7 Week Wait for a Substandard Repair

[Mouse1903]

So after my accident (http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&t=1215876&mid=259487) I finally collected my car yesterday, 7 weeks and 1 day after my accident. Paid the excess and signed the car off "not fully checked".

Go out to check the car and impressed as everything looked fine. Wasn't until I had a proper look as follows:

Slight dent in corner of door


Side Stripe Correctly Fitted on Driver Side


Incorrectly Fitted on Passenger Side (should say "wing" not "winch", thinking too much of work!)


Shoddily Painted Sill with damage


Shoddily Painted Sill


Original Michelin Pilot Exalto - what I told them twice should be fitted


New Michelin Pilot Sport 3 - completely different tyre model and therefore tread


Untouched Esseesse Wheel - Bright White


"Refurbished" Esseesse Wheel - Darker White (hard to see compared to in the flesh)


Door Side Stripe Not Aligned (this didn't even need replacing!)


Driver Side Door & Wing Correctly Aligned


Passenger Side Door Proud of Wing (more obvious in the flesh)


Exposed Wiring in Engine Bay


Unpainted Bonnet Hinge Bracket (this will rust)


Unpainted Area under 2nd Bonnet Hinge Bracket (this will also rust)


Side Stripe Peeling Off Already


New Sticker Sitting Proud, Old Stickers Not Even Removed! (And New Sticker Shown Not To Be Straight!)


Driver Side Sticker to Rear Quarter - How it should look


Passenger Side Sticker to Rear Quarter - Squint


Driver Side Door Correctly Aligned


Passenger Side Door Alignment Off


To top all this, my windscreen washers are not functioning at all, the passenger side repeater isn't functioning, and the car seems to pull to the left with more resistance in the steering when turning to the right. This is after a wheel alignment was carried out and a "quality control check"!

With regards to the tyre, where do I stand? The garage said it's the insurance company that decides. End of the day I want the same tyre and the Pilot Exalto's are still available.

For the wheel do I have to bite the bullet if it is still not right a second time? I have a second Esseesse rim in the garage which is damaged, but it looks like it's impossible to refurbish one without getting the rest done? Irony is I'd just paid for a new wheel earlier in the year so looks like I will have to buy another :-(

My car is booked in for warranty work next Saturday but looks like I'll have to delay that again! Really pissed off just now and feel it will be ages until I get my car back to how it was. :thumbd:

Edited by Mouse1903 on Saturday 24th November 14:14

Edited by Mouse1903 on Saturday 24th November 14:16

[Liquid Tuna]

With the amount of repair you've shown, I clicked on your link of the original accident above was expecting to see it smashed to pieces! I'd be unhappy with the work.

[Mouse1903]

The main gripe and worry with me is this is it passed the quality control. Therefore basics such as non functioning headlight washers and indicators are ok. The car also hasn't been driven as the mileage was exactly the same. If they had driven it they would find it was pulling to the right. 7 weeks is totally unacceptable to wait this long for shoddy work and a major inconvenience

[the stigs dad]

Fix It Again Tony.

[Mouse1903]

the stigs dad said:

Fix It Again Tony.

[Riley Blue]

What was their response when you took it back this morning?

[E30M3SE]

That is a pretty shocking repair, hope you get it sorted.

[Mouse1903]

I'm not too confident. Any semi-decent bodyshop can fix this no bother. I've got to take it back on Monday. Should I refuse to accept it back this time until everything has been fixed? Am I being too fussy...i.e. is it too much to ask to have your car fixed the same way as it was before the accident, I mean that's how we pay hundreds of pounds a year for insurance isn't it?

[Caulkhead]

I'm crap at bodywork and I could do better than that. Not acceptable.

[PhillipM]

All that grinding dust stuck to the hinge grease will make a nice abrasive paste too...

[E30M3SE]

Mouse1903 said:

Am I being too fussy...

Short answer, NO.

The car should be returned to pre accident condition, the tyre maybe pushing it a little, but if the Exalto is available then that's what they should have put on imo.

To be honest ime, well my bro's as he's the one who's been more regular at 'insurance approved bodyshops' with his co cars, this is the sort of standard of work that they produce.

[hedgefinder]

i remember going to pick the wifes car up after someone damaged the rear wheel arch whilst it was parked a number of years ago. They wanted me to sign for it before I had even seen the car! On inspection in the daylight you could see the rubbing down marks running around the wheel arch. I told them it wasnt acceptable and they sent a lad out to flat it and polish it again. I had to wait an hour, and in all honesty it still wasnt perfect but i had to get back to work and had been dropped off - the body shop was 35 miles from where we lived! so stupidly i just accepted it..... wouldnt happen these days as I am even more of a picky git...

the quality of the fit and finish you have shown is very far from being acceptable and I would certainly refuse to accept the car back and complain in the strongest manner to the insurance company.

[David87]

Blimey! What a mess. Best wishes for getting it sorted!

[Gallen]

That's going to be more difficult to put right than if it hadn't been touched. They've wrecked your car.

Good luck....such a shame

Gallen

[Willeh85]

Eurgh shoddy work does my head in and I'd be enraged for how bad that work is it looks like something I could have attempted my self. At least you can take it back and complain.

I recently had a side skirt on my car repaired and some scratches removed, then two weeks later I washed my car and then a huge scratch down to the paintwork appears. I'm pretty sure that the repair guy must have done it when removing the side skirt and then covereed it up sufficiently to get my cash and out the repair shop, but I've got no proof what so ever.

[falkster]

Did you not ask if you could use your own bodyshop? Authorised repairers, in my experience, are always poor. Screwed down to making jack which always ends up in poor quality job. They probably do upto 100 cars a week and the customers aren't clued up enough to know what to look at but then they'll get one or two like you that know what to look for.
Just take it back and be the biggest pita until its finished properly.

[Gallen]

I think youd be well within your rights to take it to wherever you needed to ut this right now!

[philmh]

I hope you manage to get your car sorted, that is a stty and shoddy repair. It pisses me off that they can even think that looks acceptable.

[V8A*ndy]

Gallen said:

That's going to be more difficult to put right than if it hadn't been touched. They've wrecked your car.

Good luck....such a shame

Gallen

This!!!!!!!!!

I would be going totally mental.

I'm afraid I would be demanding a new car. That's never ever going to be put right.

Reject this ASAP.

[egomeister]

That's a very poor repair - good luck in sorting everything out.

I don't think you have an issue with the tyres though. My Clio was supplied with PE2's but I think they have been discontinued - last time I replaced them I had to switch to PS3's which seem to perform the same.