How Can a Bodyshop Go This Wrong?

[ScubaStevo]

Took the blazer to a "reputable" body shop when it was broken into, and I must say, they do some pretty ****** *** work. To start, it took them a super long time, and they "detailed" the truck when I specifically told them to not touch the rest. Replaced the door handle with one of a differen't colour. How can't you notice that? Scratched the fender to **** when they were painting the door. Still found little bits of broken plastic and glass all over the drivers seat area (on the darn carpet! )



Such hack jobs. I must say, their "detailing" is pretty pathetic. The guy that did the work stood there boasting of how he spent like 5 hours on the "detailing" getting the truck to lookg good again. I jus stood there, in a state of shock and looked at him as if he were screwed in the head or something. Paints swirled and scratched beyond belief, so now I will have to take MY time and repolish the whole truck, redo the interior, and what makes me pissed the most fix the scratch that THEY put into the truck. Horrible work.



Their "detailing" job:



Pictures just don't show how bad it was:

The scratch they put into the paint:

And what really boggles the mind. How can you get it this wrong?



The "new" one:

The proper one:

 

[stilez]

:bolt :bolt :bolt





I always tell my customers this when they are contemplating getting their scratch fixed by a completely repainted panel. Body shops (almost all) will do nothing more than B- work in the eyes of a detailer (or someone with a good eye).





Sorry to hear...Its far from the first story I've heard of this though. Did you go through insurance? File a complaint...Last time something similar happened to me...I did, and I won. If need be, get the rents involved.





G'luck.

 

[ScubaStevo]

:bolt :bolt :bolt





I always tell my customers this when they are contemplating getting their scratch fixed by a completely repainted panel. Body shops (almost all) will do nothing more than B- work in the eyes of a detailer (or someone with a good eye).





Sorry to hear...Its far from the first story I've heard of this though. Did you go through insurance? File a complaint...Last time something similar happened to me...I did, and I won. If need be, get the rents involved.





G'luck.

Oh there will be a claim filed thats for sure...

 

[Scottwax]

So typical...



I have found exactly 1 body shop in the Dallas area I feel safe recommending. Just 1.

 

[ScubaStevo]

There is one on the other side of the city, but you always hear cases from everyone about every single body shop in Winnipeg sucking big time.



I'm done with body shops. I'll do my own work from now on, and take the autopac money for myself.

 

[Brian_Brice]

damn nice bang up job on the doorjambs there. thats just pitiful, and really give us all a bad name.

 

[theeloved1]

You actually drove out of the place with the door handles like that? The paint is one thing, you're more comfortable fixing their mess yourself (don't blame you), but whats the deal with the door handle. They have to fix that...they can't just put the wrong part on your truck and say "oh well".

 

[III]

Good body shops are hard to find these days. I've been to 3 body shops so far in my life and I wouldn't go back to either one. One of these shops was called a "pro-shop", which is a term my insurance company uses to recommend shops. This term means nothing to me now.

 

[ScubaStevo]

You actually drove out of the place with the door handles like that? The paint is one thing, you're more comfortable fixing their mess yourself (don't blame you), but whats the deal with the door handle. They have to fix that...they can't just put the wrong part on your truck and say "oh well".

Well, I do need a vehicle. Its going back on Monday for them to do the handle, and put the door panel back on properly. I went over the entire truck yesterday, and I found that they:



-Didn't put the door panel on properly; many clips are missing

-Did somthing with the battery, as I had to replace it. Wouldn't hold a charge anymore.

-Scratched the truck in numerous other places as well.

 

[Corey Bit Spank]

I don't want to begin with my car. Oh well, its going to get me through med school!

 

[Mad iX]

That's pathetic, but no worse than most body shops here either.

I've found one guy who I trust. He's not much of a detailer either but since he runs the place himself, I only need to tell him what I need done, not a whole group of monkeys.

He knows I can buff the paint myself so all he needs to worry about is the painting, which he does do pretty well.

 

[General Lee]

-Did somthing with the battery, as I had to replace it. Wouldn't hold a charge anymore.

I'm willing to bet they played the radio while they worked which is Bull----! Dealers, bodyshops, mechanics, etc. have no buisness touching the stereo unless it is being repaired.



I absolutely hate it when I find my stereo was messed with after I pick my vehicle up. I make it a point to advise them of it as well.

 

[ZaneO]

This is pretty typical of most every bodyshop I have experience with.

 

[2000firebird]

idiots that repainted my car couldnt even match the same color to gm black

 

[DangerousOne1]

I took my car (96 Mustang GT) to a Ford dealership to have the front end repaired because my father's mechanic works there and his brother ran the body shop. So I'm expecting pretty personal service because my father is good friends with both of them. While it was in there I asked them if they could get a couple spots out of the top because at the time I didn't have a PC and being around 3 years ago, I didn't have near the detailing knowledge I do today.



So when I got the car back, they put a totally different headlight in one side (for those that know Mustangs, the car had Cobra headlights and they replaced the broken side with a GT while leaving the Cobra on the good side). They also must have handed the car off to someone that wasn't involved in the painting to "buff" the top. Well instead they went to town with what looked like sand paper on the freshly painted hood and fenders. And forget about blending the paint. The car had a newer Ford black on the front and 7-8 year old on the rest of the car. The colors weren’t even close and the new paint ended at the edge of the fenders, make it that much worse.



After fighting with them and basically being told to go screw myself, I left. On the drive home I noticed the car grinded second gear and popped out of fourth during casual driving. Within 6 weeks the transmission grenaded where I suppose they took it out joyriding. As a fun kicker to the story, about a year ago I was talking to a guy at a car meet that was sure he had raced my car "a couple years back on --- hwy" which was within 3 miles of the shop.

 

[ScubaStevo]

update:



They fixed the handle. and got them to repaint my rear bumper for nothing.

 

[Scottwax]

My brother ended up suing the shop who did this horrible job on his 3 month old truck, he got $10,000 out of those clowns.



Look how bad they fogged the door jams...and remember this truck was 3 months old, no accident, just hail damage.

Note the difference in clarity between the factory painted bed and the lousy job the shop did on the cab.

 

[Tasty]

Ugghh. Quality work is so hard to find anymore. I hate to say it, but did you ever get a good look at the guys that work in body shops and garages? We're not talking about Rhodes scholars here. Many of these "professionals" have no schooling and have just grown up doing this stuff. It's kind of scary actually.



That work on the Ram is just atrocious.

 

[General Lee]

Ugghh. Quality work is so hard to find anymore. I hate to say it, but did you ever get a good look at the guys that work in body shops and garages? We're not talking about Rhodes scholars here. Many of these "professionals" have no schooling and have just grown up doing this stuff.

:lol Couldn't agree more.

 

[Swoop411]

Holy Crap! That Dodge is trashed! I went to school for collision repair a couple years ago and have alot of experience with body work. That is just unacceptable work. I do know that if you are not satisfied then keep carrying the vehicle back, or tell them you are taking it to a REAL body shop on their dime. I would look for a shop that is ICAR certified, if that shop you used is ICAR certified I would email them pics of the work they turned out and your story. With any luck they will yank their certification, which means little if no insurance company work for them. You guys think the detailing industry is full of hacks, go dive into the collision repair industry! Thats the biggest reason I changed careers. There are some great shops out there, but its hard to find them. I live in the Nashville area and know of 4-5. They are all real expensive, but they are darn good. Out of the 4-5 I would only personally use 2. Crest Cadillac and All Things Custom. ATC has their website up....allthingscustom.net......he does some wild custom work and everyday collision repair. They dont have a large shop and dont really turn out alot of work, but they do quality work. A lot of people I know have used him, and their cars are on his website. The Accord got a carbon fiber front end and lambo doors, the Escalade got lambo doors and new paint. Sorry if it sounds like I am plugging for them....just wanted to show you that it is possible for a body shop to turn out Autopian quality vehicles. Good luck!