I had my Fabia bumped into in Sept 07 and made a successful claim against a third party for minor body repairs. A few months after having the car fixed I noticed the area they had repaired was rusting and the paint looked to have 'worn' of leaving slightly darker [possibly] primer showing through. The area was about 6" long and maybe 1/4" up from the base of the tailgate. I contacted the insurers and they said that the same company would have to rectify their work, which they did.

When I collected the car after this remedial repair I wasn't happy with how it looked. The paint applied looked very thin and I didn't expect it to last, and sure enough it hasn't. This is how it now looks...

I have spoken again to the insurers and they have said it MUST go back to the same company for a third time, which I am very unhappy about. I have voiced my objection to this but they seem unwilling to entertain me taking the car elsewhere. What rights do I have to insist on a repair at a place of my choosing in this situation ?

tell them to send an assessor out to inspect the previous work, explaining how unhappy you are with the rectication work which has already been carried out before, and that you insist that the vehicle is repaired at another bodyshop

Contact the insurance company again, get the full name of the person you're speaking to. Tell them that they have to put you back into the exact same position that you were in prior to the accident. Tell them as reasonably as you can that their approved repairer have so far been unable to repair the damage to a satisfactory standard despite having had 2 opportunities to do so. In view of this you are not prepared to hand over your car again to a company who you have no confidence can do the job properly. Tell the person if they can't help you, you want the details of their complaints procedure, and ask to be put through to their manager, and then repeat the above to their manager.

just keep complaining! ask them to take it to a level 2 complaint and dont accept anything they offer in regards to going back to that workshop.

i work in insurance and that is just not on!!

they've had two attempts to get the job done properly and they haven't so stick to your guns and complain! they will escalate it and most likely ask you to get an estimate for the job from your own bodyshop!

I've just spoken to the regional area manager whom says they will send out an independent assessor, but if he deems the defect to be general wear and tear rather than defective workmanship, that I shall be liable to a £35 fee and there would be no subsequent repair. There is no other rust or paint defect anywhere on the vehicle, and having seen the above picture the area manager agrees that it is unlikely that it should be refused.

Providing they agree that it is defective work, I can now take it to a place of my choosing and the bill will be forwarded through my insurer to the original bodyshop.

RESULT ! I hope.

I had similar issues when my Octy was in for crash damage repair. I kept refusing it when they were handing it back.

Eventually the area engineer came out, inspected it and said that I can take it to any bodyshop I like.

They carried out an evaluation and worked with the insurance company to get it sorted.

The insurance company then claimed any extra costs back from the original repairer.

I think the only way this works is if you give the original garage a chance to rectify which it looks like you have.

Good luck with the repair, this can take a while but it's your car at the end of the day and it has to be done to the right standard.

Al.

you might find you have to pay and then claim it back.

When i had my side swipe my insurance said I would need to take it to Nationwide repairs, i told them F*$k right off as they would be fixing it wearing cowboy hats and boots....

I took it to a well know place that does all the work for VW in MK ( headquarters) the work was brilliant and the service was amazing, but because i took it to my own choice of bodyshop I was forced to pay my excess. I am still waiting for it to be paid back 6 months ago now.