Cliff, I don't question the wisdom or correctness of your advice. But maybe a reality check is in order. The sign likely cost Missy (my groomer) a few hundred dollars or so. That's a wild guess, but I would think 3 hours or so of CNC time (and file prep) along with maybe a couple of hours painting would cost at least that much, maybe a little more. I also suspect she couldn't afford to pay more than that. For her to litigate the matter, let's assume she can 1) find a lawyer willing to deal with such a trivial (to them) matter 2) come up with the money to pay said lawyer.....probably staring at $500(?). This is a lose-lose situation. I agree she should have asked for here money back, or a proper replacement; but she (apparently) chose not to do so. My offer to repair what I could was simply me trying to help her out. She did seem quite happy with what I did, even though the sign person did obviously take advantage of her. I should add: we don't have any free legal aid service organizations in the area, though such a thing might have changed the whole situation.

Edited November 16, 20205 yr by Fred W. Hargis Jr

I don't want to jump into the middle of this, but I will make an observation from 20,000 feet...

This topic started towards the end of October.  Fred has already completed the repairs he was willing and able to do and has given the sign back.

The advice Cliff has given may be useful to us in the future, but for right here and right now for Fred it is moot.

Nice job on the repair Fred. That's what we sometimes do, step in and try to fix a problem and make life better for someone else. Yes it takes time, but I'm like you when I do something like this, it's not about the time or work I put into it, it's about helping someone that doesn't have the tools, time and skills to repair it. There smile and thanks at the end says a lot and makes it worth it to me. Great job and you make the woodworking community look a lot better for your efforts.

 

Kudos to you Sir!

Sometimes, it is as much about stepping up to the challenge presented to us by someone else, and striving to do the best job we can and also maybe learning something along the way, as it is about helping someone else, which carries it's own rewards.  Then it becomes about our own satisfaction in showcasing our best work.  There is nothing wrong with feeling good on both levels.