Hey Tom,
Just read your painter problems. A close friend of mine bought a 55 Safari Wagon 9 years ago. We stripped the car down to the bare bones and sent it off to a well known and "reliable Painter". He wanted 20% down and said it would take about 3 months as he was very busy. My friend agreed and we continued working on the other parts like the interior, engine, transmission etc.
Three months went by and we traveled to the painters business. The car was sitting right where we had left it three months earlier. Not one thing was done on the wagon. We questioned the painter and he told us he had been very busy and had not got around to it. He also told us he had run out of cash to start the safari. My friend reminded him that he had paid him the 20% down as requested and the painter replied he had run short of money on other projects and had used Dan's money to finish the other vehicles. The painter told Dan that he had under quoted him and would need an additional $4000. to work on the Safari.
My Friend very foolishly paid the painter the additional money and the painter told Dan that he would start working on Dan's car the following week.
The story goes on for another 3 years where the painter started on the Safari. and pushed it back outside to start a NEW project for a buddy.. It took another 2 years to get the car ready for paint. Dan even bought the paint and other finishing material and took it to the painter. When the vehicle was finally finished we found the painter had used Dan's paint on another car and had replaced it with a much cheaper quality of paint.
Overall, it took Dan over 5 years to get his safari back and only then because he threatened the painter with a law suit. The total paint job including the materials Dan bought cost him over $20.000 and in the end he go a crummy paint job.
|