I lost $5,300 plus $1,200 (I purchased the paint, clear and hardner) from a Body Shop in California City CA.
My car sat, all torn apart for 4 1/2 years...I finally pulled it out August 2013.
And...
I recently (March 2014) purchased an item from a fellow "Forum" member and I have been promised month after month the item will be shipped.
September 2014...NOT SHIPPED YET....
Unfortunately there are some unscrupulous business owners/shops,
seems especially more & more on the body side of the car hobby/business...
That make it hard for the rest of the good guys, but even that's getting allot harder to find everyday...
Glad I do 99% of all my own stuff & get a written contract &/or usually performance clause in said contract
{especially when it's over $1000} if & when I have someone else work on anything of mine...
A good, honest & ligament business owners, that wants repeat customers, that cares about the customer
& not only their own bottom line, won't or don't usually have any issues backing up or
guaranteeing any of their work, in a timely manner or writing a contract &/or a performance clause either...
They can always write a change order if they can't bid the job fully in the 1st place,
it's served me & worked very well for me, over the many years, especially in dealing with shops
& my business alike, it's common practice...
good luck people, cover your own but 1st
I seem to be the go to guy for family & friends, I usually use it as a teaching moment {especially with the girls}
& they are right there with me, or I'm not helping them...
I was the "Bank of Budnicks" for the kids it seems sometimes, when they were younger...
I hate working on girlfriends cars, it always bites you in the a$$, not matter what it is,
anything that goes wrong it's because you touched the other end of the car...LOL..
I'll advise them now, I'll do oil changes or tire rotation "sometimes" etc.,
but not any real work anymore... Wife maybe a differ story
I will try to help someone stranded, broke down, depends on how they look,
but I'm not a source of free labor/parts either...