Hello! Log in or Register   |  Help  |  Donate  |  Buy Shirts See all banner ads | Advertise on TheSamba.com  
TheSamba.com
 
Das Käferhaus Vintage Werks Inc., Woodstock, IL - Randy Sheridan
Forum Index -> Buyer and Seller Feedback Share: Facebook Twitter
Reply to topic
Print View
Quick sort: Show newest posts on top | Show oldest posts on top View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
volksbus
Samba Member


Joined: November 02, 2005
Posts: 141
Location: Chicago, Illinois U.S.A.
volksbus is offline 

PostPosted: Thu May 25, 2023 12:55 pm    Post subject: Das Käferhaus Vintage Werks Inc., Woodstock, IL - Randy Sheridan Reply with quote

Things have changed at Das Käferhaus for the worse and I cannot recommend trusting them with a project. After knowing them and arranging with them to do this project for years, it has come to a very disappointing conclusion -- without any work done.

I got to know Randy Sheridan, his Das Kaferhaus, his family and his team members Sean Decker, Ike Naselli, Jared Naselli, Justin Smith, Caelen Willis, and Zach Wisen, over a period of years and I trusted them implicitly. But after waiting patiently eight months and spending more than twice what Randy estimated, they stopped work on my 1967 VW Bus after completely disassembling it and removing three-quarters of the paint.

The Das Kaferhaus team pushed my bus out of their shop, against my wishes and Randy's promises, in bare metal.

Initially, I felt very fortunate when I began a great relationship with Randy Sheridan more than four years ago, and though I couldn't get a full estimate from him in time to choose him for our VW restoration project at that time, I trusted him enough to come back for advice and assistance when the project was botched entirely by another shop.

Randy and his family seemed to be a rarity in business today -- a fun-loving, hardworking and honest bunch doing what they love and making customers happy. After choosing Randy to completely restore our van and giving him a deposit to go onto his waiting list in May 2022, we were encouraged when we he called in late July 2022 and told me to bring the van in so that he could begin the project. Awesome! He said he would begin work and that it would be done by Fall 2022 or Spring 2023, at the latest.

By October 2022, the project still hadn't begun. I scheduled a visit with them and had an in-person, heart-to-heart conversation with Randy and his wife & partner Kayla in November. They said the project would begin in two weeks and that Kayla would improve communications with regular updates.

Later still in 2022, Randy said work continued to be delayed because of the weather, even though we had the warmest and driest winter in recent history! Disassembly and media blasting finally got under way in December 2022 and continued through February of 2023 (but was never completed).

We began discussing what new metal sections needed to be ordered. A brief look at their new estimate (with parts and labor mixed) revealed significantly high upcharges on parts. Approximately $2,000 had been added to the parts without a conversation or explanation. I agreed to pay whatever was needed and I asked them to simply show me the base cost and the added fees separately. I also asked them to share a rough project cost outline and an approximate timeline. The estimate also didn't address the bulk of the metalwork that needed to be done underneath and didn't include wheels, bumpers or paint & body. I asked for a complete estimate and timeline.

Randy didn't respond and communication became more infrequent. I couldn't reach him by phone, text or email for weeks.

The following month (March 2023), I received an email out of the blue from Randy stating that they had decided to stop work on the project and that I would have to find another shop and move the van by May 1st or be charged $75 per day for storage -- this after waiting eight months for him to begin! I paid $8,000 so far in the project to Randy, which included disassembly and three-quarters media blasting. That's $4,500 more than the initial estimate and several months behind what was promised.

Follow-up conversations with Randy revealed that my deposit didn't get me a place in line in his own shop. He said he had "tried to put me in-between other customers who were waiting" but after eight months had realized he could not. When I stressed that this was disappointing and not a good way to treat people, Randy said "well, I could have pushed it off into a corner and not called you for two years."

This response shocked me. It sounded the exact opposite of the person I met years ago, the person who I believed when he said he did "excellent work." This kind of treatment is not "growing pains," or a lesson learned. Randy has been doing this level of restoration work for 15 years and in business here for six years.

Randy quit the project after beginning it because he failed to manage his business and workflow. In addition to having the hardship of a vehicle disassembled into hundreds of parts and in bare metal (already rusting), Randy wasted our time (nine months, total) waiting on him to begin and has cost us more time and trouble in having to move all of the parts to another shop.

I cannot recommend trusting Randy & Kayla Sheridan and the Das Kaferhaus team to restore your vehicle. I was a willing, patient and enthusiastic customer with money saved to do a project that they committed to, started late, overcharged and wouldn't finish.

Because of their mismanagement, we were denied the "excellent work" they promised would be done to our van. Instead, it is in pieces, rusting and being moved to another shop because they didn't deliver on the promises they made. Their carelessness and lack of dependability added another year to the time we will not be driving, camping in and enjoying our VW.

Again and again, Randy stated that his is a "time and materials shop," which I fully understand. However, he needs to recognize that no customer, no matter how well prepared or financed, has unlimited time and resources to give to his shop for a project if they wish to actually live to see and use the vehicle again.

It would do well for Randy and his team to achieve a level of business acumen such that they can arrive at a range of time and cost, commit to a project and deliver on their promise. Otherwise, they will continue to be in startup mode for their entire time in business.

And, disappointed customers like me will be forced to go elsewhere for reliable and reasonable service.

###

Since the day I was forced to tow my bus out of Randy's shop, I have emailed them twice with questions. One thing I wanted to know was why some of my ne parts got wet and ruined. They did not give me the courtesy of a response.
_________________
"Get in the bus!"
1967 SO-42 "Klaus"
1964 DC Truck
1967 Dodge A-108 CampWagon
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website Facebook Instagram Gallery Classifieds Feedback
BulliBill
Samba Member


Joined: July 09, 2004
Posts: 4561
Location: St Charles, MO
BulliBill is offline 

PostPosted: Sat Jan 13, 2024 8:23 am    Post subject: Re: Das Käferhaus Vintage Werks Inc., Woodstock, IL - Randy Sheridan Reply with quote

Thanks for the thorough warning, you sound fair and reasonable. I too would be very disappointed with the "service", lack of communication and treatment you have described. They are now on my list of shops not to patronize...

I hope that you have since found a good shop to take your Campmobile project over.

Bill
_________________
I'm looking for these license plate frames for my fleet:
Coeur D'Alene - Lake Shore Volkswagen
Mission VW - San Fernando
Thornton VW - Stockton

Thanks for any help!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website Gallery Classifieds Feedback
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic    Forum Index -> Buyer and Seller Feedback All times are Mountain Standard Time/Pacific Daylight Savings Time
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

About | Help! | Advertise | Donate | Premium Membership | Privacy/Terms of Use | Contact Us | Site Map
Copyright © 1996-2023, Everett Barnes. All Rights Reserved.
Not affiliated with or sponsored by Volkswagen of America | Forum powered by phpBB
Links to eBay or other vendor sites may be affiliate links where the site receives compensation.