ComplaintsforMirror Finish Polishing

• Initial Complaint

  02/19/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was looking for a business to polish an aluminum spark plug cover to dress up my engine bay and did a web search that resulted in finding MIRROR FINISH POLISHING. The website has a red scrolling ad that said QUOTES ANSWERED IN 24 HOURS. Sounds great right? So I submitted a request for quote on 10/28/2021 I was especially interested reading the following on the website as I wanted my recessed engraving prepped and painted: "We can fully customize the look of all parts from our full line of polishing options to our accent painting options, custom engraving, welding and custom shaping services which is why several customers that attend the SEMA show in Vegas every year use Mirror Finish Polishing for their show needs!" This was a simple part compared to the incredible work shown on the website...or so I thought. What could possibly go wrong? $1300 later I found out how the hard way. I sent a follow up email after our discussion to have on record the details of the work: The prepping and paint of the recessed areas (the lines and such) RED with the polished upper surface I think is my choice and as you say would be less costly. Please provide pricing I then received the following pricing from the CEO/owner: 1.) Aluminum Coil Cover Piece W/Many, Many Machine Lines Everywhere (Not the recessed areas) Completely Sanded, Prepped, Completely Re-surfaced and Triple Polished to a 100% GUARANTEED Mirror Finish: $289.00   2.) Aluminum Coil Cover Piece W/Many, Many Machine Lines Everywhere (Recessed Areas) Completely Sanded, Prepped, Completely Re-surfaced and Custom Painted Red: $129.00 (Pricing includes each and 14 weeks later I received the pics and the parts with NO PAINTED engraved recessed area as I paid for. The CEO/owner didn’t offer to correct what he neglected to do or offer to reimburse me. I feel I was defrauded and cheated by this individual who couldn’t care less about my satisfaction as a paying customer. I was taken by this individual.

  

  Business response

  02/21/2022

  I really don't understand why there is even a complaint here.  We talked about this already before it was shipped and the customer knows that they received WAY more work than just the paint option because to polish in those very difficult to reach recessed areas is WAY more difficult than to just paint the recessed areas.  He agreed that he wanted us to ship them as he really liked the polished look and I am shocked to see this as all he had to do was call us at ************ and we would of simply took care of this for him.  I am very shocked there is even a complaint in the system as we offered the customer to paint this if he wanted before it was shipped and he wanted to keep the more expensive polished look that we did for him even though we didn't charge the extra for the polished look.

   

  Just as the website states:  Return Policy: If an item is not polished to satisfaction simply send the item back and we will go over the piece(s) in entirety free of charge

   

  We will happily take care of this customer just like we told him over the phone...we can paint the area for him no problem, but he wanted to try out the look with the more expensive polished look option in the recessed areas because he really liked the polished look.

   

  Again, just simply get the piece back to us and we will take care of it no problem at all.  No need for this at all as we always take care of our customers.

   

   

  Thank You

  Customer response

  02/22/2022

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  The businesses response is rejected. The acceptable resolution to the matter would be the CEO/owner reimburse me the $129 I had paid for the following process that was not performed as I stated in my complaint:
  
  
  2.) Aluminum Coil Cover Piece W/Many, Many Machine Lines Everywhere (Recessed Areas) Completely Sanded, Prepped Completely Re-surfaced and Custom Painted Red: $129.00
  (Pricing includes each and every letter recessed area)
  
  
  I no longer have confidence in conducting any further business with the CEO/owner and simply would like to be reimbursed the $129.  I look forward to resolving this matter as quickly as possible. 
  
  
  Furthermore while the CEO/owner states that what I received was a BETTER in terms of quality than I had originally asked for “the more expensive polished look that we did for him even though we didn't charge the extra for the polished look” 
  falls short of what he’s described.
  
  
  The supposed “more expensive look” of the engraved machine has portions that are grey (not polished out), machine marks not sanded or prepped as one would expect had the polishing of the recessed area been the desired effect. On the CEO/owners own words “because to polish in those very difficult to reach recessed areas is WAY more difficult than to just paint the recessed areas.
  
  
  As I stated I no longer have confidence in conducting any further business with the CEO/owner and simply would like to be reimbursed the $129.  I look forward to resolving this matter as quickly as possible. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** ***

  

  Business response

  02/24/2022

  Good morning,

   

  1.) The customer saw the photos of everything before it was even shipped…the e-mail below is the one that we sent and he absolutely loved the look of everything and the more expensive full polished option in the letter areas and wanted us to leave off the paint and he was good with everything:
  
  
  
  Good morning ****,
  
  
  
  We wanted to let you know that your orders ARE READY TO BE SHIPPED!  You can click on the link below to track your UPS shipment:
  
  ******************
  
  
  Let us know if you need anything else and we will take care of you no problem.  Your invoice will be on the way along with a business card...both pieces for your records.
  
  
  
  PHOTOS______________________________________________________________
  
  
  Here are a few photos of your pieces.  Feel free to use these photos on any open forums, etc.
  
  
  Cover Pieces AFTER Custom Metal Polishing Services:
  
  ************************************************************************************************************************** ************************************************************************************************************************** ************************************************************************************************************************** ************************************************************************************************************************** **************************************************************************************************************************

   

   

  2.) The customer saw that we did the full polishing on the coil cover with the lettering which he knew was more expensive option which is why he chose the paint option to begin with.  He really liked the look of the full polished option so he said to go ahead and ship it out and not worry about the paint as he wanted to run the more expensive full polished option that we did for him.
  I have never heard back from the customer once about this and now I all of a sudden see a BBB complaint about something that I told the customer we could do either way, but thought he might like the more expensive full polished option so we went ahead and did that for him just in case he wanted that as that was what he was wanting initially to begin with.  We were just doing more for him and he really liked it, so I was shocked to see this complaint especially being he never even contacted us as we would of done the paint option for him free of charge even though we already did the more expensive option for him.
  
  
  3.) I didn't address this before as I'm not sure if this was a complaint, but after submitting last time I coudn't address it:

  Addressing the turnaround time if that is part of the complaint:
  
  Customer just had a coil cover to polish to begin with and then later he added a LOT more pieces to his order and shipped those at a later date.
  We agreed to just ship everything at the same time when all of his other pieces were done.  The several other pieces were a lot more work than the one piece to begin with, so obviously the turnaround time was going to be longer plus the other pieces didn’t even come in until down the road.
  Also, the turnaround time right in the quote specifically states “or so at this point in time” as there is no Guaranteed turnaround time for a non expedited order as he didn’t expedite this order or anything.  It says the turnaround time right in the quote and says exactly what I said above.
  
  
  
  4.) And again…I would gladly put the red in the coil cover piece for the customer…he just really liked the more expensive full polished option that we went above and beyond for him and didn’t do an additional charge or anything.  That was just what he was wanting at first and thought, but didn’t want the cost too much so we went ahead and did this more expensive service for him free of charge.
  

   

  5.) AS THE RETURN POLICY ON THE WEBSITE HAS ALWAYS BEEN:  Return Policy: If an item is not polished to satisfaction simply send the item back and we will go over the piece(s) in entirety free of charge

   

  6.) Sounds like the customer had this planned all along right before we shipped it out which is why he didn't have us do the paint.  He would get the more expensive option at even a CHEAPER price than the less expensive option even too!  So, you have the paint option that is one price and then the polished option that is beyond the paint price, but sounds like the customer planned to get the way more expensive option for even less than the paint price since he wants the paint option refunded as well and now he will have a optioned out piece for WAAYYY less cost now.

   

  7.) Again, we tried to go above and beyond for what he was wanting and even was going to do the paint option for him which is cheaper than the painted option but he really really liked the full polished option so he had us ship it and now is using BBB to try to get a refund on the paint option.  THE REASON HE DIDN'T CONTACT US DIRECTLY ABOUT THIS IS BECAUSE HE KNEW HE WAS IN THE WRONG ON THIS SINCE HE SAID THAT HE REALLY LOVED THE LOOK OF THE MORE EXPENSIVE OPTION WE DID FOR HIM AND DIDN'T WANT US TO DO THE CHEAPER PAINT OPTION (WE DIDN'T CHARGE HIM FOR THE MORE EXPENSIVE OPTION) AS HE WAS JUST TRYING TO GET EVERYTHING A LOT CHEAPER AND STILL BE LEFT WITH THE WAY MORE EXPENSIVE FULL POLISHED OPTION.  Very Clever though, I will give him that! :)

   

  Thank You

  Customer response

  02/24/2022

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  The businesses response dated 2/24 is rejected. As I noted the acceptable resolution to the matter would be the CEO/owner reimburse me the $129 I had paid for the following process that was not performed as I stated in my complaint. Below are the CEO/owners worded quote for the work he’d perform: 
  
  
  1.) Aluminum Coil Cover Piece W/Many, Many Machine Lines Everywhere (Not the recessed areas) Completely Sanded, Prepped, Completely Re-surfaced and Triple Polished to a 100% GUARANTEED Mirror Finish: $289.00
  
  
  2.) Aluminum Coil Cover Piece W/Many, Many Machine Lines Everywhere (Recessed Areas) Completely Sanded, Prepped Completely Re-surfaced and Custom Painted Red: $129.00
  (Pricing includes each and every letter recessed area)
  
  
  While he performed 1) process noted above he did NOT perform 2)
  
  
  How sad that it wasn’t until the BBB became involved that the CEO/owner feels correcting the issue after the fact to do the right thing now when he had the opportunity for over 14 weeks to do just that yet he didn’t. 
  
  
  I also find it quit interesting the CEO/owner states in his 2/24 reply: “I told the customer we could do either way, but thought he might like the more expensive full polished option so we went ahead and did that for him just in case he wanted that as that was what he was wanting initially to begin with.  We were just doing more for him and he really liked it”
  
  
  And he states: 1.) The customer saw the photos of everything before it was even shipped…the e-mail below is the one that we sent and he absolutely loved the look of everything and the more expensive full polished option in the letter areas and wanted us to leave off the paint and he was good with everything”
  
  
  His response is patently false on 2 points:
  
  
  Point -1) No where did I ever state in an email or verbally I ever wanted the spark plug covers recessed/engraved area POLISHED.  I always wanted it painted RED. The owner/CEO is changing the narrative.
  
  
  Point -2) The pictures sent clearly show the recessed/engraved area without being painted red. No where did I ever state in an email or verbally that I LIKED let alone ABSOLUTELY LOVED the look. The owner/CEO again is changing the narrative.
  
  
  Why didn’t the CEO/owner send close ups of the part on 2/11? Or weeks earlier to discuss my options? Instead today he states “…..We were just doing more for him and he really liked it”. This is entirely believed in his own mind and furthermore he’s now thinking for me? Very Interesting.
  
  
  Why I never received close pics or engaged in a discussion with this CEO/owner until after the 14th week is beyond the pale. Maybe….He wanted to control the narrative, maybe because he knew the quality was far below their standards, didn’t want to bring it to my attention instead tried to pass it off as a bonus “mistake” made in my favor, that I was getting a “more expensive look”. Look at the attached close up pics here. Sorry this is not a high quality finished part. The CEO/owner is unwilling to admit the poor workmanship and handling this issue. 
  
  
  What confidence did he think I’d have with him correcting the issue after he had 14 weeks to do just that. Sending this part to this business was a complete waste of my time and money. Doing any business with an owner who’s main focus is profit over customer satisfaction was my mistake and I wasn’t going to continue this senseless, futile interaction with him with all due respect. 
  
  
  This all CAP retort is laughable:
  THE REASON HE DIDN'T CONTACT US DIRECTLY ABOUT THIS IS BECAUSE HE KNEW HE WAS IN THE WRONG ON THIS SINCE HE SAID THAT HE REALLY LOVED THE LOOK OF THE MORE EXPENSIVE OPTION WE DID FOR HIM AND DIDN'T WANT US TO DO THE CHEAPER PAINT OPTION (WE DIDN'T CHARGE HIM FOR THE MORE EXPENSIVE OPTION) AS HE WAS JUST TRYING TO GET EVERYTHING A LOT CHEAPER AND STILL BE LEFT WITH THE WAY MORE EXPENSIVE FULL POLISHED OPTION”
  
  
  Question: If I loved the look (never said this once) why would I seek my $129 back? According to you I received a better part. That to is laughable. 
  
  
  And if I loved this so called “fully polished option” why would I add these pics of the NOT POLISHED engraved area and just want my $129 back? Wouldn’t I want this engraved area polished correctly or want my entire $513 back? The poor workmanship of the engraved areas speak for itself. It’s not loved, it’s hideous. It’s not panted the RED we and the CEO/owner agreed upon. 
  
  
  I no longer have confidence in conducting any further business with the CEO/owner and simply would like to be reimbursed the $129.  I look forward to resolving this matter as quickly as possible. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** ***

• Initial Complaint

  11/17/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I sent the slide on my 1911 pistol to Mirror Finish Polishing on 4/22/21 to be polished. They said it would take 4-6 weeks to complete the job. When I received no word by August I contacted them and **** Brock told me it was an especially difficult metal to polish and to be patient. The slide was returned on 9/10/21 and was shiny but would not align with the rails on the frame. My gunsmith informed me that the slide was bent. I returned the entire pistol to MFP to correct the problem. **** informed me there would be an additional charge of $76.22 to straighten the slide, contrary to the assurance on their website that there would no additional charges. I paid it. I received the assembled pistol on 10/07/21 and took it to my gunsmith for a safety check. He discovered a hairline crack on the rear of the slide. I then sent the pistol to the manufacturer, ** *****, Perry, MO who stated that the pistol was "unsafe" and the slide would be scrapped. Cost of a replacement slide, which I have paid, is $1049. My gun smith and I believe the slide was bent during the four and one-half months it took to polish the slide and cracked when MFB attempted to bend it back. ****'s position is that it was damaged in the mail. Twice? Even though there is no report of damage to either package.

  

  Business response

  11/18/2021

  Good afternoon,

   

  We let ***** know the status of his order throughout the process as we always let him know that his order was taking longer than anticipated and he said that was fine.  He just wanted to make sure it was polished to a bright Mirror Finish and he said to take our time to ensure it comes out to a good finish and that is what we did and he was VERY HAPPY with the quality of work when his gun slide was all done!  We sent photos to him of the slide only the first time as that was all he sent...was the slide only.

  After he received the slide back he said that it didn't go onto his gun frame that he kept back with him.  We had no control over what happened to his gun frame and also didn't have control on what happened to his gunslide while it was in his possession initially or the shipping company when it was on the way here either...we were just simply asked to polish the slide and that is what we did.  In no way shape or form did we crack his STAINLESS STEEL gun slide!   We have literally polished 100's of gun slides with absolutely no issues EVER!  They are all over our website if you would like to check them all out.

  If you need additional photos just let us know and we will be happy to provide more, but this message only allows us to attach 4.

  Steve sent the gun frame AND slide back to us and he said that it would be okay for us to fit this to his gun and send it back.  We don't know if the gun slide was bent before it arrived to us, frame was bent while it was in his possession or what but all that ***** wanted us to do is polish his slide and that is exactly what we did for him and he loved the quality too!  We sent the photos that are attached to this e-mail and then when he sent it back our gunsmith custom put this back onto his gun frame for him and sent him photos of the slide attached to his gun (I would add those photos to this message, but it doesn't let me add more than 4 photos).

  As far as what the website states...***** knows we never said anything about this being for free of charge.  What it states on the website is if the polishing isn't correct and we have to go over an area than we will take care of that free of charge, but  ***** knows that was not what this was about and already approved this possible charge not only before sending the slide back to be fitted to the frame (that could of been bent somehow too) but also approved the charge no problem when the gunsmith was done fitting the slide to the frame and we sent photos out of the slide and everything back onto the frame.

  I don't know when the slide or frame was bent, but we were paid to polish the slide and that is it...that is exactly what we did, sent photos, asked if the customer needed any additional photos and they did not and then sent the slide back.  Same thing on the 2nd time when the gunsmith fixed his frame/slide problem...sent photos, asked if he needed any additional photos and he did not.  We did our part and simply polished the gun slide to a Mirror Finish...that is all that we did on this project.  ***** asked for us to fit the slide to the frame and we did that for him as well as that was what he wanted.  We always did exactly what he wanted for us to do and then sent photos as well.

  Additional photos of the gun slide mounted to the frame we have those and can send them over as well.  We have MANY photos of this project, but can only attach 4 to this message.

   

   

  Thank You

  Customer response

  11/24/2021

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  

  Dear BBB

  Thank you for the opportunity to reply

  
  

  
  

  ****'s first argument is that they only polished the slide and it is the frame that was bent, not the slide.  If so, why, when I sent the slide and the frame to Mirror Finish Polishing for inspection and repair, did they charge $76.22 to straighten the slide but not mention a defect in the frame: and why did the manufacturer, ** *****, replace only the slide?

  
  

  His next excuse is to blame the shipper.  Both times?  No damage to the containers, interior or exterior, noticed by me or mentioned by MFP.

  
  

  Had MFP completed the repair in a workmanlike manner, I would not complain about the extra charge.  They did not, and would not have returned my pistol had I refused payment.

  
  

  The slide looks just fine in the photos, but photos do not/cannot show a hairline crack or a small warp on the underside of the slide. It does not take an obvious defect to render a firearm unsafe.

  
  

  It comes down to "He said. He said."  I believe the slide was undamaged when I sent it to MFP for the following reasons:  (1)This is a new top-of-the-line firearm.  Purchased in September 2019 and sent to MFP in April 2020.  (2)When the slide came back from MFP it did not align withe frame. Had it been bent before, it would not have cycled properly, if at all.  (3)Why would I spend money to have a defective piece  polished?

  
  

  ****'s mantra is the nothing can go wrong at MFP.  Something can go wrong when you polish metal with power tools and the fact that it took four and one-half months to complete shows that it was not a job for lambswool and Windex. When I sent the slide to MFP it had a matt finish and worked, upon return it had a shiny finish and was broken.

  
  

  
  

  Sincerely,

  ***** ****

  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ****

  

  Business response

  11/24/2021

  I don't know why we are talking about a bent frame/slide...however that happened, shipper or not...that has been fixed to the customers satisfaction and the polishing was to the customers satisfaction as well.  THE PROBLEM WAS THE HAIRLINE CRACK, that the customer is complaining about, so we should probably stick to the actual issue.  The bent frame and or bent slide that the customer had was already fixed as the slide and frame was fitted together by the gunsmith and already taken care of. 

   

  To respond to your first statement...that is not what I was saying was factual.  We don't know if the frame was slightly bent at all and the gunsmith was just making the slide fit the frame and it was functional.

  To respond to blaming the shipper....the shipper could of dropped it out of the box when it was shipped out, or the slide could of been slightly bent.  There was nothing about damage from the shipper twice.

   

  AGAIN though...everything above has nothing to do with the hairline crack that was the complaint here.  

   

  I sent photos and asked if the customer needed any additional photos and he did not...it is all right in the e-mail.  Even when he received it he said that the polishing was beautiful and had absolutely no complaints about the polishing at all...he just noticed that the slide would not go on the frame is all for whatever reason.  Again, he was VERY pleased with the polishing work and had no issues with that at all.

   

  He sent the slide and frame back as a unit this time and my gunsmith fitted the frame to the slide for the customer.  The customer already knew what was going on when he sent it back and he knows for a fact that I never said anything about doing all of that work for free.  He knows this...this extra work had nothing to do with the polishing that he thought was very beautiful.

   

  The slide even had an imperfection in the side of it in the before photo that I sent.  The frame is very dark and shadowed very dark before we do the polishing and uncover hidden issues.  We only hand polish the frame...there is absolutely NO WAY we could even possibly put a hairline crack in a piece of STAINLESS STEEL when we are just hand polishing the piece.  That just simply did not happen and it is not possible for it to happen.  We have polished literally thousands of pieces and have NEVER seen a hairline crack just appear in something EVER!  

   

  The customer simply sent a piece for us to polish, we polished it and it obviously uncovered some hidden problems that the piece already had and apparently either the frame or slide was damaged...if it was the slide then it would of been damaged in shipping in someway or before it was shipped.  We simply only detail hand polished it to a Mirror Finish for the customer as that was what they wanted and AGAIN...they even said it was beautiful in the photos and even in person when they received it.  They only sent both pieces back so the gunsmith could fit the frame and slide together for them.

   

   

  Thank You

  Customer response

  12/02/2021

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: We are talking about the slide because, in my opinion and the opinion of my gunsmith, MFP bent the slide and then caused the hairline crack while attempting to straighten the slide. I was happy with the 

   

   

   

   

   

  phots

  We are talking about the slide because, in my opinion and the opinion of my gunsmith, MFP bent the slide and then caused the hairline crack while attempting to straighten the slide.  I was happy with the PHOTOS of the slide but promptly complained upon receiving the slide back from MFP.  Both times.

  I believe **** and I have both stated our positions and further correspondence will not resolve the  issue.  I wish to thank BBB for your efforts

   

  Sincerely,

  ***** ****

   

   

   

   

  
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ****

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩