This is getting annoying . . . . but I'll try to keep it short and not rant too much. But probably I'm mostly here to rant.

About a year ago my car was rear ended. I was out of town, my wife got a recommendation for a body shop here on i-club and took it there. The bumper was replaced, the paint job looked ok, not spectacular, there were a few spots that could have been better, but ok. Then about 6 months later the paint started to peel off the bumper . . . I asked for advice on the forums and people said I should take it back and ask them to fix it. My insurance agent said the same thing.

Recently someone broke into my car and scratched up the paint in the process, so I took it back to the same body shop to fix that and touch up the peeling paint. Just got it back, and they did a really poor job, the masking around the window was messed up or something, the paint is chipped away and I can see the old paint underneath. And the color doesn't even quite match. (It was after dark when I picked it up, so I didn't see it at the time)

So, what to do? Take it back and ask them to fix it (which is probably what I will do, ugh) or fight with the insurance company to let me take it some other place and have it redone? This is getting annoying, having to do without the car for a week, having to take off from work to drop it off and pick it up, only to do it again . . .

 

what bodyshop performed the work?

 

oops double post.....

 

You should definetly start by going back to the shop that did the work, if they are in business it isn't because they let this kind of thing happen all the time- go back and let them know you won't accept it until its done right.

Did you actually point out the problems with the last job when you took it back?

Tell them they need to get it all right this time or you will let everyone on this forum know what bad work they've done for you.

 

psoper -- yeah, I too it back to them to redo the old job and do the new one. I'm mostly complaining becuase this is twice now that they have done sloppy work that required a redo. How many chances do I give them? Argh.

Edit: and there is an i-club sticker in the back window, within a foot or two of all the work they have been doing . . . if that's not a hint that others will hear about the quality of their work I don't know what is.

 

Well in that case, you probably should be down to last chance, but this time it is on their dime, your insurance isn't paying them any more, and you shouldn't be either, they have taken the money- you expected the work to be done right and they need to get the job done right.

If I was you I'd bring it in and lay down the law- make it clear that you aren't going to accept shoddy results.

I don't know the background on the other visits, were you looking for quick turn-around like one or two days? that is the sort of thing that often causes the best shops to rush and maybe do substandard work, not that that is an acceptable excuse, but you don't want to give them any excuses.

- be prepared to leave it with them a little longer this last time, but really make it clear that you came to them expecting the best and you are quite dissatisfied.

And talk with the shops owner its his rep on the line, and he should know that unhappy customers are not good for business.


Really sorry to hear this, but if its the shop I think it is, I know from experience that persistance can pay off.

 

They had it for a month the first time, a week and a half the second, so no rush jobs . . . they had it as long as they wanted.

 

yeah, so others could avoid them in the future...

 

ditto!


I get scared whenever I take my car to a body shop... i would make sure there are A LOT of recs before considering a place.
Everyone says good things about Kreative Customs, so, I couldn't imagine going elsewhere. I took my car to Master's before, they were also pretty good.

 

i'd also like to know.

 

I'm reluctant to bad mouth a place I'll probably be taking my car back to, at least until after I get the car back . . .

 

Ok, I talked to them and I'm taking the car back to them. When I get it back, I'll let you all know what body shop it was and how it turned out. And when I drop it off I'll be sure to mention that to them.

 

Ok, so I just got the car back from Tommy's Auto Body in Hayward, and now I'm really mad.

It appears they just sanded down the line between new and old paint. So now there's the old paint, a white line, and then new, slightly different colored paint. I complained, and he said "that's just wax." I said that's what I thought at first, but it would not come off. He tried to remove it, falied, and then said "well, if it peels bring it back and I'll paint it." I had to get to work so I figured I'd take a closer look later and get back to them.

When I took a closer look, I saw that in addition to the above, a small section of paint further down is bubbling and/or peeling already. And on the body panel below that is a nice new 6" long scratch. Thanks Tommy's Auto Body!

So what to do now. So far for some minor scratches I've lost the use of my car for a total of 3 weeks, and it's now in worse shape than it was when I took it there in the first place. I guess I'll call my insurace agent later today and see what my options are.

Argh.

 

take it back, get management involved, file a complaint w/ the BBB

 

Well, I talked to the owner when I took it back. Seemed very appologetic at the time so I had some hope . . . but this is just unacceptable. The last time (when the bumper started to peel) the insurace company wanted me to take it back to the same body shop. . . if it comes to that, I'm trying to decide if I'd rather do that or pay out of my own pocket to have it fixed somewhere else. I mean, this is three times total that it has been there, and each time it has required a redo. Twice now I've gotten the car back from Tommy's in worse shape than it was in when I took it to them. I kind of don't want to see what they would do next.