are estimates binding?
Pro
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 649
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I am having my vette painted.
I had this shop give me a written estimate, and I agreed to the job. They then proceed to do the work, but the agreement was to have me do all the dis-assembly and re-assembly. Today at around 5:00 I went down there to see the car, and with the work, in their words, 98% done, I asked, "Should I pay you the $xxxx now or should I wait until I pick up the car."
The shop owner then says, its going to be quite a bit more than that, but didn't say how much more, so I said to him, "shouldn't I have been notified if it was going to be more", and he says, oh now I see how you are, well I wish I'd never done this f****** job, its been a pain in my a** and I'm only making $500 at that price. Do you think I should do that job in my shop for that much. If you are only going to pay that much, then you can take it home just like it is right now. Then storms out and leaves, so I couldn't take it home since he didn't let me pay him. One of his employees was still there after he left, and said he'd seen him do that before, but didn't want to get in the middle of that.
The car is painted, re-assembled and has been buffed, but needs more buffing. It doesn't all that look great at this point since there are spots that they re-wet sanded to knock down some trash after the initial buffing, so it needs those re-rubbed in those spots, and then it needs final buffing.
What would you do? I'm trying to think of my next move. I personally don't think I said anything that should have set him off. I sure thought we had an agreement on price, and in writing, and nothing went wrong with the job, they sanded, painted , and buffed the car, and that is what it said they'd do in the estimate.
How binding are body shop estimates? Can he just charge me whatever he wants anyway?
If I just pick up the car and have someone else finish it, is he liable for paying for it?
What a mess.
I had this shop give me a written estimate, and I agreed to the job. They then proceed to do the work, but the agreement was to have me do all the dis-assembly and re-assembly. Today at around 5:00 I went down there to see the car, and with the work, in their words, 98% done, I asked, "Should I pay you the $xxxx now or should I wait until I pick up the car."
The shop owner then says, its going to be quite a bit more than that, but didn't say how much more, so I said to him, "shouldn't I have been notified if it was going to be more", and he says, oh now I see how you are, well I wish I'd never done this f****** job, its been a pain in my a** and I'm only making $500 at that price. Do you think I should do that job in my shop for that much. If you are only going to pay that much, then you can take it home just like it is right now. Then storms out and leaves, so I couldn't take it home since he didn't let me pay him. One of his employees was still there after he left, and said he'd seen him do that before, but didn't want to get in the middle of that.
The car is painted, re-assembled and has been buffed, but needs more buffing. It doesn't all that look great at this point since there are spots that they re-wet sanded to knock down some trash after the initial buffing, so it needs those re-rubbed in those spots, and then it needs final buffing.
What would you do? I'm trying to think of my next move. I personally don't think I said anything that should have set him off. I sure thought we had an agreement on price, and in writing, and nothing went wrong with the job, they sanded, painted , and buffed the car, and that is what it said they'd do in the estimate.
How binding are body shop estimates? Can he just charge me whatever he wants anyway?
If I just pick up the car and have someone else finish it, is he liable for paying for it?
What a mess.
It's called anticipatory breach of contract (in addition to the guy sounding like a nut who resents his mistake in estimating the job) and gives you the right to take the car out of there and bring it to another shop, explain what happened, get a bill from him and sue the nut for the difference. With a guy like this you take the offensive, not go out for a cup of coffee with him. He's showed you his true colors, why stay with a bad guy who's trying to screw you.
