Detailing disaster.

[jgriff]

About 6 months ago I had my car detailed ($250) at a local shop in Rockville, MD and everything looked great, about a month later i noticed the car was covered in swirl marks (sort of like hallograms inside the paint). I talked to the shop and they said that it can happen from time to time and that they should be able to fix it. They attempted to fix it a month ago but was unseccessful since the problem is back again! I`m extremely frustrated since i basically PAID to have my car messed up!



Any thoughts on what to do? I just emailed the shop asking what the next step is but it`s pretty apparent that they are unable to fix it and that I need to take it to a paint correction specialist...



Any thoughts from you smart people? Can I claim this on my insurance? Should the shop claim it on theirs? Should I talk to a lawyer? Any advise is appreciated.



I drive a 09 Audi TT (black) with only 30k miles...I bought it new and used to detail it myself until my friend with a garage passed away..



THANKS!

[Nth Degree]

PM sent.



I don`t think the problem is as bad as you think. Should be easily handled by a quality detailer.

[tom p.]

JG, welcome aboard! I don`t know that I`d start to panic just yet. Can you share any fotos? Is this a matter of simply finding a more competent detailer? Holograms are fairly e-z to correct.

[jgriff]

Thanks Nth.

I agree tom p, I don`t have any faith in the original shop and I`m sure it can be fixed by someone who knows what they are doing.

That being said, should I have to pay to have the issue corrected or should I demand the shop pay another shop to do the repairs? Should I contact my insurance company? Or should I just suck it up and pay out of pocket...?

[Dan]

That`s basically what you get with a $250 "detail" in the DC area. They used products that were heavy on fillers and methods that were less than idea. The fillers get washed away and the swirls re-appear. First thing is don`t let them near your car again. I`d ask for your money back. Then find a quality detailer here or get the products to fix it yourself.

[tom p.]

I agree tom p, I don`t have any faith in the original shop and I`m sure it can be fixed by someone who knows what they are doing.

That being said, should I have to pay to have the issue corrected or should I demand the shop pay another shop to do the repairs? Should I contact my insurance company? Or should I just suck it up and pay out of pocket...?



JG, that`s purely a judgement call only you can make. At some point it`s prudent to cut your losses and move on. I`d never give them a third opportunity.

[Accumulator]

jgriff- Welcome to Autopia! Fellow Audi-nut here...



I`d just chalk this one up to "an expensive lesson" and move on lest it get more expensive (time and frustration are worth something too ;) ). Note that most "normal people", and that would include most everybody, won`t appreciate how irritating the damage is; they`ll usually say "huh? what damage...don`t all cars look like that?". Seriously, I`m certain it`d be a losing battle.



Somebody with decent skills will be able to sort that out. Heh heh, and then it`ll be up to you to *keep* that black car looking nice!



See if somebody from these boards is in your area and go from there.

[kapflaco]

Same thing happened to me at the "high end" body shop in the DC area. They ultimately did right by me and found a good local pro who corrected it at no incremental cost to me. They did try to fix it once first before that.

[kapflaco]

I say call them and arrange to show them the holograms in person again if necessary and mention you are taking the car to a few pros to get estimates. There are several local autopian pro on this forum and a non-autopian pro that worked on my car that could provide estimates. Just pursue as if you fully expect them to step up and pay the bill.

[jgriff]

I talked with the owner yesterday after getting your feedback and he said that he would personally repair the damage this time and that he is convinced that he can fix it...he said he would use new pads/better polish...I guess I will take him up on his offer...

[ec90]

I wouldn`t trust the same place to fix a mistake they already did, especially if they make you pay. Either way take it somewhere else on their bill.

[Dan]

I talked with the owner yesterday after getting your feedback and he said that he would personally repair the damage this time and that he is convinced that he can fix it...he said he would use new pads/better polish...I guess I will take him up on his offer...



Bring some IPA (Isopropyl alcohol) and clean MF towels with you. Tell him you`ll be wiping it down and removing the oils left over after polishing. If he doesn`t fix them, say you are going to need your money back. Watch him change his tune.

[Nth Degree]

In most cases I would advise against giving a detailer a 3rd try. In this case it is unlikely that any further damage would be caused in trying to eliminate some holograms.



Asking for a full refund would likely be met with strong resistance. The shop did incur costs in products and labor and they did produce reasonable results, even if they were short lived. Even in the best of circumstances it is possible that some marring would be caused over the course of the time involved from washing.



Normally I would recommend asking for half your money back. To a shop owner there is a big difference between losing money on a job and failing to profit.





The offer from the shop allows you a great opportunity:



1. You could offer to let him off the hook for a 50% refund and you take the car to someone you know will get it right and pay full price.



2. You allow the owner to do the job himself with the understanding that it`s "3 strikes and you`re out". If he does it right you walk away satisfied with the results. If he fails to satisfy you with the results you will be asking for the full amount to be refunded.





I would make the proposition face to face. You`ll know right away by his response whether he truly has the confidence in his ability to do it right. If he does make it right and does a good job you should be prepared to give him a good tip. (~$100+) It is still cheaper than going somewhere else and paying regular price to have the same work done. It also shows that you are not an unreasonable customer and that you understand that you have basically received two "cheap" details and one good one at a very good price.



And, as Dan mentioned, I would ask to be allowed to inspect the paint prior to the LSP being applied. You choose the spot on the car so that he can`t just make one spot look great and shortcut the rest.

[Accumulator]

I`ll try being *extremely* optimistic here....maybe the owner of the shop really is going to be (and capable of) doing the fix. Perhaps we can chalk this up to a lousy employee whose work is "usually good enough" but wasn`t in this case.

[pman626]

What if this time he polishes the paint right off the car and leaves you with a barely sufficient clear coat? :Cry: