Need Welding Advice - Concerned About Quality

[krick3tt]

Try a local trade school.

 

[Mike W.]

Honestly it looks like you wasted $8000 minus what can be salvaged..

 

[PlethoraOfGuns]

Oh geez, I think I just threw up in my mouth. So many things wrong with those welds. What a shame...

 

[Zuber]

I did a lot of design work to make my own pop-up flat bed camper. By the time I found and bought small pieces of material and all the special little parts, it would have taken me years to assemble it. I'm an Mechanical Engineer, Mechanic and Certified Welder in Aluminum.

Instead I just took the design I wanted to All Terrain Camper and they created exactly what I wanted. Starting price for a flatbed camper shell is just short of $9k. Can't touch that.

 

[jeepers29]

I just started to teach myself to weld. Wow, I feel so much better about my welding after looking at what a "professional" welder does.

 

[DGOlc100]

Find a new welder and don't pay that guy a penny. You gave him a cut sheet and he still messed it up.

View attachment 512272

As my Dad used to say, should look like stacked nickels. This is beautiful welding.

 

[Georgia]

Im sorry you are having to go through this but as everyone has said this is not acceptable. I would not pay him and there is no way he could win in court with that type of work and if you posted it to social media you would really hurt his business.

 

[ripperj]

Holy crap... get your money back!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[another_mike]

this thread is 2 years old people.....


.

 

[The Artisan]

this thread is 2 years old people.....


.

I was wondering if he ever updated, what happend?
Kevin

 

[another_mike]

I was wondering if he ever updated, what happend?
Kevin

He was never really clear on how much of the $8k was labor vs materials and if he had paid in full or not.... and never updated if he got all or any of his money back...

but being 2 years ago, Id bet whatever decision was made on the issue is already made.

 

[bapple]

I was wondering if he ever updated, what happend?
Kevin

Since you asked... I requested in writing a full refund (a request I had previously made by phone). He refused in writing. I then shared this post with the welder and he was pretty (very) upset. I pointed out that I had not shared his identity because one bad job is not worth harming a person’s reputation. I still have not revealed his identity to those that have asked. He still refused to provide a refund. I indicated that I was going to file a claim with the county small claims court. He still refused to provide a refund and thought he was calling my bluff. The sherif delivered the summons later that week.

I’m decent with regulations (part of my job) and pointed out that by county regulations, he had virtually no chance of winning in court. He offered 50% refund. I filed to schedule the court date. He folded a few days before he had to respond to the court and gave me a 100% refund. We met in a bank for the transaction and was professional about the settlement and transfer.

I sincerely hope he is doing well these days.

 

[another_mike]

Since you asked... I requested in writing a full refund (a request I had previously made by phone). He refused in writing. I then shared this post with the welder and he was pretty (very) upset. I pointed out that I had not shared his identity because one bad job is not worth harming a person’s reputation. I still have not revealed his identity to those that have asked. He still refused to provide a refund. I indicated that I was going to file a claim with the county small claims court. He still refused to provide a refund and thought he was calling my bluff. The sherif delivered the summons later that week.

I’m decent with regulations (part of my job) and pointed out that by county regulations, he had virtually no chance of winning in court. He offered 50% refund. I filed to schedule the court date. He folded a few days before he had to respond to the court and gave me a 100% refund. We met in a bank for the transaction and was professional about the settlement and transfer.

I sincerely hope he is doing well these days.

Good for you!

Did you receive some sort of written estimate/repair order prior to the work being started and money changing hands?

 

[NatersXJ6]

That is a great end to the story. I can understand him being upset by the thread. I think it is very classy that you did not share his identity. I am curious, did he try to defend the work, argue with the internet critics, or admit he was in over his head and shouldn’t have taken on the job?

 

[The Artisan]

He was never really clear on how much of the $8k was labor vs materials and if he had paid in full or not.... and never updated if he got all or any of his money back...

but being 2 years ago, Id bet whatever decision was made on the issue is already made.

Or he was too

Since you asked... I requested in writing a full refund (a request I had previously made by phone). He refused in writing. I then shared this post with the welder and he was pretty (very) upset. I pointed out that I had not shared his identity because one bad job is not worth harming a person’s reputation. I still have not revealed his identity to those that have asked. He still refused to provide a refund. I indicated that I was going to file a claim with the county small claims court. He still refused to provide a refund and thought he was calling my bluff. The sherif delivered the summons later that week.

I’m decent with regulations (part of my job) and pointed out that by county regulations, he had virtually no chance of winning in court. He offered 50% refund. I filed to schedule the court date. He folded a few days before he had to respond to the court and gave me a 100% refund. We met in a bank for the transaction and was professional about the settlement and transfer.

I sincerely hope he is doing well these days.

Great to hear it all worked out in the end. The saddest part is that he felt that the work he performed was defensible.
Kevin