Fab shop has not started work on my FJ Cruiser ,it has been almost 1 year (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Sep 4, 2019
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1
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Location
San Francisco
Hi All,

I am here to get some advice. I have brought my FJ Cruiser to a local fabrication shop near San Francisco, Ca on December 2018 to have the rear gears swapped out due to breakage. After breaking a few RP's I finally pulled the trigger to have the rear axle swapped out for a Currie F9 and to fab up the whole rear suspension.

Until this day the shop has not started working on my rig, I even paid the shop in full cash. He promised that he would complete the FJ on February then the following month it goes on, he is short staff and I was told he hired 3 more techs. When I went to get something from my rig I notice that there is only one person in the shop and he was out for long weekend.

The shop does good work he has built race trucks, overland rigs and few other projects.
Prior to paying him he gave me a $500 discount, it was nice of him to give me a discount.
I didn't not know that I would be waiting a long time to get my rig back.

Has any of you ever experience this from other fab shops and what did you do?

Thanks,
McDirty
 
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That was my mistake. I trusted him on following up with his words. Knowing that he had built a lot of race trucks, overland vehicles and custom personal vehicles. He is known in the off road community. I wish I can pull the FJ out and send it to another fab shop, I am thinking that won't be possible. He probably already spent the money somewhere else. :cry:

Communication sucks also, no calls what so every. I have to do the follow up.


No I have not experienced that. I would stop by once a week until done. Never pay up front.
 
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Yeah so I would stop by the shop every week and check on its progress. See if that speeds him up. Every time you stop by try to kindly push him to tell you when it will be done. If he says a couple weeks ask if he can get it done sooner and remind him it's really not the much work- installing a 9" is pretty basic. May also want to discreetly video the encounters and see if u can get him to admit on video that you paid him. That way if u have to take legal action u got some video evidence that he admitted you paid. Then you can use that to back yourself up. I'm not very knowledgeable in these matters. Hopefully it wont have to come to that.
 
The Currie F9 has arrive at his shop and just sitting there. I have stop by at his shop he doesn't say much. I am sending him a text
message that he needs to have the FJ done by end of September. I will be stopping by the shop every weekend from this point on.

He will also be working on the rear suspension fabricating an LT setup.

Good idea on recording him. I am also hoping that it does not have to get to legal matters.

Thanks for chiming in.

Yeah so I would stop by the shop every week and check on its progress. See if that speeds him up. Every time you stop by try to kindly push him to tell you when it will be done. If he says a couple weeks ask if he can get it done sooner and remind him it's really not the much work- installing a 9" is pretty basic. May also want to discreetly video the encounters and see if u can get him to admit on video that you paid him. That way if u have to take legal action u got some video evidence that he admitted you paid. Then you can use that to back yourself up. I'm not very knowledgeable in these matters. Hopefully it wont have to come to that.
 
I have been communicating with the owner via a text message since I dropped off my rig. I sent him a text message on
Wednesday 9/4/2019 hoping he would respond. But guess what? No response to my text.

I think I might just have to start with a call to the BBB. I am really tired of getting pushed around with another excuse.
Monday will be the last draw. I am just tired of the excuses, and it's almost 1 year of my rig sitting at his shop while not being worked on. I have also paid for rentals to get around. I ended up buying another vehicle just so I can get to work and for my wife to use.

I have done more research and the company seems to have a trail of issues from 2008 when they were in Carson city in 2008.
It really sucks that I have to go this route.

Thanks for listening to my frustration.



The Currie F9 has arrive at his shop and just sitting there. I have stop by at his shop he doesn't say much. I am sending him a text
message that he needs to have the FJ done by end of September. I will be stopping by the shop every weekend from this point on.

He will also be working on the rear suspension fabricating an LT setup.

Good idea on recording him. I am also hoping that it does not have to get to legal matters.

Thanks for chiming in.
 
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I have been contacting the owner on both phone and text. Barely answers his calls, he probably screens all his calls.
When I call he doesn't always answer, when I leave a message he doesn't always call back.

I am actually giving him a call today hoping he will answer.

Why are you texting the guy?
 
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I got a hold of the owner today and he said that he will be starting on the rig in about a week and should be done 2 weeks after. So
end of Sept. I am hoping it's not another excuse.

Thread Closed - Hopefully.

Thanks for chiming in.
 
I am not closing the thread yet.

He finally answered my call. He said that the reason why he wasn't able to get started on my rig was due to a truck that has been stuck in the rear garage door for two weeks, that's why he wasn't able to get my rig on the lift to get started with the work. 🤔
The funny thing is think truck has been there since March. lol

He said that he will be working on my rig starting next week or week after. I am hoping it is not another excuse like all the other excuses or I will be. :bang:


Man I can't wait until I get my own welder and learn how to weld.

Good to know he got back to you.
However I wouldn't close the thread cos the truck isn't in your driveway yet 🤔
 
No kidding, i'd love to learn how to weld, since i'm in the salt belt of the east coast. Just curious, when he wasn't starting work on the truck months ago and kept dodging you, why not just take it somewhere else?
 
You have way more patience than me. No way in hell id wait a year for that kind of work, or any for that matter. Get your truck out of there, get your money back and find someone worth a damn to work on your rig. People like this are all over the country, but there are plenty of good shops left!
 
I would have paid for parts ahead but not labor. At this point I would go get my truck and move on. No reason to expect good work if this is how the shop is ran.
 
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As a busines owner i can tell you the BBB is worthless nd a joke in this day and age. A very detailed professional google review can cause far more damage and a huge loss of money to a company. I would tell get him to commit to a finish date. If not finished on that date i would have him served and take him to small claims court. Its a very easy process and doesn’t cost much. Just make sure you have documentation like a cashed check to show you paid. I wouldn’t even threaten court, just have him served. The court will side with you if everything you said is true.
 
Hi All,

I am here to get some advice. I have brought my FJ Cruiser to a local fabrication shop near San Francisco, Ca on December 2018 to have the rear gears swapped out due to breakage. After breaking a few RP's I finally pulled the trigger to have the rear axle swapped out for a Currie F9 and to fab up the whole rear suspension.

Until this day the shop has not started working on my rig, I even paid the shop in full cash. He promised that he would complete the FJ on February then the following month it goes on, he is short staff and I was told he hired 3 more techs. When I went to get something from my rig I notice that there is only one person in the shop and he was out for long weekend.

The shop does good work he has built race trucks, overland rigs and few other projects.
Prior to paying him he gave me a $500 discount, it was nice of him to give me a discount.
I didn't not know that I would be waiting a long time to get my rig back.

Has any of you ever experience this from other fab shops and what did you do?

Thanks,
McDirty
mistake number one you should have never never given the Shop full cash did you check with the Better Business Bureau?
 

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