WARNING!!! AVOID BODY SHOP!!!

I’m hoping the powers that be will keep from taking down this post. I’d like to warn the members and guests about my experiences with <font color="red"> </font> . I know that he is a major sponsor for this site, but from my experience this shop is also one of the worst mistakes I have ever made. I trusted this body shop based on the fact that they were a major sponsor and that they were recommended by members. <font color="blue"> </font> A member of this site was involved in an accident and took his car to <font color="red"> </font> . While the Viper was at the shop, he decided to sell the car. He posted an ad in the classifieds of this site and I contacted him. I agreed to purchase the car after I had it inspected by a Viper Tech. It took awhile but <font color="red"> </font> , who was recommended from this site, checked out the car and said the repair was perfect. He went on to tell me all the car needed was a tune-up.

I had Gary Almond, deliver the car to me with no problems. Once I inspected the car after delivery… the nightmare began. The hood was misaligned, passenger door wouldn’t shut correctly, the passenger window could barely go up, the paint was mismatched, burn spots in the paint that was repainted. The car drove perfect, but when I had a well respected local Viper Tech check it out… turned out the frame was still bent, a major safety brace was not connected, and there were some questions about if the ABS module had been replaced. The bent frame was in front of the suspension and that’s why you couldn’t tell while driving it.

The Viper Tech and I along with his Body Shop Manager contacted Gary Defratus and he said he knew nothing about the problems. We went back and forth with him about the repairs and he agreed to send a transport up to fix what we had found. He sent someone up about a month later and picked up the car. After sitting on the car for 2 months, the car was returned. A panel had been repainted, still didn’t match, frame was tweeked a little, safety brace was replaced. Obviously he wasn’t interested in fixing the problem correctly.

I’ve since sold the car, at a huge loss. Car is now going be a track toy and they’re not worried about frame and other problems. I’m done with this car and I’ve learned a expensive lesson… just want to pass on my experience to you guys. Hope something like this never happens to you.

Don't know what happened to the names, but Body Shop was Defratus Body Shop and Viper Tech that gave me the go ahead to buy the Viper was Keith Laxson.

I have never done business with Defratus but Laxson did the Roe blower install on my first Viper. Many have had good results with Kieth, I did not. My hub bolt almost fell out on my way home from picking up the car. He didn't put loctite on it nor did he even have the tool to torque it properly. Also used the old bolts when installing my new half shafts because he didn't recognize the hardened loctite on the new bolts and though they were the wrong thread. The cost also escalated after the work began as he was unfamiliar with the Roe kit features. Just telling it like it was.

Warning.....Never Ever purchase a vehicle without YOU inspecting it....Even after you take someone elses word you should go to the car to inspect for your self....only my opinion

I looked at buying a car that Defratus painted, and I was not at all impressed. It has trash and bubbles covering almost the entire car. My two cents.

Sounds like they don't treat Vipers very well!

Brutus....

Seems to me that there may be a lack of communication concerning the car. I have had some great experiences with Keith (as have others on this site) but do realize that problems happen, sometimes out of our control as I am sure you understand since you are a small business owner. Have you spoken with Keith and discussed the situation? Did you give him a chance to rectify the problem prior to public dissemination? In your post you referenced the Body Shop and then connected the problem to Keith...whom do you think is really at fault here because you have broad brushed both groups with the same warning?

I am very interested in a response from you....

C Stegall

I have had great dealings with keith...

but there is a reason why defratus no longer has a shop.....

I've had nothing but the best from Keith, I wouldn't trust my car to anyone else. He has always taken care of my car for me (and the previous owner of my car) like it was his own. As for knowing him, I've noticed nothing but integrity from Keith.

Just to clarify, I have no gripes with Keith, or Defratus for that matter, but the work that I've seen from Defratus was sub par.

Brutus....

Seems to me that there may be a lack of communication concerning the car. I have had some great experiences with Keith (as have others on this site) but do realize that problems happen, sometimes out of our control as I am sure you understand since you are a small business owner. Have you spoken with Keith and discussed the situation? Did you give him a chance to rectify the problem prior to public dissemination? In your post you referenced the Body Shop and then connected the problem to Keith...whom do you think is really at fault here because you have broad brushed both groups with the same warning?

I am very interested in a response from you....

C Stegall

Click to expand...

I agree with Stegall on this one who are we blaming here Keith or the Body Shop? Keith is a great guy and I have heard only good things about him. Also he has helped me out with several things.
Chad
BTW How have you been Clark? Stay safe with that storm that is on top of you guy out there in Texas!!

I didn't want to make the post really long by going into great detail, but here is more info.

I had gotten Keith's name off this site and hired him to check out the car. It took about a week of trying to get Defratus to let him see the car. Finally Keith called me and told me that he had looked over the car and given it a test drive. He told me that the car was repaired properly and that all it need was a tune up. He also told me to go ahead and forget about the $100 that he was going to charge me to look at the car since it took so long.

I have a hard time believing that a Viper Tech with his experience would have missed this stuff. When I had a local Tech look it over, he found 50% of the problems in the first 10 minutes. After he took off the front facia, he found most of the rest. You make your own judgement.

As for Defratus, I believe that he is a fraud. I've spoken to the guy several times. He had every opportunity to remedy the problem, yet he chose to rip off the insurance company that paid him to do the repair right and myself.

I'm done with these guys and the car is no longer with me. The only reason that I'm posting this is that while I didn't have the opportunity to join VCA, I did learn alot and believe in informing other owners!

I'm done with these guys and the car is no longer with me. The only reason that I'm posting this is that while I didn't have the opportunity to join VCA, I did learn alot and believe in informing other owners!

Click to expand...

I don't understand your comment. It's a 100 bucks to join the club. Just write a check.

No Viper... no join Maybe one day in the future.

I think we owe Brutus a thank you. Like he said, he doesnt own the car anymore (sorry about the loss you had to take, that really *****), but he took time to warn us about Defratus and Keith. I hopefully will never need any of their services, but if I did, I would surely be hesitant about using them and seek other help. We pay too much for these cars to not make sure only the best of people get to work on them for us.

No Viper... no join Maybe one day in the future.

Click to expand...

Sorry man, good point.

Brutus....I am still waiting for a response from you concerning your communication with Laxson. Did you or did you not call him with this problem prior to posting this thread? If you have already answered maybe you could point it out to me...I would rather not go back and reread the entire thread...

Thanks...

Brutus....I am still waiting for a response from you concerning your communication with Laxson. Did you or did you not call him with this problem prior to posting this thread? If you have already answered maybe you could point it out to me...I would rather not go back and reread the entire thread...

Thanks...

Click to expand...

Bump for Stegall on this issue - still no direct response to the question.

What good could calling Keith have after the guy already bought the car? I used Keith twice based on the rave reviews he gets on this forum and regretted it both times. His lack of Viper knowledge was shocking.

What good could calling Keith have after the guy already bought the car? I used Keith twice based on the rave reviews he gets on this forum and regretted it both times. His lack of Viper knowledge was shocking.

Click to expand...

After the inspection is done... what's the purpose of calling the guy? There is no recourse if you've already bought the car. It's unfortunate that these things happen and a PPI IS based purely on the word of an "Expert". If the inspector is in a hurry and merely glazed over the car... a lot of these subtle or not so subtle things can be missed. I guess the guys who have had good experiences have caught Keith on a good day and the ones that have had issues with him didn't.

cstegall/clint sever,
Never contacted Keith again after all problems were found. One of the reasons was that I found out Keith was doing some side work for Defratus from time to time, something that I didn't know before I had hired him to inspect.

Also, what good would contacting him have done me? Chewing him out means nothing to me. Do you think he would be willing to buy the car back from me due to his negligence? Would he tell me oops, I didn't see all those obvious problems. All I can say is that he told me he spent a couple of hours on the car looking it over, which included a test drive. The local tech that I dealt with found half the problems when I pulled up with the car.

I spent all my time trying to get the car repaired correctly through Defratus, which turned out to be a waste.

What good could calling Keith have after the guy already bought the car? I used Keith twice based on the rave reviews he gets on this forum and regretted it both times. His lack of Viper knowledge was shocking.

Click to expand...

Shelby....you have got to be kidding me! Was it his lack of knowledge or your lack of same? Apparently you have a benchmark intelligence that allows you to balance those brains functioning outside of your own.

Guess you developed this ability by being a "blue car guy".

I did not address you. I addressed Brutus. Please refrain from speaking for him.

cstegall/clint sever,
Never contacted Keith again after all problems were found. One of the reasons was that I found out Keith was doing some side work for Defratus from time to time, something that I didn't know before I had hired him to inspect.

Also, what good would contacting him have done me? Chewing him out means nothing to me. Do you think he would be willing to buy the car back from me due to his negligence? Would he tell me oops, I didn't see all those obvious problems. All I can say is that he told me he spent a couple of hours on the car looking it over, which included a test drive. The local tech that I dealt with found half the problems when I pulled up with the car.

I spent all my time trying to get the car repaired correctly through Defratus, which turned out to be a waste.

Click to expand...

Brutus...Thanks for the response and information. I am still interested in hearing the entire story and have always felt that when you decide to demonstrate someones faults on a public forum that the whole story should be told. I have the story from Keith...please, at your convenience, send me your version of same....an email with the story would be appreciated as I have a definite interest in hearing your side. Thanks for your future efforts.

Clark

ERDOC....

Thanks for your .02. Now put it back in your coin purse and move along. Nothing to see here.

Brutus's story is the one I am waiting on.

What good could calling Keith have after the guy already bought the car? I used Keith twice based on the rave reviews he gets on this forum and regretted it both times. His lack of Viper knowledge was shocking.

Click to expand...

Shelby....you have got to be kidding me! Was it his lack of knowledge or your lack of same? Apparently you have a benchmark intelligence that allows you to balance those brains functioning outside of your own.

Guess you developed this ability by being a "blue car guy".

I did not address you. I addressed Brutus. Please refrain from speaking for him.

Click to expand...

No I'm not kidding you and I stand by my opinion of Keith as a Viper tech. What do you think of a Viper tech that installs a hub bolt on a blower car without loctite or a torque wrench that reads to 250 foot pounds? I'm damn lucky my crank wasn't ruined.

Furthermore, you have no more right to comment on this thread than anyone else so your admonitions to abstain fall on deaf ears. Keep pounding on it and I will have the others I know who have had poor results with Keith post them up too. You have had good luck with Keith, rock on, many haven't.

No I'm not kidding you and I stand by my opinion of Keith as a Viper tech. What do you think of a Viper tech that installs a hub bolt on a blower car without loctite or a torque wrench that reads to 250 foot pounds? I'm damn lucky my crank wasn't ruined.

Furthermore, you have no more right to comment on this thread than anyone else so your admonitions to abstain fall on deaf ears. Keep pounding on it and I will have the others I know who have had poor results with Keith post them up too. You have had good luck with Keith, rock on, many haven't.

Click to expand...

Obvious admonitions aside...my question was directed to Brutus and not you. You, as a web-honored American have the right to your opinion no matter how unimportant it may or may not be. And please refrain from threatening me with your keyboard quotes and let Brutus tell me his story.

No I'm not kidding you and I stand by my opinion of Keith as a Viper tech. What do you think of a Viper tech that installs a hub bolt on a blower car without loctite or a torque wrench that reads to 250 foot pounds? I'm damn lucky my crank wasn't ruined.

Furthermore, you have no more right to comment on this thread than anyone else so your admonitions to abstain fall on deaf ears. Keep pounding on it and I will have the others I know who have had poor results with Keith post them up too. You have had good luck with Keith, rock on, many haven't.

Click to expand...

Obvious admonitions aside...my question was directed to Brutus and not you. You, as a web-honored American have the right to your opinion no matter how unimportant it may or may not be. And please refrain from threatening me with your keyboard quotes and let Brutus tell me his story.

Click to expand...

Brutus has told you the story, you just don't like the answer.

Shelby...you have definitely developed the "ability to speak for others" to a level heretofore not seen. But, once again, I find myself adjusting for lower intelligence and asking you to not speak for Brutus as I have politely asked him to contact me with the full story and I am sure that that story does not involve you.

Shelby...you have definitely developed the "ability to speak for others" to a level heretofore not seen. But, once again, I find myself adjusting for lower intelligence and asking you to not speak for Brutus as I have politely asked him to contact me with the full story and I am sure that that story does not involve you.

Click to expand...

This thread involves me as much as it involves you genius.

Never said it didn't...or can't you comprehend more than one post at a time?