MAACO OR NOT

[flyboyshell]

I took my car to Maaco to get some work done on my right door and rear quarter panel. Had some scratched and my car got keyed. Anyway, got it back 8 days later. I am not a paint job buff so everything looked good from a distance. Anyway, I got the car appraised the same day. The appraiser came to me and asked if I had been in any accidents of which I said no but just had some scratched removed. Anyway, he told me that he wanted to show me some things he found that reduced the value of the vehicle since they were clearly visible to him. I know, it makes me look like a dumba$$. Nonetheless, he showed me trash in the paint on the door and panel. Clearly over 9. I found 20 in the door and over 30 in the rear panel. ALSO, overspray all over my car. You could actually feel the roughage on my windshield and front panel. I found overspray all over.

I called the shop and told them of my findings. I took it back the next day. When I got there I told they owner of that branch what I had found and who found it. He claimed that whoever I try sell the car to is going to find a reason to give you less. I responded with, "That's not the point!" Anyway, he was trying to say that it's not going to be perfect. I told him I understand that, but to have as many trash spots as there were, that it was bad a bad shop, especially since I had overspray on my car. I gave him the alternate since he was trying to change his tone about his workmanship. I said either you fix it or I dispute the charges. He then went on to lift his right hand, waved and said, "Bye Bye!" I was shocked at his response. I responded politely said, I just want the problem fixed. He told me that I needed to leave it with him and get will get it back that after noon. I told him that I will fetch it the next day.

I got there the next morning and was told that had only started on my car and it would take 15 minutes. 1 hr later my car came out. I was pissed by that time. :angry: I went out and look at it once again and still noticed the overspray on my hood that had been half done and still trash in the paint. Now anybody in their right sense in that business would check the whole car, I know I would. No he did not! I told him I wanted it all off. He said it would take another 15 minutes. 1 hour later I got the car back, this time I noticed white speckles, almost like scratched on my hood. It seems they buffered so hard that lifted some paint repair off some spots that had been on the hood. I was livered. I look at it and took my car and left.

I am now disputing the workmanship and poor service from Maaco. I thought I could take it to a trust brand name company who would do an ok shop and not the shoddy job I got back.

Please be careful is all I can say. I can post picture of the poor work they did for those who wish to see.

Has anyone else had problems with MAACO?

[juniinc]

WOW taking a Porsche to MAACO?

I wouldn't even let them paint my barely worth a grand chevy ! LOL

[rsfeller]

No offense but this is the silliest thing I have ever heard. Those guys are know as a discount auto body and paint option and the lowest rung on the food chain, I figured most consumers knew that!

Now don't get me wrong. There is a small old one in my home town and if you are going to pay them $5000 they will give you a $5000 paint job, but I doubt you paid that much and the old saying of "you get what you pay for" when you go to a Maacco applies for sure.

They are going to use paint thinners to remove the over spray and will most likely be able to do it just fine w/o and damage. They maybe able to salvage a couple spots but you took your car to the Yugo of car repair and just because they are a "chain" doesn't make them good!

Hopefully you don't take your Porsche to BP Pro-cares, Midas or such either!

Lastly, about 15 years ago I stripped every piece of chrome and trim from my 1988 Saab 900 Turbo, taped off all windows, seams and wheels and gave them about $600 for a good paint job that lasted for years. I also did the sanding and wax removal of the oil paint...so you see how much work I had to to do just to get a ***** poor basic paint job.

Bad Porsche owner...bad, bad, bad. I'd chase you with a rolled up newspaper if I was near you! :lol:

EDIT: I have to add the part I forgot too! They actually wrecked my car when they had it buy rolling it on ice into another car...they only busted out my eurospec lights but were actually not going to tell me until I pointed out that someone changed out my lights!! They almost refused to fix the way I wanted because they couldn't find the eurospec parts and would only do OEM. I seem to remember now getting a half price paint job and if I would have noticed my headlights being different they would have got away with it. Bad, bad, bad Saab owner... :D

Edited July 29, 2008 by rsfeller

[Beelzy]

Maaco?? :o

I wouldn't let them paint my kid's tricycle. However, I would let them paint my mother-in-laws face. The crap she puts on

is so bad that a Maaco job could only be an improvement. :P

[JeTexas]

Maaco does such terrible work that even if they tried to make things right on your car, it's just going to mess other things up and do more damage than good. You're better off asking your insurance company which local body shops are their approved vendors and then consulting with them regarding a good price on cleaning up the mess Maaco has made.

[savowood]

Has anyone else had problems with MAACO?

Every customer they've ever had.

-Michael

[rsfeller]

Let's face it the guy (gal?) is going to take a beating from us on this post. Maacco doesn't do **** on every job but this is a perfect example of you get what you pay for. I've seen $500 paint jobs look incredible but it takes $3000 in prep work to make the $500 job look good. No prep = crap work. I know most Maacos suck but not all...but they are best left for 15 year old Ford F150 and Chevy Impalas, high school kids with a first car or a daily driver on a budget...not a guy who is going to take a car to an appraiser to sell!

[flyboyshell]

Let's face it the guy (gal?) is going to take a beating from us on this post. Maacco doesn't do **** on every job but this is a perfect example of you get what you pay for. I've seen $500 paint jobs look incredible but it takes $3000 in prep work to make the $500 job look good. No prep = crap work. I know most Maacos suck but not all...but they are best left for 15 year old Ford F150 and Chevy Impalas, high school kids with a first car or a daily driver on a budget...not a guy who is going to take a car to an appraiser to sell!

LOL! Actually I a BAD BAD BAD Porsche owner. My poor baby! LOL! A lesson well learnt. I guess I will see that specific branch in Small Claims soon. We are disputing the charges, etc, etc, etc.

Thanks guys, but as I mentioned I know nothing of who to goto. You kind of think that if it has a brand name like

"Shytco...." oops I meant, "Maaco" you will get a good job done or your monies worth, clearly I got my monies worth.

Thanks for all your input.

[rsfeller]

I think we went "easy" on you for mentioning Maaco on a Porsche enthusiast site so thanks for seeing the humor and facts as they are.

FYI that BBB is a good source believe it or not. When I restored my Vw Vanagon Westfalia a few years ago in a small market town (Mansfield Ohio) that I was not familar with, the BBB was good for keeping me away from a few bad apples (which were latter backed up with opinions from co-workers).

Funny thing is the guy I did go to screwed me anyways with a $4000 prep and paint job for seem rust that showed up (the rust) again in less then 30 days. I took the van to Key West a couple weeks after the paint job and saw rust coming through the paint while siting on the beach admiring the work!

So even those who spend money get screwed. Every jack-*** guy on my Vw board chastised me for a mearly $4000 pain job...I guess I should have spent $8K!!!

It happens to all of us, live and learn...and good luck in small claims, that is about useless too.

[JeTexas]

I don't know what part of Houston you're in, but you might try Lakewood Car Clinic on Louetta in Spring. They're honest and do a good job. I had a very good experience with them when I got rear-ended last year. I think my brother's going to have his Cobra painted there ... someday ... whenever he finally finished putting it together.