Oh Dear, Audi Approved Body Shop?!!!

Being in the business that I'm in (Paintless Dent Removal), I was dreading my A3 going in for a small bodywork warranty repair on the tailgate. When I got it back next day, I thought they'd done a good job, only later to find overspray on the passenger door, I couldn't see it as the car hadn't been cleaned, but I could feel it. Never mind I thought, it's going to be detailed at the weekend. Unfortunately after clay barring and mopping it was concluded that this was baked on clear coat covering the whole side of the car including the glass, which has now had a day and a half spent on it cleaning and applying six coats of Zymol. It was concluded by the detailer that it now needed wet flatting to remove it, however, I'm not sure about the glass, thinners won't shift it.

I went back to the dealer where the body shop agent was available to take a look, only to crouch down and try to find an excuse for it not being overspray. No apology or "Sorry Sir, we'll get this sorted ASAP", just "someone will call you to arrange a time when a courtesy car is available"

My detailer has offered to do this FOC, and as I can only imagine this bodyshop grinding the hell out of my paintwork with the toughest compound they can find and splattering it all over my otherwise mint clean car, I think I'll opt for the better solution where my car will at least be how it should be.

If only the Audi approved bodyshop were actually up to doing a job properly!! What's wrong with people these days? :evil:

Strangely, after leaving only one message from the bodyshop, they never followed that up to see what I wanted to do, now tht good customer service.... :roll:

Sidhu88 said:

Be careful naming and shaming, no doubt ull get a call from audi saying uve slandered them. Bare in mind they have ur car too

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Edited my post out of discretion, but I live in Gillingham Kent, so work it out for yourselves. However, they don't have my car, but I don't understand what difference it would make if they did :-?

Sidhu88 said:

Imagine u had someones car and u was doing work on it, then u found out afterwards that said person was slandering u online on a forum. Would u still do ur best on that car?

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Oh come on, be serious, we're talking Audi Main Dealer, not some back street garage, do you really thing anyone there really gives a toss about what I say about their place of work so much to affect the quality of work they carry out on a customer car, get a grip it won't make a blind bit of difference. Mr Audi must be shaking in his boots!

MacrosTheBlack said:

Hey Mike,

Just thought I'd add some advice on this. You might already use them, but in case you're not aware KDS Detailing over near Gillingham station and Lepson alloy wheel refurbishment are fantastic detailers and could definitely correct the overspray issue to your 100% satisfaction. I've used them a few times in the past and they are passionate about their work and couldn't recommend them enough.

If you get a detailer to correct I'd present the Audi dealership with the bill as their bodyshop caused the problem in the first place with a poor warranty repair. Good luck!

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Thanks Simon, yes I know Kelly, and his dad, Mel (MCC) who's next door, and my personal choice of technicians for anything other than warranty stuff, very knowledgeable ;-)

phil76 said:

I have raised this issue before where people think that if they take the car to an audi bodyshop the job will be better than a normal bodyshop but at the end of the day these people all do mostly the same courses from the beginning of there career to the end,audi painters are no better than any other painter,audi panel repairers are no better than any other panel repairers and thats why a lot of the time the wont get used by insurance companies because they do the same job with a major uprated labour rate.

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Agreed, I was under no illusion, I'm in the trade, they knew it, plus I told them I was fussy; however our hands are tied when it's a warranty repair :-(