Chelsea Silver Plating & Repair Company

The repair on the bed was shown and explained to the customer when they came to pick it up The customer was very pleased at the time, so much so that she left more work with us and cited the bed as an example of what she wanted her new pieces to look like.After the customer got home they decided they were not happy We explained why and how the repair was done It is on the back side of the headboard and is not seen when the bed is in use.The customer felt that someone else could have done a much better repair- we explained that this was the only way it could be done Customer has no metal/restoration experience but continues to believe someone else would have done a better job.The repair took us six hours to do and we did not charge for it.The polishing job was perfect and no complaints were ever made to us in regards to the quality of the finish; on the contrary, customer cited the polishing job as a desire for the next pieces she left with us

We are very sorry that you were not satisfied with the repairThe job that was given to us was to polish and lacquer a brass bedThe bed was very old and preexisting damage, although slight, was aggravated by the polishing processWe repaired the damage to the best of our abilityWe have been in business repairing and restoring metal objects since With the best of our ability we fixed the damage at no cost to the customerThe repair process took us over seven hours to completeWhen working on antiques, problems can ariseWe did everything we could with sixty years of experience to restore damage that was not caused by our negligenceThe customer is not being truthful about leaving all of the items at our store at the same timeWe have paperwork that shows she dropped off the bed, picked up the bed and paid for itOn the date of piadditional items were left with us for restorationAfter the bed had left our shop we were called and told that our repairs were unprofessional and a redo on the repair was demandedAfter a lengthy discussion and explanation, we said we would try it againA discussion was had by the artisans at the workshop and we realized there was nothing else we could do to improve the work that was already doneAt this time we informed [redacted] that we would not be able to do the work again.We were threatened by [redacted] that she would deny payment on the bedAt this time we decided that we would not be willing to pay to ship her items back to her that she had left hereThis would have cost us hundreds of dollars in shipping.We have done all that we can do for [redacted] in this matterWe feel that the many many hours of labor that we provided for free was very fairThe location of the damage was on the backside of the headboardWhen placed against a wall it would not be seen

We are very sorry that you were not satisfied with the repair. The job that was given to us was to polish and lacquer a brass bed. The bed was very old and preexisting damage, although slight, was aggravated by the polishing process. We repaired the damage to the best of our ability. We have been in business repairing and restoring metal objects since 1948. With the best of our ability we fixed the damage at no cost to the customer. The repair process took us over seven hours to complete. When working on antiques, problems can arise. We did everything we could with sixty years of experience to restore damage that was not caused by our negligence. The customer is not being truthful about leaving all of the items at our store at the same time. We have paperwork that shows she dropped off the bed, picked up the bed and paid for it. On the date of pick-up additional items were left with us for restoration. After the bed had left our shop we were called and told that our repairs were unprofessional and a redo on the repair was demanded. After a lengthy discussion and explanation, we said we would try it again. A discussion was had by the artisans at the workshop and we realized there was nothing else we could do to improve the work that was already done. At this time we informed [redacted] that we would not be able to do the work again.We were threatened by [redacted] that she would deny payment on the bed. At this time we decided that we would not be willing to pay to ship her items back to her that she had left here. This would have cost us hundreds of dollars in shipping.We have done all that we can do for [redacted] in this matter. We feel that the many many hours of labor that we provided for free was very fair. The location of the damage was on the backside of the headboard. When placed against a wall it would not be seen.

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
 Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: I do not accept the apologies from Chelsea Plating. I sent the bed for polishing and I ended up with a bed that had to be repaired. The company should have called me prior to repairing the bed. On 10/24/2016 during my conversation with Marc, he explained that another repair method would be to wrap new brass around the post. This was not done as it would have taken two more hours of labor. This option was not given to me. I would have been willing to pay for this option and pick the bed up at a later time. I thought that Chelsea Plating was an honest and reputable company, there were no free services provided by Chelsea Plating. I did not expect anything for free which was why I initally declined the offer to return my money. I was planning to give this bed to my daughter as a family heirloom and place it away from the wall. I cannot use this bed in my home due to it's present state, there is more repair work that needs to be completed on the bed (see pictures from 1st response). When the bed was picked up on 10/22/16 after initial drop off on 8/8/2016, I asked Chris about the way the repair was completed. Chris stated that this was the only way to repair the bed. I asked about the grainy finish on the foot of the bed, Chris responded that sometimes the finish comes out that way. In retrospect, I should not have picked up the bed, but left it for further repair. I was unhappy when I left with my bed as I believed in the reputation of Chelsea Plating. I trusted that Chris was being honest, as Marc stated earlier about other repair options. On 10/24 I had a long conversation with Marc (see attached phone record) and he stated that he and Chris had worked on the bed on 10/21 to very late on that Friday night. He offered to return the money because he did not want to further repair the brass bed. He was aware of the uneven seams, and he was unsure he could do better, but offered to try again. He agreed to personally attempt to repair the bed a second time. He did not mention any "artisans" that worked with them at their shop. We had an agreement at this time. I declined the return of money as all I wanted was my bed repaired and I did not want to take advantage of anyone. When I returned the call on 10/24, Marc stated he could not repair because after a conversation with Chris I did not seem upset enough to repair the bed or return the money. They stated that if I had left the bed with them, then they would have potentially repaired it. He slammed the phone down at this time. I called back and reminded Marc of the conversation and he stated he would not repair the bed or return the money. I addressed the items that were left at the time I picked up the bed, and Marc stated they would be returned to me by the company as I would not have to return to Philadelphia. I left the items (see attached invoice) at the time I picked up the bed prior to seeing the condition of the "repaired" bed. If I had seen the bed first, I would never have left my belongings. I did state that I would try to dispute the charges since I was dissatisfied with the repair and polish and the reason for not proceeding with further repairs did not make sense. I have never business with a company with this poor state of customer service as no one had ever slammed a phone down to end a conversation. Also Marc was rude as he tried to keep me from returning for my items by stating they would send them to me. I am very upset about how I was treated. I was never notified about the damage and the repairs prior to making the repairs. I was not given any choice on how to repair the bed. I was told by Marc that he would personally take care of my bed and later changed his mind after his conversation with Chris. I am very disappointed and dissatisfied with the services. I am requesting reimbursements for my payments made and that money would again go to repair my brass bed.
Regards,
[redacted]

The repair on the bed was shown and explained to the customer when they came to pick it up.  The customer was very pleased at the time, so much so that she left more work with us and cited the bed as an example of what she wanted her new pieces to look like.After the customer got home they...

decided they were not happy.  We explained why and how the repair was done.  It is on the back side of the headboard and is not seen when the bed is in use.The customer felt that someone else could have done a much better repair- we explained that this was the only way it could be done.  Customer has no metal/restoration experience but continues to believe someone else would have done a better job.The repair took us six hours to do and we did not charge for it.The polishing job was perfect and no complaints were ever made to us in regards to the quality of the finish; on the contrary, customer cited the polishing job as a desire for the next pieces she left with us.

Review: I contacted this company approximately a year ago to ask for the repair of a part to an antique floor lamp. The business owner said I could mail it to them for repair, and they would mail it back. Having hired their services in the past, I expected the repair to take months or even over a year, as has been the norm for them on other projects. The business did not provide me with any definite time frame to expect the part back. They had my address and could easily have contacted me by mail at any time. Upon changing my phone number, I contacted them and gave them the new number. They have never called me about the repair. After waiting a few months I bagan to call and leave messages asking about my property either on their answering machine or with their employees. The business never responded or contacted me to give me the status of my item. I finally got the owner on the phone today, and he told me they discarded my property. This is illegal and unacceptable. The business has never delivered any notice to me of the completion of the work, the inability to perform the job, or the return of the property. I was never given appropriate or adequate opportunity to retrieve my property. The item in question was small enough to fit in the palm of a hand or a small padded envelope and placed in the mail. I live only in the next state, and it would have taken little effort and very little cost to return the item to me. Even though I have been a good customer of theirs for many years and brought them additional business, they didn't even bother to call or mail me a note. The only explanation for this is either he didn't want to do the repair or he either lost my item and/or my contact info. I now have an antique floor lamp here which is incomplete due to Chelsea Plating Company's incompetence.Desired Settlement: I would like Chelsea Plating Company to either replace the property they lost or pay for adequate replacement parts.

Business

Response:

Attached, please find the order form for this job. It came to us via USPS on 3/28/13. It was completed and the customer was called on 4/10/13. (Please see the notation on the bottom, "L.M.T." with the date. This denotes "left message tape".) We never heard from the customer until approximately 1/10/14. (The date is approximate because I was on vacation 1/10-1/15/14 and I was informed of the call upon my return.) Falsehood #1: He says that he called many times. If he had called any time after 4/10/13, we would have sent the part out because it was ready. Falsehood #2: "Over a year" to complete work. We have never taken a year to do any of the thousands of projects we have done over the years. This one was simple ($20. charge)-we had it completed in two weeks. Lastly, the bottom of the order form states clearly: "We are not responsible for items left over thirty days after notification of job completion." We held this item for over eight months after notification. It was then discarded.

Before contacting you, this customer left reviews on [redacted] and [redacted] (and possibly other) social networking web sites that contain false claims regarding our business practices that would be considered libelous. (It seems that the complainant was more interested in hurting our reputation than resoving the issue at hand.) We have decided that if these posts remain, we will consider legal action through the Small Claims Court. It is illegal to fabricate untruths in order to cause damage to a person or business and publish it for mass consumption.