Discussion
Long story but I'll try and keep it brief
Back in July my wife reversed my Skoda into a fire escape denting the rear quarter panel above the light and damaging the tailgate and bumper.
My first insurance claim ever but phoned my insurers who were very good and offered me a choice of repairer, I had no strong views but wanted a VAG approved one
Took car to bodyshop and they accessed it and booked it in for work , whilst it was there I figured we could get a few scratches on the front bumper dealt with at the same time so agreed to pay the bodyshop £250 directly for this work.
Car was meant to be a week but got a phone call a few days in to say some parts had not arrived and it would take longer, not a problem as we had a courtesy car which I was using as a mobile "naughty step" and making the wife drive
Come day of collection and we checked the repair over and its ok , not great but acceptable.
About a week later I gave the car its first wash since the repair and notice that the front r/h drivers wing has been filled and painted badly , there are sanding marks showing though, runs, awful paint match and numerous pin holes, also the arch liner is badly fitted. I didnt check the front wing thoroughly when I collected the car since it wasnt damaged in any way previously
I spoke first to the insurance company who then contacted the body shop. The bodyshop's first line was that they know nothing about the damage and it must have happened previously or in the week since I collected the car BUT if they did damage the car it would have happened when they painted the front bumper and not when they did the insurance work. They were pretty aggressive on the phone and told me I had no right to involve the insurance company
One of their directors came out to my house and inspected the car and there was not a lot he could say , it was shockingly bad and clearly fresh although he offered no explanation nor apology he offered to repaint the wing FOC
So car goes back to bodyshop and they were not easy to deal with , aggressive and short with me but a week later they offered to deliver the car back (No courtesy car offered this time).
Driver delivers the car back and demands £400 payment and produces an invoice , when I said it had been agreed to be done FOC he phoned the bodyshop manager who insisted I pay. I informed him that I would not pay and he should speak to the director I had dealt with. Eventually they relented and again I got no apology but I made it clear again the standard of work was not acceptable.
So I emailed the director with pictures of the wing and stated I was not happy with the work and was not convinced that they were capable of achieving and acceptable finish since they had already had one retry. I am not willing to take the car back to them again although he has offered to redo it.
So onto pics
this was how it looked after the first time
and this is the latest repair
So my plan is :
Write to my insurers detailing the issues and include pics and see what happens
Question is
Can my insurers force me to get this bodyshop to redo the wing again? I would rather live with it/pay out of my own pocket. this
Do I have a case to pay another bodyshop to do the work and bill/sue either the insurer or the other bodyshop
I'm a bit confused as to whom I have a contract , since the insurance company wanted me to use this garage and the car got damaged whilst in their care but the fact I paid for additional work does muddy the waters I feel.
Back in July my wife reversed my Skoda into a fire escape denting the rear quarter panel above the light and damaging the tailgate and bumper.
My first insurance claim ever but phoned my insurers who were very good and offered me a choice of repairer, I had no strong views but wanted a VAG approved one
Took car to bodyshop and they accessed it and booked it in for work , whilst it was there I figured we could get a few scratches on the front bumper dealt with at the same time so agreed to pay the bodyshop £250 directly for this work.
Car was meant to be a week but got a phone call a few days in to say some parts had not arrived and it would take longer, not a problem as we had a courtesy car which I was using as a mobile "naughty step" and making the wife drive
Come day of collection and we checked the repair over and its ok , not great but acceptable.
About a week later I gave the car its first wash since the repair and notice that the front r/h drivers wing has been filled and painted badly , there are sanding marks showing though, runs, awful paint match and numerous pin holes, also the arch liner is badly fitted. I didnt check the front wing thoroughly when I collected the car since it wasnt damaged in any way previously
I spoke first to the insurance company who then contacted the body shop. The bodyshop's first line was that they know nothing about the damage and it must have happened previously or in the week since I collected the car BUT if they did damage the car it would have happened when they painted the front bumper and not when they did the insurance work. They were pretty aggressive on the phone and told me I had no right to involve the insurance company
One of their directors came out to my house and inspected the car and there was not a lot he could say , it was shockingly bad and clearly fresh although he offered no explanation nor apology he offered to repaint the wing FOC
So car goes back to bodyshop and they were not easy to deal with , aggressive and short with me but a week later they offered to deliver the car back (No courtesy car offered this time).
Driver delivers the car back and demands £400 payment and produces an invoice , when I said it had been agreed to be done FOC he phoned the bodyshop manager who insisted I pay. I informed him that I would not pay and he should speak to the director I had dealt with. Eventually they relented and again I got no apology but I made it clear again the standard of work was not acceptable.
So I emailed the director with pictures of the wing and stated I was not happy with the work and was not convinced that they were capable of achieving and acceptable finish since they had already had one retry. I am not willing to take the car back to them again although he has offered to redo it.
So onto pics
this was how it looked after the first time
and this is the latest repair
So my plan is :
Write to my insurers detailing the issues and include pics and see what happens
Question is
Can my insurers force me to get this bodyshop to redo the wing again? I would rather live with it/pay out of my own pocket. this
Do I have a case to pay another bodyshop to do the work and bill/sue either the insurer or the other bodyshop
I'm a bit confused as to whom I have a contract , since the insurance company wanted me to use this garage and the car got damaged whilst in their care but the fact I paid for additional work does muddy the waters I feel.
the 'original' insurance work was to the rear of the car,
have you lodged a further claim with your insurer for the work to the front of the car?
if not why are you getting your insurance company involved in the repair which you appear to have taken upon yourself to have done at your cost? why would your insurance company be involved in this dispute??
have you lodged a further claim with your insurer for the work to the front of the car?
if not why are you getting your insurance company involved in the repair which you appear to have taken upon yourself to have done at your cost? why would your insurance company be involved in this dispute??
I'm obviously not being clear
1) The insurer paid to repair the accident damage on the rear of the car
2) I paid for the front bumper to be repaired
3) Both these jobs were completed adequately but while the car was in the care of the body shop the drivers wing was damaged and then poorly repaired
Its this damage/repair I have issues with, not the original accident damage and not the work I paid for.
I believe that IF I had taken the car into the insurers bodyshop and subsequently the car had been damaged then it would be the insurers who I had the contract NOT with the bodyshop who are only acting as agents for the insurer.
Question is how the fact that I had additional work done at the same time changes things
1) The insurer paid to repair the accident damage on the rear of the car
2) I paid for the front bumper to be repaired
3) Both these jobs were completed adequately but while the car was in the care of the body shop the drivers wing was damaged and then poorly repaired
Its this damage/repair I have issues with, not the original accident damage and not the work I paid for.
I believe that IF I had taken the car into the insurers bodyshop and subsequently the car had been damaged then it would be the insurers who I had the contract NOT with the bodyshop who are only acting as agents for the insurer.
Question is how the fact that I had additional work done at the same time changes things
OKAY
got things now , I would be pressing the insurance company first and foremost to have the repair completed to a satisfactory standard , if that happens to be at the bodyshop thats already been used - so be it...
maybe explain the situation clearly to them and ask them to send an assessor to view the car , I wouldn't even attempt to sue anyone at all at this stage
got things now , I would be pressing the insurance company first and foremost to have the repair completed to a satisfactory standard , if that happens to be at the bodyshop thats already been used - so be it...
maybe explain the situation clearly to them and ask them to send an assessor to view the car , I wouldn't even attempt to sue anyone at all at this stage
Nothing in writing apart from an email reply from the director following the latest repair which I informed them that I wasnt happy with it. They have offered to try again but this will be the third attempt and their attitude stinks and they are not local nor convenient for me and I really don't want to use them , I just want my car repaired.
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