Dodgy Panel Beaters

[Dr_Jones]

Long story but to cut it short had an accident had about 1000 dollars worth of damage but nothing major, took the oppurtunity to get updated front bar.

Car was in panel shop for about a week getting damage fixed and new bumper fitted while it was there it received a minor bunch of scratches but still very noticable. I needed the car back so took it and we agreed I would return to have it finished at a later date, all that was needed was to straighten up one of the fog lights the scratches (he caused) plus another unrelated scratch I thought I might as well get fixed, replace broken guard liner and then at the end try and get rid of some of the swirl marks.

I returned the car for 3.5 days and to my naked eye nothing has been done. However on Friday before I picked it up I dropped in to see if it was ready, he said yeah all I have to do is run the buffer over it and come back Saturday. What crap not a single finger has been layed on it in the 3.5 days. So no car for nearly 4 days and nothing to show for it, as much as I don't want him having my car again the insurance paid for the guard liner and he damaged my car while he had it, so he should have to fix that.

Not to mention the general mess my car was both times I picked it up, covered in crap inside and out and it smells like an ashtray too grrrr.

I won't name names for now we'll see what happens.

Job was an insurance job on behalf of the person who hit me, so would they pay the panel shop without my consent of a good job?

[FTO338]

Job was an insurance job on behalf of the person who hit me, so would they pay the panel shop without my consent of a good job?

Usually panel beaters will wait for approval from the insurance company before doing the job, once it got approval, they will get pay regardless if they done a good or bad job.

I had this happen to me before, so these days when I had an accident, I just go to the most expensive & well recognized panel beater, places where they fix Porsche, BMW, Merc....etc. As they would guarantee to do a good job. ohhh of course that if had insurance cover.

[d_stroy_r]

Even the most reputable panel beaters, they still treat u like you are a no body.

No names mentioned, but i've had plenty of people with the same feelings about this company.

[kazbah]

Did you make your claim against the other driver through your insurance Co? If you did, report these problems to your insurance company as they are ones who pay in the panel beater and claim the cost back from the at fault drivers insurance company. If nothing else the panel beaters will not be regarded as approved repaires by the insurance company and they will lose a lot of insurance business which is big money to those guys.

[d_stroy_r]

Even better is to tell the repairer that you will tell the insurance co. of their poor work.

Insurance co. never put the blame to the repairers due to the fact they are "the best". I've had that problem before with "reputable panel beater"
he ended up being a dodgy son of a......

Thats my 2 cents worth.

[D-TRAIN]

All the insurance companies I've been with let me have a choice of repairers (GIO, Dawes, Famous Classic).

So I've always stuck with the company I know. Asking for recommendations from people is a good idea as well.

Don't most insurance companies these days offer customers choice of repairers?

[FTO338]

Don't most insurance companies these days offer customers choice of repairers?

By law they do, but of course theres also a clause in every insurance contract to protect the company themself as well. A bit of catch 22.

[jonowong]

mine was in a week and had no work done on it at all at oxford smash repairs strathfield!