Paint work not matching....

[Flash]

Those who may have read my post http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=53212 will know that my W203 was involved in an accident.

I have just got the car back from the body shop and am not happy. The paintwork on my car was immaculate prior to the accident anyway as well looked after and not faded or dull in anyway. The off side front wing and front door were re-sprayed and the rear door was blemished BUT from looking at the car in natural light as well as artificial lighting you can clearly tell that the rear door and rear quarter panel does not match or blend in with the panels that the body shop have re-sprayed.

I have told the body shop this and will be taking it back to them to have a look at next week when I am free.

My first question is that surely a decent body shop should be able to match and blend in the paint work so that no one can notice or does the rear door require to be blemished further - does the rear quarter panel need to be blemished to?

My second question is that am I in a position and have the right to take issue with the insurance co. assessor to have the entire side of the vehicle re-sprayed so that the entire off side matches as only half of the side has been re-sprayed and it is obvious.

I guess when the body shop do attempt to resolve the issue then they would have to just re-blemish the rear door or re-spray the panels that they have done and then re-blemish the door?

Also, my bi-xenon headlamps have not even been re-aligned and are all over the place and beam pattern up in the air...:roll eyes: - for the body shop to re-align is there just a standard default template they use for all cars?

I am ****** off but all I can do is concentrate on getting the issue (s) resolved and the car sorted to my satisfaction.

Feel free to comment and any advise would be much appreciated.

 

[grober]

What colour is your car again--if its silver--and so many are---- they are notoriously difficult to match. Was it an MB approved repairer? MB used to use Glasurit paint systems and they listed something like 5 different colours tints and at least 3 metallic variations on Brilliant Silver alone. Take it back and if you don't get satisfaction complain to the insurance company.

 

[KillerHERTZ]

Any bodyshop should be able to match it!

When I took my AMG bumpers to be sprayed, the guy came out with 7 cards for (744) Brilliant sliver. He matched the colour with his 1st guess and asked me if I was happy with the card match.

Once they were done, perfect! this was a tiny backstreet spray shop aswell.

 

[mxs]

Pure shoddy workmanship! Ensure you speak with the body shop manager and insist that you seek satisfaction regarding the repair and quality of finish.

 

[Flash]

What colour is your car again--if its silver--and so many are---- they are notoriously difficult to match. Was it an MB approved repairer? MB used to use Glasurit paint systems and they listed something like 5 different colours tints and at least 3 metallic variations on Brilliant Silver alone. Take it back and if you don't get satisfaction complain to the insurance company.

Brilliant Silver 744...

It was an approved MB Body Shop that carry out all the work for the MB dealer group.

 

[Alps]

flash, even 744 they can have different shades, as over time color can change due to external eliments, silver is the hardest to match tho.

they may have to spray again!

 

[KillerHERTZ]

even 744 they can have different shades,

Yeah 7 shades as per my earlier post




Do you have any pictures of how different the finish is?

 

[Dieselman]

It gets very difficult with silver as the lacquer will cause a tinting effect on existing paintwork. In addition you will easily see a difference in finish reflectivity.

With care this chould be able to be sorted so that a non informed observer won't see the repair but I doubt someone who knows it has been repaired will ever be able to ignore the difference.

Having said that I've just had some paint done and due to careful blending you really can't see the change.

Complain to your insurance company, they will have it inspected then repaired and may refund your excess. They did for a neighbour that was unhappy with the colour match on his car.

Any pictures.?

 

[glojo]

Complain to your insurance company, they will have it inspected then repaired and may refund your excess. They did for a neighbour that was unhappy with the colour match on his car.

Any pictures.?

Am I right in suggesting this is the official avenue to use?

Have you accepted the car, or said, "N0, it is not good enough, I'm not signing for it"?

I would not accept the car and if the whole side needs re-spraying then so be it. You have paid your insurance premiums and now you want the car to be put back to the condition it was in prior to the incident.

Don't sign for the car unless your satisfied, or clearly write on any documentation 'accepted subject to examination'


Regards
John

 

[Flash]

I have told insurance co. and because it is a not one of their approved body shops they are not really doing much apart from saying I have the right to complain and get it done to my satisfaction. I have asked them to withold any payment but I have already paid my excess but all they replied is that it will take them a few weeks to settle the invoice anyway. Depending on reaction from body shop I will speak to someone high up the chain with insurance co.

 

[Flash]

Am I right in suggesting this is the official avenue to use?

Have you accepted the car, or said, "N0, it is not good enough, I'm not signing for it"?

I would not accept the car and if the whole side needs re-spraying then so be it. You have paid your insurance premiums and now you want the car to be put back to the condition it was in prior to the incident.

Don't sign for the car unless your satisfied, or clearly write on any documentation 'accepted subject to examination'


Regards
John

Car has been signed for but was raining yesterday and hard to tell.

 

[evdok]

They will never get it right!! been there, got the T-shirt...Sold the car at the end.

 

[glojo]

I have told insurance co. and because it is a not one of their approved body shops they are not really doing much apart from saying I have the right to complain and get it done to my satisfaction. I have asked them to withold any payment but I have already paid my excess but all they replied is that it will take them a few weeks to settle the invoice anyway. Depending on reaction from body shop I will speak to someone high up the chain with insurance co.

I can appreciate where your coming from and at least the insurance company has given you authority to stand by your guns.

If the colours don't match don't accept the car!


Just seen your reply.

If you collect a car in the rain and this sometimes cannot be avoided, thern we MUST write that on any documentation.
regards
John

 

[Dieselman]

Am I right in suggesting this is the official avenue to use?

Technically, yes.
Your contract s with your insurance company, theirs is with the repairer.

 

[nimishashar]

I have a similar problem with my insurers for the past 4 months, the workshop have ruined my wifes car and werent willing to accept responsibility, so far i have informed my insurers that since they paid the bill only they can take the workshop to court. I cannot since i did not authorise the repair. They finally took that on board and are now chsing the workshop for improving the quality. The last letter i got for the insurers said if they didnt get it right this time they would get the money bak and get someone else to do the job properly. I would say follow the complaints procedure of your insurers its their responsibily at the end, you pay them to get things right it doesnt matter who does it... They use authorised repairers since they pay less

 

[grober]

I have told insurance co. and because it is a not one of their approved body shops they are not really doing much apart from saying I have the right to complain and get it done to my satisfaction. I have asked them to withold any payment but I have already paid my excess but all they replied is that it will take them a few weeks to settle the invoice anyway. Depending on reaction from body shop I will speak to someone high up the chain with insurance co.

The fact its not one of their approved body shops is a red herring. In terms of your insurance policy you can opt to get the car repaired anywhere provided its a bona fide body shop. Since the bodyshop is an approved Mercedes one (and I expect would fall into that bona fide category ) then you can play the mobilo life card to the insurance company saying in terms of your warranty it had to be repaired there. Tell the insurance company you want their assessor to re-examine the car post repair and that you are quite willing to point out where you feel the paint is a poor match if necessary. I don't think they can reasonably refuse to do that.

 

[neilrr]

Flash,

Am I correct in thinking you haven't as yet complained to the bodyshop & they are unaware of your unhappiness with the paint job?

Isn't that the first port of call to try to get this fixed?

 

[glojo]

I have told the body shop this and will be taking it back to them to have a look at next week when I am free.

Hi Neil,
You made me think for a moment.

Regards
John

 

[Flash]

Flash,

Am I correct in thinking you haven't as yet complained to the bodyshop & they are unaware of your unhappiness with the paint job?

Isn't that the first port of call to try to get this fixed?

Hi,

body shop know I am not happy with the paint finish and I pointed out things that were incorrect with the car prior to the handover and they were not happy and the manager got in strop and had to sort it out - new under tray was not fitted correctly and the rivets for the bumper lower lip were not all seated flush and couple were sticking half ay out and they also kerbed a wheel whilst having the car which they fixed up with a smart repair but the paint around the repair has rubbed off and turned white which they will also have to sort out. When I am back there Monday morning I will be very firm about the the paint finish not being acceptable - I will give them one chance to fix it and if they can't then I will be going down the insurance route to complain and getting the assessor out to authorise re-spraying the entire side?!

Been to another MB body shop and they have commented that the re-sprayed side is slightly a darker shad to the other side of the vehilc ethat has not been re-sprayed.

Under artifical lighting the re-sprayed side stands out like a saw thumb but in direct sun light is ok and not so bad but in the shade and in the evening in natural light it is very obvious.

 

[glojo]

they also kerbed a wheel whilst having the car which they fixed up with a smart repair but the paint around the repair has rubbed off and turned white which they will also have to sort out. .

Our car is four years old. he wheels are pristine and whever the dealership collect the car to have it serviced they inspect it for ANY damage. Prior to any inspection I make a point of mentioning the wheels.

If the car was returned with a wheel that were damaged then I'm afraid they would only have one option, and that would NOT be a smart repair! In fact it would not be any type of repair!

Regards
John