Panel beater rant

[Abacus]

I fear that this is likely to be the first of several chapters in this tale. Just got that feeling…

The story so far

- I decided a month or so ago to keep my 2000 120,000km monty for another few years. (Was going to trade it in, but given the fact that it’s mechanically A1, and resale value is SFA, I couldn’t see the point).

- In view of the fact I’m keeping it, I also decided to get the past few years of dings, scratches, etc fixed. These include:

- Front bumper, splash tray (from hitting wombat)

- L/H doors, rear guard (side swiped in car park)

- Rear bumper, boot lid (backed into pole)

- R/H rear wheel arch (scraped against a wall).

All very superficial stuff really, none of which justified an insurance claim by themselves. However, the total repair bill, with new parts, is about $4,400. Seeing as I’m keeping the car another 3-5 years, I don’t mind the cost.

So after going to a few panel beaters (all of whom quoted about the same $$), and getting a personal recommendation, I settled on a mob near my office. I say, “when can you start”. The owner says, “we should be able to get the parts in by next Monday” (which is now last Monday, 21st). “and we can start it then”. I say “how long do you need it”. He says “Ten working days”.

Fine.

So last Tuesday (the day after they said they could start) I dropped the car off, and rented a s***box Camry for two weeks. The rent-a-horror is supposed to go back next Tuesday.

Today, I’m driving past the panel beaters, and I spot my car. It doesn’t look like it has had a lot of work done. In fact, it doesn’t look like it has had ANY work done.

Hmmmmm. I pull in for a chat.

The business owner sees me coming, and he’s on his feet. I say, “Hi, just want to check how we’re going”. He says “well to be quite honest, the car is exactly as you left it”. I say, “I can see that”. He says “yeah, had some staff problems”. I say, “fine, but I’m driving a rent a car, and it’s costing me money - should I take my car back until you’re ready to start it?”

Upshot is, he reckons he can still get it done by next week because he’s “getting in other two or three guys”. I can’t see it happening. If he needed 10 working days at the start of the job, I don’t see how it can suddenly get done in half that time, when he hasn’t even got the hands on deck yet.

Now he must know it isn’t going to happen. I know it isn’t going to happen. Why the heck does he even pretend it is going to happen?

And, LOL, he offers me the use of his son’s crapola Hyundai Excel if the job isn’t finished on time. Which is fine and groovy, as far as it goes, except it's not air conditioned, and it’s a manual, and I really don’t want to be responsible for it.

But what I’m cranky about is the fact he’s had the car for a week with nothing happening to it, while I’ve been paying somebody else to drive Hirohito’s revenge . If he’d told me “look, we’ve had some problems, can you bring it back next week” I wouldn’t have had a problem. And I don’t really like the prospect of either extending the rental on the thunderbox on wheels, or being responsible for his son’s car, if the my car isn’t ready by the agreed time.

Blast. End of rant.

[LTDHO]

It's amazing that they winge when they don't get a job and when they do, the job sits there.
Take the excel, it'll be cheaper to run that the mont anyway.
Give him 10 working days.
If noting by then, take mont home and try someone better

[SB076]

Honestly its sounds like he is trying to do the right thing by you (giving you an excel etc and trying to finish the job on time) I know that if I have to quote a time frame for something (completely unrelated business) I always allow for some fat, cause lets face it things go wrong so maybe the 10 days allows for staff related problems etc.

[Abacus]

I should also note that when dropped my car off, I told the guy that I had to drive to Queensland in a few weeks time. The timing is a bit flexible, but I really should be leaving no later than two weeks from now. I'll be up there for a week or so.

The panel beater was fully aware of this when I booked my car in, because I explained it to him. He also knew that I was renting a car while mine was being fixed.

There is no way I'm driving a Hyundai Excel on 2,200km round trip. And the piece of crap I've rented has a 100km daily limit, so even if I wanted to drive it, which I don't, I couldn't.

So if my car isn't ready, I'm looking at spending another $500 or so to rent something decent.

Like I said, if he couldn't even start the job, he should have told me. I would have brought the car back at a mutually agreeable time.

[Ruger]

you should have went for the insurance claim mate dealing private they usually dont give a crap and insurance jobs get the higher priority. im speaking from experiance i had my car in the panel shop for over a year till he went broke.
a week or so late? thats pretty good if you ask me when dealing with panel shops. and ill tell you what if they wanted your parts last monday they would have them now staff problems wont stop them from getting parts. dont fall for there stories or they willl take you on a long long ride.
if they dont pull their socks up threaten them with accc that might give them insentive to fix it but it wont guarantee anything

if yoou need the car soon and it hasnt been started go there and take it from him.

[TURBOTAXI]

If he says he can do it I wouldnt be too concerned about the time. With enough man power you can do a full respay in 48 Hours. I suppose I would be looking for a committment from him that he will come good. (with a cash consequence)

[thefargo]

the panel beater who cut the rust out of my coupe said he would need 6 months. I got the car back after 27 months. it has been back 9 times in 2 years to get the rust out of the left and right rear guards (5 times right, 4 times left), he says he's "surprised" it keeps returning! I think you are going okay by their standards so far. But if you are still posting in 2 years time I guess I may be wrong. you can probably guess that I have little faith in the word of a panel beater (based on 100% of my experiences)

[Abacus]

Yeah well, here's hoping. The guy did come from a personal recommendation. So we'll see.

Thing is, over 20 years I've had a bad run with panel beaters, and that's why I tend to let little things accumulate until I either get a bunch of things fixed at once, or get rid of the car. I just can't stomach the aggro and the waste of time that goes with dealing with repairers.

In this case, I kind of half expected it to happen, and I was looking at buying a cheap EF or EL to charge around in while this got sorted. But I relented to the concerns of my better half that this was probably overkill.

So, yes, we'll see.

[bobshere]

speaking from experience,as im a panel beater,most bosses are still stuck in the old school attitude of if theres plenty of cars in the shop we must be busy and theres money coming in and stuff customer service as were doing the customer a favour by fixing their car,where in reality kepping the customer happy by quick turnaround and no stories of parts coming from somewhere or other.add to all this youve got to pay staff,rent on building,consumibles,power etc etc on $30 per hour along with a lack of skilled and smart tradesmen and a car industry that is building space age cars but not educating the people who have to fix them and thus insuring the drivers safety. i could go on and on and on ,but i think ill sum it up with that the trade is in serious trouble and cannot survive in its current state!!!

[Feathers]

We're so lucky we have a panel beater working for us. My old XD was backed into a post, and the corner of the rear guard above the light was mangled.

I dropped it off to our depot before work, and that afternoon caught the bus back after work to pick it up and it was done.
Resprayed, new tail light, looked as good as new.

Benefits of being the boss's daughter I suppose.

[Abacus]

Originally Posted by bobshere

speaking from experience,as im a panel beater,most bosses are still stuck in the old school attitude of if theres plenty of cars in the shop we must be busy and theres money coming in and stuff customer service as were doing the customer a favour by fixing their car,where in reality kepping the customer happy by quick turnaround and no stories of parts coming from somewhere or other.add to all this youve got to pay staff,rent on building,consumibles,power etc etc on $30 per hour along with a lack of skilled and smart tradesmen and a car industry that is building space age cars but not educating the people who have to fix them and thus insuring the drivers safety. i could go on and on and on ,but i think ill sum it up with that the trade is in serious trouble and cannot survive in its current state!!!

Yeah, I have got the distinct feeling that the guy told me he could do it straight away just to make sure he got the job. It's as though he thought I'd go somewhere else if I had to wait, and once the car is locked in his workshop he has secured the work.

It's so bloody stupid. He had the job anyway. All he had to do was tell me when he could do it, and I'd have brought the car in.

Now the car is sitting in his workshop, untouched, gathering dust. And I'm renting another car.

Stupid.

[Aranthi]

mate i know exactly how you feel they had my car for 3 weeks didn't even touch it then a job that was surpost to take 2 weeks they did in a week, not really a fan of panel beaters

[bobshere]

in the shop i did my apprenticeship at we had a genuine bathurst xu1 gtr getting resprayed for 11 years!! bosses need to learn how to say no! most bosses are ex panel beaters or painters who think they can run a shop because they are decent tradesmen whereas these days managers should be more buisiness based and no how to manage people as well.

[XAGSV8]

Take my advice, after many legal issues in the last year with very similar problems take your car now and go somewhere else.

[XAGSV8]

Originally Posted by thefargo

the panel beater who cut the rust out of my coupe said he would need 6 months. I got the car back after 27 months. it has been back 9 times in 2 years to get the rust out of the left and right rear guards (5 times right, 4 times left), he says he's "surprised" it keeps returning! I think you are going okay by their standards so far. But if you are still posting in 2 years time I guess I may be wrong. you can probably guess that I have little faith in the word of a panel beater (based on 100% of my experiences)

Sounds like he is using bog and not metal.

[MoreHPformyXR6]

Originally Posted by Abacus

Yeah, I have got the distinct feeling that the guy told me he could do it straight away just to make sure he got the job. It's as though he thought I'd go somewhere else if I had to wait, and once the car is locked in his workshop he has secured the work.

It's so bloody stupid. He had the job anyway. All he had to do was tell me when he could do it, and I'd have brought the car in.

Now the car is sitting in his workshop, untouched, gathering dust. And I'm renting another car.

Stupid.

I got a little bit of work done on my car as I brushed a cement post in a city carpark LH rear gaurd & very minor LH rear door damage. I used a repairer of my choice as I family & friends have had work done there in the past. They do the best work I have ever seen. The sent me a quote saying 4-5 business days. I arranged to book one of there rent a cars (they asked if I wanted auto or manual) said I didnt care. So they booked a date for car to go in & charged me $50 bucks for a loan car 1999 5sp Excel with 70K on it that was fully detailed & fuelled up when I picked up. Everything went great the work was superb the only thing that let them down was they had my car 2 & 1/2 weeks. But loan car was $50 no matter how long they take. But iam certain that they took at least a week to start my job.

[Auslandau]

2 bare metal jobs in 2 years.........Dont trust them. Ring them daily and drop in on them daily. Many are rogues! Cost me big time because I trusted them. If you find a good one, love them, cuddle them. Take the car and find another as others have said, they will string you along.

PS....... to the 2 blokes that fixed up the rip off job by a ****er 'panelbeater'........ : :

Hope all goes well with yours.



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[BPXR6T]

So many bad stories, here's another. Took my XT ute skin to be recovered. Make a booking 3 weeks in advance. I show up and the guy says I got it wrong and should have showed up weeks ago, but he'll do me a favour and do it straight away. Total BS, someone stuffed up the booking more like it.

So I leave it, he says come back this evening and the job will be done. I call before going down and am told no call back tomorrow. This goes on for about two weeks until they say come down. I get there and the office boy goes out to the factory. There's much shouting and finally he comes back in and tells me they're just finishing it off. More like they hadn't started. I had to hang around for three hours in the waiting room.

Then the office boy brings in my tailgate with the new skin saying "its a bit rough, its not a show car is it". They obviously stuck an apprentice on the job, looked like they had attacked the top edge with a ball hammer. They also had dropped a corner and damaged the skin. Instead of owning up to it they ground off the top corner of the skin then ground off the other top corner to match. Lets just say I was not happy. There were also various dints in the brand new skin. Took me the best part of a day to fix there stuff ups and prep it for paint.

[outback_ute]

Always double the timeframe a panel beater tells you lol

[Abacus]

Drove past the place today, and they've finally started the job.

Bumpers are off, replacement boot-lid (unpainted) is on.

Is it normal to paint things like boot lids before or after they are fitted to the car?

After, to be able to match the colour with the rest of the car.