Car insurance repairs not to my standard.

Fruity1

The garage whom my car insurance chose to repair my car (following someone reversing a truck into it) returned it today. However they have not polished/T cut or whatever it is a garage does to make it all look the same colour. It is clearly evident it has a new wing. I have rung Drivers Assist who arranged everything to tell them I am not happy but the driver who brought it back said they always just leave it like this. Am I being too fussy? I am just concerned that it is blatantly obvious that its been in an RTA and would have a job selling it in the future.

Any advice please...

Lorian

Maybe they didnt use the correct paint if its that obvious?

I'd complain for sure.

wishiwasarichgirl

personally i'd want it left good as new, and i know its too late now but you can choose to take your car elsewhere for repairs - you don't have to use the insurers recommended garage (usually just have to get a couple of quotes for them)

I'd take it back to the garage, tell them its not finished, and tell them to bill the insurance company for any further work.

mattymoo

Complain to the insurers - would miss out Drive Assist if I were you, they are just a middleman. Ask for their motor engineer to inspect the repair work and arrange for it to be rectified by the garage.
If the garage has the insurer on their back as well as you, they tend to redouble their efforts for fear of losing their cherished recommended repairer status.

Fruity1

Thanks all for your comments. Drivers assist have spoken to the garage who say that after I HAVE washed and polished my car a few times it will all look the same. I feel that they should have done it in the 1st place. So am going to take a few photos of it, see how it is in a few weeks and get back to them if I am still not happy. Thanks Matty will give my insurers a ring as well, it can't do any harm.

Wig

Never sign for a car that you don't like the look of. The signing indicates that you are happy with the work done.

But do complain.

Have they just painted that single wing panel then? They **should** have painted the whole side of the car i.e. the doors aswell, so that it does not stand out when you look at it - this is an industry standard AFAIK. Even so with the whole side painted - if you look **closely** (with a experts eye) you will see a difference between the wing and the bonnet, and the rear wing and the boot - this is acceptable.

**They** should also polish away any "overspray" from the rest of the car - overspray is little bits of paint which attach themselves to the bonnet the roof and the other side of your car when it is being sprayed.


It should be returned to you looking almost perfect and shiny.


Anything less you should not accept it by signing for it. But you should tell the insurers you are not satisfied with the work done, and ask **they** arrange for the garage to put it right.

Wig

Fruity1 wrote: »

see how it is in a few weeks and get back to them if I am still not happy.

Very VERY bad idea, if you are not happy with it tell them immediately, if you wait you are deemed to have accepted the car.

Conor_3

Just a point to make that it's not easy to match colours on a car more than a few years old due to the paint fading so even if they'd done the whole side, that would have stood out from the rest of the vehicle and the only way to get a perfect match would be to do the entire car which no insurance company is going to pay for for a damaged wing.

Fruity1

Hi just to update I contacted Sheilas Wheels who are now dealing with Drivers Assist. I also had my car serviced (by the same guy who has done my cars for 12+yrs) and he says not only is it the wrong paint colour but also the wrong wing panel! He says they have used a cheap panel and not a vauxhall one. Needless to say I have asked for the whole repair to be redone!

Tight_Git_3

Stick to your guns and complain... But get plenty of photographic evidence.

I had a bumper repaired by a Direct Line approved insurer. The repair was fine, but the boot interior was covered in dried polishing compound, bits of masking tape and paper mixing cup.
The blurb states the car should be returned clean (it was a lease car, and due back the following day) so I took photos of the mess, spent an hour or so cleaning it up and sent letters and photos to the garage and DL, going on about expecting better service, let down etc etc and asked for my excess back.

Got a letter of apology with my £100 excess refunded from a DL and a phone call from the garage to say sorry and offer of a free valet.

All in not bad for an hours work.

Wig

Keep us informed fruity.