I know how ya feel mate..

I got rear ended last year and as well as c0cking up the repair they managed to get clear coat everywhere else! The roof was the worse as in the right light you could actually see nice crisp lines where the masking tape had been! The two front doors had hazy cloudiness on them..

They polished the roof up and I ended up sorting the doors as i was detailing anyways at the time I noticed it.. but it was still incredibly annoying!

I did a whole post on it cuz they never did get the rear spoiler bonded quite "factory" perfect, but they were just a bit pants and I did end up settling for a 95% perfect job and not the 100%.. luckily it's the kinda thing that you'd have to have a factory bonded one next to it to notice any difference.

The biggest annoyance with me though was that I asked for it to go to the nearest Skoda approved bodyshop..which it did.. if ya can't trust the places VAG approve then what can ya do? Skoda didn't want to know anything about it.. "If it's not a dealer we have no power" is what I got told.... That really annoyed me (and still does now) as what's the use in approving places and then not keeping tabs on them?

I really hope they get it all sorted for ya mate, They just seem to think a certain amount of niks and naks is acceptable at some body shops.

Edited 8 June, 201016 yr by Rob.

Insurance companies are only interested in making money for themselves. They will use the cheapest repair workshops they can get away with . It's always better to to go to a repair shop of your choosing if you don't need a courtesy car. Hindsight is a wonderful thing !

Of course you can always hire a car if you're sure the damage responsiblity was the the other party and claim it back against their insurance.

At least this way you control the repair shop not the insurance co. My wifes Polo was rear ended and although the paint work repair looked fine the problems were hidden under the tailgate trim . Quite a few trim clips under the trim were missing , the clip supports were left broken and the high level brake light had been repaired / soldered by a school boy. This only came to light when we had problems with the brake light cluster. I replaced bodged cluster with a new one and repaired poorly soldered joint with new connector . The VW parts for the brake light fix by me were only £20.

Edited 8 June, 201016 yr by vwcabriolet1971

Finally got a call back from the assessor / engineer.

Agreed it wasn't good and told me to go and get a quote for the work from a repairer of my choice.

Slight problem being I don't have a repairer of choice having moved house.

Have been recommended Burgoynes of Airth near Falkirk which isn't too far from me. Saw a couple of favourable comments on DetailingWorld too.

Neighbour recommended Brian Mutch accident repair centre in Perth.

Edited 10 June, 201016 yr by Aspman

After a bit of searching and asking have gone to Ian Ross Finishing in Luncarty near Perth.

Seems to have a good rep and does work for the local Marc and BMW dealers.

Chap at the Bodyshop spotted some things I didn't, like they've ruined the rear window rubbers by scraping off the overspray with a razor and paint runs inside the doors.

After a bit of searching and asking have gone to Ian Ross Finishing in Luncarty near Perth.

Seems to have a good rep and does work for the local Marc and BMW dealers.

Chap at the Bodyshop spotted some things I didn't, like they've ruined the rear window rubbers by scraping off the overspray with a razor and paint runs inside the doors.

Really doesn't sound good at all. I often wonder how people can survive in business when they can't actually do what it is they are meant to do all day. If a baker made really crap bread on a daily basis, they'd go out of business. How can a company call itself a professional outfit if they completely bodge what it is they do? I hope you get this sorted and the car back to how it should be.

I think they exists purely to do insurance work. High volume quick turnover.

If they get 75% of the work through they'll run a profit so it's. Because it's insurance work only they don't need to worry about repeat business or reputation.

BTW it was Dunfermline Coach Works that did the substandard work also another branch as Glenrothes Coach Works. I'll certainly avoid them in the future.

Edited 11 June, 201015 yr by Aspman

Glad to hear you sound like you've got a competent bunch looking after your pride and joy now

Now my insurance is up for renewal and they'll only process it with an 'at fault' claim on the policy because they haven't finished.

So I've got to fork out because after two months they've still not get their frickin act together. And I'm sure they'll be soooo keen to refund the difference when it gets sorted.

If I'd known how much hassle it would be to sort out a claim where the guy admits fault at the scene, in front of a witness who's willing to back me up, and supplies all insurance details; I'd have beaten the other driver to death. It'd be easier to get off the murder charge than deal with the bloody insurance and I'd probably get compo.

I'm off to get the details of the financial ombudsmen

Now my insurance is up for renewal and they'll only process it with an 'at fault' claim on the policy because they haven't finished.

So I've got to fork out because after two months they've still not get their frickin act together. And I'm sure they'll be soooo keen to refund the difference when it gets sorted.

If I'd known how much hassle it would be to sort out a claim where the guy admits fault at the scene, in front of a witness who's willing to back me up, and supplies all insurance details; I'd have beaten the other driver to death. It'd be easier to get off the murder charge than deal with the bloody insurance and I'd probably get compo.

I'm off to get the details of the financial ombudsmen

Get it in writing and also make sure you refer it to the complaints dept.

If you go to the insurance ombudsman, then it will cost your insurer money regardless of outcome. As such complaints are usually pretty good at stopping this from occurring.

Got a call from the ESure engineer/assessor.

Bl**dy hell you'd think he was paying it out his own pocket.

"You have to understand sir I've a quote here for £900 for a remedial work on a job that was originally £600"

"It's just not possible sir that a coachworks would polish your car with a bit of grit in the pad, they polish cars everyday"

I stayed cam but resolute, an independent assessor will phone.

I was thinking "JUST FIX THE F*****G CAR, I'VE F*****G PAID YOU, YOUR COMPANY HAS MADE A F*****G PIGS EAR OF THE JOB AND LEFT THE F*****G CAR IN A WORSE STATE THAN IT WENT IN AND TWO MONTHS LATER IT'S STILL NOT F*****G FIXED AND YOU'RE TRYING TO STIFF ME ON THE B*****D RENEWAL.

FIX IT! FIX IT! FIX IT! F*****G FIX IT".

But I didn't say it.

Edited 16 June, 201015 yr by Aspman

Got a call from the ESure engineer/assessor.

Bl**dy hell you'd think he was paying it out his own pocket.

"You have to understand sir I've a quote here for £900 for a remedial work on a job that was originally £600"

"It's just not possible sir that a coachworks would polish your car with a bit of grit in the pad, they polish cars everyday"

I stayed cam but resolute, an independent assessor will phone.

I was thinking "JUST FIX THE F*****G CAR, I'VE F*****G PAID YOU, YOUR COMPANY HAS MADE A F*****G PIGS EAR OF THE JOB AND LEFT THE F*****G CAR IN A WORSE STATE THAN IT WENT IN AND TWO MONTHS LATER IT'S STILL NOT F*****G FIXED AND YOU'RE TRYING TO STIFF ME ON THE B*****D RENEWAL.

FIX IT! FIX IT! FIX IT! F*****G FIX IT".

But I didn't say it.

Write it all down and get on to the insurance company complaints dept before you pay up for renewal.

They will want your renewal to offset some of the costs they have had to pay for the second fix.

Also maybe the cost is higher, because the first garage made the damage worse and maybe they use cheap labour without a clue.

Sometimes they are so stupid. Remedial work is usually more expensive as you usually have to redo the original job plus all the bits that have been screwed up by them.

Don't know how you kept calm - i wouldn't have done.

Assessor was out this morning.

He was fine, not all good news though.

He agreed with my assessment that the work done was not of a satisfactory standard and will need to be fixed.

He personally agreed with me that the lacquer sprayed on the front bumper which has turned existing stone chips black is not good, but his professional opinion is that it is out of scope of the repair to fix stone chips before colour matching. So although it looks sh|te and arguably worse than before, they won't fix it.

On the roof where I claim they have scratched the paint he says he can see the scratches but obviously cannot say when they occurred. He doesn't think that I'll get that fixed because the company will argue it and ultimately claim it was cats or something else.

The complication there is that the coach works did not record existing damage on the car before they took it in.

So what I wonder is where does the burden of proof lie for these scratches?

Do I have to prove they were not there before the car went in, which I can't do?

OR does the company have to prove that they were there, which they should be able to do if they were following the procedures of the Insurer i.e. go round the car with the owner and agree non-accident related damage?

The annoying thing is that if I was trying to pull a fast one there are plenty of other little knocks and scratches I'd have tried to get done before the roof.

I expect it won't be worth pursuing and I'll just have to get some Scratch-X and I'll have to pay to get the stone chips fixed, if it's even possible now they're under lacquer.

Edited 17 June, 201015 yr by Aspman

Assessor was out this morning.

He was fine, not all good news though.

He agreed with my assessment that the work done was not of a satisfactory standard and will need to be fixed.

He personally agreed with me that the lacquer sprayed on the front bumper which has turned existing stone chips black is not good, but his professional opinion is that it is out of scope of the repair to fix stone chips before colour matching. So although it looks sh|te and arguably worse than before, they won't fix it.

Fine in theory, but they had a duty to return the car to you in the same or better condition as it was before the claim. As such they should have masked off or taken other actions on the front bumper where appropriate.

If there was no need to place paint on the area (which would have covered up the chips) there was no need to put lacquer on either.

I would push this point as it sounds to me like they are trying to save money on a bodged repair.

On the roof where I claim they have scratched the paint he says he can see the scratches but obviously cannot say when they occurred. He doesn't think that I'll get that fixed because the company will argue it and ultimately claim it was cats or something else.

The complication there is that the coach works did not record existing damage on the car before they took it in.

So what I wonder is where does the burden of proof lie for these scratches?

Do I have to prove they were not there before the car went in, which I can't do?

OR does the company have to prove that they were there, which they should be able to do if they were following the procedures of the Insurer i.e. go round the car with the owner and agree non-accident related damage?

You have said they were not there, they have nothing to prove they were. Therefore on the balance of probability I would say that it has happened while the car was in the care of your insurance companies authorised agents.

The annoying thing is that if I was trying to pull a fast one there are plenty of other little knocks and scratches I'd have tried to get done before the roof.

I expect it won't be worth pursuing and I'll just have to get some Scratch-X and I'll have to pay to get the stone chips fixed, if it's even possible now they're under lacquer.

I'm sorry but there is no way you should give up.

Take it to the insurance complaints department and if you don't get satisfaction ask for details and write to the ombudsman.

Your insurance co is trying to royally screw you.

Also I would consider taking legal advice.

While I am not a lawyer, I think come to the small claims court, you would have a pretty strong case.

I say this based on your pictures and the fact you have an independent expert repairer state the cause of damage.

I believe you can name the insurance company and the repairer and let them fight out who is to blame.

Edited 17 June, 201015 yr by cheezemonkhai

From an independant POV -- not involved in your case, I'd expect them to go 50/50 on the stone chips -- the stone chips were already present but they've made them worse. They cannot practiably return the stone chips to their prior state, pre-laquer, but it's not acceptible to further damage something and not repair it. I'd see 50/50 split on the repairs as fair.

For the roof, if the scratches were already present when the car went into their care, why was the presence of them a) not menitoned on any documentation and why were they not in scope of the original repair?

If for they say the ins co. advised the damage was not likely to have been sustained in the incident described to them (the garage couldn't make this decision alone i wouldn't think) then where is the supporting documentation / fax / email.

As for recording existing damage, do you have any recent photos that show the roof? Even if not clearly you could still enter that picture and say that it doesn't show any evidence of scratches. Long shot though.

I think technically the burden of proof lies with you, but i'm no lawyer and one might be worthwhile (you can get free professional help from one of the online services. Lucy Bonham-Carter might be worth an email via one of the websites she writes on).

Also you're not out of options with the insurance co. They have a complaints dept. Also a letter to the managing director wont arrive on the managing directors desk but will see the complaint handled by a different team - at least that's the way it works in RBS insurance group. There's the ombudsman too once the insurance company have given their final answer on the matter (which you need before you can approach the ombudsman).

There's joint liability between the original repairer and the ins co.

EDIT: haha! beaten to it

Edited 17 June, 201015 yr by Mute

BTW the repairer will have to have liability insurance to cover anything they screwed up.

On the plus point, this is another good reason (on top of the awful adverts) to avoid the Michael Winner loving company,

I'd certainly look at taking your renewal elsewhere.

Edited 17 June, 201015 yr by cheezemonkhai

From an independant POV -- not involved in your case, I'd expect them to go 50/50 on the stone chips -- the stone chips were already present but they've made them worse. They cannot practiably return the stone chips to their prior state, pre-laquer, but it's not acceptible to further damage something and not repair it. I'd see 50/50 split on the repairs as fair.

Ok if they are going to admit liability on this to any percentage then I couldn't accept 50/50 on the reparation costs. The cost to fix the original stone chip is obviously going to be far less than a fix to repair stone chips which have be sealed under lacquer. My layman's opinion would be that I should only be liable for the equivalence of fixing the stone chips on their own. If that whole wing needs to be resprayed why should I pay for that when that action is only required because the repairer chose to lacquer the whole wing?

For the roof, if the scratches were already present when the car went into their care, why was the presence of them a) not mentioned on any documentation and why were they not in scope of the original repair?

If for they say the ins co. advised the damage was not likely to have been sustained in the incident described to them (the garage couldn't make this decision alone i wouldn't think) then where is the supporting documentation / fax / email.

ESure assessor on the phone has said that it is a requirement of the contract with them, therefore the repairer is in breach of it's agreement with Esure by not recording non-accident damage and that they would fail on audit. Luckily they record their phone calls so I could reference that conversation.

As for recording existing damage, do you have any recent photos that show the roof? Even if not clearly you could still enter that picture and say that it doesn't show any evidence of scratches. Long shot though.

No I don't have anything recent. They're not massively obvious. They're not deep scratches I'm just being very particular because I've got the hump now.

Also you're not out of options with the insurance co. They have a complaints dept. Also a letter to the managing director wont arrive on the managing directors desk but will see the complaint handled by a different team - at least that's the way it works in RBS insurance group. There's the ombudsman too once the insurance company have given their final answer on the matter (which you need before you can approach the ombudsman).

It's an effort thing now. Wife is due with our first in 6 weeks and I don't think I'll have the energy to pursue this tbh.

I'd certainly look at taking your renewal elsewhere.

Yes, I'd like to but I think that they'll inform any other insurer of the ongoing claim and I'll technically have lied as to having a 'non fault' claim because for now they list it as 'at fault'.

I think I'll stay where I am for now, requote and pay the cancellation costs to move. If I do it via quidco it'll pay for itself.

Edited 17 June, 201015 yr by Aspman

Well I've already posted a more detailed reply, but going via the complaints dept and the ombudsmen doesn't take much effort on your part.

Think of it this way, you will have your car done properly and the money you save by not having to DIY can be spent on the wife and baby.

Edited 17 June, 201015 yr by cheezemonkhai

Left this for a while. SWMBO is now due in just over 3 weeks so I've had other things on my mind.

ESure called back yesterday they're going to authorise all the rectifications. They won't pay for the roof to be resprayed but they will pay if it can be polished out. Fine by me.

They'll also sort the front wing and the rest of the more obvious damage/crap workmanship.

I can only assume that the independent inspectors report was a damning on paper as it was verbally when he went round the car with me.

Fingers crossed Ian Ross Finishing will get the job done right first time.

Sounds like youve had it rough, at least youve got it to a 'satisfactory' point and hope the troubles end there.

Damn insurance companies (and quick-buck fly-by-night cowboys too!)

Edited 6 July, 201015 yr by Rhoobarb

Don't accept til your 100% happy - was it an independent assesser or an esure assesser? If so I would be questioning if they are trying to get out of work. As for the stone chips - it is totally unacceptable...Stone chips you expect when buying a car, stone chips covered by a dusting of laquer you don't.

They isn't enough people in this country that complain and they rely on people like you who make a bit of a fuss but make it too long winded that they hope you give up. VW tried it with me with the rusty wings on my Bora, 18 months later of not giving up resulted in 2 new wings at the body shop of my choice. Now i'm not an anorak who spent hours every evening complaining, it was just the odd email every week or so reminding them that i hadn't forgot and threatening legal action if no progress etc.

Only just seen this Aspman , you have had it well rough , hope everthing turns out ok ,and best wishes to you and your wife, hope the birth is easier !

Got the car back last night.

They've done a good job, thank ****.

Chap said it wasn't the worst paint job he'd ever seen but it wasn't far off it.

They even did the front wing for nothing when the Ins company wouldn't cover it. Paint was a close enough match they didn't need to blend across the bonnet so they just did it.

One prob is that the airbag light on the dash is now lit. They think that the computer might need reset after having the doors off. I don't have side airbags but I suppose it makes sense.

They're going to make arrangements to have that sorted at the local dealer probably VW as it's closer.

A quick scan with VAG-COM will tell you which airbag is causing it, so that's all good.

Glad you got it sorted in the end