've let it get like that, I wouldn't trust them with the rest of the job as I couldn't be sure where else they'd cut corners or be too laissez faire. It'd leave a sour taste in my mouth handing money over.

But like I said, I'm sure I'll get shot down.

 

[sparkywig]

I'm agreeing with you totally, if I ran my business and treated my customers the way the majority of VW "specialists" do, I'd be ashamed and probably bankrupt.

It's almost like we're an irritation that will go away if they ignore the phone and e-mails.
Happy to see us when we're handing money over though.

 

[89Rallye]

I am livid and have completely lost interest and faith in it all,

I didn't really want to post this and it's certainly not to name names or point fingers, I think I just want to vent some frustration really...

For the record though there not a VW specific paint shop, although I think it's 80% of their business.

And yes as stated above he is a nice guy and it does make it difficult to be annoyed with him

 

[Lee152]

As much as its gonna be a pain, personally Id take it someone else. Plenty of good mechanics/restorers out there and something as basic as not washing it down and/or covering it and not answering calls, emails or giving lame excuses should ring alarm bells.
You always hear about the good people being so busy but this doesnt stop good old customer service and putting your mind at ease

Lee

 

[rallye dale]

I went up there last Thursday and saw your bus there, like you say he's a nice enough guy,

looking at the work he had on and yours aswell I decided against using him , I want mine starting in May and although he said it would be ok for then I realistically knew mine would sit there like yours

I've gone to the other guy I told you about, went to see him again last Thursday after seeing yours

 

[69billy]

pull it out ,i did when mine became a shed/store.

 

[KevH]

You are fully justified in your frustration. I'd be livid in your shoes. You had an agreed start date and you did all you could to enable that to be met. What, however, to be fair to your chappie, was the agreement beyond that?

Body shops are busy, and people both let them down and need urgent work doing, so they build in buffer time for contingencies. He may be in the middle of one such contingency. Did you have an agreed return date? And was anything agreed about the steps between the two?

The rust looks surface level hopefully and would occur whether covered in his workshop or not if, as it appears, it was dragged uncovered up the motorway in snow...that is the moment when the alarm bells would have rung.

Personally, I'd spend some time with him ironing out some exact dates and agreements and, if he could not agree, I'd pull the van at that point. Nice guy with a good reputation or not. And at that point I would name and shame, but not before.

 

[Foz]

I can't begin to tell you my experiences of late, however I feel your pain and utter frustration!

Hopefully our stories will have a happy ending for us both, as right now it's seeming a little bleak!


--------------------------------
Own a Bay?......Feel the love!

 

[Trikky2]

So should I be annoyed?

Yes.

 

[chad]

X2

 

[Olskoolchris]

You should defo be annoyed its as if some people dont realise how much these bus's mean to us, unless your getting it mega cheap then i'd be tempted to take it home. Hope it works out for you.

 

[mike202]

I would go somewhere else as they are obviously too busy to do yours.

My experiences with garages in general; main dealers and VW specialists leave a lot to be desired.

 

[aspro]

Yeah I'd be pissed they screwed me around with timings but why would you leave a bus in bare metal to begin with?

I think you need to take some of the responsibility. Bare metal will start to surface rust in a few days in this climate and you probably should have taken the proper steps to protect it. A couple of rattle cans would have sorted that out in 10 mins before you took it to them.

I know you didn't want to hear that.

 

[mattp]

That is p*ss poor -any decent shop should have at lease scotchbrited the front panel and chucked a handy can's of primer on that. I would not be happy as how is are they now going to remove the rust?

 

[89Rallye]

Cheers guys,

No it's not a cheap deal, considering I've done 99% of the work and I don't think a body shop could ask for a better prepared shell as I've taken off every nut and bolt. I was basically going to paint it myself so that's how it was prepared.

I've even shot blasted lots of stuff (grille etc) in preparation for paint and also so I know it's getting done right but all that will of been a waste of time now too.


Got a lot to think about and not much time to do it...

 

[89Rallye]

Yeah I'd be pissed they screwed me around with timings but why would you leave a bus in bare metal to begin with?

I think you need to take some of the responsibility. Bare metal will start to surface rust in a few days in this climate and you probably should have taken the proper steps to protect it. A couple of rattle cans would have sorted that out in 10 mins before you took it to them.

I know you didn't want to hear that.

I do appreciate what you are saying and you are right, I was even going to splash some paint on it but the circumstances and the way it happened and the speed it was moved. I even tried to call off collecting it in the snow but they insisted. I wasn't happy but at the time they took it on the Friday and were due to start on the Monday, I certainly didn't think it would be left for 8 weeks.

 

[Rippers]

I'm sure I'll get shot down for this, but I've found the service in the VW industry has been nothing short of diabolical, yet they get defended constantly because 'they're on VW time', 'he's a nice guy, just really busy', 'you just gotta chill man' and it infuriates me.

On your issue, if that was my bus, I'd be fuming. I'd like to think if I left my bus with a body shop, they'd be knowledgeable and conscientious enough to ensure it was protected if it's left. Maybe I'm expecting too much, but it's your hard earned money they're getting, so the service should be up to scratch.

Personally, if they've let it get like that, I wouldn't trust them with the rest of the job as I couldn't be sure where else they'd cut corners or be too laissez faire. It'd leave a sour taste in my mouth handing money over.

But like I said, I'm sure I'll get shot down.

Thats why I got my mate in the Ford RS scene to do mine, fussiest car owners in the world lol
Mine has taken a year to do but it was agreed that the work would be on his quiet periods for a better price, but I get a email with pics each and every time he works on it, materials lists and I get asked what standard I want each part done in i.e. the finish depending on what will be seen. I know lots of other Ford RS owners that have their cars done whilst it been there and I can often see my van in background of their pics and its always covered with plastic etc and he wouldn't dare of taken it outside. Mine was also sent up with a bare metal front clip (London to Durham!) they protected it straight away

I would be furious with what you have found, despite being surface rust its looks to me like it got wet so the surface rust would soak into all the little gaps, crevices and spot welds through capillary action, I hope you don't have problems in the future

 

[Juppster11]

Really feel for you!

I had similar experiences with the full resto on my bus. It's still not finished and I cannot tell you how many hours I've spent stressing, frustrated, banging my head against the wall. I've sent over 250 emails and I'm not allowed to mention the bus in conversation with my wife as she goes bananas.

I won't name them as they have a very good reputation and actually the guy has become a sort of mate! But as someone else mentioned, if I ran my business like it, I would be living in a cardboard box on Kings Cross Station.

It's does seem that vw specialists do what they want when they want and When they feel like doing it!
I understand that bread and butter Jobs come in and its too easy to push the big resto job aside and do the little ones.

Also why is it when you ask for updates or pictures emailed to you and with technology as it is to day, it does not happen! I've counted only 15 pictures I have been sent in14 months!

Thank God I travelled the 300 mile round trip to check progress and take pictures or I would have forked out a **** load of money with no photographic evidence.

I took 400 myself!

At first I was told 6 months and planned to take my bus to camp at Le Mans. This came and went costing me the price of the camping tickets.

Then it was September, ready for the cabinets to be done!! Uh uh, then Xmas, then Voo Woo uh uh....


I have been up, down sideways with this project.

I compiled a big snag list and only until its all fine will I get her home.

I hate nagging but that's what I have reduced to do now. Never again will I restore another vw unless I have the time to do it my self.. But I know my bus will be home soon and perfect in every way.

 

[89Rallye]

As strange as it sounds that's why I want them to do it now, because and future problems I have they have.. If I take it somewhere else they then have the excuse of this in there are any future problems.

I can't see it getting shot blasted that's for sure and its not just the front panel either..