Visit a Panel Beater

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mazoxx

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I booked my car in at some panel beater approved by my insurance, but i just dont trust them, is it within my rights to go a visit them and demand to view/inspect my car, at any point in time.

Thnax in advance for you advice.
 
Why don't you trust them?
You are in your right to check on progress. Which insurer cause that will indicate the p/beater. Was the pb your or their choice?

Insurers, normally have an approved list of p/b and they need to abide by stringent requirements.

What vehicle is it?
 
You don't have to demand..

You can just rock up during working hours and ask to see your vehicle.
 
They're all a bunch of thieves. When my car went in, I took pictures of the fuel gauge and kilometers on the clock. Came back and they took 3/4 of a tank of petrol out of the car, blaming it on driving around within their premises, which was disproven by my photo of the mileage - they had driven only 2km.

And this was from a place accredited to do Bentley, Ferrari, MB and even had a Lexus LFA on the grounds.
 
Check if you still have your original battery. a Friends Battery disappeared while the car was at the panel beaters.
 
All these "brokerless" insurance companies seem to use the most dodgy panelbeaters.
 
Hemi300c said:
Why don't you trust them?
You are in your right to check on progress. Which insurer cause that will indicate the p/beater. Was the pb your or their choice?

Insurers, normally have an approved list of p/b and they need to abide by stringent requirements.

What vehicle is it?
Click to expand...
The pb was not my choice, the insurance called and said they approved the claim and gave me the details of the designated. What worries me is that there is an online service for the pb to update the progress on the car, but they do not use it. I called them last week and they said my car will be done by today (Tuesday), when i called yesterday the person looking after the car said he does not think it will be ready today maybe it will be ready on Friday. He told me to call on Wednesday to check, but he will not be there any more Tuesday will be his last day at work. So I am going to visit them because I want to make sure that the guy has been telling the truth otherwise they might just turn back and say that he has been lying to me all along, no work has been done on my car, there is nothing they can do the guy has already left.
 
Update: I am coming from the pb, i am not happy at all. I need your advice, the bumper, bonnet, grille, craddle and headlamp are going to be replaced. But the Bumper, bonnet, grille and cradle are all pirate part, i was never told about this. The reason why I am paying insurance is so that my car is restored to the original state but that does not mean they can just take any rubbish that does not have any quality and standard certification and put it on my car. I wouldn't mind if they took a second hand original part from a similar car and resprayed it because at least i know it is of similar quality as the parts on my car.

Since the bumper does not have any information to show who the manufacturer is thus specifications on quality are not available, how do I know that it would be able to withstand the least impact, nor for how long will it stand the heat without deforming. For the bonnet, how do I know that it is of appropriate strength not to cause unnecessary noise vibrations, or that it can sufficiently withstand the heat from the engine without damaging the paint work. For the craddle, how do I get the guarantee that it wont shutter or get distorted as a result of the heat or pressure from the components attached to it.

Do you guys think this is a winnable fight?. I am not happy at all, I'm almost certain that if the fail to respond to my worries, I will be cancelling my policy asap.
 
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Definitely sounds like a brokerless insurance company.

If you check your policy it will say they can use 'alternate' parts.
 
Ps... The alternate parts they used on my Hilux were of such bad quality the headlight could be pushed out with my hand, and they used cable ties to align the panels with the body, it was so bad that the new panels were catching the tyre, it eventually destroyed the tyre. This was with Dial Direct.

After a very long time and multiple trips to various panel beaters, I eventually got it fixed properly through the ombudsman.
 
mazoxx said:
Update: I am coming from the pb, i am not happy at all. I need your advice, the bumper, bonnet, grille, craddle and headlamp are going to be replaced. But the Bumper, bonnet, grille and cradle are all pirate part, i was never told about this. The reason why I am paying insurance is so that my car is restored to the original state but that does not mean they can just take any rubbish that does not have any quality and standard certification and put it on my car. I wouldn't mind if they took a second hand original part from a similar car and resprayed it because at least i know it is of similar quality as the parts on my car.

Since the bumper does not have any information to show who the manufacturer is thus specifications on quality are not available, how do I know that it would be able to withstand the least impact, nor for how long will it stand the heat without deforming. For the bonnet, how do I know that it is of appropriate strength not to cause unnecessary noise vibrations, or that it can sufficiently withstand the heat from the engine without damaging the paint work. For the craddle, how do I get the guarantee that it wont shutter or get distorted as a result of the heat or pressure from the components attached to it.

Do you guys think this is a winnable fight?. I am not happy at all, I'm almost certain that if the fail to respond to my worries, I will be cancelling my policy asap.
Click to expand...

Who is your insurance with?

Check your policy, it will probably state "Alternate parts"... if not, then phone your insurance company and crap on them and get your car moved.
 
Indemnification by putting on pirate parts is not indemnification. I would stop everything and say you are going through the Ombudsman.

You cannot put safety parts on a vehicle which are not original equipment:-
pirate bonnets in most cases do not have the required and correct crumple zones - in a smash it could come straight through the windscreen. The same goes for the bumper but not in such a dangerous manner for the driver passengers but rather for the person being hit by your vehicle.

The value of your car is not as it would be if pirate parts are used and it sticks out like a sore thumb.

IMO get shot of this Insurer ASAP.
 
Just had a call from the insurance, I asked them if they could guarantee the quality of the supplied parts, they said they cannot but the pb will give a guarantee to the parts and the labour. If i cancel my insurance and something happens to these parts, what options will I have in terms of a recourse.

I asked them if the "components aremade by reputable manufacturers which conformed to recognised safety or quality standards and those classified as fake or unauthorised copies made by unspecified manufacturers, often in China." then they said they trust the pb to do the right thing so as they are an audi approved bodyshop, if I want any details then I should ask for invoices from the pb. That was the final straw, I am definately going to sell the car and change insurances.

They went on to say that these parts are just cosmetic parts so they are not critical part they will not hurt me in any way.
 
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spiderz said:
Check if you still have your original battery. a Friends Battery disappeared while the car was at the panel beaters.
Click to expand...

My corsa bakkie's battery also went flat between when the car was towed and the panel beater. They claim it must have drained and I pointed out that I drive a 2006 car with original battery. The insurance paid for a replacement.
 
Ombudsman for Short-Term Insurance: The use of "pirate" and second hand parts in the repair of motor vehicles

12 June 2009
Ombudsman for Short-Term Insurance : [email protected]
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The Office of the Ombudsman for Short-Term Insurance frequently receives complaints from consumers concerning the use by Insurers when repairing motor vehicles of so-called “pirate parts” as well as second hand components. There is a perception on the part of the public that an Insurer is obliged, when repairing a motor vehicle, to use new original factory supplied parts in all instances.

The Ombudsman, Mr. Brian Martin, says ”the cost of repairing damaged motor vehicles has risen significantly over time and is a major factor in the high cost of motor vehicle insurance. If premiums are to be kept at reasonable levels and increases in premiums within similar bounds, it is imperative that everything possible be done to keep repair costs down, but at the same time without compromising safety or quality standards.” The low incidence of comprehensive motor vehicle insurance is an area of major concern to the Ombudsman and the less affordable insurance products are the greater the temptation on the part of consumers to self-insure, which can have far-reaching consequences not only for the motorist himself, but society at large.

The Ombudsman points out that in the modern world very few motor manufacturers actually manufacture the components incorporated into their motor vehicles and a high percentage of these components are sourced from specialist component manufacturers. Components may be common to more than one make of motor vehicle. A distinction is to be drawn between components made by reputable manufacturers which conform to recognise safety or quality standards and those which may be classified as fake or unauthorised copies made by unspecified manufacturers, often in China. Original factory supplied components must be fitted whenever a critical component of the motor vehicle may be damaged or where the warranty or maintenance plan of a vehicle may be adversely affected by the fitment of other components. Depending upon the circumstance of each case and in particular the age and condition of a car, there is however no reason why components made by outside component manufacturers should not be used where this can result in cost savings, provided that issues of safety or reliability are not compromised. The use of second hand parts, where appropriate, is also to be encouraged as a cost saving measure. The Ombudsman stresses that no hard and fast rule can be laid down and that each case must be assessed on its own individual merit. However, he appeals to members of the public to be reasonable and practical in their approach to the repair of accident damage and by insurers, pointing out that the underlying purpose of insurance is one of indemnification and not enrichment. He also draws attention to the fact that “betterment” is not applied in relation to individual components of a motor vehicle, but only where the overall value of an insured article has been increased through a process of repair or reinstatement. Should the insurer be able to show this through independent evidence, then the Ombudsman will allow a deduction from the claim to the extent of the “betterment”.
Click to expand...

FYI and I would say a bonnet is a safety issue.
 
mazoxx said:
Just had a call from the insurance, I asked them if they could guarantee the quality of the supplied parts, they said they cannot but the pb will give a guarantee to the parts and the labour. If i cancel my insurance and something happens to these parts, what options will I have in terms of a recourse.

I asked them if the "components aremade by reputable manufacturers which conformed to recognised safety or quality standards and those classified as fake or unauthorised copies made by unspecified manufacturers, often in China." then they said they trust the pb to do the right thing so as they are an audi approved bodyshop, if I want any details then I should ask for invoices from the pb. That was the final straw, I am definately going to sell the car and change insurances.

They went on to say that these parts are just cosmetic parts so they are not critical part they will not hurt me in any way.
Click to expand...

Maybe phone Audi and ask them how they feel about an approved panel beater using pirate parts.
 
+1 for battery theft. Mark it with a knife or something.
 
After a million calls and broken promises from the Panel Beater, and the unhelpful insurance I picked up my car just before the end of business day. I have just been tricked. I am not happy with the quality of work done on my car for the following reasons:
1) The fitted grille is of different color than the original grille and is not of the same texture and quality as the original grille (Alternative Part).
2) The right side airduct cover no longer fits on to the bumper like before (Visible Gaps the PB said he ordered the parts from the Insurance Designated Supply, thus he wont cover up by attempting to put glue, he says I must speak to my insurance they are the ones that told him to source those exact parts from their chosen supplier.)
3) The bonnet is not properly aligned, on one side it is not on level with the side fender.
4) The bonnet no longer closes in the same way as before simply letting go the bonnet will not make it latch I need to apply excessive force to get it to close.
5) The bumper does not stream line perfectly with the side fender (the PB said he is not of the idea to temper with the alignment bracket on the car), it also does not streamline with the bonnet (due to sharper edges where the bumper meets the bonnet).
6) The panel beater did not perform a thorough inspection on the vehicle, there is a rattling noise when I drive the car on bumpy surfaces that was not there before the accident (I have not had inform them of this since they are closed already).

The PB tricked me into accepting my car back because they made it a point that they would release my car at the end of the day where I would be stuck at their premise with not alternative transport to take me back home, thus which ever way the only option I had was to take back my car. How ever I did make notes on the delivery note that I was not happy with the color of the grille, about the miss fitting of the air-duct panel.

How do I proceed with this as I strongly believe that the work carried out on my vehicle has just lowered the value of my vehicle which is the main reason why I took insurance.

Thanx for reading my long story, I wil appreciate your input.
 
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