Anonymous
map-marker Reston, Virginia

Maaco paint job estimate

After noting all the TV Ads, I visited a Maaco shop and inquired about the advertised $249 paint job.

They informed me that for my car the prices started at about $600, but preparation work would be $800 to prepare for painting. This is false advertising and

bait and switch at its best. They had no intention of offering to paint my car for $249 or anything close to that price. They showed absolutely no interest in havng me as a customer or offering to

meet their advertised prices and services. I am

happily telling all my associates about this tota;

lack of integrity.

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68 comments
Guest

thanks for the warning !!! Was planning to take my car to maaco after seeing the same ad, but now I realize that you are absolutely right !

I even bet the Misses that they wopuld never do a paint job for what they advertise, that the price shown was for labor (probably), and not the total price for a good quailtymjob. Thanks again !!!!

Guest

And you actually believed you can get a paint job on your car for $249.00? What is wrong with you ***?

This is not 1962. The fact that you are one cheap individual is clear.

Guest

You actually thought a paint job was $249 ?? That's you own fault for being uneducated. Common sense my friend

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-842984

If its common sense then why must you be educated?

Guest

The same happened to me at Maaco in Grand Junction, CO. The advertised TV price went from $249 to $600.

Asking what happened to the TV price I was told that was just the "starting" price.

What a joke!

Guest

Here are a few things that may or may not

be useful to those of you doing your own body and paint work. Hopefully some of them will

save you some time, a few dollars and get your job to turn out better.

1. Have you ever noticed how a painter can tear a piece of sandpaper in half and it's straight, almost as

if it was cut? Always fold it grit side to grit side FIRST. Crease it between your thumbnail and finger and

then fold it backwards and do the same, then once more grit to grit and it should tear straight. Folding grit to

grit first breaks the "back" of the sandpaper. Fold it the other way first and it'Il tear where it wants to.

2. Note that a sanding block has a round "top" with less sharp corners. Put your paper on the top side for sanding

reverse curves.

3. Having a sanding block for each grit of sandpaper not only saves you the time of changing sandpaper when you need

a different grit, but also saves sandpaper too. Leaving the 80-grit on the 80 block gives you a chance to wear it

out before you take it off.

4. The longer the block, the better the blocking.

5. Tape will stretch when taping a curve one way better than the other will.

6. You can force a cord or coated wire under rubber to lift it up for sanding and painting. Works great on the rubber

around windows.

7. If tape won't stick to rubber, wipe it clean with thinner. If it still won't stick, wipe it with very thin black

paint.

8. If you’re taping on fresh paint, apply the tape to your pants first and then pull it off. It won't stick as tight

to the vehicle with the lint it has pulled off your pants and won't tape mark as bad. This is also good if you’re

afraid it might pull paint up when you’re unmasking.

9. You can spot-paint up to a sharp body line without leaving much of a paint edge if you reverse tape. Reverse

taping is done by taping half of the sticky side of the tape on the part of the car you want to protect then roll

the other half up and back loosely and hold it with a few tabs of tape. This leaves only a soft edge of the sticky

side of the tape and if removed while the paint is wet will leave almost no paint edge. Two-inch tape is best for this.

10. If you have a large opening to tape up, let's say you have a door off, run several lines of 2" tape sticky-side-out

across it. The paper will stick to it and make a stronger, less floppy closure when you spray cover.

11. Tape down all loose masking paper. Press it down tight and tape the creases. You don't want anything flopping

around while painting and dirt can hide in creases.

12. A little bit of tape folded sticky-side-out, stuffed in a socket will hold that little bitty nut in place on the

end of your longest l/4" extension when you’re trying to put an emblem back on your deck lid through that 1/2" access

hole the factory gave you. A little bearing grease on a washer will hold it to the socket so you can put them both on

in one shot.

13. A little grease on the socket will prevent that little bitty nut and washer from becoming a rattle left inside a

panel when you’re taking your car apart too.

14. Trying to mask something odd shaped or doing some touch up work in the engine compartment? Use aluminum foil to

mask with. It'll crunch down to hold on almost any shape and stay there.

15. Ever need to paint something in a tight area in your engine compartment a foot away? Spray down an empty

paper-towel tube held over the spot. The paint will get there and not on everything else.

16. A squirt can with lacquer thinner is a good thing. I've never been able to pour just a little bit from a

one (or 5) gallon can.

17. An old 3M scratch pad with a squirt of lacquer thinner is the fastest way to clean that almost hard body

filler off the spreader.

18. Those black 3M rubber spreaders will squeegee off water while color sanding and show you where you need to

sand more.

19. Some rubber spreaders will *** like *** if put in your pocket after cleaning them with lacquer thinner.

20. Round toothpicks and Q-tips are paint gun cleaning tools. Never use anything metal for cleaning a paint gun.

21. Leftover paint with hardener mixed in will keep for a day or so if put in a refrigerator. The cold slows down

the hardener. You might need some touch up later.

22. Cold paint runs easy.

23. Regular cornstarch mixed into a paste is one of the finest polishes. Mixed with Meguiars #5 and a little water

will polish out swirls on the darkest colors.

24. Masking tape on all edges when polishing will prevent you from catching them with the polisher and ““burning

through”. Hand rub the edges.

http://www.thetorque.in/services.php

Car Paint Works

Guest

What a BIG BIG RIP-OFF. I took my Mercedes Benz to the MAACO repair shop in Clearwater,Fl.The sales manager Mike Saez gave me the estimate of around $600.00 and for which I agreed.

I got the repair work done and brought my car home. Later on I noticed the paint on the trim of the car was not done and I could clearly see that it was around 2 inches.I took my car back to them but to my big surprise I was being told that it was not included in the repair price and I will have to pay extra for that.

I explained it to Mike Saez again that when I brought the car for repair ,it was for entire damage then he started showing me the paper work, another dirty trick. Any how I will strongly suggest any body planning to go to MAACO than get ready for A BIG RIP-OFF and PAIN.

Guest

Ihad the same thing with them in Arizona. they dont have a 249.00 paint job.

it's ***. $600.00 was the quote i got. that's two paint jobs. acording to the adverted price.

shame on them. :(

Guest

picked car up..3 dings in windshield..told me "normal road wear" job was so sloppy..took back for buff out..manager said dirt under paint...had window guy sign paper..maaco did not ding winshield..although told worker 2 dings were new??? chris was mgr..rude to say least..someone leaned on fender to work on car totally scratched..they buffed it..looks horrible..when i was there..i noticed guy with set of about 100 keys hanging from his saggy pants..i thought to myself yup..wore under suit to do my car..been pleased in past..but this vss was horrible..go somewhere else>>

Guest

Believe it or not I love Maaco. I got a Honda Civic painted there 3 years ago.

When the process began I was told it would take five days, and they called me in three saying the car was ready to be picked up and charged me 425 dollars (A much better price than any other shop around)! I sold the Honda four months ago and there was no paint bubbles or chips formed after two and a half years.

I bought a 2009 lancer and the paint has already bubbled and chipped, I find a new blemish everyday, Maaco will be getting my business sooner than later. It may have something to do with the shops by you guys, cause the one in Bethlehem, PA is incredible.

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