marlinspike

Given that I can't seem to get a phone call back (for a short version of the backstory, see here https://rennlist.com/forums/928-foru...ns-woes-3.html), I'm wondering if anybody here actually knows him, or he just gets recommended based on his online reputation. The reason I ask is now it seems he won't pick up the phone or call back, so I wonder if I'm just being given the run around and should just go ahead and file a breach of warranty claim. While that's the last thing I want to do, I don't want to keep getting jerked around either.

goodspeed928

Yes, I do. He a very good friend of mine. He will help you any way he can.

Randy V

Steve does have a good reputation within the 928 community and stops by here often.

Looks like his last visit was last week:

https://rennlist.com/forums/members/...-cattaneo.html

Try sending him a PM/email directing him to this thread.

marlinspike

Ok, good, then I can hopefully rest easy that he's just in a temporary bind for some reason.

It's one thing to tell someone "hey, I'll do it, but it will take me 2 months before I have the time and I'm going to need the car for a few days," but it drives a customer nuts to hear once a week "I can't do it this week after all" the day before it's supposed to happen and to have sprung on you after a month and a half of waiting that it won't be a one day thing but will involve leaving the car, when the understanding the whole time was that it would be same-day.

mickster

I know he's had some phone issues related to the actual lines from the Telco over the past year.

Try email/PM from here.

marlinspike

Well, except that I've left a message on his cell phone, which he turned off after our last phone call but has since turned back on.

marlinspike

So when I dropped it off he guaranteed it would be ready by Saturday. I haven't heard anything from him since then. He knows I have to drive over 400 miles to get to his shop, and with my schedule this means I have to drive through the night. He won't take my calls, other than to accidentally pick up on his cell phone, allowing me to hear background noise, then hang up when realizes he picked up, then not pick up when I call back.

Randy V

That's unfortunate.

Hopefully Steve mans-up and sets this right.

marlinspike

I got a voicemail from him now telling me it isnt ready because he doesnt have the parts. Still wont take my calls. Why he doesn't have the parts after delaying for more than a month I don't know. What I do know is he can either start paying for the rental car, have it ready in the morning, or expect a lawsuit, in which case he should get it done and done right to minimize my damages.

karl ruiter

Good luck. It sounds like he is not at all living up the the reputation he has had here. I suspect the only thing you could go after him for is what you paid him to do the work the first time. And that would be only if he had it and after a small claims court process. Two possibilites stand out here: either his business/life have totally fallen apart, or he is really pissed off. If it is the first one you are not gonna be able recover squat. If it is the second he may get your tranny fixed for you, but he may make it a painful for you as he can. In any case you might want to be thinking about the 928intl sale. Sorry.

marlinspike

I think there's a good breach of warrranty claim, but I do criminal, not civil. 8lve got enough friends who do civil law up his way to let them figure it out.

marlinspike

Well, I found every phone number I could for him. Got him to pick up one of them. He says he'll get the second week of car rental. Then again I've been told I'll be reimbursed before.

marlinspike

What a ridiculous, miserable nightmare this has been...and continues to be. I really wonder if any of the people here who sing his praises ever had any work done by him. The number of broken promises is now reaching double digits. I'm also beginning to doubt he'll pay the portion of the rental car he said he would based on the way he doesn't address it. That shouldn't surprise me though, as he still has yet to pay me the $85 for the first repair it needed the day after I picked it up, despite repeatedly promising to pay that.

Oh, and it sounds like he's now going to be putting a used torque converter in my car. That's what I'm left to believe anyway, as he's sourcing it from one of his spares.

Randy V

That's a sorry situation.

sweet928

That sucks as I had saved his contact for future needs. My trans was rebuilt before and is in great shape but figured eventually he was a worthwhile name to save. Good luck. How much did you pay him if you don't mind me asking.