Ok Kevin – I’ve patiently sat back and watched long enough at your failed attempt at assassinating my character that it’s time to give my side of the story. :tape2: I’ve let people give their take on things that were issued by this person given at 1 sided face value. I’d like to say thanks to the PM’s I’ve received regarding this issue. I would also like to give another BIG thanks to everyone that supported my pricing methods with this job. :thx It's amazing how the majority of the posters here are all on the same page in regards to maintaining quality levels of detailing. That's what being Autopian is all about!!:xyxthumbs I’ll explain 1st by saying that this guy gave me concerns from the time he posted his wheel thread and sought me out to help him with his wheels.:loco: Not only did he throw off the creepy vibe that his expectations were extra-high maintenance (which I can easily handle
arty
, but after talking to him on the phone I had real concerns about the vehicle’s real condition. Red flags were being thrown immediately after he mentioned his 2010 BMW 6 Series just getting completely repainted (color change??) and a “detailer” in California recently did a detail on it. Not to mention he was also claiming that buffer swirls were starting to appear!!! :soscared: Geesh, if this isn’t a recipe for potential danger I don’t know what is?? :director: Regardless, this certainly isn’t the 1st time dealing with these concerns and I was all in for doing my best at making this vehicle’s paint/wheels as perfect as realistically possible. Even though you have every right to post a thread of your choice on this forum, I truly feel you’ve overstepped your boundaries by doing so in a reckless and poorly judged manner. Below is the timeline of events up until now that may assist viewers in passing final judgment about the OP’s shenanigans displayed here:
FACTS:
8/28 – You post your wheel thread
8/29 – You PM me asking for suggestions for protecting and keeping the $7000 wheels on your 2010 BMW 6 Series looking perfect. You also state that there are no good detailers down here in S. Florida and you refuse to have anyone local touch your car. You also state that there “was not a single swirl” in your last Jet black 6 series. :tape2:
8/31 – You claim your wheels (3 days later your last PM) are starting to “fog up” from driving them in the rain. I reply back requesting that you call me to discuss.
9/8 – We speak via phone and you claim you need the wheels protected immediately. I tell you that I’m at least 2-3 weeks backed up and you PM’d me stating you’d like the wheels done sooner because you don’t want them “exposed to the elements”. You also write that if you let them “go (unprotected) another 3 weeks they're going to look nothing like the gorgeous mirror finish I started with”??? You also state “Its literally getting down to the day, and I was already feeling *way* behind schedule by not having them sealed last week”??? You then state that you’re going to consider having your “guy” do them instead. I wait on you to schedule. We also talk about the problems you’re experiencing with your exterior paint. You claim you had the complete car repainted to a different color. You say it looks great, but there are buffer swirls starting to appear. I offer my correction services and discuss what the finish may need. I again give you a broad parameter of time frame based on your OCD and the fact that your car has aftermarket paint and has already been buffed twice. You don’t balk one bit at this time, but say you’ll have the wheels done 1st and need to reschedule for the exterior when I can dedicate more than 1 day one it. You understand.
9/12 – You PM me back requesting that I schedule you in ASAP. This is also the 1st time you request what my rates are?? You also ask “Will Opti Coat change the appearance, or color depth, or shine of the wheel at all? If yes, how will it look different. I need my expectations set ahead of time so I know what I'm getting into”.
(time out for an observation = does this person come off as your everyday picky customer or someone extremely anal retentive???)
9/14 – You PM me and text me asking for a date to do the wheels. I call you back and schedule you for Sunday 9/25. I tell you that my rate is $60 per hour and it *could* take anywhere between 4-5 hours to remove, clean, polish, strip, Opti-Coat and reinstall. You are ok with this rate and time parameter. You will also wait for the wheels to be done or have me drop you off at the local shopping mall and pick you up when they’re done. Free of charge of course.
9/15 - you text me cancelling our appointment because you forgot you’ll be on an overseas trip for 6 days. :doh: I call you and ask if you’d like to drop your car off prior and have me store it here (free) while you’re away. I also offer to drive you back to your condo in Miami (1+ hour away 1 way) or pick you up (free of course). I ask if you’re interested in having me detail the exterior of your vehicle while it’s at my place for an extended time. You seem somewhat open to this and will state you’ll get back to me to confirm. I no setting did I ever tell you it will take 20 hours to correct and seal the exterior of your car?!?! I simply gave you a ballpark parameter based on the facts you’ve shared prior. I certainly wasn’t going to sell myself short with all this sketchiness. I also tell you that the next 2 weekends are booked for me and that I might be able to detail your car after that at a friend’s place directly next door from your condo. This sounded good to you as well.
9/17 – this is the PM you send me:
DetailBurger said:
Hi Dave -
Wanted to address the issue of cost with you. Please see this thread:
How to price for Opti-Coat service - Auto Geek Online Auto Detailing Forum
Another guy on there says he charges about $75 for a complete wax and polish of the vehicle.
Unfortunately at the rate you quoted me - a full day at $60 an hour (6 hours?) that equals $360 just to polish and seal the wheels.
You mentioned 15 to 20 hours to do the car. That's over $1,200.
The most expensive detailer of high end automobiles in San Diego (where I just moved from) charged me $350 (his top dollar) to completely wash, wax, buff, and polish my car inside and out, from top to bottom. He said mine was more expensive at $350 because it was a jet black car.
I absolutely hate lowballers, so I do not want to sound like one. But I do need a more realistic price for the work being done. If all these guys on the forum thread are charging $100-200 to seal an entire car with opti-coat .... then that should be a fair price, with a marginally less cost for doing the wheels.
Please note that while I live in Trump Palace, I am only renting. I can not afford to purchase even the cheapest unit in this building, and am definitely not in the same income level as most people who live here.
Let me know what you think.
Kevin
9/19 - I reply back to your PM telling you I don’t want to do your car in so many polite and respectful words. :nomore:
9/26 (1:56 am) – You PM me back with this message:
DetailBurger said:
David -
Apples and oranges goes both ways. You're showing me detail price quotes for million dollar cars. You can't compare a Lamborghini, or any of those other pictured $250,000+ vehicles to a BMW six series.
The price for these extravagant cars (labeled "Exotics") owned by guys who toss $1,000 around like its pocket change is: "$350 and up".
Not surprisingly, if you were to kick it down a notch, for a six series, you have exactly the price I told you I was given in San Diego:
$350 flat fee for a full detail.
Their price for a Lambo makes sense to me if you compare the price tags of the cars, liability issues, replacement of parts if you screw up, etc. .... *significantly* more expensive (nearly 15 times more expensive) per part.
It's good that you're confident. Obviously there are different tiers of skill level. But you service a guys car who makes probably about $10 million a year and lives here in Trump. You're talking to a guy (me) who makes $150,000 a year right now.
A****** guy owns the $14 million dollar condo. I can only afford to rent one that is worth 14 times less than that.
I dont know that its reasonable to charge me the same fee you charge a multi millionaire.
Im not poor by any means. But this isnt a lamborghini. And I dont think nearly $1000 to seal my wheels is a reasonable price. I could ask on the forum, but I didnt want to piss you off or anything. I would like some other opinions, hopefully from guys who don't know you personally.
**Another exaggeration of $1000 to do his wheels???
**:lie:
**I wonder what happened in 2 minutes that you decided to change your mind and start a thread in an attempt to "piss me off".
**:horn:
**Keep in mind that on all 4 of the Detailer’s web-sites I linked, it didn’t say anything about having different rates for “exotics”. It clearly lists each person’s hourly rate for paint correction.
** :attention:
9/26 (1:58) (2 minutes after sending me the above PM btw) – You post this thread basically exaggerating the truth in an attempt to make me look bad. No where did I ever say it would take “roughly 8 hours” to do your wheels!!?? I certainly didn’t tell you $1000 to coat them as you stated in your above PM either??? I would be happy to post a photo of the text where we confirm no more than 4-5 hours of labor(>$350) to do your wheels from start to finish. Why you’d lie about the price (almost three times as much time) makes zero sense and makes you look worse than you already do for posting this vindictive thread in the 1st place. :spit:
DetailBurger said:
1) Everyone who knows Dave and has responded here, thanks for your input, i know he's a great guy, but I still dont think my car needs TWENTY HOURS of cleaning.
I don’t “CLEAN” cars. And, I’m certain with how much of an OCD freak you are that your car is just about as “CLEAN” as it could get.
ound:
DetailBurger said:
3) More than a couple guys plainly said $1700 to clean and opticoat a brand new car is ridiculous. Yet my brand new BMW needs 20 hours.... ?
My brain still isn't registering why.
Right, besides all these people not knowing the FACTS, your 2010 1 year old car isn’t “brand new”. Far from it I’d bet seeing that it already has been completely repainted, wet-sanded and buffed by some hack dealer body shop and then rehacked by another “Detailer” that couldn’t get it done in the 1st or 2nd time around. I’d say it’s far from “BRAND NEW”. With how much you’ve stretched the truth on this forum I wouldn’t be surprised if your car needed twice this much work just to pacify your poor choices thus far in your failed attempt at its preservation. :fish:
DetailBurger said:
After this thread I am sure Dave wont work on my car anyways. He's probably pissed. But im sure I've burned this bridge with Dave. So I guess I screwed myself. Live and Learn.
Correct. I refuse to do business with people like you and you were already denied service. :hand: Thank god
ray1: you’ve shown your true colors prior to me wasting time on your car. But, you already knew this loud and clear and this only shows your lack of social judgment by posting this thread. :drama:
DetailBurger said:
I should have had Dave view the vehicle before giving me his price quote. Because now, even without having seen a single photo of the car, he has told me to "Take it or leave it" with a 20 hour timeline.
Sorry, but another lie. In no way prior to this thread did I ever say this. This time ultimatum is purely an exaggerated time frame from you. Also, photos show ZERO and no Detailer worth their weight would ever give a firm quote based on pictures anyways. :nono: Especially the lousy ones you’ve posted here.
hoto::think:
Bottom line; I have made a commitment to hone my craft to the highest level possible. I have worked with, shared information with, taught, and learned first-hand from such amazing detailers S. Florida Detailers as Todd Helme and Eddie Fuiza. Past my commitment to honing my skills, I remain steadfast in delivering the highest quality results possible, no matter what it takes. I only demand that my clients place the same pressure on me as I do myself, and their expectations for perfection are close to mine. I do not polish cars for 350 dollars to "perfection" that require having buffer trails removed at a later date. I offer a value for the services I perform, and I understand that it isn't for everybody. :nono:
