Looking for Rough cost for Alloy Refurb

[PeteB62]

Hope some one can help with quick answer. Looking for rough cost for an alloy wheel refurb. Wheel is perfect bar a small graze from curb about 50mm long by about 3mm wide, not deep just surface damage.

[595Heaven]

I got a quote from a local firm last week for a similar ding - £80+VAT, which includes removing / refitting tyre and balancing

[Haltamer]

There are a huge number of "It depends" here, you'd be better going direct to a few local shops.

Is it a 16" Corsa alloy?

Is it a diamond cut 22" triple gloss magic metallic unicorn ferrari wheel?

If it's a normal car, budget £100 and you'll probably get some change.

[PeteB62]

Thanks, I was think ~£100 all in myself.

Car was a rental in Austria last week Skoda Fabia, wheels are bog standard. They want 270 Euro plus VAT, which I assume is for new wheel. I know I'm pissing in the wind but didn't feel it would be right if I did not at least make the point.

[PeteB62]

[Haltamer]

Ah, That explains things.

Being a boggo painted finish, you could probably get that filled and touched up for ~£60

[Deep Thought]

I would budget £100 and you should get a little change.

Of course, there are many on here who apparently can get a full wheel stripped, cleaned, rebuilt, balanced and fitted for a ££s but in the real world its a £80-£100 job.

[2gins]

Fill, paint, move it to front and go for a long dirty drive down some muddy roads.

[832ark]

If you’re anywhere near Birmingham you can get that stripped, repaired, powder coated and balanced for £30. I wouldn’t use it on something special but have done multiple times on tatty winter wheels or pre sale tidy ups. An extremely good value for money service. For nicer stuff I use the Wheel Specialist and they do some great work for about £80/wheel.

[Pica-Pica]

PeteB62 said:

Thanks, I was think ~£100 all in myself.

Car was a rental in Austria last week Skoda Fabia, wheels are bog standard. They want 270 Euro plus VAT, which I assume is for new wheel. I know I'm pissing in the wind but didn't feel it would be right if I did not at least make the point.

I paid £110 for a BRAND NEW Skoda alloy wheel. Ignore it or buy a new one from Dennis Horton &Son, Skoda Retailer, Lincoln.

Edited by Pica-Pica on Sunday 11th August 15:00

[PeteB62]

Thanks for everyone's response. This is the response I got to my complaint, not sure how to respond without the use of expletives:

Thank you for your e-mail.

According to the repair estimate, the costs for this very damage was appraised with EUR 494,97 + 20 % VAT. As a customer-courtesy, we only billed a flatrate amount of EUR 270,00 + 20 % VAT. The damage calculation was made by means of the appraisal software AUTDATEX, which is in use at Austrian workshops and damage appraisers and is therefore accurate and correct.

Please find attached all relevant documents.

We hope this information will help and appreciate the opportunity to serve you in the near future.


Yours sincerely,
Customer Service Center

[speedking31]

Hopefully you get to keep the old wheel. Ask them to put it to one side and you'll collect it next time you're there.

[PeteB62]

That's what they are claiming for alloy repair. I quoted the £100+ for new alloy above, but obviously based on the exchange rate they are using will be more like EUR 1000!!!...

[Sheepshanks]

PeteB62 said:

The damage calculation was made by means of the appraisal software AUTDATEX, which is in use at Austrian workshops and damage appraisers and is therefore accurate and correct.

I've seen quotes using similar (maybe same?) software in the UK and they're incredibly detailed - the one I saw was for a scuff on Mercedes front wing where you'd be thinking a couple of hundred quid and it produced a quote of £2500.

You're quite lucky they're not also charging you for the time the vehicle is unavailable for hire.

[johnnyBv8]

Ridiculous for such minor damage - I doubt they'll even bother fixing it. A refurb of a wheel like that would be around £50-60 in the UK including tyre removal/refitting.

Surely at the price they're going for it's a new wheel, not a refurb?

[PeteB62]

No it's defo a refurb. Not sure I can upload a pdf here or I would. The quotes in german, but I can make out enough to understand it's a refurb and as around a dozen steps/items listed, snap shot example here and it goes on......

Lackierzeitkosten ( 115,92 EUR je Std. / 10 AW je Stunde) AW Preis
LACKIERZEIT 8,0 92,74
PREPARATION METAL 5,0 57,96
VORBEREITUNG FARBE ANMISCHEN 3,0 34,78
VORBEREITUNG FARBMUSTER 3,0 34,78
Summe 19,0 220,25
Lackier-Materialkosten Preis
Reparaturlackierung 12,86
Materialkonstante Metall 37,70
Materialkonstante Farbmuster 4,34
Materialindex (134,17 %) 18,76
Summe 73,66

[Sheepshanks]

Pretty well the detail I suggested.

Based on the one I saw I'm suprised it doesn't itemise raising the car, removing the wheel, removing the tyre, then the reverse of all those, then wheel balance and wheel alignment.

[PeteB62]

Eventually some sanity, got the following from the rental company, which seams more reasonable. Glad now that I questioned it and thanks also to all who provided me with very useful feedback:

Thank you for your reply.

After discussing this file with our Director of Operations, we are willing to reduce the billed damage costs (or rather the billed damage flatrate amount) as a gesture-of-goodwill to EUR 130,00 + 20 % tax. Please let us know within 7 business days, if you want to accept our goodwill proposal, in order for us to take corrective action in this regard.

We hope this information will help and appreciate the opportunity to serve you in the near future.

[Chris32345]

PeteB62 said:

Eventually some sanity, got the following from the rental company, which seams more reasonable. Glad now that I questioned it and thanks also to all who provided me with very useful feedback:

Thank you for your reply.

After discussing this file with our Director of Operations, we are willing to reduce the billed damage costs (or rather the billed damage flatrate amount) as a gesture-of-goodwill to EUR 130,00 + 20 % tax. Please let us know within 7 business days, if you want to accept our goodwill proposal, in order for us to take corrective action in this regard.

We hope this information will help and appreciate the opportunity to serve you in the near future.

Nice bet you wouldn't get that from a UK rental company

[chrisch77]

And you know damn well they aren't going to bother to repair such minor damage to the wheel on that car, nor is it going to materially affect the value of the vehicle when the hire car comes to dispose of it.... What a rip off, even at the now reduced rate, when anyone can get a standard alloy wheel refurbished from about £25 in the UK.