OK get this, I finally got my car running and together to go get some quotes at a shop. I took my car to a shop yesturday (with a lead vehicle in front of me, and yep right before it rained) and left it at the shop because the guy who needed to take a look at the car wasn't present when i dropped the car off. I was apprehensive in leaving it but the manager assured me it would be alright. He just wanted me to leave the keys so he could shuffle the cars around to get it out of the way. I dropped the car off at noon and came back at 4pm to check on it. The person who needed to look at the car still hadn't come by so the manager said the car would be alright over night and that he would touch base with me the next day. I put a car cover on the car (the car had a plastic cover base put on by the shop since it started to rain since i had come earlier).

So i went by today and talked to the manager real quick around 4pm. I took off the car cover threw it in the back of the car and left since i had a doctors appointment at 5pm. I drove the car home with a lead vehicle in front of me to my house and after i got back from the appointment i took a look at the car in the driveway to get my plan to work on the car for the night.

It was then i noticed that my front valance and center suport (triangle bracket that connects to the rad support) were bent in! It looks like someone at the shop backed into my car!?!?!

By the way, this shop was strongly recomended and they do great work. Pricy, but very good work and is located in a non sketchy area. The manager was also very nice and supportive in helping me get this car really ready for paint at the cheapest and quickest way for me.

Now i didn't notice the bent panels at the shop, only after i got home, but what should i do about this!?!?!?!?!

go back and tell him just like you told us. see if he offers an explaination, or gets defensive and blames you.

UNFORTUNATELY YOU CAN NOT ASSUME THESE THINGS WILL NOT HAPPEN AND YOU HAVE TO ASSUME THEY WILL.
- You will find guys that put the jacks in the wrong spot and don't tell you.
- Damage your paint and don't tell you.
- Scratch your bumpers and don't tell you.
- torque your lug nuts to 600lbs and don't tell you
- tear your seats and don't tell you
- scratch your dash and don't tell you
- put a key from another car in your and screw it all up and don't tell you
- spin your tires out in the parking lot and don't tell you
- scratch up your sill plates and don't tell you
- pull off a vacumn hose and don't tell you
- get grease on your carpet and don't tell you

You can not assume that even the best shop will not screw somethng up. Unfortunately they all have people working on your car that don't always have the same attitude as you and the shop owner.
Never have someone else work on your car, if you can.
Never leave it overnight.
And stay with it.
If you have to leave it, come with your car working clothes so that you can look under it and around it. Tell then that there are no dents or damage to the undercarriage while you are leaving it.
Sorry, too many guys can not say when they screw up today.
It sucks, I know.

Just like Mark said, GO BACK NOW. DO NOT PUT IT OFF.

I took you guy's response and went back last night, the owner wasn't present but a night shift guy was. I had him leave a msg. Talked to the owner the next day and of course he was apprehensive about the whole thing. Finally he said he would not touch my car ever again, does not want to do any business and would replace the bent panel.

Looks like this situation has helped steer me clear of this shop before work began. Fortunately the only damage was a completely bent in valance panel, slightly bent center support, and one bumper bracket was bent in. The later two i can bend back myself, the valance, well that needs to be replaced. Good thing the car isn't painted yet either!

Thanks for the advice guys! I certainly will be more careful as i look at shops now!

Fortunately the only damage was a completely bent in valance panel, slightly bent center support, and one bumper bracket was bent in.

Dude it sounds like you were very meticulous with your car on the way to the shop (lead vehicle) and when you left it over night you even made sure to put a car cover on it. How in the world did you leave the shop (with a lead vehicle again) and NOT do a walk around your car to inspect it??? Thank God the shop owner decided to fix your car because he could have easily said you were S.O.L. for leaving the shop before you noticed the damage!

Thank God the shop owner decided to fix your car because he could have easily said you were S.O.L. for leaving the shop before you noticed the damage!


Read more carefully; the opposite is what he wrote. I would name the shop here so others can weigh your experience in making a decision to have this place work on their car.

Read more carefully; the opposite is what he wrote. I would name the shop here so others can weigh your experience in making a decision to have this place work on their car.

What you talking about "read more carefully?" :confused: Didn't Vintage say "Finally he said he would not touch my car ever again, does not want to do any business and would replace the bent panel."

The way I read that was that AFTER the shop replaces the bent panel, he wouldn't touch his car ever again? or did he mean he doesn't want to do any business AND WOULDN'T replace the bent panel?? :confused:

Armando,

Didn't mean to sound like I was correcting you-it came out a little terse.:beers: I read it to mean that the owner was telling him not to come back and he wouldn't touch it again. Essentially, the owner didn't believe him. I've had a similar experience happen to me. The second part of the sentence seems to contradict the first. For Rich's sake I hope the owner does pay for a new panel at the very least.

The guy said that he would pay for the panel so that it would all go away and that he would not take on my car for any future work.

All i'll say about the shop is that it is in the town i reside. If anyone is interested in knowing the name PM me, i have no intentions of publically calling out the shop by name. In private is another story though.

vintageagain. i would talk to traxunderground. he is up near your vicinity. his car got painted pretty quickly. his is black and looks straight and great job. but never seen it in person tho. may want to send him a pm on it.

vintageagain. i would talk to traxunderground. he is up near your vicinity. his car got painted pretty quickly. his is black and looks straight and great job. but never seen it in person tho. may want to send him a pm on it.

Thanks for the tip!

Not saying its like this up around you, or to scare you. But down by me the reputable shops do not really compete against each other for work, but are rather good friends. Its kind of a little inner circle. These are shops that are established and been doing business 20yrs plus and never need for work, there is plenty it seems for all of them. I have been around my friend who owns one of these shops when he simply tells the manager to suggest soandso for any new work coming in, we are booked tite this quarter. Now with that background...

Hope that its not the same up by you, one call from the last guy to other guys in the circle and they may not take your work, or take and screw you over in the many ways paint shops can. I know its not professional, but it has happened before.

I feel your pain, and good luck on your car!

Not saying its like this up around you, or to scare you. But down by me the reputable shops do not really compete against each other for work, but are rather good friends. Its kind of a little inner circle. These are shops that are established and been doing business 20yrs plus and never need for work, there is plenty it seems for all of them. I have been around my friend who owns one of these shops when he simply tells the manager to suggest soandso for any new work coming in, we are booked tite this quarter. Now with that background...

Hope that its not the same up by you, one call from the last guy to other guys in the circle and they may not take your work, or take and screw you over in the many ways paint shops can. I know its not professional, but it has happened before.

I feel your pain, and good luck on your car!

I've thought of the same thing and will be looking for a shop now closer to 20-40 minutes away. I will not look for anyone within my town or neighboring towns because of that. I do know this shop is known in town and is friends with a lot of other shops and tradesman. It sucks but, you're right, i need to consider that as well.

May I also make another suggestion...

I look at it like this If the guy doing estimates, etc... is not around during the one day you take your car in, then what does that say about the the shop? This opinion does not count for opening, lunch and closing hours. If I hit a shop at noon I expect the cleanup guy to be stuck answering the phone, but if I come by around 2 and your not able to do business because soandso is not in.... I think its time to visit another shop. Some people may say man your being to anal, but it on the one day you decide to stop in the main guy is out running errands thats a highly rare chance. However it is more likely a sign of how they do business daily, and is just another factor in paint prison.

And once you pick a shop to do the work... do not leave the car with any shop until you both have walked around the car with a body shop estimate paper (has a picture of a car on it and sections for notes, etc...) that way you know what he will work and you both discover any issues before he takes on the work, so if something like a dented valance rears its head after the fact and its not on your copy of that est. sheet then you have your proof.

No way I would let any shop work on a new or old car without a est. sheet!

Jeff,
It's a Body Shop. Not a Doctors office.
These guys work very hard and run out for lots of estimates.
You are being a little too hard.
The SAD thing is that someone in "that" shop damaged your car and is not taking responsibility for it. I believe they know they damaged it and with very little effort could have determined how it happened.
They are like MANY businesses today. When THEY make a mistake, they are mad at everyone else. Not very professional, just a fact for most of todays businesses. SAD, isn't it?