On our local Kijiji

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-classic-cars/st-catharines/classic-car-enthusiasts-multi-talented-retired-mechanic-welder/1155541199?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

So I thought that I, would message him, asking for references. Obviously I hit a nerve, he thinks that its wrong to question his word, by wanting to speak with some people he has done work for. Just hand over your cash and trust him I guess.

His response to me was and I quote. I normally just delete messages like yours, However I am going to make it easy on you. And just say that I will not do any work for you.

Dam, was his name Dick?

It's common practice nowadays to ask for references so you don't get ripped off, maybe he is just waiting for a sucker. The pictures in the add look good but you can get pictures from anywhere nowadays. Good on you for asking for a reference.

Wow guess he is not worried about alienating future customers. Its not really normal to be such a dick because you were asked for a simple reference unless you perhaps do not have any.

Wow! I don't think you're missing out with that kind of response. The guy I had do my body work brought a car he had done to my workplace to examine his work. If I was confident in my work, I'd be asking how many references do you want!

Dick would be putting it mildly. I actually don't need anything done on my Duster, except the gas tank, which I'm going to do myself. I was trying to locate a good general mechanic, with experience in classic cars for a friend of mine, that lives about 20 minutes from this guy.
When someone gets uptight about giving references, then I wouldn't let them check my oil, never mind large repairs.

Yea that's just wrong....If I have any potential customer...I usually offer up references during our first conversation.....or my name is on the internet enough, it's pretty easy to figure me out...

I lost 10s of thousands of dollars to a self proclaimed restorer and wound up with a botched mess that wasnt worth even trying to redo......I sold it at a great lose just to get it out of my face....A reference check would have saved me a bunch of stress.