Caveat Emptor: Walter Odemer Antenna Repair

[DieselFitter]

I've thought long and hard about posting this but I'm so upset about what I just went through with a Hirschmann antenna that this might be the only way to calm down.

I recently helped a friend of mine locate an '85 300D and I've been working on it for her, doing whateve repairs I can. After running down the list of usual suspects (dead odometer, poor dash lighting, sticky sunroof, A/C, etc) I got to the Hirschmann antenna, which had a broken mast. I ordered a replacement mast on eBay ($35 with shipping), installed it and was disappointed to find that the antenna extended perfectly but refused to retract. I pulled it out again, tinkered with it a bit - using tips from this site - and got it to ALMOST work (sometimes it retracted, sometimes not). After doing some more searching on this site I came across Walter Odemer and his shop in Burbank, CA. He does Becker and Hirschmann repair, so I decided to ship the antenna to him for an estimate. I told my friend I would pay for everything as a birthday gift to her.

A week or so later I call him up (he didn't call me) and I'm told the antenna's been fixed - which surprised me since he never called or e-mailed to discuss what was wrong and how much it might cost to fix. I was aware of the $65 bench fee but beyond that figured it'd be another $50 - $60 for parts. Then I get an e-mail saying the total is $174.17. The Hirschmann needed a new control board, some gears and a new mast - then there's the bench fee and shipping charges. This is where I began to feel stupid, since I regularly see old Hirschmanns and new "universal-fit" models for under $50 on eBay. My friend is using her Mercedes as a daily driver, to commute roughly 15 miles round-trip to work, and certainly doesn't need an immacutely-restored original-equipment antenna - but I figured I'd bite my tongue and consider it a lesson learned.

I check my bank account on-line yesterday and I'm being charged $274.71, not $174.71. Walter got his math wrong. The control board alone was $110, then the bench fee, then the gears, etc. I called and argued with him about it, explaining that he never provided me with an estimate, that a new Hirscshmann from Mercedes would run me roughly $300, that I'd just put in a new mast, that not EVERY Mercedes owner is rich - but he was having none of it. That's when I demanded my parts back (I'll be damned if I'm providing him with parts ON TOP of paying nearly $300!) and he said I could have everything but the control board, since it's a "core exchange" situation. This is another piece of info he never shared, despite the fact I had e-mailed and called BEFORE shipping the antenna off.

Again, I feel incredibly stupid here. If I'd known what I was getting into prior to payment I would've told him to stick the antenna where the sun don't shine (hey, at least it retracts now!) and found a replacement on eBay. There's one on there right now hovering around $45, with zero bids.

I know some of you on this board have had pleasant interactions with Mr. Odemer - and I only wish I could report the same - but to anyone who was thinking of using him: CAVEAT EMPTOR! Make sure you explain to him that you want an ESTIMATE before he proceeds with work, that you will not authorize repairs UNLESS he tells you how much it will cost. My other advice would be to use a credit card in case you need to get your money back. I used a VISA debit card and I'm SOL at this point.

Sorry for the length of this post and I'm sure some of you will write and defend Mr. Odemer and his work. Personally, I'll never deal with him again and would be gratified if my experience spared one of you the same.