WHAT IN THE NAME OF TRUCK IS THIS HIT!

I took wheels in to a refurb place that I know well and at work we have put about €100K of work threw them in last few years they normally do outstanding work. I asked the other week when dropping a car off with them about my own he said bring it in to see should be fine, brought car in and yea no problem and booked in for yesterday. I swapped to my winter wheels so I could get my new centre caps on at same time and not have to leave my car with them. I then dropped wheels off yesterday 2 fronts one had a mark on it by rim edge 2.5mm by 1mm almost nothing but car is immaculate and I was getting a normal scuff type mark on other one done so thought might as well have it 110%. Wheel was clean when it went in bar about 50-75 miles of dry road driving since cleaned to same standard as other one in pics just some dust not all the dirt on it now!

I collected wheels tonight before they closed and it was dull looked ok on face of it but a bit dusty etc and not the cleanest in general but face seemed fine. Paid and went back and OMFG !!!!!

1. Shade of silver is totally wrong.

2. Two new scratches on one wheel on face of the one that had a tiny nick in it.

3. Dust trapped under lacquer still on face of both when you get really close.

4. Inner dish is not smooth any more its texture is like sand paper

5. Lacquer over spray on inner dish on both

6. Paint over spray on inner dish on both

7. Road dust and dirt from approx 80 miles of driving still UNDER points 4/5/6 above.

8. Lacquer while still might want time to set is very thick and very soft to touch finger nail indents it looks 3 times thicker than other wheels.

All pics below taken on my mobile nothing behind me shaded one overcast day no direct sun light at all totally even amount of light and no flash used.

Colour difference ..... refurbed on left with old badge in still one on right just cleaned NEVER BEEN POLISHED OR WAXED 6807 miles on car

Texture of inner dish on refurbed rim looks gritty feels like glass paper! Was damage free silky smooth.

Texture and dirt under layer of over spray paint and then lacquer...... wasn't even frigging cleaned first or masked if only doing face...finget prints and wipe marks trapped too.

Dust/fibres trapped under lacquer hard to see but tilt screen etc can make it out.

Now lets see my non refurbed wheel again.

I keep my car and wheels generally very clean was planning on putting a good few layers of wax to make that task a lot easier but now I can't and am stuck with my Audi winters on.

What do I do now obviously I will go back and go absolutely scaletrix tomorrow but am out early and not back until afternoon so will be stewing all tonight and morning. What's the score for sorting these does anyone know? Will they need acid dipped and done from scratch?? I have a brand new never used 18" Neptune in the boot as a spare I am already thinking I may have to use that and buy another alloy new for cheapest option to get them all matching the way I want again. I am not interested in having all 4 redone in another colour or changing to different alloys completely I liked them stock and 2 are immaculate 1 was 99% one was 97%. Now I grade them as 2 immaculate and 2 10% They will not be going back on the car.

money back and reimbursement to cover cost of new wheel plus fitting valve and balancing

money back and reimbursement to cover cost of new wheel plus fitting valve and balancing

This was done to 2 of my wheels not just one! I don't know what I should be asking for here from them as in my own OCD way I can't see anywhere being able to sort these now without acid dip and starting from scratch matching them will be a mare but finish should be achievable. I know of only one place I would trust to try them and they are nearly 1000 miles away I know nowhere by reputation here at all. I am I way over the top to be suggesting new wheels and he can do what he wants with them (I think I am) but HOLLY CAT POO BATMAN! they were 2.498million times better a day ago than they are now after a lighter wallet!

thats a ****take,i did a better job in my shed

thats a ****take,i did a better job in my shed

Same here could have done a better job with a £5 kit off friggin Ebay!

Looks like a rattle can jobbie to me. There's nothing 'pro' about that job at all. Did they even remove the tyres? What did you ask them to do and how much did you pay?

Thats like a kwik fit job i saw a couple of years back to 4 18inch Audi S-Line wheels after they scratched every wheel on the tyre machine.....it went back twice and 2 years later its all peeling and they look terrible.

I would take the clean wheel with you and say this is what they went in like bar 2 scratches and this is now what they look like. I would want new wheels as you will never get the finish back now.

I had a pothole/drain cover chip done on mine by a mate for £30. He didn't remove the tyre and he only refurbed the damaged area and blended, you can't even tell besides a slight bit of overspray in between one of the double spokes which i need to get round to doing.

Looks like a rattle can jobbie to me. There's nothing 'pro' about that job at all. Did they even remove the tyres? What did you ask them to do and how much did you pay?

€50 a wheel with our discount for being a big customer. I can tell tyre has not been removed as well unless they managed to get it back in EXACTLY where it was on rim before as there was a small mark where a stone had dented tread right by where valve is which is still in same place. They have some impressive stuff in there even do classic restorations have some old 1939 thing in there that looks like its rolled off the line today. Spray booths and have put so much work threw there and has been tip top work. I did see a new face in there today for first time when I collected what I imagine is an apprentice.

Thats like a kwik fit job i saw a couple of years back to 4 18inch Audi S-Line wheels after they scratched every wheel on the tyre machine.....it went back twice and 2 years later its all peeling and they look terrible.

I would take the clean wheel with you and say this is what they went in like bar 2 scratches and this is now what they look like. I would want new wheels as you will never get the finish back now.

I had a pothole/drain cover chip done on mine by a mate for £30. He didn't remove the tyre and he only refurbed the damaged area and blended, you can't even tell besides a slight bit of overspray in between one of the double spokes which i need to get round to doing.

That's the plan taking one of the other wheels with me. Can't see any way to get it sorted to the way I want it without replacing wheels and I know fine well I wont get a response like " Oh dam I am sorry that is unacceptable sure we will cover the cost of new ones" Will more likely end up with me getting my cash thrown back at me instead. BUT I do have some dirt on them that I only found out about after I dropped wheels in in relation to a vehicle they had for repair that they OBVIOUSLY didn't realise has a very invasive tracking system fitted to it......... That may turn into a Police matter.

I know it's easy to say Fubar, and I would be just the same, but you may need to take a breather...you sound as if you will explode! I would give them the opportunity to correct the work and start by putting things in writing. It's cr*p isn't it!

Does anyone know the paint name or code for the neptunes?

You are a big customer, you hold all the cards. If they don't sort it out quickly and fully, without argument, then you WERE a big customer... However, I can't help feeling it would be better to give them the opportunity to sort it out before going nuts on here, posting close-up forensic photos, etc. Every company has an off day, and clearly you've been impressed by the company's work in the past. Do you even have a reason to believe that they may not be interested in resolving the problem?

Edited 26 June, 201214 yr by keith3289

You are a big customer, you hold all the cards. If they don't sort it out quickly and fully, without argument, then you WERE a big customer... However, I can't help feeling it would be better to give them the opportunity to sort it out before going nuts on here, posting close-up forensic photos, etc. Every company has an off day, and clearly you've been impressed by the company's work in the past. Do you even have a reason to believe that they may not be interested in resolving the problem?

Nah they will have the issues I see with the work highlighted to them with one of my other wheels there to show what I mean. Then they had better have the right attitude and options for me! Unfortunately I am not the person who makes the decision to pull the work from them but the person who does used to specifically work in wheel refurbishment for a living for top end cars and will certainly not appreciate the state of them.

Oh man i,m gutted for you what a big mistake they,ve made.Shame on them.I hope you sort it all out.

I remember silver has had his Zeniths refurbed and the code was Audi L1 H7 which are a perfect match.I think Skoda use the same Silver on there alloys.

Let us know the outcome after they have been given the opportunity to put it right!

thats a ****take,i did a better job in my shed

Me too. Surely they can take it back to nothing and redo it properly?

£50 per wheel AFTER discount? Sounds pretty much full price to me

I'd ignore the suggestion that you "need new wheels" - there are several companies out there who will acid strip and >properly< refurbish your wheels to better than original.

Do a bit of research mate and come to an arrangement with the monkeys that did the work.

£50 per wheel AFTER discount? Sounds pretty much full price to me

Hmmm, yeah, that's kinda what i thought, especially since it's a one piece. I was quoted abotu £60 a corner for two piece BBS wheels a few years ago and quite a bit less than that for the sort you've got. :|

A friend has his Porsche wheels done by this company http://www.lepsons.com/ They produce extremely good results as they strip the wheel and recoat to OEM spec. Price is around £55+VAT per wheel.

I've seen their results and can vouch for the quality. Seems like you have been had,

Shocking!

Let us know how you get on

Do you even have a reason to believe that they may not be interested in resolving the problem?

Well.............. I went down today once I was free and the boss was out one of his staff came to see what the score was and agreed colour was darker and pointed out the scratches and a scuff which I didn't show in pics above on other rim (looked like done when just applied like a sleeve had touched them). Showed him in the inner dish and texture and pointed out the dirt underneath is sealed in now he wasn't impressed and agreed it was wrong and said they can easily sort it and left them there for the boss to call me when he gets back and sees them. Went back to work 30 minutes later phone rings from a very angry and VERY aggressive owner shouting down phone to me that:

1. I have damaged them since collection (scratches)

2. They were "perfect" when I collected them

3. The colour match is fine.........

4. He did the face of alloy the inside "is my problem" (after I questioned the texture from over spray and dirt trapped)

5. How dare I come in and give off to his staff saying they only do half a job (I didn't although obviously I was entitled to, didn't as it was nothing to do with person.)

6. Come get your wheels (and hangs up instantly.

After several cigarettes and having sworn a lot to anyone I saw about the si****ion and ensuing call I just had I went down had to take someone from work with me as I was pretty annoyed about it all and me on my own in there after the aggression I would have no witnesses if he wanted to try anything. Got there went in got to wheels with him and got the same "YOU DAMAGED THESE". I talked threw all problems I had with it again with one of the good wheels sat beside them and pointed out the fibres under the lacquer and the inner dish again how can I clean/ polish/wax that now its sealed in! He was calmer but not fully (not shouting) I moved on to the phone call and said I didn't insult your work I brought them in and pointed out those bits the end I didn't say "half a job" or anything of the sort. To which I got "I didn't take the call I got back and they told me you had brought them back etc etc...." but no apology. Then when going over more bits on wheels he was replying with "I can sort that" to each and said he was very busy and wouldn't be ready until mid next week.

I appreciate that he may have got the wrong end of the stick when he got back but the guy I spoke to I have spoken to before and is very civil and polite speaks good English and saw the same faults as me. No easy for someone to back down after that but he seemed to do so in his own way and is intending to put them right. I have nothing to loose on that front they can't be any worse. Strangely since colour was perfect he wanted to keep the good wheel to "match the paint" again......

I will update when I get them back and there will be more pics. The shocking difference between the old and meant to be new is so vast though I was shocked that it was questioned in that way. As long as they are better than they are now I will accept them and put them back on car next time im back in UK get them dipped and redone.

Thanks for all the messages all.

you pay peanuts you get monkeys.

you pay peanuts you get monkeys.

..... but he didn't though.

you pay peanuts you get monkeys.

Didn't pay peanuts though most things are more expensive here in general mechanically related but was more or less same as I would have expected to pay in UK the top job I would normally expect from there.