Now I know you guys love your Elwood, hell, I was excited when I found out the owner has a Mini...However Im just gonna lay out my experience.
I was quoted 350 for an 'any style' paint job on my hood...it was to be more if I wanted the underside painted as well...
I got there and the price was 450. This was an insurance deal, so I agreed...the extra 100 was my out of pocket which isnt bad for a new painted hood...
I wanted the car back as fast as possible...so I asked when was the latest I could drop it off on tuesday so I could get it back on Wednesday, lady'said 2 o'clock so I was there at 2 o'clock...gotta think too, I was on 'JustINtime' prior so it was close to get there. I asked how they wanted the hood...on the car, in the box, with all the hardware(headlights), they said on the car with no hardware...n thats how they got it.
We agreed on the return of the car on Thursday late afternoon...when I got there, Don rushed up to me within 10 seconds to point out all the mistakes on the hood. He blamed it all on me not giving him enough time, but I had heard none of this in advance. I told him if this was known to me, I would have just brought the hood in the box and given you a week or so. (I had to go back anyways to pick up the insurance check when it got in) The clear coat was peeling, the prep work left dimples and there was silver paint on my splitter...all in all I was disappointed, it was a mess!
He exclaimed that he had to point it all out to me...rather than me figuring it out myself, as well as made me understand that I was only a 400 dollar job when hes got 3000 dollar jobs to be doing right now instead...I asked him what he could do to make this right and he offered a 200 dollar repaint. Within one second (not an exaggeration) he turned his back and walked off...
Obviously we were both heated so I asked him if we could talk about it another day and shook his hand. When I went back on the following tuesday to pick up the check, I had him fix the paint on the splitter and told him I was not going to do anymore business with him...
I maybe a 'kid', but money and business and money and business in my book. All in all, Im happy enough with the hood (with the clearcoat fixed) and unwilling to give them any more money that Im keeping the hood the way it is...its not so much the product as the customer service.
Just a word to the wise...get it all in writing, prior!