Request for advice please: bodywork/paint damaged by garage

[Londb9]

Hello,

I've been visiting PH since 2013 and the advice on these pages was very helpful for me when I bought my 2004 Aston Martin DB9 (which is great).

I've had a situation recently where a garage damaged the paintwork on the car and I'd be very grateful if anyone on this forum with some experience might be able to advise me on my best course of action.

Exactly 2 months ago, in February 2016, I took the car to a new garage for its service. On the driver side wing, just above the headlight, a thumb sized paint bubble has been present ever since I bought the car.

I picked up the car from the garage and drove it the short distance home. When I got out, I noticed that the rubber bonnet seal had erupted (because of not being closed properly) and that caused me to notice that the paint bubble had been cracked. I then discovered the garage hadn't put the service stamp in my logbook too.

I took the car back a couple of days later. They fixed the bonnet seal and stamped the book but refused to take responsibility for the paint bubble.

I asked to speak to the owner/manager. After a month's emailing and not receiving replies, I did receive a reply from the owner who asked me to explain the problem. I replied, with a photo. I have now not had a response despite sending two further emails asking for a reply.

Obviously it's upsetting when any damage happens to your car, but this is made more frustrating because the garage won't communicate with me. I fear the cost of getting this repaired will be very expensive because maybe the whole wing needs to be done.

A friend of mine suggested contacting Aston Martin directly for their advice.

I'd be grateful if anybody on this forum has any advice that might help me. Thanks for reading my post.

Edited by Londb9 on Thursday 28th April 13:59

[Londb9]

Londb9 said:

Hello,

I've been visiting PH since 2013 and the advice on these pages was very helpful for me when I bought my 2004 Aston Martin DB9 (which is great).

I've had a situation recently where a garage damaged the paintwork on the car and I'd be very grateful if anyone on this forum with some experience might be able to advise me on my best course of action.

Exactly 2 months ago, in February 2016, I took the car to a new garage for its service. On the driver side wing, just above the headlight, a thumb sized paint bubble has been present ever since I bought the car.

I picked up the car from the garage and drove it the short distance home. When I got out, I noticed that the rubber bonnet seal had erupted (because of not being closed properly) and that caused me to notice that the paint bubble had been cracked. I then discovered the garage hadn't put the service stamp in my logbook too.

I took the car back a couple of days later. They fixed the bonnet seal and stamped the book but refused to take responsibility for the paint bubble.

I asked to speak to the owner/manager. After a month's emailing and not receiving replies, I did receive a reply from the owner who asked me to explain the problem. I replied, with a photo. I have now not had a response despite sending two further emails asking for a reply.

Obviously it's upsetting when any damage happens to your car, but this is made more frustrating because the garage won't communicate with me. I fear the cost of getting this repaired will be very expensive because maybe the whole wing needs to be done.

A friend of mine suggested contacting Aston Martin directly for their advice.

I'd be grateful if anybody on this forum has any advice that might help me. Thanks for reading my post.

Edited by Londb9 on Thursday 28th April 13:59

Resolution

To all interested readers who might find it valuable for their reference, I'm pleased to report that I was able to resolve my issue and received compensation from the garage who paid for the repair of my vehicle.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to respond with constructive answers, I appreciate your time.

It took many weeks to get a result. I was able to eventually escalate my complaint by email to the owner of the garage (after the assistant manager and manager both ignored it). The owner also initially ignored my correspondence but eventually began replying after I made it clear that I would take the matter to court.

My emails to the owner offered to refer the issue to independent mediation and they did not accept this. I then sent a "Notice of Action" to make it clear that I would make an application to settle the matter in court if I did not receive a reply within 28 days. They replied within a week and finally started proper discussion and fact-finding.

Their first reply was a refusal, so I then took the car to be repaired at another garage.

Some of the quotes I received for the repair work were very expensive, but I was able to show the garage that I had made effort to find the cheapest quote.

I sent the garage the bill for the repair and informed them that if they didn't pay within a further 28 days that I would attempt to recover the cost in court and would also charge them interest for every day until the matter was settled.

I'm pleased to say that they then contacted me and agreed to reimburse me.

So 5 months after the damage happened, I'm pleased to say that the car now has great looking, repaired paintwork.

ps I'd also like to thank the moderators for moving my topic to the appropriate forum. I was unable to post here as a new registration, and was also unable to post replies.

[Londb9]

REALIST123 said:

I do find it difficult to believe you but, if you really did bully the garage into paying to have your old banger repaired you should be ashamed of yourself. It's people like you who make things more difficult for all of us, please try to take responsibility for your own problems in future.

My "old banger" is actually in pretty good nick. When I take a car to a garage, if they damage it I expect them to take responsibility. I intended my posting for anyone who's unfortunate to be in a similar position, and for it to to be constructive and helpful, which is a lot more than can be said for your vacuous contribution.

[Londb9]

The Spruce goose said:

as this is ph post a picture of your car.

(taken on Waterloo Bridge in London)

rallycross said:

This sounds like total made up nonsense - why would any garage repair a wing because a paint bubble (rust bubble?) had burst.

They can't put it back to how it was and the owner can't prove the garage damaged the (already damaged) paint.

If you really did threaten them with court action you are the sort of idiot that every garage hopes they never have to deal with.

They damaged my car, I had every right to expect it to come out in the condition that it went in. I also have every right to take it to court and to offer to abide by independent mediation (which they declined, by the way). If you are the kind of person that can call another an idiot, then you are the sort of person that most of mankind hopes they never have to deal with.

ZX10R NIN said:

OP I think you've chanced your arm & got a result well done.]

I'm aware that it could have gone either way, but I know I was right in principle to stick with it. Thanks for your message.

fastbikes76 said:

That's all fair and well....If they actually damaged your car. What did happen though was an already damaged part of your car failed while in their care, a bit of paint that you full well knew was bubbling before hand. You are a chancer and got away with it which really is a pity as the repair was probably cheaper and less hassle than any potential legal battle.

Hollow victory and not something I would be shouting about.

Nobody is shouting about anything. I have given my time to make a contribution to an internet forum in the hope that it might help others who find themselves in a similar situation.

Consider this; my car has been into garages for various work over the years, it has undergone dozens of hand washes and power washes, it's even been washed by a kid for some pocket money, and at no time ever did the paint bubble crack. Consider also that the garage didn't apologise for slamming the bonnet and rupturing the rubber seal, didn't apologise for not stamping the log book and didn't compensate my time and cost to drive it back to the garage to get them to stamp it.

Perhaps if we lived in your idealistic fantasy world, fastbikes, the person who cracked the paint would've reported it to their boss and they would've told me so that it could be discussed there and then. Perhaps they also would've responded to my calls, called me back when the promised they would, reply to my emails and resolve the matter fairly. The fact is, we don't live in your fastbikes fairy tale of an existence and this is how things played out. They damaged the car and they left me with no choice but to take them to court and in the end they did the right thing and paid for the repair. A more logical solution would've been for them to take responsibility and do the repair themselves. As it stands, I took it to someone else and they paid the bill. End of story and not a hollow victory, but a correct and proper outcome.

[Londb9]

Andyjc86 said:

I'm amazed. Just when I thought I had heard about the most unreasonable customers, along comes the OP.

Compensate you for not stamping the book? Get a grip man, it was an oversight. Did you leave the book out to be stamped or was it in a compartment somewhere?

As for the paint, you have admitted it had a bubble, which has turned out to be a manufacturers fault.

You then claim that you have the right to have it put back in the condition it was in before they caused it to pop. So does it have a bubble now? Or is it perfect?

Nobody lost control. Nobody needs to get a grip. They were given the book and didn't stamp it, and then I incurred time and cost to drive it back for them to stamp it properly. I did not ask for compensation for this.

To all the uncouth posters and keyboard warriors on this thread shouting out insults and calling me an idiot, you clearly failed to read or understand that I offered to refer the dispute to independent mediation. I even gave them a written undertaking that I would abide by that decision. This would have been a simple and low cost way (about £50) of bringing the matter to resolution but they did not accept it and kept refusing to act until I got the repair done and sent them a "notice of action". I'd say that was pretty reasonable.

I would have also been open to discussion and considered splitting the cost, as the previous poster suggested, as I'm sure their trade contacts would've done the repair for a lot cheaper than the amount if finally ended up costing them.

[Londb9]

NinjaPower said:

Can I just ask why you didn't have it repaired long before the garage incident?

If I had paintwork bubbling on my car I would have to repair it fairly promptly as it it would annoy me everytime I looked at the car or washed the car.

Plus, the longer you leave these things the worse they get.

I took advice from 2 people I consider experts. One a former Aston Martin mechanic, the other a bodywork specialist. Both advised me to monitor it but didn't think it would get any worse. It was a thumb sized bubble and didn't bother me.

Hol said:

No, I think you misunderstand.

Having morals and not thinking the world owes us, doesn't make 'us' the uncouth ones.

Scientists have debated where the centre of the universe lies for a number of years. However, I am guessing that none of them think that its you.

HTH.

I didn't misunderstand anything. I've contributed to a forum in the hope that it will help others who may also have their vehicles damaged by garages that don't want to take responsibility. My contribution is far richer than the postings of the few that can only spew out insults.

NinjaPower said:

Well unfortunately the obvious answer is: Didn't want to spend the money or didn't have the money.

It always amazes me how many owners of nice cars won't spend a penny on them. I had a guy come in my place with a 2 year old Porsche 991 C2, really nice car, but he had scraped the edge of the wing on his garage door. It wasn't a total mess, but a significant scrape and looked unsightly.

I quoted him £150 to repair and paint the wing, which as many of you will know, is a very reasonable price, and our work is of a high standard (a 964 we painted won the concours at the Silverstone Classic)

He huffed and puffed at the price and just said he would "live with it for now"

It beggars belief.

Edited by NinjaPower on Friday 16th September 13:07

My repair was unfortunately significantly higher than £150. As previously stated, I could live with the paint bubble, it was quite small and didn't bother me. When it cracks and exposes the body, then it bothers me. When someone damages my car and doesn't admit it, that also bothers me.

Andyjc86 said:

So if you didn't ask for it, does that mean you expected it?

"Here's your service book sir, sorry for the inconvenience. Here, have £50 for your trouble of driving back here"

Not really the point I was making and I was more concerned about the fact they'd damaged my paintwork. My comment about the logbook was more illustrative of their lack of customer care.

4rephill said:

Aston Martin's have fibreglass wings and suffer paint problems!

I am so shocked - Aston Martin owe Me some serious compensation!

This is unfortunately true, thankfully the rest of the car is in tip-top condition.

[Londb9]

Butter Face said:

I'm amazed you're still standing by the 'they damaged my car' line.

It had a paint fault when it went in, it had a paint fault when it came out.

I'd have told you to whistle and take it to court.

I stand by the facts. They damaged it and I also stand by the principle that they had to take responsibility. You can't just damage someone's property and expect no comeback. You're probably the sort of person that would blame the Tate for not putting the Rothko behind glass. Victim blamer.

rallycross said:

I'm not religious but I do prey that I never have to deal with a trouble making customer like this eejit.

Perhaps add a prayer for an increased ability to spell and adopt better manners.

[Londb9]

Butter Face said:

Londb9 said:

Victim blamer.

'Victim'

You're a victim are you? Chancer is the word I'd use!

It's an accurate definition because they damaged my car and that's the fact of the matter.

andymc said:

most places i know would have belted you

Thankfully I don't frequent the same places as yourself and your banjo playing chums.