Ok boys and grills I am here to tell you about my experience with Bills Rod And Custom In Ohio. I talked with Bill at Nats In Louisville Great guy to talk to and builds a great frame. Bill promised me a frame in two weeks and I thought that was to good to be true .Three weeks later I have called and emailed Bill every day this week trying to find out what the deal is and he will not reply. Pull your pants up and go home!
Yes I was asking about Bills because I could not reach him by phone or email. I can not understand how someone can stay in business and do people like this. He sells on ebay and only has to bad feed backs.
I know several peopel that have dealt with him over and over. He usually does right by ya. He also travels to many of the same shows as several peopel here. He may be at the Frog follies now. I wouldn't freak out just yet. But it's not my money on the line so I understand your issues.
the guy has been in this business for a long time , he knows his stuff..sure he might be a little excentrict...aren't we all?......if it makes you feel better i never get anything done on time too..... the way i see it he is one week late...maybe he doesn't answer the phone because he is BUSY working on your stuff he PROBABILLY has caller ID......i do the people i build cars for don't always return my calls right away too...i figure they are busy ..hopefully working to make some money to pay me THINK ABOUT THIS...the guys who are waiting around for someone to call them and have the time to chat.....what are they good for? the guys who are busier that shit...there must be a reason for that..they are getting paid to work,,,,,,,,and not to give lip service you have posted this in two different threads..has it helped you to get your chassis faster? if you have your pants down...that was your choice.. do you REALLY think this guy is out to screw you and everone else? i don't think so you will get a nice chassis , at a good price.....or maybe not if you act like a two year old when you don't get you way if you REALLY DO GET SCREWED...then let us know THEN RELAX or maybe you better use this
Well said. My shop is busy as hell, why? Good work at good prices. If you hire on a bunch of idiots, the work speeds up, but the quality goes down. Even on Ebay, I just got a negative from a guy buying a book. Paid on the 15, went MEDIA MAIL clear across the country. He left a neg yesterday. Had another guy order a CUSTOM frame last year, told him would ship 2-3 weeks, it took 3. He slams me everywhere that anyone would listen. Then 6 months later, he wanted one of my CNC cut grills custom for his car. Yea, you REALLY think I did it? The way I see it, he got to vent, now no one to cut his parts. I got slammed (even guys he bitched too are now customers, never heard of me before he bitched) and am still busy. Carefull how you handle things. Even bad publicity can let people aware of your shop.
Man, you got screwed on that media mail thing, have you looked on their delivery guarantees? It's like 6 weeks or something crazy like that. Luckily, it's always been fast when I used it...
I offered him Media mail, Parcel Post, or Priority mail,,,,, I never choose a guys wallet size. It may only be a couple dollars difference, but I let them decide. I guess he figured I would pay priority out of pocket. Assholes everywhere, not going to cry over it.
The guy at Bills could have had a family crisis or even hospitalised himself and going by what others have said he will see you alright, Hes probably ringing you now....
Is anybody ever on time when it comes to fabrication???? 1 week late is NOTHING. RELAX unless your deadline for the build was yesterday
I did the same with a small but well known rod shop in the UK: paid a $1500 deposit, promised a chassis in six weeks. Five months later I'm threatening legal action to get my money. It wasn't so much the wait, but the fact that I could never, ever get through on the phone. I called fifty times (counted 'em)one week alone: nobody answered the phone. Sometimes the guy answered e mails, but rarely, and he always had a roll of excuses and promises. The final insult was when the check he gave me back bounced! The other side of the coin is that it was a small three man operation, and to have an employee just for answering the phone could mean the difference between making profit, or losing money. I was in the shop for two hours when I ordered the chassis, and could hear the phone ringing every five minutes, and nobody ever answered it. All three employees stopped work and sat bullshitting with me for those two hours too. Warning bells shoulda started ringing in my head then.
You never know if the guy is sick, or on holiday for a week either. Give it a little longer, just to make sure.
A email with a excuse would have satified me. I also do work for customers and If there is a probllem Iwill let them know what is going on and It works. Let It go and It will grow.
A ring would satify me. I understand that things happen. Being late one week is not the problem. The problem is no contact.
In auto shops defense, I was there when the deal was made and I'm friends with BOTH of these guys. Auto shops first question was how long will it take. They talked about what he wanted... and Bill reassured him that it would only take two weeks. Several times during the conversation and handshake the two weeks were mentioned. Anybody that does their own work understands delays... and yes there could be some kind of crisis, but when a man was truely convinced that it would only be a couple of weeks and his check has been cashed and cleared and he can not reach the other party it does give him that sick feeling. Like I said, I know Bill too and we are friends, I don't see him as often as auto shop, but I believe he will deliver. I think he does great work, but it sure would take the edge off if they could get in touch with each other. If there's anybody there in Springfield that could give us an update I'm sure sure auto shop would appreciate it.
Been waiting for a 34 ford frame for 2 to 3 years now. Customers body is all done. I guess I should have built the frame too. Just trying to save some time, but you know where that will get you. Ill be posting the story later when I get the facts in order. My customer will be taking him to court for the money he has already given him.
Took me a year to get my 34 chassis from him, went through Hell and back. Would not recomend him at all! I did a lot of digging on the guy and concluded he is lame, had a lot going for him but he f.'..d it up.
OK, maybe Bill's shouldn't be our first choice. But this is not the first rant about even good,reliable shops and getting things done. So, if you're a good,honest craftsman and a job will likely take you two weeks, but might take three,why not quote four? Then when you deliver in three,you've had your buffer week, but you still look great because you came in early. I've got a client relations team that answers the phone for me and it still drives us nuts. Can't live without the telephone,but we can't get anything done with it ringing either.
You know, If I would have been on H.A.M.B. a couple of years earlier, I could have read these threads and warned my customer ahead of time. He got tired of no contact and has made suprise visits at least twice, hes a truck driver, and one time even saw a frame in the floor that was supposed to be his. The last excuse was that the powder coating messed up, and that it would have to be done over. We have been waiting a extra 2 weeks for the last year. I have a one man shop, and I usually do my own frames. My customer, and myself included, have seen his 32 roadster with mercury caps at the old winston salem Nationals South many years ago and thats what he based his decision on for a frame builder. I think he assumed that he was building cars just as strong now, as back then. With my one man shop , I have to let the phone ring if I am busy, and a lot of people know to just drop by if you really want to talk to me. But , I always do what the customer wants, unless its horrible idea. I hate having to learn the hard way. I have my ways to keep a positive attitude, so it dosen't bother me as bad as the customer. Looks like Bill Metz will be getting his 32 in Rodders Journal soon! This is the last I'm going to say about it.
He probably meant it tkaes two weeks to builf it not two to get it. I hope it all works out for you luckily my customers have been very understanding and not wanting everything rite this second Rusty
TO: 36-3window, Skimmer, speedaddict, I REALLY DID GET SCREWED, this guy is out to screw you and everone else? I know so. NO PROBABILLY about it he does have caller ID and he will use it to block your calls, in a year he has yet to use it to call me back. Bill told me 4 to 6 weeks deliver date 10 weeks later Went to his shop in Ohio from Biloxi Ms. . (Was he surprised.) asked him to sign a contract.3 months later still no frame.
I know how you feel, I live out of the country and paid up front for a 32 frame. Bill would not communicate with me until the frame was finished, which was a bout 5 weeks late. I went down to his shop he was a bit off the wall, he appears to be a one man show hence the delay, he certainly has enough equipment to do the job. He might bite off more than he can chew at times. I dont think he is a RIP-OFF-ARTIST and you will get your frame, I got mine and was very happy with the workmanship.
This is an ancient post, but I confess a few years ago I went to Bill's shop to see what he was all about. He has all the equipment to do anything, but the place is a complete frigging mess. My rule is that when somebody allows their work area (his business mind you) to be a complete disaster, their life is probably not far off. You see a place that does nice work, cleans up at the end of the day (or week, whatever) - makes you feel a whole lot better about putting your car, parts of whatever there. I hope he gets his life straightened out - looks like he was putting some 'hard miles' on himself if you know what I mean I passed on Bill . . . didn't like what I was seeing, though I was treated well while there.
Nothing personal against the guy, but nothing lights a fire under someone's ass like being served with a lawsuit by the sheriff. Small Claims court costs almost nothing and is good for up to 5grand in my area. If you have a contract, it's an open and shut case. Ideally, the guy will complete your frame in the 30 or so days between getting served and your court date and you just dismiss it. It's the grown up way to handle things when a contract is broken. Have the law work for you instead of against you for a change!
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