UPDATE:

2 months into this thing. 

I finally got a call the week before last that basically said, "I'm clueless, I can't figure it out"  so they sent the boat down to another shop a few hours away.

Left me a VM yesterday that it was up and running and to come pick it up.

I called him back today and he said it's good to go and that I should stop by tomorrow when he's there to get it and to settle up.  I asked him what "settle up" meant, since I already paid for a carb rebuild and tuning, and that he was merely finishing the job... slowly at that.  He said that he was being as nice as he could, and that he knocked a ton of hours off it, but it cost him another tank of gas and 3 oil changes, and a lot of hours.  I explained that the tank was full when he got it, which should have been about 3/4 of a tank more than any other mechanic would have needed to rebuild and tune a couple carbs, and that the oil also was fresh... and then re-freshed after his first gas overload.  He said that it was an incorrect gasket that kept causing it to run into the oil, and that he had to keep changing it.  Apparently, the fact that HE put that wrong gasket in, and the fact that HE used all the gas didn't mean anything....   

Am I way off base in thinking that not only should I not owe one more dime, but I should be getting something back for not having my boat for the last two months... especially after I was quoted $500 and "about a week" and am now up 2 months and about $730 the first time plus another request for $350 more... what a joke.

i would say ok... hook the boat up before you pay him, say ur goin to get ur wallet, and take off.... thats bs... i would be furious... he needs to kick rocks...

i would say ok... hook the boat up before you pay him, say ur goin to get ur wallet, and take off.... thats bs... i would be furious... he needs to kick rocks...

I will disagree with this right here...his would be asking for a confrontation and people do weird shit when confronted...

Show up with a Sheriff or local PD, this is your personal property and unless there is a signed document stating you agree to his "terms" he's on his own...

Is this a shop? Pretty unprofessional IMHO...

You don't want this to get "legal" it will just end up getting ugly...

I am hoping Tom @ JBP chimes in. I am sure he has dealings in this area.

GT

Is this a shop? Pretty unprofessional IMHO...

Yes.... It's a shop based out of one of the marinas on the river. 

Is it safe to assume that these places are under the same "written estimate" rules that any auto shop is?  And, is it safe to assume that if my original receipt stated carb rebuild and tune (that I paid for already when I first picked the boat up, but than had to bring the boat back because it wouldn't run) would reasonably cover any additional time and expenses to complete the otherwise incorrect tuning?   In my opinion, there was zero reason for me to assume that I was incurring any additional costs... he was simply completing his end of the deal... not doing anything extra....

Yes.... It's a shop based out of one of the marinas on the river. 

Is it safe to assume that these places are under the same "written estimate" rules that any auto shop is?  And, is it safe to assume that if my original receipt stated carb rebuild and tune (that I paid for already when I first picked the boat up, but than had to bring the boat back because it wouldn't run) would reasonably cover any additional time and expenses to complete the otherwise incorrect tuning?   In my opinion, there was zero reason for me to assume that I was incurring any additional costs... he was simply completing his end of the deal... not doing anything extra....

Laws are different from state to state, but here, unless they have a work order stating a written estimate or have a signed work order and verbal authorization to proceed they cannot expect to be paid for work they already charged you for in the beginning, this would fall under a "warranty" scenario.


The CC company will definitely be your friend, but be careful, by paying them anything at all, your kind of opening a door you can't close (a little like admitting you owed them something in the first place)...

Good luck!

GT

IT would probably be a good I dea to let us know who you are dealing with so we can make our own choice as to whether or not to avoid this character.

Jet Boat Performance is 100% right, and another thiing if you fix your own stuff then you dont get as mad if it gets screwed up rather than if someone else screws it up. Good Luck!

Jet Boat Performance is 100% right, and another thiing if you fix your own stuff then you dont get as mad if it gets screwed up rather than if someone else screws it up. Good Luck!

I agree.

Prior to this instance, I had never once had my boat in a shop... I once shipped the block off to be rebuilt, but I removed it, stripped it, and shipped it.  Then performed all the re-install myself.  Have also swapped out the pump, the headers (numerous times), and countless other details...

But.... for whatever reason, the carbs scared me.  Not to rebuild them, but to synch them.  Partially because I heard countless horror stories, and numerous people told me that if I rebuilt them, and then brought them in to tune and/or synch, that I'd pay the same in the end anyway...  Shouldn't have been swayed I guess.... 

If the shop owner can't list one issue with anything but your carbs that he fixed then I can't see one reason for you to pay more money.  I agree with you that the plugs were bad due to gas fouling.

Like you said, you paid for a carb rebuild and tune.   That's what he was supposed to provide
for the money you already paid.

Get him to say he did the job incorrectly and he just made it right and you can smile and say
"now what do I owe you"?

I agree, he owes you lost time in your boat.  He won't see that anymore than you don't see you owe
him for faulty workmanship.   

That should be a break even at that point.

Good luck.