Craft Forklift — Local services in Hampton

I am hoping this review will save someone from experiencing the headache I experienced from this unprofessional company. I contacted this company about having some engine parts powder coated. The person I spoke with (Chris) identified himself as the owner of the company. I explained I was doing an off-the-frame restoration on an old school car and I needed quality powder coating done on several parts. He assured me he and his company would do an excellent job. After several additional conversations, I gave him the opportunity to powder coat several brackets, pulleys, an intake manifold and a brand new oil pan. The parts were delivered on December 14, 2017. I specifically explained I didn't want the underside of the intake manifold coated nor did I want the inside of the oil pan coated. He gave me a price of $520 to do everything which I accepted without any haggling. I thought the price was fair based on what he said he would do and how professional they are. I contacted him on January 5, 2018 to inquire if the parts were done. I was told they were. Upon driving 1.5 hrs to pick them up, i noticed a few of the brackets were not done correctly. Excuse - "Oh it's just over spray from the powder coat." I asked them to re-do the parts. Asked about the price and was told the price was $550. I was quoted $520. Excuse - I forgot what I said! Had to wait over a hour for them to redo brackets. When I got back over an hour later, only one bracket was retouched. Other bracket was just like it was when I left. Excuse - Sometimes the powder coat does not take well after several coats. I could clearly see they had done nothing to the bracket. It was exactly as it was before.

The intake manifold has been coated underneath and the oil pan had been coated inside when I specifically asked they not be coated. Excuse - "I forgot you said do not coat them - I'm sorry." Was told I could come back tomorrow and pick up bracket after retouch, was given several other options which I declined. Asked for a discount on their screw up. Was told outright "NO!" They screwed up my parts and this jerk would not even give me a discount knowing the parts would have to be redone. All I kept getting was, "I'm sorry - I don't know what else to tell you." So pissed off, I got my parts and left. I learned prior to leaving that Chris was not the owner of the company as he had previously stated during our initial telephone conversation. I called back when I got home and asked for the owner. Spoke with someone who identified himself as Mike, the owner of the company. Explained what had transpired only to get told to "shut up and stop complaining." Was told several offers had been made by Chris to make the order right but I refused. After several minutes of voicing my displeasure with Mike, he agreed to give me a 20% discount.

Anyone wishing to do business with this company, PLEASE BEWARE! DON'T DO IT!!! This is one of the most UNPROFESSIONAL companies I have ever dealt with. Save yourself some time, money and frustration and look for another company if you are getting powder coating done. If you read this review and still do business with these knuckleheads and get burned like I did, remember, you were warned! I hope this review helps someone avoid what I went through. ...

I went to Craft Forklift on the recommendation of a local fab shop, after shopping for powder coating for my dirt bike frame. I was quoted $150 in writing to sandblast, clean and coat my frame by someone named Collin, but when my frame was dropped off, a man named Chris told me that it would be a $250 job. After telling him that I would take my pieces elsewhere, Chris and I met in the middle at $200 for the service despite my previous quote. The only excuse I was given for this is that Collin is not a powder coater and doesn't know all that is involved... After a few days, I called to check on my parts and was told they were ready, but they had a very hard time cleaning the frame and they would appreciate if I paid the extra $50 that Chris wanted to charge me when my parts were dropped off. Upon arriving at the shop, I was directed to the back shop where Chris was waiting to give me a sob story about how difficult the job was and how I needed to pay him the extra money. After refusing several times and explaining that I was already paying more than what I was quoted, Chris grew impatient and told me that I was "Getting over" on him. Chris grew much nicer when I told him about his referral and that I had mentioned his dishonest business practices to the company that referred me, and he dropped the subject completely. I hope that whay I experienced was a fluke, but regardless I will not be returning to this dishonest company for powder coating in the future.

I gave them two stars solely because the job was done well as far as I can tell. The frame came out even and glossy white, and despite some overspray and minor heat warping on a few smaller aluminum parts, I was happy with...

If you value your time, money, and quality workmanship, I strongly recommend going elsewhere for powder coating services. This company had my wheels for over a month, and communication during that time was mediocre at best.

The initial powder coat didn’t go as planned, which led them to sandblast the front wheels multiple times—ultimately damaging the underlying material. Even after switching to a new color, the damage is still visible through the finish.

I was charged $725 for the set, far more than the expected $145 per wheel, plus additional charges for the original and secondary coating materials.

I'm sharing this experience so others can make an informed decision and hopefully avoid a...