Cavalletta is home... LBS problem

[Veronica]

Did you get anything in writing prior to the repair?

Veronica

[Biciclista]

no. (sigh) it's his word against mine. And I haven't spoken to him yet. I don't want to give them my bike back for another 3 months to "make it right"

[Veronica]

How much chrome was on the bike you pointed at?

Veronica

[Biciclista]

i have no idea. i just pointed to the one tube. It wasn't a fancy bike. (more sighs)

[bmccasland]

Photographs? Not to us, but a photo example of what you expected? Unfortunately, if you don't have things in writing, or a photo or sketch of the order, I think you're out of luck. "I want it to here" isn't very useful for the back of the shop. Yeah, you'd think they could come out and look at the one in the front, but even having it in writing - make it look like bike xyz - would help you.

[lunacycles]

I've found out the hard way that what we think is obvious when we are talking with a bike painter is definitely not obvious to the bike painter. Example: a customer of mine wanted "phases of the moon" along her top tube, and provided the artwork. So I told them to put the phases of the moon on the top tube using her artwork. Not complicated instructions, right?
When I got the frame back, for some reason they put the phases of the moon exactly between two cable stops on the TOP of the top tube, so that once the bike was built up, the graphic would essentially be lost beneath cables and housing...
This was an expensive graphic, and when I talked with them about it, incredulous, they replied I wasn't specific about where to place it, so, basically, tough luck. We did end up splitting the cost of the repair, but I too learned this the hard way.
Point being, yes, get it in writing, and pictures help. Chrome is EXPENSIVE and bike painting is very labor intensive.

[Biciclista]

by the time i spoke to the painter, the chrome was already done and i had no idea how much more it was going to cost. and my bike was already in the shop 3 months, I was in a hurry to get it back. I told the painter that is not what i wanted, but that he should work with what was there. The owner wasn't in that afternoon..


ps thanks Margo for posting