Did we get scammed? - Our VW T4 camper van rust updated (Part 2)
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- Опубликовано: 11 сен 2024
- In part one of the rust update, we told you guys all about our plans. We were so excited. We took the van down to a garage to get some rust work sorted. We could never have imagined what would happen next...
We need your help - have we been scammed? We feel like we have been, but we need to know if you think what happened, and how much we paid for the work that was done was worth while. Leave your thoughts in the comments.
At this stage, we're trying to work out what we do next. This has been a massive hit to our budget, and our confidence on this project.
Oh and clearly we still need a ton of rust work done, so if you have any recommendations, please let us know.
If you enjoyed the video and want to see more of our crazy adventures, hit subscribe and let us know what spots we missed so we can start planning our second trip to Cornwall.
In the meantime - follow along on Instagram to see what we're up to more frequently - / deliciouslybruno
I’ve been a fabricator welder for 30 years and watching this even made me angry, this was half a days work even with making the section myself.
@@alisonb4898 thanks so much for the reply. The comments have really shown us just how badly we’ve been ripped off.
@@DeliciouslyBruno you seem a nice sound guy mate, but certain, people will pick up on this, and take advantage.
You need to go to trading standards and they will prosecute this company, yorkshire car restorations are the best fabricators,look them up on RUclips,take the van to them with the work you have had done and they will tell you exactly how much that work would of cost.
@@tutsywutsy thanks for the tip.
Exactly
big red flag £250 just to book it in, name and shame dont let others make this mistake
@@glennwozencroft4299 thanks for this. To be fair, in part one of the rust story video all the details are included.
A friend of mine her partner spent his inheritance of 40g on a vw camper,it was only when i got involved that he realised the prices were a little high
We stopped doing welding and fabrication on cars 15 years ago because cars got better but customers thought a small welding repair should still be £40
The place you used should be named
That repair was a £300 repair and if that panel isnt available i will eat my shoes
@@mandymoo7406 thanks for the feedback. Yeah we appreciate everyone’s comments and responses so much. It’s really opened our eyes to how bad this experience really was.
That panel isn’t widely available on a left hand door ( the right hand door version euro is tho). I’ve undertaken this repair before on vw t4… the magically extending price stuff is bs tho 100%
@@zoiksandmorezoiks2719 thanks for confirming that - appreciate the comments to help us figure out what is and isn’t right.
Never pay upfront, no booking fees or anything, red flags staright away
Solid piece of advice - I will bear that in mind going forward.
my rust was a bit more worse than this, around the windscreen, the roof was gone as well, i bought a welder for 500 and probably another 500 on all other parts and paint, and repaired the entire thing myself, saved myself probably about 5000 GBP. Bodywork just takes time, once you unlock that skill, you are set for life.
@@Aileron90 that’s the dream right there. Currently looking for somewhere to do it too.
Hello Martin, I am an amateur fabricator/welder and I am restoring a van (a Supercharged Transit). I am also a methodical but slow worker so bear that in mind when I offer the following points:
- that panel could be made with basic tools. I believe the pro's here when they say an hour, for me it would be more like an enjoyable 5 hours. That said, it does look like a nice section that they have made.
- TBF, "cutting, grinding and cleaning" can take up most of the time. I didn't see what they started with, but again I would expect it to take me a few hours (depends on the state of the van, could be 1 to 5hours).
- once the above is done the welding doesn't take much time at all!
- I can also HIGHLY recommend getting a MIG welder, watching youtube tutorials and practice! Start off with small repairs and within 2 days of use the welder would have paid for itself and you will have a very useful new skill which will constantly improve. T4's are old vans and old vans ALWAYS need welding.
-A 'red flag' for me when judging other's work is when a repair is rusting within a few days. This shows a lack of what I call 'Welding aftercare'. Any welded repair will rust at an accelerated rate if it is not prepped and painted afterwards. It doesn't take long. I aim to make my repairs last 20+ years and this stage is critical to that aim.
This might seem like a set back but some very good things can come out of it. I wish you the best. If you see a supercharged Transit coming the other way on the Sussex Roads give me a wave!
PS thanks for the videos!
@@ANGRYGEORGEV6 hey. Thanks for the feedback. This has been awesome. Will keep an eye, and an ear open, for the supercharged transit. 👍
2 yrs ago I had the same done to my T4 …. I bought the runner and I paid the mobile welder 170£ … they have pulled your pants down dude … awful people… name and shame them
@@carlogonzalez7952 oh wow. Yeah that goes to show just how bad an experience this was. Thanks for sharing.
After 27 years in the industry. you have undoubtedly been scammed🤯
🤦♂️ sad times. But yeah it seems like YT has spoken and is unanimous in how badly we were turned over on this one. 😂
Pants down comes to mind, don’t blame you for getting pissed off.🙈🙈🙈and I’m pretty sure there is a repair panel for that area.
@@neilwharton720 pants down does feel appropriate. They didn’t even buy us dinner first?!?!?
@@DeliciouslyBruno Think you need to get in contact with the original owner to ask if HE got an estimate for the repairs before he decided to sell the T4.
I can't really do much on that front, I've owned the van for 5 years now, so that one is on me...
The only repair panel for this on a right hand drive van is from Steel Wizard in the UK, not sure if it comes as part of the handmade steps he makes!? The only one off the shelf is for the European left-hand drive vans and is not interchangeable
No lube either.
100% they had you off name and shame them
@@vwcamper2065 for any eagle eyed viewers - we didn’t blur their name in part 1. 🤷♂️
I was an automotive fabricator and welder (panel beater) for 17 years, that’s shocking. I would have had that step and sill done in a day or two and sealed/primed probably £650 all in. I would have used some of that £650 to purchase panels to save me the time of making them too. Then it would been boxed off even quicker.
Also you paying the a day rate. You would expect a days work done.
@@neilfrom1983 thanks for your input Neil. Yeah we definitely feel we were taken advantage of on this one. Badly.
@@DeliciouslyBruno yeah sorry so say it. I would hate to think how many others they have hoodwinked into extensive repairs and a work on credit agreement. Unfortunately these have been clear with their prices and T&Cs, however there is certainly an argument for value for money.
Yeah the T&Cs are an interesting point though, and something we’re looking into. For a contract to be legally binding there needs to be intent. But that’s probably for a future update. 😂
You could have done a welding course.
Bought a MIG welder.
Bought a grinder.
All the safety gear.
And still saved 2k.
Daylight robbery!
Yeah, when you put it like that it really makes me think. Speaking of welding courses, any recommendations?
Regarding a welding course I'm not joking mig welding to an average standard could be achieved with practice on a scrap price of metal and you tube tutorials
@@FromMetayou oh wow, I’m genuinely considering getting the kit to try and do it myself.
@@DeliciouslyBruno I'm a welder of old retired now but can assure you mig welding is the easiest for your needs to learn and the more you practice by end of week one you'll be asking yourself why you waited so long to give it a go and will never hire another welder again lol
@@FromMetayou you've inspired us... Keep your 👀 peeled... Any suggestion on mig welders to get?
Absolutely robbed blind.
@@mattdebbage3821 it seems pretty clear now from the comments. Thanks for watching and commenting. Next episode we buy a welder 😂
For a bit more than you have paid I have done engine bay/firewall, front subframe mountings both sides, both front inner arches, both inner sills and rear outer sills on a bigger van that has been 3 weeks worth of work. The only fair point I can see is their work did look decent and not bodged to hell (damn body filler bandits). The £3K you spent should have covered most, possibly all the work your van needed, although welding is expensive, the £720 (or even the £650) they charged you is crazy high. (Edited for typos)
@@ATMech thanks for the comment. Yeah we now are realising just how badly we have been done over.
I know an amazing guy in Portishead area. all he does is welding and does a lot of VW stuff. extremely good value, we even gave him an extra £20 as quality and how quick he did the work.
@@roxieloot awesome. What’s the name?
Omg yes you have and you should consider suing for damages, I do body work repair on cars and vans and recently did all the rust repair on a T5 and painted £500, and threw in a full cutting compound of the paint work of the whole van and sealed it, although it was a work colleague of my partners husbands van I wouldn't have charged much more for anyone else because the rust problems on T4 & T5s are only small bits such as arches, bottom of doors the sills around door handle and mirrors, i would certainly contact trade and standards and get it logged, so sorry you where conned
@@user-wv4ss2kf4d thanks for this, all the comments are really helping to gauge an idea of what this should have been and what we’re doing to do next.
As I watched I was thinking you've been super clear on the terms and I think your observation on day 4 was indicative of they way the garage worked - he even admitted he would be gone by 2pm and expected you to pay a full day's money. I'm not a professional vehicle restorer but I'm mechanically savvy and would have attempted that repair myself, even for me I reckon 1 full day. And what sort of garage can't source a repair panel, I think it was clear they were going to fleece you right from the start, they saw you with a project you wanted fixing and were determined to charge you their initial estimate. Where to go from here, I would start with taking the vehicle to another garage for a rough idea on what that would have taken to do, I think most garages would say a day or so - just to give themselves some headroom. Also, the rate per day was as if 3 people were working on it, that was a solo job apart from when welding is being done and someone is on fire watch. I'd then talk to your bank, as to what they think, can they help you and potentially citizens advice. Wonder if you could do a charge back? Trading standards could be a good move but the trouble with this situation is the garage were pretty slippery from the start, but I think the day 4 coverage will be sufficient to support your case, in that you were well over charged for the work, the publicity might be enough to get some of your money back though - small claims court could work as it's under the limit for that. Good luck and keep us posted.
Oh wow, thanks for this message. Lots to think about and to find out. We're in the process of figuring out next steps, and we will definitely keep everyone posted on the channel for sure.
You seem to be a nice guy you should name and sham him the bit he cut out would take 10 minutes to cut out it 3 cut with angle grinder and I am sure you could get that panle
@@KennethBannister-jq6fi appreciate the input.
NEVER pay up-front
You have allowed yourself to be ripped - off
We’ve definitely learnt that lesson the hard way. 🤦♂️
In a word - yes! You were probably seen as an open cheque book when you parted with a £250 booking in fee (red flag) and you agreed to pay a day rate (red flag) for restoration work.
@@PaulNurse1 so many red flags 🚩 that we now know about - so hopefully we won’t get done again.
Robbed you big time.
@@twix1110 definitely seems that way. 😔
Mate respectfully they mugged you off 😢
I hear ya. We definitely get it now.
In my opinion yes you were scammed, I know you can’t weld but you could try and learn, also as for panels, I’m sure you could find a commercial breakers yard that could supply panels cut off a van and then buy a welder which can be cheap depending on the type of welding you think you could pick my RUclips, at this point you could depending on what welder you decided to try would probably be half of what you spent. I started using an arc welder then after a bit of self teaching got a mig welder. I am been lucky with my vehicles and I became mechanical minded very quick, this the days before RUclips. The best part is, once you have your decided welder, your could be repairing more if needed, just take your time learning, and practice on scrap, and you will get the confidence to fix most parts. That’s how I started. My last build was a steel trailer to carry my large cbr 1000 which it did brilliantly. No doubt people will shout at me saying this but welding is a great skill to have as long as you use the correct safety equipment and a decent welder.
@@fatblokes_ferguson thanks for the feedback - that’s awesome. Appreciate it. I’m looking at options for welders too.
@@DeliciouslyBruno what you should do is look on tips for welding and then you might be able to see what appears the easiest option.
@@fatblokes_ferguson will take a look.
I had all the bottom half of my van repaired including any fabrication that was needed all around plus repainting for £2000 and I thought that was enough to pay, it was all done in 2 weeks.
Ih wow - yeah, that sounds like a heck of a lot more work than what we had done.
I had the same work carried out on my T4 in Exeter. £1700 including the painting. Fantastic work and nice people to deal with.
@@andrewclarke3744 nice. Do you have the name of the garage? We’re looking for good recommendations
These guys give garages a bad reputation….I feel for you, that work was £350 tops including the metal, which I believe Vw heritage stock.
@@stevenausten-davies141 seriously? You reckon they nearly 10X’d the cost of 🤦♂️
Shocking…. I’m sure a reputable Garage could have given a ‘worst case’ cost and then adjusted down accordingly to what they found… seems odd to work on a ‘Day Rate’ … and that certainly ain’t £2,800 !!! As many have already said, £300 to £400 maximum. Hope you are able to recover some of the monies.
Thanks for your input Jon, all of this is helping to shape what we will do next. 👍
Yep, you got scammed! This business needs investigating by trading standards or a regulatory body. I have been looking at van conversions for sale, some of them have been horrendous. It probably won’t take long to find other customers of this establishment that have experienced the same ineptitude. Please name them after deciding on any legal action (small claims court).
@@JanetteEdwards-gl8jr hey thanks for your message. Yeah, we’re looking at our options currently but the overwhelming theme in the comments is exactly like you said. We probably do need to take action of some sort.
I think its unusual for the garage to do the daily rate thing, sounds like they have had customers who've not paid and that's why it went like that. I know that fabrication is definitely more expensive than replacing. You're not paying for the just the metal, but the skill in making a replacement piece thats of good quality. I think the back and forth messaging annoyed him as much as you and that's why they have been a bit unprofessional with regards to pick up times etc As for asking when its ready, they are right to say not sure, as if you turned up expecting it finished and it wasn't for whatever reason, you would be just as unhappy. I feel like they have priced the job on not wanting to do it, so that if they do, they are making way more than they should. So no, not a scam as such. The work looks decent at least. Learn from it and move on, always worth getting multiple quotes for work you're not sure of and recommendations from people you trust.
@@MyRunningJourney thanks for your comment. Interesting to see the different points of view. Yeah we definitely feel like they weren’t straight with us. I mean saying it won’t be ready till 4:30pm and shutting your garage at 2:30pm seems a little strange to me. But yeah, we’re going to figure out our next steps and then move on. Lots to do on this van.
Recently had welding done on my classic mini cooper. New rear half floor new rear heel board new rear boot floor new rear valance new door sill plus some minor repairs to both rear wheel tubs and new rear subframe .In garage for 2 weeks cost £3900. That includes the garage buying all the necessary panels as well
Oh wow. Yeah that sounds like you’ve worked with someone reliable and honest in comparison to us.
@DeliciouslyBruno yes. My local garage that looks after all of our cars. And they are not even a body shop. 1 chap there is an excellent welder fabricator. And those that know me know that I wouldn't let any Tom Dick or Harry work on my Mini
So important to have someone local you trust. We've had nothing but mediocre at best experiences localy so far, even for our normal cars. 😔
I’ve been welding for 40 years I charge £50 a hour for fabrication and welding probably 5 hours work for that little bit
Thanks for the feedback James, we've definitely been taken advantage of (to put it politely)...
I was a spraypainter and panel beater. Once you grind asmuch rust out use 50/50 zinc bridge primer.block it. Paint it ❤
Boom. When you say it like that it sounds so simple.
Yes you were scammed, I can highly recommend my son down in Cornwall, he also supports other RUclipsrs, ap auto repairs in Helston, beautiful place this time of year 👍
Thanks for the recommendation - we will take a look. He doesn't charge a booking fee does he? 😂
Mines in the garage now , inner/outer sills, jacking points, that same bit that you’ve just had done, and been quoted “worst case scenario” of £1200 including paint and finishing .
Tbf mate I'd run a mile, I restore cars for a living and Ive been established for over 10 years running my business, and that price in today's world is far too cheap!
@@danielbowen-e4v thanks for the info - that gives us a sense of how badly we were done over.
@@Clowningabout001 interesting - what would you say the work we had done was worth?
@DeliciouslyBruno depending on where in the country you are I'd say £400-£600. I work off of £50 to £70 ph + materials, £50ph for prep and cutting ect, £60ph for welding work and £70ph for fabrication work and I'm based in the northeast. I've been restoring cars for most of my working life and have been over 10 years self employed running my shop working mostly on VW's, I'm also a T4 owner too 😎🤙🏻
@@Clowningabout001ok. Well the work has been started, I’ll let you know the outcome. 😬
Ho my God you my friend have been totally dried bummed, I feel absolutely angry for you both those con merchants they need taking to the onbudsman.
I had our T4 repaired welding and fabricating 1weeks work total cost this is included with a 12 months MOT ticket...£1374.48
And that picture of the fabrication piece of metal is preformed product.
Any parts you need go to heritage VW parts have a look on line.
Hope you get your van sorted but next time hourly rate and always get a written quote before you agree for the work.
@@DavidCarrington-jr7ur thanks David. It definitely felt like being dry bummed 😂
Where did you get the works done? Looking for reliable options…
@@DeliciouslyBruno a local garage called wier motors I've been using this garage for the last 20 years very honest and I had a lot of welding done,
And all welding seemed weld and under sealed and when done your not going to see it.
You best just look on forums like I've done RUclips etc there is one guy called Twigges T4 on you tube and he's doing repairs on his bus,
All T4 rust at the same places ,
Just do your homework and check your van out yourself with a screwdriver don't go mad just tap around suspect areas ,wheel arches ,sills steps slide door runner areas,
You can get these parts already formed.
Ho before I forget I live in south Manchester,Hyde area .
Remember shop around and don't take the usual bull shit,these sort of garages know these vans can be a money pit and they will take advantage of.
Good luck and keep us posted .
@@DavidCarrington-jr7ur nice. We’ll do a lot more digging around before we try again I think. 😂
i used to restore vw vans yes they were last year i replaced the same section on my old t4 bus [ i did the work myself ] 3 days in total . including painting .
the thing i am amazed at is what a poor job they have done .
i would sugest in future use a vw garage [ indipendant specialist ]
there are many realy good vw restorers in the uk .
as for the cost imop they charged 3 times what they should have done .
@@colinvanful thank you so much for your input - means a lot. Seems like all the comments are going along the same lines. Massively over charged and not very good work.
If you don't want a rusty transporter don't buy a T4.
@@jamie-hb8gy that’s fair enough.
Any decent reputable place would never keep asking for cash like that, proper piss take and conman
@@Dan-78 it definitely is clear to us now.
Hi Martin from potters bar I used to do welding fabrication on cars but now I just make iron gates I find it very sad let you had to go through that kind of situation and pay that kind of money even though I don't weld vehicles now I could have done that in a day and it wouldn't have cost that kind of money anyway I love the videos
@@martinpankhurst thanks for the lovely comment Martin. I used to live up near Potters Bar!
Sadly, I think you have any decent garage would not ask for advanced payments. It looks like they tried to be up front with daily updates, etc. But fell short on actually doing the work. I was always given the advice of, written quote, estimated time frame, and always do your homework before going to garages for this type of work, because if you look like you know what you are talking about, they usually find it harder to elevate the time and cost. Sad thing is there is little come back, other than maybe small claims court, or shaming them on social networks. All the best
@@simplysim0n yeah we’re looking at our options, but it’s not the ideal or the simplest thing to go through. Thanks for chiming in though, you’re helping us build a real picture of what we’ll need to do in the future
Absolutely scammed there, I’d be looking into contacting trading standards!
I had a new engine, clutch and flywheel, MoT, Service and belts, new front crossmember and welding on all 4 corners plus under the sliding door for under £2,000 on mine.
I’m no expert in the costs but what they’ve done is no way over £2,000 worth of work 😞
@@Blemaevan thanks for the feedback. Yeah we’re definitely looking at our options currently.
Yes mate you have been scammed I have a ford transit mk7 and I had two new sills on which were fabricated I new iner sill and work to the other side as well. It was a day and a half work i was told and it cost me £650 and that included all the materials as well there was vat on top .This was only last October. So sorry to hear this.Good luck though but I doubt you will do any good.
@@GreenCountrysideViews. thanks for the info. We appreciate it. Yeah we’re definitely on a steep learning curve on this one.
Just Kampers are the ones for advice and info on rebuild and resto and converting it is costly but Just Kampers do good quality panels engine and service parts they have a RUclips channel and specialise in Aircooled and water-cooled VW's tell them your story
@@stephenport4768 thanks for this. Yeah we’ll keep checking the Just Kampers content too.
Fucking disgusting mate, I’m not a welder by trade but done a huge ammount of it. Not a chance in hell does the price justify the work they have done. Let’s hope this video can help put you in contact with someone who will help you and at a fair price. At nearly 3k I would expect the van to be show room fresh. Really sorry for you. Dirty I respectful rats!
@@flamefinger1989 hey thanks for your input. Yeah we feel pretty annoyed by the whole thing. But trying to take it as a lesson learnt.
Yeah that’s all you can do mate! Give it time and it will be a story you can laugh about
@@flamefinger1989 Eventually.
This is shocking and I would agree that the bodyshop has tried to take advantage of you based on the work they have actually completed. I am a mechanic and used to run a T4, most panels are available however I can only see the panel you required for a right hand door but likely if you contacted VW Heritage or Just Kampers (both UK Companies) they would be able to confirm if it is available for the left hand door.
In my opinion you should discuss this with a reputable bodyshop outwith your area and ask if they will take a look at the work completed to asses and give an estimation of the time required, perhaps a company that specialises in VW or restoration work, as the van has an MOT ypou can take it wherever required.
Once satisfied that you have a grasp of everything and feel you have a case I would approach Trading standards armed with your information and ask their advise. Unfortunately I don't see there being a quick resolution to this.
Lastly did they provide the scope of work after the intioal inspection?
Sorry for the long comment but feel awful for you and want to provide any assitance I can.
@@cr9ig hey thank you so much for your comment.
Yeah we’re currently looking at our next steps and will take action once we’re sure what we want to do.
It does suck at the moment, but we will find a way to move forward.
Bit late now but any panels required try Grant Hannah at Steel Wizard Fabrication
Steel Wizard have been mentioned a couple of times, thanks for the recommendation
you been had mate go to the t4 dog house best guys around only deal with T4,that should have cost know moor the £600
Oh wow - that little. Thanks for the recommendation - we'll take a look at the Dog House.
It doesn't surprise me. This is the problem with the cost of car parts and the cost of repairs to bodywork that bodyshops can charge the insurance companies. years ago I brought a saab around for a bit of a body repair and was asked "Insurance or are you paying?" Sadly you've been well shafted and I feel verr sorry for you.
Sorry to hear that. And yeah, we feel a little annoyed and also our confidence has bene knocked a bit to continue. But we're going to anyway! Lesson learnt hopefully.
Ive been in the motor body repair industry for over 25 years now. Thats about a days worth of work. They've defo had your pants down unfortunately. Sounds like they're take advantage you. Hope you get sorted. Hate hearing stories like this it gives the trade a bad name.
@@williammcintosh5260 hey, thanks for your comment. Yeah we definitely were done over, but it won’t stop us.
done up like a kipper! shocking and do feel for you...i have a old fiat doblo, repair inner seals and both outer sills fully replaced, stonechipped, painted in body colour, plus a few other bits, less than a grand...dont deal with any garage remotely, go and see them, everyday if needed, to keep an eye on the work they are doing....if the garage is good one, they wont mind to much....
Thanks, yeah, we'll definitely be approaching things differently going forward. That's for sure.
I bet that you can do that far better even with buying the tools, a welder and a welder course too. Crazy body shop and tell that guy that he will become even famous in Germany and that no german car will ever get close to his body workshop.
Your T4 has been built here in lower saxony back in the days when the T4 was the newest and finest piece of van art.
Good luck, good lawyer and jumpt onto the toes of that shop who robbed and plundered you. Imagine that guy would have build the whole van ?!
1 million he would take from you just for the naked metal chassis at least at his working speed or attitude.
Yeah, I'm looking to try to find a course to help learn a new skill and be able to deal with it myself in the future. Thanks for your comment, and yeah when you say rob and plunder it does make me think of pirates. 😂
Always get a price for any work, never go with a day rate, yes things can crop up. They where going to milk you dry
@@Mick-jz2ll yeah they were definitely stringing us along that’s for sure.
I agree. Try and get at least three quotes.
@@JanetteEdwards-gl8jr we tried to move fast, and in the end it cost us badly. We’ve definitely learned our lesson along the way.
I did that same job on my t4 , it took 2 lunch breaks 🙄
@@jamesbarran-scott437 no way?!?!? Seriously?
You should have gone to one of the T4 specialists, those panels are available from Steel wizard fabrications, the arent cheap, but we'll made and fit perfectly. I would hesitate to say you've been scammed, but certainly did not get your moneys worth, that day rate is probably fair, but you didn't get a full day at any point I'd say.
@@oldguyzcustomsmetalshop7991 that’s a fair argument. We definitely feel like there was no value for money.
@@DeliciouslyBruno pretty much yes, it ended up needing an epic full restoration over lunch breaks and 1.5 hour slots after work.
The doghouse in wales would be the guys I’d take my van to if I couldn’t weld or spanner myself on a t4, that or just get a t5 and wayoyle it every year.
@@jamesbarran-scott437 I’m starting to think I might look for welding school 😂
its a 3-400 Pounds job tops.Virtually every repair panel is available for those, that looks like a repair panel from VW Heritage Parts.Being charged a booking fee should of been all the warning you needed .
I'll be wary of booking fees from now on... They really did look legit at first look, but lesson learnt.
@@DeliciouslyBruno There is a good community around these dubs, but there also a few folks that will try take advantage,try find some useful sites and folks for ideas of where to go etc.Also always try to price up repair panels so get some ideaof whats what.Good luck with your van, I stopped with aircooled dubs due to the scene tax everybody seems to think they are able to add for no reason for rusty dubs.
I hear you, it definitely made us start thinking about other options, and ideas, but really wanted to try to get this to a point we were happy with it.
They’ve had your pants down. - Don’t get me wrong, you’ll always have to face some fabrication and repair on old VW’s, bit with their popularity, body repair specialists are usually experienced enough to gauge the work, and quote you for the full works.
Whilst day work charges aren’t necessarily unscrupulous, they do give the garage excessive freedom IF they aren’t kosha!
Yeah, I think that's the big learning curve for us here. We work a lot with day rates in the creative industries, but we work with good people, and we know what time frames things should take. This is all new to us.
You 'completely lost my shit' and told him "i'm afraid" three times in a single message 👀😅
British way of losing your shit. Politely? 🤷♂
@@DeliciouslyBruno maybe you could have said "I was mildly upset" 😅
I suspect that you being so polite gave him the impression that he could take you for a ride. Perhaps in hindsight you could have been more assertive, the garage may have acted differently. The wording of your text messages may have given the garage the impression you were just a 'rich posh bloke' 🤔
@@waynelewis5656 “I’m not angry, I’m very disappointed” 😂
@@waynelewis5656 I kept messages civil, you’re right. In hindsight maybe being harsher would have helped. Guess I wanted to take the high road, and now showing the messages for legal recourse I’m probably happy I didn’t call the bloke a pr*ck on the messages 😂
So sorry to see this. Absolute Cowboys - I hope enough people see this and refrain from working with them. What wrong with an honest days work for an honest days pay with out trying to fuck everyone over. We’re all out here trying to get on. Not ideal! Fingers crossed trading standards or a small claims court can get you something back. Keep chippin’ though Chris. Loving the content.
@@benpirt2534 thank you Benny!!! We will keep going - you know what we’re like. 😂
That is absolutely shocking, so sorry you have been scammed like this 😢
@@stefanbloodworth9613 thank you for the support. It’s been a really tough lesson to learn, but we will get there.
Robbed 😮, I got my sliding door step cut from an T4. welded on for £350 within a day and about £400 for cut part from a bloke called Cali campers in the new forest (good place to get any parts)... Also bought trailing arm mount from other cut up T4s for £100.
@@fishbrit1 we’re going to give Cali Campers a go for the rear cross member (I think that’s what it’s called).
Have done welding on vw vana before. I would have said this is a days work plus the cost of the parts.
@@vintagesteelgarage thanks. That fits with what a lot of people have said. Appreciate you taking the time to comment. All this helps us figure out what to do next.
Booking fee, never been known. You’ve been had over, I’ve worked in the trade since 1996. Did workshop have glass doors? Because he defo saw you coming.
Hahahahaha yeah, glass doors or not - took me for a ride that seems for certain now after everyones fedback. 👍
Most definitely not how any half decent welder, mechanic, fabricator works. They would all have a very close overall cost because of experience, forums & other tradesmen.
Even if a mechanic didn’t work on VW as a rule they would know somebody who does. Most mechanics or bodyshops wouldn’t take on work they wouldn’t be confident doing.
Yes you’ve been rolled over royally.
@@ballygarran thanks for the input. This helps with us figuring out what happens next.
@@DeliciouslyBruno no problem at all. It infuriates me that there are still scam artists out there. Is there any protection from your bank? Maybe seek advice from a solicitor, it definitely seems you’d have recourse as you have evidence from texts and the minimal amount of work carried out. Also the garage/bodyshop should be registered with some governing body. The good old trading standards office, should it still exist may help you.
Just a few ideas, I’m sure you’ve thought of them already
@@ballygarran thanks again. Yeah we’re looking at trading standards and next steps currently. So fingers crossed we’ll be able to salvage something.
Take your van to a reputable garage and ask them to give you a report on the work that has been done, take it along to the small claims court and get your money back. in future get a written quote for the job and make sure you hold them to it. I believe that you are a victim here.
Thanks for your message. Yeah we definitely feel like we’ve been done over, currently figuring out what’s next.
I have done a full step cutting out and welding back in 2 days work. You have been robbed big time by scumbags.
@@stevenwilson-hs9wt thanks for the feedback. Really good for us to know and collect everyone’s responses before we make our next moves.
Steel wizard the whole step and runner 600 ,I was quoted 3 hundred to fit ,a grand tops ,very sad for you guys good luck as you go forward
Oh wow... Yeah, originally in the phone call, we were going to get the bad bits from the MOT (side and rear cross member done) for around 1900 - at least that's what I thought. We've definitely learnt a lesson.
Really sorry to hear this has happened to you. Yes as John says Steel Wizard are the only people that now produce the sliding door sill. The only other option is to find a good one from a breaker, but that is becoming difficult now.
@@andyh7122 yeah, I’ve since seen that these are available, and were so grateful to the community here on YT that have come out in a true show of force.
Scammed!? I would say you got absolutely Shafted......
@@KBFix hahahahaha tell it like it is. Yeah definitely feels like we were shafted
Take them to the small claims court,just on the small evidence of deceit you showed you would win the balance of probabilities. you would need an expert to value the work already carried out and deduct that from the amount already paid then thats you claim value,the expert would need to attend court.
Thanks for your input Paul. We're now looking at all the options to see what we can do, and what we should do next.
This is infuriating. I would have recommened Autostyl in Cornwall or The Dog House in South Wales. Maybe not in your neck of the woods, but top class honest work is guaranteed.
A recommendation from the T4 community is nearly always the best bet.
Yeah, we're definitely now going to be looking to the community a lot more. Stings like hell right now.
@DeliciouslyBruno It happens to us all at some stage. I feel for you both. I really do.
The T4 community is a good one. There is plenty of help available. Just ask.
Get under the van with a torch, film what work may need doing, and post it on youtube.
Saying that, you should be able to take your van to a garage and not get fleeced like this.
I really hope this does not lead to you parting ways with your T4.
@T4TipsGuides we don’t give up that easy and the support here on YT has fuelled us up ready for the adventure to continue.
@@DeliciouslyBrunoGlad to hear it.
Absa flippin lootly...I'm a retired fabricator/welder and in my time repaired many classic cars (and some real rust buckets)... If i'd charged you the 850 without the 2 in front I would have felt guilty... That's a days work at best...
Fancy coming out of retirement? 😂
They cut that piece out so you won't feel you could take it away, and paying up front to a garage, no way, never heard that before.
@@ulsdon7 yeah that’s my issue. The way they strung us along instead of just letting us walk away from the beginning. That’s what really pissed us off.
i have been a mechanic for 48 years never heard of a booking fee should have got written estimate before proceding with repair.
Yeah, from now on we'll never pay a booking fee, or anything up front, and we'll definitely be getting fixed prices.
As others have said I don’t see how that work could’ve cost anymore than £500-£750, and that’s me putting significant contingency in there!
So sorry this happened to you; if you ask on the T4 forums (and post this vid!) there’s bound to be folk near you who know a reputable, VW enthusiast body shop that can help.
I don’t know how trading standards etc works but I really feel the footage of them being gone for half the day yet still charging you for it should lead to some sanction or penalty for them and some refund for you… like I said, I dunno if that’s how it all works but it really *feels* like that’s how it should work!
I know you’ll be feeling absolutely stung at the moment but don’t let it make you fall out of love with your bus; this was one rogue trader’s bad practice, bodgery and dishonesty that made this happen, no-one else’s fault.
@@LizzyFerretOfficial hey thanks Lizzy. We’ll definitely be approaching these tasks differently going forward.
Really bad to see a body repair shop do such a crap job and rip you off. You need to take legal action using the MCOL service. Cheap and easy to do. Getting rid of rust on a old van is seriously hard work and can only be done properly by taking the bumpers off, getting at the steel you dont see. There are loads of pre cut body panels for the T4 and a good welder/fabricator can easily adapt a panel to make it fit better. To be honest, I would seriously think about whether its better to sell your van and get a newer one in better bodywork condition. Much as its nice to hang on to a van, restoring it always costs a large amout of time and money. Trust me on this - I had a rusty T5 which i restored up to the point of it being fully de-rusted with panels replaced, welding, filling, priming the lot. Took me 5 years whilst holding down a busy full time job. In the end I sold it as a project van to someone else to finish off. It became a money pit of paint, panels, and time. Save your time and consider getting a newer van which has a good bodywork and just needs a conversion into a camper. A lot less stress than restoring a van. I did almost all the restoration work myself but i know if i had paid a professional outfit to do all the work i did to the same standards, you'd be looking at around £12k labour minimum! It is seriously hard and time consuming doing a massive amount of bodywork repairs even for pros.
@@Lucasimo thanks for your message. Wow that sounds almost heart breaking after that much work and effort just to end up selling it on for someone else to finish.
@@DeliciouslyBruno yes, it was not a decision which came easily to me but I am glad I made it as it was just taking me too long and away from other things I wanted to do. I ended up buying a 2017 plate T6 in very good condition which is going to be a far more enjoyable conversion project which certainly won't take ages to finish
@@Lucasimo we hear ya. Best of luck with the T6.
Way too high a price mate, mind you I just got a quote of £6350 for a T4 respray leaving all the windows in! (West Wales).
Good luck.
@@oldschoolhiphop1131 holy s*#t - that’s a lot for a T4 surely? Are you going to do it?
@@DeliciouslyBruno No that was the first quote mate, shopping around at the moment. Going to a few firms in Wrexham in the near future.
@@oldschoolhiphop1131 good luck.
My god. Why no alarm bells in handing over huge amounts and no work done.
Ya see all them vehicles outside his garage, they would need a respray after that daylight robbery
@@johnwhitehead2324 we’ve definitely learnt a hard lesson that’s for sure.
Shocking.... they should have the experience to source panels with ease (probablyVW). And that amount of cash for such little work is scandalous. Get some quotes for that work in 3 other body shops. If they're a mile out, take them to court. I've got a lot of experience with body shops and would trust very few of them.
@@lemmykilmister450 yeah I think this will be part of what we need to do next. We’re looking at all our options at the moment.
hi mate I'm no fabricator welder but I can get by as an engineer as for body shops working on day rate is new to me don't give up mate you need help from local to your subs
@@leephillips282 thanks Lee. We’re not giving up, and the YT community rallying has really helped fuel us to get ready for the next phase.
Scammed mate. Garages like that are the reason I invested in a welder. Nothing like doing things yourself so you know it’s done to your own standards
@@acooper4482 I won’t lie, I’m looking at doing the same thing.
Unfortunately you've been scammed. Alarms bells should have started with the booking fee.
Moving forward you should join a T4 forum where you'll get loads of good advice and recommendations from other owners that have had similar work done
Definitely seems that way, and yeah, we're now joining all the forums, FB groups, etc that we can. We've learnt an expensive and painful lesson...
I had 2 complete sills , inner and outer, replaced. I provided 1 outer sill. They fabricated the rest. £400. Your work, including fabrication, should have been less. I'm guessing they saw a mug n went full opportunist mode.
@@michaelbunce1519 100% original mug, ready to be taken for a ride it seems. 🤦♂️
Got scammed big time, that’s a crazy amount of money for that job. 😮
Yeah we’ve really understood just how bad it’s been thanks to the YT community and the replies and comments we’ve had on this video.
Yes you were scammed big time. Cowboy garage saw you coming
@@Gmh6477 it definitely seems that way.
The reviews on the Honest John website are an interesting read - "Can do the work but you need a second mortgage". Sounds like your experience is similar to others. Pay loads of money for little work and get held to ransom. I' d pay trading standards a visit if I was you as this isn't a one off.
@@mrstanhope1516 we’re looking at the next steps currently, but yeah I think trading standards is on the cards.
I have worked in the trade restoring cars and that is a days work at most! I think you should get some legal advice, he probably saw they VW camper and thought money bags.
If you are going to restore a vehicle like this have you thought about doing a night course? could save you a lot of money and you will learn something new
Yeah, he definitely saw us coming that's for sure. Looking into courses, welding, some general mechanical knowledge - all of the things that could really help with the project.
@@DeliciouslyBruno Really sorry this happened to you but it is good that you are looking at courses, These VW campers are not hard to work on and I bet you can do most things for yourself.
I bought myself an old 1993 Dodge caravan that I will be resorting myself, they are thin on the ground these days, even here in Canada.
good luck with your journey and I will be looking forward to watching it on your channel
@@adrianharrison5208 thanks man. Ohhhhh that sounds like it’s going to be an interesting one.
Yes. Hourly rate 50 squids. Repair panels should be readily available. We purchased our 30 year old Talbot for 5000 squids. Used it to tour for 5years. Never failed an mot. Sold it for 6500 squids. Playlist on our channel
Now got a Bongo thats around 20years old. Hoping its reliable . George and Jane Motorhome Adventures 👫👧🤠
@@MakeDoAndMend1 hey guys thanks for the message. Deftly feel like we were taken advantage of
Yes you are being scammed, you need to deal with a garage that will give you a quote for the work and not a daily rate as that’s just an open wallet to them.
We've definitely learnt that lesson the hard way.
Played you for a kiddy kipper. the lesson here is to not buy a rusty van in the first place. You let your heart lead your head I’m afraid. Buy a mig or flux core welder for £150, another £150 on equipment & a grinder. Some scrap thin metal from the skip at your local fabricators to practice on and RUclips vids to teach yourself. Would be done within a week. It’s not too hard to fabricate body panels with hand held tools and a vice.
@@petittrainguernsey3297 we definitely feel like a kipper. We’re looking at equipment now to try to figure with what comes next.
To be fair that bloke would be in hospital now...absolute fraudster
It's been great to see the support from here on YT - and appreciate the comment, hopefully karma will catch up with him one day, or alternatively he tries it on with the wrong person!
I think you know now that you have been scammed. You made the biggest mistake when dealing with any business but more so garages/body shops by agreeing to a daily rate payment for the work. It’s just allowing them to write their own cheques. Always get a fixed price for any work or agree a maximum price to cover any potential hidden issues. I would only pay upon completion of the work and not a rolling payment system. I hope you find a good body shop to complete the work to a good standard for a fair price.
@@AndyRobertson-h4w yep, we’ve definitely learned a hard/expensive lesson. 😔
TOTALLY RIPPED OFF , about 500 quids worth max ,
@@RobertKemp-wv5zj thanks for giving us some insight into costs. This will really help with what we need to do next.
scammers fair trading standards uk you should report they have ripped you off
@@mongai001 thanks for the feedback. Yeah we’re starting to feel like we need to do something on that front.
looks about a 350 quid at the very top end to me as well, its not a easy bit to repair , if you are going to run old vans and cars buy your self a mig welder and have a go your self its not that hard , i hope you can get some money back , good luck
@@colinchapman747 thank you mate. 🤞 I think the welder and having a crack may very well be on the cards. Thanks for your input.
no way should it cost that amount ! inner sliding door repair panel are between 30-60 pounds and then no more that 350-450 to cut out and weld in depending on amount of rust etc
@@qnapts431x3 that’s awesome. Thanks for giving us price indications, we appreciate that.
Scammed massively, name and shame the garage ,
We haven't named them directly in this video, but if you check out the part 1 video - we talked about who they were when we dropped the van to them.
Watched to 2.26 where £720 a day is quoted for welding, No more information required, yhey have been taken for a mug. That said you (and many people) with no mechanical knowledge go out and buy a 25+ year old, non galvanized commercial and are surprised that it is a shed. Seen it loads of times, the idea of owning camper is not backed up with any understanding of what to buy or rinning costs. Back to the welding, in the defence of tbe shop the logic is sound, there is no way to fixed price a rust removal job on a t4 because once you stary digging it cam be an endless task, but the day rate is 300% what it should be for a how long is a piece of string job
Appreciate that comment mate, and yeah, you're completely right, the dream of owning a van vs the knowledge and experience is a big thing. But if you don't start, you'll never have the experience I guess. Chicken and Egg! But yeah, massive lesson learnt!
I think you should have realised you were being scammed when you had to pay £250 to drop off your van at the garage !! following now out of morbid curiosity
We'll take the morbid curiosity any day... Just bought some tools, and have no idea how to use those either... 😂 thanks for the follow.
Defo ripped off as a, welder it's such an easy job and you should be able to buy most panels. For few quid
@@chrisbevs4420 thanks for the input. Yeah definitely seems like they just took advantage of us.
Name and shame .u got ripped off and probably all the other people that have used that garage
@@leespeirs7949 we named the garage and the guy in our first video - available on our channel still. We were really excited about getting the works done.
That’s absolutely f@(ked up
Sorry, I wouldn’t pay more than £200 for that work. And I’ve had work done on a t4 before on front steps less than a 100 pound
@@TheKinlock yeah, definitely been done over. The comments section has cleared that up.
Im a welder this made my piss boil seeing that amount they charged you for that work.That's no more then £350 worth of work
@@davercs thanks for you input. All these comments and insights are really going to help us with what we do next.
Hi there, there is a VW repairers in Dorset, called NOS VW, it is run by 2 brothers called Simon and Luke, they have a you tube channel. Give them a shout and if nothing else Simon should be able to point you to a good garage near you. You were raped of your money.
@@paulparker1223 thanks appreciate that. We’re in the process of figuring out what our next steps are at the moment so will take a look into them.
@@DeliciouslyBruno Simon and Luke have been dealing in vw repairs for about 30 years, they really know there stuff and are honest.
@@paulparker1223 sounds perfect.