I took my son’s 2002 GMC Sierra pick up truck to get painted. We agreed upon the price. When I went to pick the truck up, the entire truck was painted EXCEPT for the truck bed (the back where you load stuff). The owner was out. His assistant said the never paint truck beds because they get scratched so easily and to paint it would be $200 extra. I figured the whole truck would get pained. Who is right? Should I just demand that side walls of the truck bed get painted, and not the floor on the truck bed? Should I demand the entire bed be painted? What about the $200 extra.
I would not spend the money on paint, a spray in bed liner would probably be that much and a better use of funds. Did you get a written quote? Was no truck bed noted? You will be happier with the spray in bed liner, maybe it is worth the 200 to upgrade.
One would think the bed would be included, but you will be so much happier with a spray in liner, maybe you can negotiate a half price to do the liner. It is obvious that there was a failure to communicate to you what was included, time to (when you get handed a lemon) make lemonade,
I agree with barky that spray liner is better IF the truck will be used regularly.
I think the bed not having gotten painted was a misunderstanding, but ask the owner anyway. The misunderstanding may have been between the owner and the sprayer. It’s worth asking.
You might also want to see if his website provides any clarity or provides a misleading impression on this issue. It might work to your favor.
Excellent suggestions above. A little clarification: when you say the bed was not painted, you mean just the floor of the cargo area and not the side walls. Is that correct?
“Should I just demand that side walls of the truck bed get painted, and not the floor on the truck bed? Should I demand the entire bed be painted?”
Sounds to me like not even the sides of the bed were painted
I’m kind of wondering if maybe this was intentional . . . to ultimately squeeze more money out of OP
Also makes me wonder if there was a written agreement, or only a verbal agreement?
Personally, if I tell somebody I want my truck painted, I mean the whole truck’s exterior sheet metal, including the bed. Shouldn’t have to explain that. Seems like common sense to me. Sure, the bed will get scratched, but that’s my problem, not the painter. The painter has no control of how I will treat the truck after I pay the bill and drive off.
Would be nice if OP would provide a picture of the written contract, if there was one
No direct experience with this issue, but I guess if I said I wanted the truck painted, I’d expect they’d paint the entire outside exposed surfaces of the truck. I wouldn’t presume any interior surfaces like the door panels or floors would be painted though. I’m sort of surprise a vehicle painter wouldn’t have those kind of details in the work order or contract you signed, since there are always some assumptions what will be painted and what won’t in the painting business.
One exception to assuming “paint the truck” means all surfaces exposed to the elements would be if the truck had a camper or shell on it at the time of the estimate. Or contained equipment or configured so that you might assume there’s no intention to paint the bed. It didn’t contain a load of bricks, right?
So if when you showed them the truck the bed was completely empty, then I’d say if you are representing the transaction to the forum accurately and unbiased, then I’d have to say I agree with you. Still, there’s some common sense to apply. If nobody else in the area would include painting the bed for the price you paid, might be better to accept it as is, or pay another $200 and have them paint the bed.
I don’t think any of us know what was agreed to, or what the cost discussions were, and in my mind that leaves a great deal of doubt as to what the understanding really was. Normally, unless it was otherwise discussed, I’d expect the inside of the bed to be painted, but the original post is way too nebulous for me to feel comfortable passing judgment on the paint shop. For a budget overspray I also wouldn’t expect the door jams of any other part not visible with the doors and hood closed to be painted either.
I think the OP needs to talk to the owner. Clearly the understanding between the parties wasn’t clarified… unless, of course, the guy with the spray gun was the one who misunderstood. And that does remain a possibility.
The sidewalls were not painted either. I don’t know if they do bedliners. If so, I’ll negotiate on this point.
Can anyone offer an idea on the cost of a bedliner? Remember the truck is 14 years old, so I don’t need some primo bedliner that will last 30 years.
The spray on bedliners are $200 for the last one, it is like a rubberized coating, bedliner parts get expensive, and are not as nice imhop. we do get a contract price, but …
I’ve seen neighbors where I live put used bed liners – the removable type – out front of their property with a “free” or “$10 obo” sign on them. So don’t discount Craiglist and the like, the local auto-trader publication, etc, you might get lucky and find a used one.
The treatment of the inside of the cargo box should be disclosed before work begins. Reconditioning an older truck like this a spray in bed liner conceals the damage, this is up to the owner of the truck as truck accessory shops generally offer spray in bed liners, not body shops.
The average customer would be dissatisfied with a scuff and paint of the cargo box, all the old scratches and dents will stand out with new paint. It is impractical to refinish a cargo box to new standards with the exception of restoration projects.
If it is the normal practice of this body shop or an oversight in the contract you probably got what you paid for.
Maybe there is some misinterpretation on my part. The OP refers to sidewalls and I assumed that meant the outer panels; not the inners.
Whatever the case, the shop certainly should have spelled out what they were going to do instead of surprises or misunderstandings being given an opportunity to occur.
