Herman's Upholstery

Revdex.com: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 11498356, and have determined that this does not resolve my dispute Please enter your reason(s) for rejecting the business response below.Attached are two pictures showing one instance of what occurrs when I take my car BACK to Mr [redacted] for "repair." As I have stated and as you can see from the pictures here, as well as from the pictures and timeline of events I provided in my previous response, he has been unable to repair his own installation job upon several attemptsIn other words, Mr [redacted] , despite giving him multiple opportunities (not to mention ample time) has, unbelievably, now rendered the top uselessEach time I have taken my car back to his shop, it is returned to me in worse condition than before -- he continues to cause even further damage to the appearance and functionability of my car and vinyl topBottom line? It is ludicrous to suggest I take the car back to him so that he may make additional repairsThis offer is completely unacceptable for many obvious reasons [redacted]

We absolutely would love to resolve this issue with Ms [redacted] Our top priority is customer satisfactionIf Ms [redacted] agrees, we are will to make the necessary repairs to her vehicleIf, willing we would like to set up a date and time when she can bring her vehicle in

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 11498356, and have determined that this does not resolve my dispute
Please enter your reason(s) for rejecting the business response below.Attached are two pictures showing one instance of what occurrs when I take my car BACK to Mr*** for "repair." As I have stated and as you can see from the pictures here, as well as from the pictures and timeline of events I provided in my previous response, he has been unable to repair his own installation job upon several attemptsIn other words, Mr***, despite giving him multiple opportunities (not to mention ample time) has, unbelievably, now rendered the top uselessEach time I have taken my car back to his shop, it is returned to me in worse condition than before -- he continues to cause even further damage to the appearance and functionability of my car and vinyl top. Bottom line? It is ludicrous to suggest I take the car back to him so that he may make additional repairsThis offer is completely unacceptable for many obvious reasons
*** ***

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 11498356, and have determined that this does not resolve my dispute
Please enter your reason(s) for rejecting the business response below.The owner (who appears to be the only individual on site) of Herman's Upholstery & Detail Shop, Mr*** ***, has provided a recollection of events that is full of holes and untruths -- it is not the way it happenedHe has omitted important and relevant factsI have specifically addressed of Herman's statements. Referenced in the "Message from Business" below and in my footnotes following, I will provide the facts concerning the way things truly unfoldedI have also included a timeline of events relating to my dealings with Herman.MESSAGE FROM BUSINESSMs*** came in to get her vinyl top to her vehicle replaced on May 10, I advised Ms*** that we did not have the convertible top in stock and would have to be ordered which can take a couple days for us to receiveI also gave Ms*** a quote of $for both the labor and parts($new convertible top) ($labor)I also advised Ms*** that we usually ask for a deposit from customers when their vehicles are dropped off and the remaining portion when the work has been completed and the customer is satisfied Ms*** did not agree to leave a depositI decided to still decided to satisfy my customer and complete work on her on vehicle without a deposit.4 I also provided Ms*** with the information that she asked for such as a list of the vendorsthat we use and advised her that our parts are ordered brand new from one of our top suppliersWhen Ms*** came to pick up her vehicle she seemed to be satisfied with the work that had been done to her vehicleand made her paymentA week later Ms*** came back into the shopand advised that she was not satisfied and requested a full refundI advised Ms*** that our number one priority is customer satisfaction and offered to take another look at her vehicle, Ms*** refusedI do apologize if Ms*** was not satisfied with the work done to her vehicleOur goal is to provide 100% customer satisfactionI am offering for Ms*** to come into our shop so that can take a look at her vehicle and resolve this issueor due to the parts being non- refundable, we are willing to refund Ms*** half of the labor cost which is $so that we can move forward in getting this matter resolved. MY FOOTNOTESWhile it's true, I did visit Herman's shop on May 10, 2016, this was not the first time I had been thereThe chain of events began Saturday, May 7, 2016.2 Undeniably falseI was informed that I needed to pay in full, up front. 3 This is completely untrue. At no time did Mr*** mention a "deposit." Again, his payment terms were "payment in full, up front."4 This is another lieHe did not perform any work on my vehicle until he had my full payment of $850, which he received on May 10, 2016.5 I did not ask for a list of vendorsOn June 3, I asked to see the invoice for the top he told me he received from *** *** in FtWorth, TX.6 *** finally called me on the evening of May 13, (not the one-day turn around he promised)Except for the fact that the top was ON, I could see nothing because it was nighttimeTo say I was satisfied at that point is a non-sequiturUpon my return home, however, in the light from the porch, I noticed the first (of many to come) installation flaw in the area where the top’s weather stripping is supposed to be flush with the window7 I paid *** IN FULL, UP FRONT (as he requested) the day I dropped the car off, Monday, May UntrueI returned to Herman's shop the very next day to discuss the problems with the installation -- on Saturday, May 14, - not a week later.9 I did not request a full refund at that timeI did not refuse his offer to make things right; in fact, I provided him with more opportunities than I should haveAs you will see in the timeline, I gave *** multiple chances to repair his numerous and obvious installation flawsAgain, completely false.11 At no time did Mr*** ever mention customer service being a top priority. That's ludicrous.12 For four weeks, my car was in and out of Herman's shop. To say that "Ms*** refused" to let him take another look couldn't be further from the truthI gave him multiple chances, not to mention time, to repair his numerous and obvious installation flaws.13 The unfortunate fact is that Herman, during the course of his installation work, destroyed the top -- the top I paid forI won't even consider this ridiculous offerHe has provided me with NOTHING -- no services renderedI have completely thrown $down the drainTIMELINE OF EVENTSSaturday, May 7, 2016I drove to Herman's shop and asked him if he could purchase and install a new vinyl convertible top for my Mazda MiataHe said that he could do the job for $and that he could complete the job in one dayI accepted the dealHis promise of a "one day turn around" was especially nice for me, since my car was and is my only reliable source of transportationWhile I was still at the shop, *** called his distributer. *** informed me, after his phone call, there was one top left (locally) and he could get that oneI told him, "great...order it," and, since he promised he could finish the job the same day, I would return whenever he received the top and had time to install it. At this point, *** rather sheepishly told me that I needed to pay him, in full, up frontHowever, in his statement he says: "I also advised Ms*** that we usually ask for a deposit from customers when their vehicles are dropped off and the remaining portion when the work has been completed and the customer is satisfied.” You can see Herman’s story is already starting to fold in on itselfDespite my reservation, realizing this was an extremely small business and perhaps *** had cash flow problems, I agreed to pay him, in full, when I dropped the car off for the work to be doneFor him to say that I didn't agree to leave a deposit is a complete fabricationFurther, *** does not accept credit cards and I’m not in the habit of carrying $in cash aroundI found his payment terms to be quite unorthodox, but again, Herman’s shop is a small operation and I felt I could trust himI agreed to pay him when I returned the car for him to work on, which was to be Monday, May as instructed by Mr***Monday, May 9, 2016I called Mr*** and he said that today was not a good day and to bring the car in tomorrow.Tuesday, May 10, 2016 I took car to the shop and paid him the full payment of $He said he would have the car ready in the afternoon. I never heard from him so I called in the early evening. He said he was not done and it will be tomorrow.Wednesday, May 11, 2016He never called and finally I called him. He promised that it would be done by the end of the day and that "he would not leave until it was finished." I never heard from *** and there was no answer when I called, so I drove by the shop and it was closedThursday, May 12, 2016I called *** and he said he was waiting for a part, but that I could pick the car up. I explained to him that I did not want my car until it was finished.Friday, May 13, 2016*** called around 8:pm and said that the car was readyMy mother drove me to his shop and I picked up my carIt was dark outside, but the top was indeed on; however, I couldn’t test it out to ensure it was operable since, according to Herman, it was important that I not move (lower) the top for daysThe car windows were down so I don't notice the installation flaw with the window seal until I get home where it's light.Saturday, May 14, 2016I returned to the shop to show him all the problems and to find out when I could bring it back for him to fix it. Monday, May 16, 2016 I returned the car to the shop. I told *** that I wanted him to fix it right this time. I decided to give him the week to work on it - all the while I was left without a carDuring this time I continually checked in with him (he rarely called me to keep me apprised of the status), and each time, he proceeded to give me various excuses why my car was not ready. Friday, May 20, 2016I picked the car up and it is still not rightIt was as if he'd not touched a thingHe continually told me to give it time to "adjust and settle."Tuesday, May 24, 2016I tried very hard to be patient, but the top was not adjusting and it looked horribleI then decided to take the car back to the shop, yet again, with a list of the current issues that needed to be fixed:The entire driver's side top and deck seams were/are "off" and it didn't look like the passenger's side of the topExterior, above the back window, the vinyl wasn't/isn't taut like the passenger side was/is.The window and the area around the window weren't/aren't properly sealedI could and still can stick my finger through from the outside of the car to the inside of the carAnd, every time I open the driver's side door, the window (if closed) catches on the weather stripping that hung/hangs over the top of the windowExterior, above back window, there was/is a knot in the seam of the vinyl.Interior, on top, the velcro strap/lining wasn't/isn't attached properly.Interior, passenger side by window, there was/is a missing rivetAirbag light on dash was blinking on/off constantlyThat he did manage to fix.Friday, May 27, 2016I went back to the shop to check on my carThe only thing *** had fixed was the airbag light. He told me the top just didn't fit properly and mentioned something about the warranty being null and void. He suggested that I could just roll down the window before opening my door every time and it'll "be okay." He accused me of "being mean" and making this personalI thought it was a bizarre thing to sayIt was as if he was trying to make me feel sorry for him. *** then scrambled to find my keys and I calmly, but frustrated, left the shop.Friday, May to Friday, June 3, 2016I wait yet another week to see if the top will stretch and settleIt does notFriday, June 3, 2016I went back to the shop and told him that I wanted him to give me my money backI even told *** that I would keep the top and take it to another shop and that he could just reimburse me for the installation charge, since he was clearly unable to do what he was paid to do. *** didn’t want to do thisIn retrospect I am glad he did not accept my offer because now I have been told, by two professionals, that the top could not be “repaired” and that is was essentially uselessAt one point, *** attempted to open the top upFor minutes, he messed with itHe could not open and/or close the top without strugglingThe rear window wouldn't even slide down to where it was supposed toYet again, after all of Herman's failed attempts at installing the top, he had ruined it in the process. He wanted one more chance to fix it. I once again pointed out all the issues, and, reluctantly (and foolishly) agreed to give him one more opportunity to make it rightI left and told him I'd get with him Monday and bring the car overMonday, June 6, 2016I called him at noon and left a message - no response.Tuesday, June 7, 2016I took the car to the shop at am*** told me he would get to it that afternoon. I called *** at pmWe had a bad connection; however, he informed me that he had taken the "car apart" and was still working on it.Wednesday, June 8, 2016I called *** at 1:pm to check on the statusThere was no answer, so I left a messageI called again at pmHe said he was still working on it, but that he would call me when it was ready, which he said would be the next dayThursday, June 9, 2016Because *** never did call, I called him at pmHe said he was still working on it, but to call at noon tomorrow. Friday, June 10, 2016I called *** at pm and he said his back was hurting so bad that he was going to the hospitalI told him I was picking the car up and if he left to just put the key under the car matSince I had to go to work, my parents picked the car up*** was sitting in the shop at that timeWhen I returned from work and looked at the car, I was stunnedDumbfoundedIt was unbelievable...the top looked worseI simply can't fathom how *** would have thought this was acceptableSaturday, June 11, 2016Upon a recommendation, I visited *** *** ***, located at Harrison Avenue, Suite 414, Arlington, TX 76011. The installer spent a great deal of time inspecting the topHis conclusion was that the top was not salvageable and that a new one would have to be purchasedHe suspected that the previous installer (i.eHerman), in the process of trying to fix everything, damaged the top and most of the weather stripping that went around the topI am currently waiting to receive this installer's official quote, but he did tell me he had done some checking around and was advised by Mazda that a new top (which would include the hardware, but NOT the weather stripping, priced at $267.92) would cost $5,961.38. All that being said, they don't even carry the parts anymore!I immediately drove to Herman's shop with my mother and explained to *** what I was told. I told him that he did a horrible job, that it was completely unsatisfactory, and that I needed a full refundI told him I would call him on Monday to make arrangements for this to happenMonday, June 13, 2016I called *** at 11:am and told him I needed to come get my money before close of businessWe talked for about three minutes, then he hung up on meShortly thereafter, I went to Hiley Mazda in Arlington to get an estimateAs I figured, after hearing about the fact that Mazda no longer carries the tops and necessary parts, they informed me, due to price and low demand, that they do not do this kind of work any longerThey referred me to Cal's Top Shop in Fort WorthTuesday, June 14, 2016I went to Cal's and received a estimate in the amount of $1,for the replacement and installation of a new convertible topConsequently, Cal's three professional installers said that the current installation (i.eHerman's work) was the worst they had ever seenDespite claiming otherwise, Mr*** did not/does not have the expertise to do this jobHe has numerous, unfavorable, and recent reviews on the internetHe may have been capable at one time, but he apparently no longer isIt was a job he simply could not handle and should have said no toPeriodSince he didn't, I have lost everythingI have "lost my convertible" and my hard earned cashI will not accept his unreasonable offer of HALF his LABORDid I mention he guaranteed his work? Yet, another lie
Regards,
*** ***

Ms*** came in to get her vinyl top to her vehicle replaced on May 10, I advised Ms*** that we did not have the convertible top in stock and would have to be ordered which can take a couple days for us to receiveI also gave Ms*** a quote of $for both the labor and
parts($new convertible top) ($labor)I also advised Ms*** that we usually ask for a deposit from customers when their vehicles are dropped off and the remaining portion when the work has been completed and the customer is satisfiedMs*** did not agree to leave a deposit, I decided to still decided to satisfy my customer and complete work on her on vehicle without a depositI also provided Ms*** with the information that she asked for such as a list of the vendors that we use and advised her that our parts are ordered brand new from one of our top suppliersWhen Ms*** came to pick up her vehicle she seemed to be satisfied with the work that had been done to her vehicle and made her paymentA week later Ms*** came back into the shop and advised that she was not satisfied and requested a full refundI advised Ms*** that our number one priority is customer satisfaction and offered to take another another look at her vehicle, Ms*** refused.I do apologize if Ms*** was not satisfied with the work done to her vehicleOur goal is to provide 100% customer satisfactionI am offering for Ms*** to come into our shop so that can take a look at her vehicle and resolve this issue or due to the parts being non- refundable, we are willing to refund Ms*** half of the labor cost which is $so that we can move forward in getting this matter resolved.Thanks

We absolutely would love to resolve this issue with Ms***Our top priority is customer satisfactionIf Ms*** agrees, we are will to make the necessary repairs to her vehicleIf, willing we would like to set up a date and time when she can bring her vehicle in