Anyone had recent experience of the mobile Chips Away service? Some useless you-know-what has left my offside front wheelarch scuffed almost down to the metal after, clearly, scraping past and driving off. Mildly annoyed but the area looks undented so hopefully just a cosmetic jobbie.

 

My car was in a car park, in an individual space, adjacent to a wall on the nearside and with plenty of room to manoeuvre on the offside. How some people are allowed to drive beggars belief.

 

Thanks

can you post up a picture?

I used my local guy when someone backed into my stationary car. Sustained damage to rear bumber, down to the primer & 1 split. Had received quotes from various body shops ranging from £220 - £400.

Chips Away quoted £150 with a lifetime guarantee. Came to me at a time convenient, erected a marquee for weather protection. Matched the paintwork exactly (mixed on the spot, photometrically).

RESULT: - Repair indistinguishable from new. GREAT JOB. GREAT PRICE. CHEAPER THAN MY INSURANCE EXCESS & I RETAINED NCB.

Highly recommended

Here are the BEFORE & AFTER pics

 

 

 

I used my local guy when someone backed into my stationary car. Sustained damage to rear bumber, down to the primer & 1 split. Had received quotes from various body shops ranging from £220 - £400.

Chips Away quoted £150 with a lifetime guarantee. Came to me at a time convenient, erected a marquee for weather protection. Matched the paintwork exactly (mixed on the spot, photometrically).

RESULT: - Repair indistinguishable from new. GREAT JOB. GREAT PRICE. CHEAPER THAN MY INSURANCE EXCESS & I RETAINED NCB.

Highly recommended

 

Thanks for the feedback and pictures, very helpful. Your car is the same colour as mine so that was useful too. Message left with local Chips Away chap so watch this space.

 

Accidents, of course, do happen but it always amazes me how people are so inconsiderate and "do a runner" rather than leaving a note etc.

 

Hey-ho and all that.

Here are the BEFORE & AFTER pics

 

 

 

 

I'm sorry to say that it is far from indistinguishable from new - I can see the repair from the pic and also how the paint has sunk and gone flat.

 

Its obviously better but if someone is looking for thoroughly good repair then a smart repair is never 100%

 

I run a car cosmetics type business and see smart repairs all the time.

I'm sorry to say that it is far from indistinguishable from new - I can see the repair from the pic and also how the paint has sunk and gone flat.

 

Its obviously better but if someone is looking for thoroughly good repair then a smart repair is never 100%

 

I run a car cosmetics type business and see smart repairs all the time.

 

Different pictures, taken at different times. You can see that the exposures are different. you can see that the level of reflections are different. To my mind it's a perfectly acceptable repair - and that's what counts.

Also - and this is important -  it wasn't mentioned by the 2 dealers who examined it in minute detail when I was getting a PX price. They did mention the minute strafing to one alloy rim though!

I think you're being hypercritical - but then maybe you have a vested interest?

I had damage (including a dent) repaired on my car by Chips Away and I consider that the repair was superb, I can't recommend the guy who did mine highly enough.

 

However, I understand that it is a franchise and your experience may not match mine. Overall, I would give them a go.

I'm sorry to say that it is far from indistinguishable from new - I can see the repair from the pic and also how the paint has sunk and gone flat.

 

Its obviously better but if someone is looking for thoroughly good repair then a smart repair is never 100%

 

I run a car cosmetics type business and see smart repairs all the time.

 

Just to satisfy the purists amongst us. This revised pic taken under as similar conditions as I could manage in the "BEFORE" in my earlier post. Looks dam good to me. But Hey! I'm no expert merely the happy end user.

 

I had damage (including a dent) repaired on my car by Chips Away and I consider that the repair was superb, I can't recommend the guy who did mine highly enough.

 

However, I understand that it is a franchise and your experience may not match mine. Overall, I would give them a go.

 

I believe if you are not happy with the results CHIPSAWAY will do it again - or give you a refund. Plus your LIFETIME guarantee - don't know whether that means the cars lifetime or mine. If mine they are on to a pretty certain thing - I'm 71 next!!

Different pictures, taken at different times. You can see that the exposures are different. you can see that the level of reflections are different. To my mind it's a perfectly acceptable repair - and that's what counts.

Also - and this is important -  it wasn't mentioned by the 2 dealers who examined it in minute detail when I was getting a PX price. They did mention the minute strafing to one alloy rim though!

I think you're being hypercritical - but then maybe you have a vested interest?

 

I don't have a vested interest and chips away type smart repairs certainly have their uses. I was merely picking up on the 'indistinguishable from new' bit because it clearly isn't - smart repairs never are. If the OP would be happy with a decent repair that passes a passing glance then yes, smart repairs are the way forward for a cheap, economical repair. If the OP wants his car looking very very close to OE finish then smart repairs are not the way forward. I didn't intend to offend you - just voicing my experience.

Actually, Chips Away and other Refinishing work can be better than the factory finish which has been known to be cr4p.

Just check out the Octavia 3 & Yeti Sections of Briskoda for examples of Factory Finish bad paint,

or the Black Roofs of Mk2 Fabia vRS.

& i am a Trained & Qualified Vehicle Painter.

 I didn't intend to offend you - just voicing my experience.

 

No offence taken! It's horses for courses. I could have gone down the more expensive route & possibly ended up with a better finish. Maybe, maybe not. In any case, I'm happy. Bit like the champagne vs cava debacle. Give me cava every time - I can't tell the difference.

Was it Shakespeare who said something about casting pearls before swine?

Actually, Chips Away and other Refinishing work can be better than the factory finish which has been known to be cr4p.

Just check out the Octavia 3 & Yeti Sections of Briskoda for examples of Factory Finish bad paint,

or the Black Roofs of Mk2 Fabia vRS.

& i am a Trained & Qualified Vehicle Painter.

 

Thats because most painters judge a good paint finish as being one that is flatted to death and glass smooth.

 

On a repair you want a finish that is close to OEM ideally gun finish with the same peel. Anyone can throw paint on an flat it back.

 

I own/run offyourmarks.com and also a fully qualified painter and have seen more paint finishes, repairs, smart repairs, bodyshop repairs and general respray work that most people. I can tell you the average paint thickness on most mainstream cars to the nearest 10 microns. I have never seen a paintjob, no matter how good that I could not spot within 30 seconds. I have yet to see a smart repair that replicated OEM finsih. hey are always fade outs, soft edge finishes and totally different peel due to the fine gun nozzle and UV cure paint.

 

I accept that things I pick up on wouldn't bother most but no mater what anyone says SMART repairs are more often than not just a localised repair that is just hiding something rather than repairing properly.

 

I painted this Sag (not my choice of colour) 

 

Before

 

 

After

 

'Most',  are not all though.  & not all Smart Repairers just Bought a Franchise and then Trained to be a Smart Repairer,

many are Qualified and Time Served Trades People.

Matthew has an exceptionally critical eye and is seldom satisfied with any automotive finish.

 

Quite by chance, Matthew makes his living by encouraging dissatisfaction with other people's workmanship;)

I have had a smart repair done on my Monte Carlo and am not overly pleased with it- it's clear where the repair is and after 6 months the filler started to show some signs of tiny bubbles. The paint was an OK match, but not applied as well as it would have been were it done properly in a repair shop, rather than under a tent in a windy car park. It was, however, a quarter the price and looks generally OK. If you aren't after perfection then it's a good option.

I had damage (including a dent) repaired on my car by Chips Away and I consider that the repair was superb, I can't recommend the guy who did mine highly enough.

 

However, I understand that it is a franchise and your experience may not match mine. Overall, I would give them a go.

Shame you didn't have any before and after photos of your damage/repair.