Crash repair shop did botch job, only finding out now...

Zascar

About a year ago someone ran into the back of me. There did not seem to be a lot of damage, the bumper was a bit squished but it could have been a lot worse. I was claiming through the guys insurance so wanted the job done properly. I got a recommendation from someone I know who had just had a similar accident, he said that this bodyshop do a lot of work for a few of the top BMW and Mercedes garages. So, I dropped my car in and he called me later to say it was more than just a broken bumper, there was metal etc bent and some stuff needed replacing. He did the job and the insurance covered it, I think it cost about €1,800.

Now a year later, I put my car in for the nct and it fails on bodywork/chasis damage. I brought it to guy I know for a look, he told me that they basically did not repair it at all, they just stuck a new bumper on. He said it's totally banged up - he said he was amazed, it must have been complete cowboys to such a crappy coverup job. He reckons it could cost me up to €1,500 to get fixed.

I'm p1ssed. An apparently very reputable garage does a crapp job on my car and now I cannot get it through the nct! So, I'm assuming I can go back to them and make them fix it properly. I certainly am not going to fork out for it. The fact that an insurance company paid for it, I'm hoping I have some comeback there as well. The guy crashed inot the back of me, I'm entitled to have my car back to the way it was before. I'm just looking for advice on how I can get this resolved properly. I really hope they are not going to try to wriggle out of it. This will now cause me hassle etc which I don't need right now. I expect them to fix it properly, and I'd probably want a full external and internal valet at least for the hassle.

Any advice appreciated.
Thanks

Zascar

Zascar wrote: »

I expect them to fix it properly, and I'd probably want a full external and internal valet at least for the hassle.

Any advice appreciated.
Thanks

Firstly you need to get on to the insurance company who the repairer invoiced. Not wanting to sound harsh but a full external and internal valet is the least of your worries at the moment.

Zascar

You are right I'm just saying I want something else extra back for the hassle.

So contacting the insurance company first is the best course of action?

I would think so as they paid for it, if the work as invoiced was not carried out then there is an issue. Quite a bit depends on what they invoiced. Pity they hadn't nominated the repairer, you would be home and dry then.

Did your Insurance company not send out an assessor to inspect the work carried out ?

Zascar

They sent an assessor to make sure the quote that I got from the garage was ok to go with before the work was actually carried out...

RandomAccess

Contact the insurance company who paid for the work.
Get them to recommend a repair facility and to take action against the company who fraudulently claimed for a full repair.

kasper

i cant understand how they thought it would go unnoticed , maybe a temperory worker done it . surely if you contact the owner he will make sure it is put right or else his companies reputatoin is going to take a hit

corktina

Zascar wrote: »

They sent an assessor to make sure the quote that I got from the garage was ok to go with before the work was actually carried out...

therein lies your problem.Its his job to get the price as low as possible and he has probably told the garage it just needs a new bumper...

Zascar

Zascar wrote: »

They sent an assessor to make sure the quote that I got from the garage was ok to go with before the work was actually carried out...

Get back onto your insurance company, tell them to get a proper assessor out to inspect your car and get them to pay for it to be repaired right.

Henry Ford III

Did you sign a satisfaction note after the repair?

thebiglad

corktina wrote: »

therein lies your problem.Its his job to get the price as low as possible and he has probably told the garage it just needs a new bumper...

It is not his job to get the work repaired as low as possible just to get it repaired for a realistic price.

There are loads of estimating tools used by Insurers and repairers at the moment an so the labour time, parts and paint etc for repair etc generally is not questioned - just the labour rate and the rate recharged by the repairer for the parts.

Insurers will not generally undertake a post repair inspection, this would only add to the cost and in vast majority of cases add no value.

Just get back onto the insurer who paid the repairer (as they effectively hold the contract in this) and ask them to deal with the matter. Had you used a repairer approved by the insurer your position would be much stronger though.

I would expect at the very least the insurer will arrange to reinspect the car to make sure the damage is related to the incident they repaired 1 year ago.

Zascar

So I went up to my mate who put the car on the ramp and showed me the damage. Basically there is a bar at the back behind the plastic bumper, which is a large metal beam that stretches between the two chassis beams. This is effectively the actual bumper to protect you in a crash and be the crumple zone. It’s totally smashed and bent up, it’s also all rusty now since it was not repaired. They did not fix it at all, they just stuck on a new bumper, but they charged for the whole thing to be fixed. I doubt this could have been an oversight to be honest.

I’ve been driving around in a car that is totally unsafe as there is effectively no proper crumple zone. This coupled with the fact that they have also pretty much defrauded the insurance company also. This means I should have them by the balls. Now yes I could go to the insurance company and they could sort it out and get my car repaired, but then I’ll be back to square one. I think I should use this as a change to get something in return. As they are a bodyshop, I was thinking of saying that not only should they repair the damage done, but also fix any and every scrape and bump on my car, and refurbish my wheels – effectively making the outside of my car 100% like new. I’d be happy with that.

I’m going to go and get an assessment done by someone else first – and then go back to them.

seamus

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Did you sign a satisfaction note after the repair?

Irrelevant really. Since the OP is not a qualified mechanic, any "satisfaction note" only legally says that, "To the layman, the damage appears to have been fixed", when in reality it was not fixed.

Zascar wrote: »

I’m going to go and get an assessment done by someone else first – and then go back to them.

You're possibly putting yourself in trouble here. If the garage refuse to carry out the work and it later emerges that you bypassed the insurance company, it can get messy.

The garage's repair contract is technically with the insurance company. I would just contact them and let them sort it out.

EPM

Zascar wrote: »

As they are a bodyshop, I was thinking of saying that not only should they repair the damage done, but also fix any and every scrape and bump on my car, and refurbish my wheels – effectively making the outside of my car 100% like new. I’d be happy with that.

No offence but you're just being silly there. That will not happen. Your best case scenario here is that the repair is carried out as originally described

nogoodnamesleft

It sounds like the repair shop only replaced the bumper cover to camouflage the damage sustained to the actual structure of the vehicle. Usually on the invoice the accessor prepares for the insurance company will have a list of parts required for the repair as well as the labour. The repair shop that repaired it should have provided this also when they were giving you the estimate.

robtri

EPM wrote: »

No offence but you're just being silly there. That will not happen. Your best case scenario here is that the repair is carried out as originally described

agreed....

go to the insurance company and talk to them first, it is up to them to put the car right.

In your first post and later ones you seem to be on a crusade to get something for nothing, as I have said, you'll be doing well to get your car sorted. They may claim that they did fix it 100%.

Zascar

Hmm yes and if they do claim that, I've no idea how I could possibly prove that the damage has not happened since. I just feel like I've been shafted and now with all the hassle I have to go through to do this, i want something extra in return. I'd love a few bumps and scratches removed for the trouble, but doing this the right way is my priority I suppose.

Should I go down to them and see what they say first? At the end of the day, if they defrauded the insurance company they are in serious trouble, so I'd assume they'd be happy to sort it with me, and throw in a little extra work, rather than get screwed completely....

Vegeta

Zascar wrote: »

so I'd assume they'd be happy to sort it with me, and throw in a little extra work, rather than get screwed completely....

You're dreaming if you think you're going to get extra.

At best they'll apologise claim it was an accident/oversight and fix the damage

It's only fraud if they did it on purpose, which you cant prove.

I think you are grossly overestimating your bargaining position

thebiglad

Vegeta wrote: »

You're dreaming if you think you're going to get extra.

At best they'll apologise claim it was an accident/oversight and fix the damage

It's only fraud if they did it on purpose, which you cant prove.

I think you are grossly overestimating your bargaining position

Totally agree, focus on getting the car properly repaired and anything else is a bonus

Do you really think they will just accept your accusation and move straight into discussions on compensation.

Not involving the insurer will be a mistake

jimi_t2

Vegeta wrote: »

At best they'll apologise claim it was an accident/oversight and fix the damage

It's only fraud if they did it on purpose, which you cant prove.

While none of us here are qualified (or authorised) to offer any sort of legal advice, I'd be fairly sure that at worst any garage would legally have a duty of care toward its clients and that at best they're somewhere between malfeasance and criminal negligence in allowing you to drive off their forecourt with a car which wouldn't sustain a crash as it was originally designed to.

Zascar, insurance company first and then a solicitor. Independent assesors and getting mates to help out is only going to get you thrown out of court if it comes to it.

mickdw

If it is the structural beam, its just a bold on part so should be a quick (but important fix).
The cost of the actual part would be the biggest outlay.