Car cleaners damaged my car, where do I stand legally?

[Firenza]

Sorry for the long Subject line....

Anyway, On Saturday I took my car to a car cleaning place to get some red paint dots on my drivers door.

"Easy Job" they say, and they take the car away.

Car comes back minus dots, but also minus paint on the door down to the primer

They admit fault, and say they will pay to fix it, and they say it will only need touching up. And they say to try a panelbeaters up the road that they have some sort of business relationship with.

Now today at work a unrelated panelbeater came in and I asked him if just spraying and buffing in the small area would be okay, and he told me that it would probably look alright for a while but would become noticeable.

Now, my questions are if I'm able to push to have the whole door resprayed, and if I would have to go to the paint place they suggest or would I be able to use one I know?

Hopefully someone with a legal head can clue me up as I'm lost with NZ law: ???

[Optical]

law says you must give them an opportunity to fix. if they dont do a satisfactory job (as verified by 3rd party) then you can get it done and have them pay through small claims court. at this stage, the next step is theirs

[bubblz]

not a legal response but ive NEVER had a good result from a company that fuck shit up and they recommend someone to do it...go take it to someone neutral or that u know

[WRXONP]

if the small area gets prepped properly and resprayed and blended in properly and buffed out i doubt you would see it...i had a fair few bits touched up on my old white sedan and u could not tell one piece bro...and it wasnt a full respray just touched up properly

[Swindog]

Theyve admitted fault, so get it done to your satisfaction at a panel beater you trust. If it costs a door respray, it costs a door respray. If they wont pay its small claims, but as they admitted fault they are stuffed. You could always ring your insurance and let them know whats happening as if anything went wrong they will have your back as youve told them ahead of time. They may even get the assesor to come have a look.

Short end, cover your bum so you dont end up having to get the area redone at your cost next year cos of a dodgy job by their panel beater mates.

[Firenza]

 bubblz said:

not a legal response but ive NEVER had a good result from a company that f*** s*** up and they recommend someone to do it...go take it to someone neutral or that u know

Thats what I was thinking. Theyre literally 4 doors down. Barrys Point Panel and Paint in Takapuna, anyone used them?

[subaru-mania]

[The paint] being white bro you can get away with alot more, if it was silver would be a different story , A small area like that wet sanding then Blending you would be hard pressed to notice , I work in a panel shop but as a panelbeather not a spraypainter.. so a Painter may have a different approach. Chur

[edit, haha]

[BLAZD]

id prob just do the section , if there good it should be fine

much rather that then one whole door a diff shade

[DRFVDR]

before doing much more I would get them to put it in writing that they are at fault (word of mouth dont sit well in court) ,Take a look at the place they suggest as if they are a professional company they will take pride in their work and do it properly regardless of their relationship with the groomers, and remember u will have a come back on the panel beaters if the job not done right so they should make an effort.

I would talk to your insurance company as well,as they have wwaaayyyyy more money and the ability to fight in court if need be

Oh and NAME AND SHAME the groomer this should not of happened in the first place.

[Swindog]

Just as a side note, the last experience I had with a car groomer was my gps radar being stolen. It was in the glove box so I dont how he thought it was fair game or if he thought I wouldnt notice.

Took me umpteen phone calls to the dealer and the groomer. The dealer didnt believe me to start with because of his relationship witht he groomer but then i had a photo from the day before with it in there...the little turd coughed it up minus the cord and brackets though. So, I dont like groomers.

[WRXONP]

Man stuff that ! I would never take my car to a groomers or even a work shop lol . . So much dodgy shit goes down at businesses ! ! Name the company lol

[Firenza]

I got the store owner to write it down on paper. Somehow I managed to stay calm! Today I'm going to go around a few places and get quotes and get back to them.

If any one wants to avoid the place, its CAR-FE in Takapuna

[GC8E2DD]

Hah, CarFe is Matthew Ridge's baby. I'm sure he can afford to fix your car ;]

[sultan]

it's relatively the same amount of work to do the whole door vs a patch any way. extra paint cost will be bugger all

[Guest]

yea price isnt guna change between flicking a coat of colour ova the whole door, or flickn a bit ova that small spot and a coat of clear ova the whole door, as sultan sed, same amount of work, the cost of extra paint is minimal, any business that says they can paint should be able to nail that tho, such a sweet little job

[BLAZD]

flick em a 50 and get them to do your skirts and end caps too, you wont regret it

[Firenza]

I dont think 50 would cover it!

Got the quotes today from different companies, ranging from 300-something to 600. Of the ones I spoke to, the company they suggested actually seemed okay, and they have a lot of contracts with insurance companies.

They said that they would be painting the whole door, plus doing some blending in with the back door and front wing, which seems pretty thorough.

Gonna go take the quote in tomorrow, I dont think the manager is gonna be too pleased when I show him that the company he suggested is over 600dollars ;D