What do I do?!

[401Graphics]

So i replaced a back lit panel on a pylon sign yesterday (the top sign). The entire pylon sign looks like sh!t because so many sign people have screwed with it over the many years its been there. Anyways.... The business owner of the sign below the one i replaced is saying i made her sign buckle inward in the center. The sign was already like that (unfortunately i have no proof of that). Now she saying if i dont fix it shes going to get a lawyer after me. The issue with her sign is that the "J" channel that the sign is suppose to slide into is UPSIDE DOWN, so the panel can freely fall inwards, but the sides don't because somebody screwed the panels into the sides of the light box frame. I dont know who built this sign, but the damn thing has so many wrong parts on it.
She says she has video of me taking the top sign down (ok so why the hell was she taking a video of me? Sounds like she is looking to screw somebody). I know who made her signs, cuz he stopped and talked to me when he seen me putting up panels on the light boxes that were on the building. It was dark by the time i was finishing up there and noticed her building sign was totally blacked out when lit. Turns out the "26 year sign veteran" layered cut vinyl without cutting out the layers below (not to mention the kerning on cursive lettering was so far apart Jill would have a heart attack!) So when lit NOTHING was lit but the border. She was charged $2500 for that piece of garbage! No wonder shes pissed off at the world (or sign guys in general). Funny thing is that she blames the LANDLORD for the sign not lighting up properly! Really!? She wasn't interested in me fixing her sign that wasn't lighting up due to a lazy sign maker, because she was moving out soon (so why do you care what your sign looks like on the pylon?) Anyways, after i talked to her about her sign that wasn't made properly she came out and looked at the pylon and pointed out to me that her sign was pushed in a bit, and was asking me if it is due to the weight of the sign above it (which it isn't cuz its on its own J channel) I showed her that it wasn't going to fall out or in. and that was that. Today i get a call from the customer i did the signs for saying shes bitching about her sign, i tell him i didn't do anything to her sign and that is how it was. Then i get a voice mail from her saying shes going to get a lawyer if i don't fix it right away. Saying im a "bad businessman for not putting the sign back the way it was".

So do i...
> Fix the sign (which requires me to remove her sign panel to flip the J channel over), I'm afraid she might blame me for more damage if i touch anything.
> Ask her to show me this video of hers.
> Or tell her to go kick rocks!
> Other

 

[Jester1167]

First question, would you want her as a customer in the future?

Second question, do you think people would believe her if she was bad mouthing you around town?

If you answered yes to either one and aren't busier than a one.... Fix it. If no to both tell her you didn't touch it, but you'll correct someone else's improper installation for $xxx.xx.

 

[thesignexpert]

So, to be clear, you did NOT touch her sign at all? If this is true then no video, that she claims to have, would be of any use to her. I may be wrong here but if you DO go back out and touch her sign you WILL be liable at that point. I'm thinking you should avoid this like the plague.

On the other hand, if you did touch her sign panel then you may be held liable for any damage. She would have to prove this, legally, beyond a reasonable doubt to get anything out of it. In the meantime she has to pay all the bills to retain an attorney, file the claims and deal with all the associated expenses... Sounds like a fairly toothless threat to me.

Please note, I am not an attorney nor do I play one on TV.

 

[401Graphics]

First question, would you want her as a customer in the future?

Second question, do you think people would believe her if she was bad mouthing you around town?

If you answered yes to either one and aren't busier than a one.... Fix it. If no to both tell her you didn't touch it, but you'll fix it for $xxx.xx.

Hell no I would not want her as a customer! Shes obviously insane!
I dont care what she says about me really. The people that actually use my services know i do good work.

If I had even a little thought that I might have made her sign buckle in a little, I would have fixed it right then.

I guess i have to take before pics from now on from every angle, maybe even video of the entire install. Just so i dont get sue happy people on my a$$ trying to get repair work for free!

 

[401Graphics]

So, to be clear, you did NOT touch her sign at all? If this is true then no video, that she claims to have, would be of any use to her. I may be wrong here but if you DO go back out and touch her sign you WILL be liable at that point. I'm thinking you should avoid this like the plague.

On the other hand, if you did touch her sign panel then you may be held liable for any damage. She would have to prove this, legally, beyond a reasonable doubt to get anything out of it. In the meantime she has to pay all the bills to retain an attorney, file the claims and deal with all the associated expenses... Sounds like a fairly toothless threat to me.

Please note, I am not an attorney nor do I play one on TV.

Nope, never touched her sign. It was about 1 inch below the sign i was working on though. But never did i touch her sign, or any of the screws that held her sign in.

This is why i dont want to fix her sign because i have a bad feeling things would get a million times worse if i did.

What sucks is that i have to go back there on monday to install new panels on another light box that is right in front of her damn shop (but has nothing to do with her signs, it is for my customer only, just his sign is on this light box. Im wondering if i should just wait til like 9pm to install the damn thing so there is no chance of running into her.

 

[Pro Image]

F--- Her......Sound like to me she just out to have the sign done for free......Its on her to prove that you messed with her sign......Shes just blowing wind till you get a summons to court.....no need to worry about her till then.....then like I said....she has to PROVE you messed with it.....but if you did and she has a video of you doing it then thats up to a judge and not anyone else....

Like I said....dont sweat her till you get a summons to court.....

 

[HulkSmash]

I'd tell her kick boulders, she's blowing smoke.

 

[401Graphics]

Here is the sh!tty pylon. This is a OLD pic taken from google street view. In this pic her sign is actually having the opposite problem. Its bowing out in the middle. This is the side shes claiming i messed up. The other side is fine i guess.

If she had asked me to fix it last night when she came out when i was done installing and she pointed it out to me i would have done it right then, for free, just to be nice! But when somebody threatens me, then they can go F themselves in my book.

 

[Jester1167]

Looks to me like you have your proof thanks to Google. Tell her to pound sand.

P.S. the wind direction will determine whether it is bowed in or out.

 

[GAC05]

To bad it is not the massage place sign that needs fixing, you could barter for services rendered - happy ending for all.

wayne k
guam usa

 

[401Graphics]

To bad it is not the massage place sign that needs fixing, you could barter for services rendered - happy ending for all.

wayne k
guam usa

Hahahaha
Actually all the signs below hers have been replaced because new business have moved in. I think this street view pic was taken in august of 2011. I know this because if i turn the street view to the left i can see my coming soon sign in the window of where my shop used to be across the street from here.


So here is a pic of what i was talking about with the "J" channels (is that the proper name for them?) and hers being upsidedown and her sign being held in by the backside of the J channel/track.

 

[John Butto]

I would go over there first thing tomorrow morning and tell her, and be honest and sincere, that you did not cause the problem with her sign. Just like you just told us. You are an honest business man and you would like to help her out and proceed to tell her why her sign looks the way it does. She probably did not not notice the bow in the sign before and if she did it needs to be fixed and you will give her a major discount on fixing it. Of course she is not going to want to spend any money on the sign and accuse you of trying to make a buck. Tell her that you tried to make things right and leave it at that. And if she bad mouths you she will also say how you came back with that offer and then people will realize she is just an angry person trying to get something for nothing. Good luck.

 

[401Graphics]

And just for fun, here is the voice message.
[video=youtube;AWphSwGtJmQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWphSwGtJmQ&feature=youtu.be[/video]

 

[401Graphics]

Uploading that video above reminded me of this customer i had (I posted this a while ago in another thread). Claiming my wife/coworker pulled the fire alarm on the way out of his quicky mark business. lol Ahhh gotta love customers like these.
[video=youtube;f3L1mK9zaoM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3L1mK9zaoM[/video]

 

[Techman]

tell her to kiss yer grits. This is the oldest trick in the book.
I wouldn't even respond to her bullscat.

All that plus if you do respond it will give her ammo to try more of her nonsense.

 

[Pat Whatley]

If you do try to fix her sign it's never going to be right and it's always going to be your fault. I'd almost follow John Butto's advice on it only because it will help you avoid a headache later. If you don't talk to her at least once she's gonna bombard you with phone calls for weeks. If she does want you to fix it make damn sure you tell her up front that the monument is a piece of junk and her panels already have screw holes in them.

 

[GAC05]

If that's a nail salon she is running I'd break it down in terms she can understand by extending a single digit (either hand will work) and letting her examine the condition of your corpus unguis.......


wayne k
guam usa

 

[Marlene]

tell her to go $hit in her hat.

 

[visual800]

****

 

[visual800]

I would go over there first thing tomorrow morning and tell her, and be honest and sincere, that you did not cause the problem with her sign. Just like you just told us. You are an honest business man and you would like to help her out and proceed to tell her why her sign looks the way it does. She probably did not not notice the bow in the sign before and if she did it needs to be fixed and you will give her a major discount on fixing it. Of course she is not going to want to spend any money on the sign and accuse you of trying to make a buck. Tell her that you tried to make things right and leave it at that. And if she bad mouths you she will also say how you came back with that offer and then people will realize she is just an angry person trying to get something for nothing. Good luck.

HERES GOOD ADVICE
You guys need to stand your ground when dealing with scum like this and always.... ALWAYS take pics of suspicious signage such as this is you run across it. If I open a sign and I see stuff like this I take pics that way I have them if needed. and you know what its the people that dont claim they have stuff that do. if you pull up on a sign and crap is hanging out, blown, been on fire, damn right I take pics OR I make a call and let it be known what the deal is. You knwo the life rule last guy that touched it ruined it.


As far as Johns advice I would (maybe but I doubt I would) call her and be professional. Let her know you DID NOT touch her signs, that sign is crap and you are very sorry she in under the impression you damagaed it. When she turns into a violent psycho (which sounds like she will) just hang or walk away. If you go over there and touch her sign I gurantee its gonna open up more issues than you imagined. You are already dealing with a crap sign why take blame for something you did not do. She is an obnoxious Biotch. She has no video and nothing will happen. IF an attorney does call you or send certified mail go ahead an accept it and write BRING IT on the letter and send it back to him. This will never stand up in any court

 

[visual800]

I like your original reply better haha...

you can edit on here but not delete, lol