Car damaged whilst in the care of a garage

bessie1001

hi all
hoping someone can offer some advice

car was in for a service & a repair yesterday & when I collected the car I just got in & drove off, unusual for me as I always check around the car for any damage. Anyway drove home, pulled up on the drive got out & noticed the wing was damaged - the offside where they'd been working. Dented & paint damaged. Drove straight back & they denied all knowledge even though it was evident they'd tried to colour it with something. After a bit of debating between themselves (which they wouldnt let me lilsten to I might add) they said they'd repair it & they would take me to the repairer to sort it out then & there. Well they took me to some tatty little place down a dirt track and declared they knew it looked tatty but he 'did a good job'. Apart from this damage there is not a single dent in the car & never has been so no repair work at all to date.

The car is 6 years old, but the wing they have damaged was replaced under warranty due to corrosion just under 2 years ago, so I have a factory finish on the paint work they need to repair.

Question is what are my rights here? Do I have the right to have this job done professionally by a main dealer or do I have to go with their repairer?

thanks in advance
Bessie

macman

If you are letting them repair it and pay, then they can use whom they like. However if it's not up to scratch (no pun intended) then you have the right to reject the repair. I would make sure you take photos before any repair is commenced.
If you don't want them to use that repairer, then you'll need to go via your own insurers and possibly lose your NCB.

Quentin

macman wrote: »

I you don't want them to use that repairer, then you'll need to go via your own insurers and possibly lose your NCB.

Ignore this.

You don't need to claim off your own insurer at all and can claim directly off the garage or their insurers.

And you definitely never have to use a repairer nominated by the third party!

Get a quote from the garage of your choice and send it to the garage (or their insurer), asking that they pay for your repairs, then when you get their reply take it from there.

If they won't play ball use MCOL.

NeverAgain_2

Few main dealers have their own body repair shops, and many use unprepossessing looking places down back lanes which do indeed 'do a good job'.

You could get quotes elsewhere and demand the garage or its insurers meet one of them, but do you want to escalate the dispute that far?

It will take much longer to get your car repaired.

Can you get some reassurance from speaking to their repairer?

Does he sound like he knows what he's talking about?

It's only a wing he's having to replace, not a bodyshell.

The car is six years old and is approaching the point where minor damage will have little impact on its value.

Strider590

bessie1001 wrote: »

Apart from this damage there is not a single dent in the car & never has been so no repair work at all to date.

Not true, no car ever leaves the factory without some minor bodywork repairs.

bessie1001 wrote: »

Do I have the right to have this job done professionally by a main dealer or do I have to go with their repairer?

Main dealers sell cars, it's THE only thing they're good for, they'll probably take a nice chunk of cash and send it to the same back road repair place.

bessie1001

Strider590 wrote: »

Not true, no car ever leaves the factory without some minor bodywork repairs.



Main dealers sell cars, it's THE only thing they're good for, they'll probably take a nice chunk of cash and send it to the same back road repair place.

fair enough....but no dents whilst we have owned it.....ours is the car parked on it's own at the furthest point in the car park

helpful? not

pompeyfaith

Not true, no car ever leaves the factory without some minor bodywork repairs.

Ignore that statement as it is wrong many cars are ordered and built to order and are indeed delivered A1 some new cars have had minor body repairs but these are usually stock cars stored off site.

It is most certainly not every car as you state.

Strider590

pompeyfaith wrote: »

It is most certainly not every car as you state.

I beg to differ, damage is unavoidable in the manufacturing process. No body panel is ever perfect, it has to straightened out whether it's before or after it's bolted to a car.

Kilty_2

Pretty wild statement as usual Strider, care to substantiate it?

Strider590

^^ Have visited various manufacturing facilities throughout Europe. Admittedly working with prototype's more than visiting the actual production lines. No evidence unfortunately as most confiscate your mobile phone and any electronic equipment that could record images or audio, at the main security gates

imi1978

Hi

Struggling to even start a new thread as i cant figure it out, but am a little stressed or more to the point livid. I have only recently purchased a BMW 2008 after saving up alot. but 6 weeks after it developed a problem with the diesel particle filter. This costs £1500 to replace, after alot of research and going on forums for advice i decided to get this part removed all together which is also feasible at the cost of £600. Anyway to cut a long story short the nearest "reputable" company was in London. I contacted them and they were quite helpful and said they would come and collect my car from the midlands and return it back to me the next day. Anyway they came approx 7pm collected car and delivered it back 10pm next day. The odd thing was i thought they would pick it up in a big truck but they just came down in an extra car and someone got out, they gave me a bit of paper about collection. Anyway i paid the guy who came to deliver the car at 10pm.
The drama started when in the morning when it was light, i thought the cars dirty because it has been driven to london and back so i took it for a wash. After which i thought the car wash ppl did a bad job as alot of the white bits were still on the front of the car. So i took it home to clean it myself only to realise: the white bits were chips all over the bonnet on my black car along with

1-smashed front number plate
2-chips to bodywork esp thoughout the entire front car bonnet/bumper/side panel
3-scratches over bonnet and car wing
4-Numerous chips all over windscreen
5-unlocked bonnett-this was noted the night when the car was delivered and i had to shut this properly myself.
6-smoking in car-ash all over ashtray, notable tobbaco odour in car

Ive contacted these ppl but due to the bank holiday ive had no response, ive also emailed them with 26 pics of the damage to the car

I really am quite livid about the entire thing
I am pretty certain that the damage has been done by "boy racer" style driving either when the car was driven to or from London.
Am concerned that there gonna deny all knowledgeand its gonna be my word against theres. But if thats the case i will take it to small claims court.
I have had mates look at the car who categorically state that this kinda damage cannot be done by driving at 30mph. Since ive had the car for 2 months i have never taken in on the motorway yet.Im a female driver that has never taken it beyond 40mph

Everytime i see the state of my car i physically feel sick. Its come back in a "wrecked" state, Im disguisted that some one can have very little respect for someone elses property esp when there offering a repair service
I am adamant that i will certainly not allow the car out of the midlands for repairs, considering my experience so far

Any input or similar experience appreciated.