Fiberglass repair shop warning

[Timicrinn]

...which is under new management, should be avoided at all costs. The “new manager” is extremely unprofessional…self admitting that he does not like to talk to customers. Dishonest…saving credit card numbers then using the card to withdraw funds without permission. Unable to meet deadlines, blew off 2 deadlines. Does not work in timely manner to get work done and out to the clients. Once your boat is in the shop you can never see it again until they pull it out…insurance issues he says. Does not provide any status reports or pictures until pressed to do so. 2 months worth of this kind of behavior, he is very moody and quick lash out at the client, has made our summer a roller coaster of emotional boo sh—. In my many years of construction and dealing with vendors…this outfit is solidly on the bottom. If it had not been for the previous owners great reputation…I’ll give this less than a year to trash it completely…talk about bait and switch. Do yourself a favor and go anyplace else but...

 

[MYTraveler]

The credit card thing is a significant crime. Did you report it to the police?

 

[SIBERNUT]

Ya know, there's a rash around here of new owners of a craft business putting it up their nose. Typical pattern like yours.

 

[PM]

Get legal advice.

pete

 

[Timicrinn]

Just a follow up to the fiberglass nightmare we just endured. 183 hrs billed for a solid 11 weeks on the hard in their shop. They were not concerned in the least about any of my cares or concerns. In the end, as I was inspecting their work in their shop just prior to splash down…I was met with a violent in my face “ get out my f -$king shop” where upon I was pushed down under my boat crashing my shoulder into the screw jack. A truely unhinged mad dog bully with no ability to deal with customers. It was on the drop dead day at the drop dead hour that I got my filthy dusty boat back.
The previous owner who is trying to sell the business to this individual is caught between a rock and a hard place…and has chosen his only way out…invested with a real liability on his hands the only one he could find to do fiberglass. Say goodbye to positive reviews…for me a real bait and switch.
This individual goes by jabberwocky composites LLC…and did he ever live up to his name…vague actions of meaningless words, nonsense gibberish. Borrowed from a Lewis Carroll poem about good and evil. A nonsense business and owner that will drag you down a dark rabbit hole a nightmare to do business with.
So it was that in joking I mentioned a possible bad review…to which the response was “I’ll burn your boat down”…I would not like to see this happen to anyone else so BEWARE!
So there have to be other nightmares of repairs and the people that create them. I hate to feel like I am alone in this rabbit hole. Please give me hope and thanks for your time.

 

[kthoennes]

Boy, that guy does sound unhinged. I would think the world is way too small now (online presence on the 'net) to get away with that kind of behavior for any length of time and have a business survive, even in the new commercial reality. You always have to take reviews for what they're worth and unhappy people are more likely to post reviews, but I know I've steered away from a few businesses based on childish hostility in the business' responses to reviews, negative or not. Defend yourself by all means, but if you're in business, you don't act like a 10 year old bully in a school yard.

It's such a new reality now. Two seasons ago (2021) the marina crunched my bow pulpit into a dock post at spring launch. I called the fiberglass shop that the marina recommended, just about the only one in town willing to work on boats at the marina. Marina was willing to cover the cost, decent of them, but now I can't get it done. Called multiple times over the last two years, yeah we'll get to it, yeah we'll take a look at it, yeah, we'll do it this summer. Never showed up. Fine, I'll do it myself, it's not that big a job. It's a whole new world for service and craft businesses in recent years. Don't even get me started on canvas work -- tried four places in Florida and New Jersey, either no response or turned me down flat, don't want the work. Even tried the canvas shop in upstate New York who made the canvas for my model of Mainship in the 1990's, still in business, yeah, we still have the patterns but we'd rather not. When you find a good service or craft business, they're like gold. We found a canvas shop in Omaha of all places, they mostly do commercial building awnings but they're willing to do marine work too. Not quick but they do fantastic, high quality work so now we ship our canvas 250 miles to Nebraska of all places. They even use Regalite for the windows because it has the best crack resistance in extreme cold, like 30 below zero.

Welcome to the new world of service providers.

 

[Larry M]

"Dealer/Vendor and Customer Disputes (from the Community Rules)

This forum is not intended to be a mechanism for people to solely vent frustrations about vendors or sales from private parties. Please settle your differences with the seller, manufacturer and dealer through other means but not through our community."

Thanks for understanding.

 

[sunchaser]

Larry
You are correct. As a further point, the OP's first post was followed up a month later by an altercation. Quite possibly the yard manager reads the Internet.

 

[OldDan1943]

I have a good canvas company in the Ft Lauderdale FL area. I dont know if he is inexpensive but, he is good and comes to the boat for the final fitting with snaps. I used him for 2 boats.

 

[Timicrinn]

My bad Larry never again sorry

 

[twistedtree]

Is this a dispute or a product/service review? I read it as a review, and think they are very helpful and an important part of an online community. Active disputes I agree should be handled directly, but reviews after the fact I think are a good thing and should not only be allowed, but encouraged.

 

[OldDan1943]

Is this a dispute or a product/service review? I read it as a review, and think they are very helpful and an important part of an online community. Active disputes I agree should be handled directly, but reviews after the fact I think are a good thing and should not only be allowed, but encouraged.

+1 but remember there are 2 sides to every story.