http://www.4chrome.com/

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Hello, We had two Karmann Ghia bumpers consisting of 16 piece rechromed during date March 07 - 11/27/07.

They have a website. Email Us! [email protected]
We promise a quick response.
If you can provide pics of your parts, it would help quotes.
I sent pics. They can't find them but I still have them.

When I had asked for a price I was quoted $1350.
We sent them in to be done. Shipping cost $16.11 to send 16 pieces 3/07/07.
03/16/07 received a quote by mail for $2413.11.

I called and was told that $1350 was just the deposit.
Before I sent them it was a quote, after they got the money it was a deposit. I said our customer could not afford, it was not in the budget of $1500. Al told me they were already stripped, work has been started.

Stopping at this time would be a waste. I could buy another new set of stainless for $1000 at this time. So I would be spending $2350 ($1350 + $1000) if I stopped work or I could spend $2400 to complete the rechroming.

I called back and we worked out an arrangement. Al offered to do some repairs at no charge. I agreed, the job was completed, sent back, received and paid.

Months later, after the car was painted, reassembly began. 21st did not clean out the thread holes or remove a broken bolt. My mechanic drilled out the bolt and tapped the holes. Too deeply and damaged two outer pieces, putting a hole in each of two outer piece. The metal work was ripply on one piece, the inside was rusty, just painted silver spray can over the rust. I needed the damage fixed and did not want to send them back to 21st. However chrome has a color and I felt being repaired at the same place would produce the same color and finish.

I called Al and sent them in.
06/30/08 and 07/02/08 It cost us $13.90 to send them in two boxes.

They estimated by mail a quote of $1100 to repair and rechrome 2 pieces. This was out of the question. We can and will not spend $1100 to fix 2 pieces out of 16 for near half the cost. I requested them to do no work and I would send a shipping label to pick them up and send back.

We sent a shipping label 07/28/08. Cost $14.39 for the return label.

Three days later they arrived back UPS COD cashiers check only for $117.00

They sent back the damaged pieces COD without a shipping quote, even after I told them I would send a prepaid label.

I called to see what this was all about, I had sent a label and said do no work. Al said they have a charge of 10% of the estimate plus packaging and shipping. He says it is on their website. http://www.4chrome.com/

You can find no information of the kind on this page. I looked harder via internet searches and found this page. http://www.4chrome.com/TANDC.htm (terms and conditions) But you cannot get to it from the home page. (You can now)

I fell these actions are simply extorsion. To get the items and secure money, then jack the price so you lose either way. We got over that on the first job and moved on.

All we want is to send them back to us as is.

To end this and move on with our businesses, please send the two pieces back with our return label. Call Fedex 1 800 for pickup.

Joe Langlois



Cc: New York Attorney Generals Office.

[53 0val]

Call them and tell them you are contacting this agency to investigate their operations if you don't get your parts back immediately.
http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/281.html NYSDEC (518) 402-8452

Get a few of your friends to call too. Chrome shops can never meet air quality standards. Most of the time, enforcement just looks the other way. A few complaints or "concerns" could push everybody's buttons here
_________________
"What a fool believes he sees, no wise man has the power to reason away." Dobee, Dobee, Do

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And they reamed me for $268 to get two bumper ends back that they did nothing except look at them. After repeated letters and calls, nothing positive.

Start spreading the word. NO rechroming at 21st Century finishes

[[email protected]]

It seems kind of immoral that a person or persons can submit to the INTERNET information concerning a third party, without ever telling that third party, and without that third party ever knowing about it.

I would like to thank Rich in North Carolina for bringing this to my attention.

Our 'Terms' indicate that we request a deposit of 50% with all work submitted. Based on the deposit of $1350. it would appear to me that VWJoe was QUOTED somewhere in the vicinity of $2500. This whole process goes back 3 years. Had we not received the 50% deposit work would not have been started.

Had the work been stopped at stripping VWJoe would have been liable for 1/3 the cost of plating. At that point he could have gotten his New Stainless for about $1800. Based on his numbers for the
Stainless plus the amount due for stripping and prep. His math doesn't work.

Eventually VWJoe and I worked out the misunderstanding and the parts were completed and sent to him.

He always has a reason that his misfortune is the fault of another. If you read his posts there are oft times problems. Never his fault. He blames 21st Century Finishes, Inc. for not removing a broken bolt. We are Chrome Platers not mechanics. It is his responsibility to make sure broken bolts, threads, etc. are up to standard.

His mechanic drilled out the broken bolt and went through the front of the bumper with the tap TWICE. Glad he wasn't working on my car.

Once a hole is put through a piece of metal it cannot be refinished, it must be restored. To be restored it must be stripped to the bare metal, the proper repair must be made and then the part has to be replated.

Our 'terms' indicate that work returned unfinished is subject to 10% charge for the internal cataloging, photographing, and processing.
Thus the $117. charge to return the parts.

Joe Langlois/VWJoe/BestForeignCars/EVWAutoParts are all various names used by VWJoe to identify one business. What's up with that?

We indentify our business with the name of 21st CENTURY FINSIHES, INC.
or www.4Chrome.com for web access the same way every day. Look us up and see what type of work we do.

Respectfully submitted,
Al Doerbecker
General Manager
21st Century Finishes, Inc.
1353 Newbridge Road
Bellmore, NY 11710
(516) 221 7000
www.4chrome.com

Click on the link next to the thumbnails and See For Yourself!

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