More paint shop advice needed

TheHewsonFamily · Jun 30, 2016

I too have just had a very expensive 2k paint job on my bus that is showing problems in less than 2 months since having it done.

I noticed that the edges of some of the doors were showing rust. On closer inspection it is clear that they have not 'lipped' over the edges when it was painted so there is bare metal on the very edge which has started to rust. There are runs all over the place and lots of little bubbles that look like they have popped leaving a little crater.

Above the engine hatch hinge there is lots of bubbling that the sprayer has said is due to oil or grease sitting on the primer. They did all the prep, so surely it is their job to clean it properly before spraying, isn't it?

On the pop top that I asked them to spray, they haven't prepped the surface fully so that there are lots of little 'cuts' in the paint from where the gel coat had started to fail underneath.

I am not sure what to do as I keep asking them to fix the issues and they keep pushing back when they can do it. I paid a lot of money and I am not really that happy with the end result. From a distance it looks fantastic but when you inspect it closer you see all of these little problems. Am I being too picky?

Any advice greatly appreciated.

66nige · Jun 30, 2016

TheHewsonFamily said:
I too have just had a very expensive 2k paint job on my bus that is showing problems in less than 2 months since having it done.

I noticed that the edges of some of the doors were showing rust. On closer inspection it is clear that they have not 'lipped' over the edges when it was painted so there is bare metal on the very edge which has started to rust. There are runs all over the place and lots of little bubbles that look like they have popped leaving a little crater.

Above the engine hatch hinge there is lots of bubbling that the sprayer has said is due to oil or grease sitting on the primer. They did all the prep, so surely it is their job to clean it properly before spraying, isn't it?

On the pop top that I asked them to spray, they haven't prepped the surface fully so that there are lots of little 'cuts' in the paint from where the gel coat had started to fail underneath.

I am not sure what to do as I keep asking them to fix the issues and they keep pushing back when they can do it. I paid a lot of money and I am not really that happy with the end result. From a distance it looks fantastic but when you inspect it closer you see all of these little problems. Am I being too picky?

Any advice greatly appreciated.

Picky? after paying 2k? i think not. What i will say is 2k seems pretty cheap to paint a bay but never the less there shouldnt be the problems that you are encountering afterwards. My advice would be to stick to your guns and get them to right their wrongs..... if you are charging for a service you set the fee not the customer so therefore you are agreeing to do a decent job for the price you have stated.

little green bus · Jun 30, 2016

Doesn't matter how much you pay it seems. We paid £3600 for the lower half of our bus and one of the panels is a bit orange peeley. The company that done it have assured me they will sort it out as soon as the bus is back together and on the road. Just goes to show they can all make mistakes. If your man doesn't put yours right offer to park it outside his shop for a while. I'm sure he'll soon wheel it in and fix it for you.

TheHewsonFamily · Jul 2, 2016

2k paint. The whole job for some minor bodywork repairs (a couple of minor patches around the rear hatch and rear offside window), prep, primer and paint was £6.5k.

mr scoops · Jul 2, 2016

Id be down there suggesting that it was all sorted ASAP or you tear them a new *******!!!!

But that's just me......

Pickles · Jul 3, 2016

I wonder what sort of place you took it too?

I'm afraid experience shows there to be some pretty unscrupulous people out there masquerading as VW experts, they will wriggle like a slippery eel and you'll struggle to get any satisfaction. One round here keeps moving every couple of years, probably says it all.

If it was a proper body shop you would expect them to be more concerned about their reputation.

Make sure you have a log of all conversations with them (date who you spoke to what you raised and their response). and if you decide to go legal a detailed case is going to be more persuasive than one which is not. of course there is no point in suing anyone if they dont have the means to pay, or they dissolve that company and create another.

If it is a bigger organisation make sure you have spoken to the boss.

hobbo · Jul 3, 2016

I must be getting old, for £6,500 I would have required all bodywork done to an excellent standard and also a superb spray job. Surely £6,000 is a good 2 months work, or am I totally out of touch, or are some people making a fast buck.