Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with bodyshop

Am I getting ripped off paying for a car dent repair?

BeaverTerror — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 16:06:17 -0800

How much do a body shops typically charge for repairng small dents on cars? I rear ended a car while cycling today, chipped the corner of one of my front teeth, and made a small dent in the back of the guy's trunk. It's about 1/8 inch deep and 3/4 inch long.

We exchange information, and he calls me a couple of hours later with a quote from his mechanic. $350.

Is that reasonable, or am I getting ripped off?

Rental car agency trying to make me pay for unrelated damage?

Anonymous — Thu, 17 May 2007 07:03:02 -0800

A rental car I had rented was scratched and dented. There was damage in the same area prior to my renting the car, which was noted on my rental agreement. I am very suspicious of the way the rental company has handled this since, and I believe they are charging me for more than they should. I have no problem paying for the damage, but the situation makes me feel very uncomfortable. I was first told that the damage had been fixed and that I would have to pay $650. I asked for the documentation of the damage, as that figure seemed high and I wanted to ensure I wasn't paying to have the preexisting damage fixed as well. The loss control manager promised to call me back the next day with more information.

After not hearing back from the loss control manager for a week, I went in to the local rental office and was told that the damage was actually $500.

I asked for documentation, and I was sent the invoice from the body shop and B&W photocopied photos of the car. The photocopies were so bad I couldn't even tell which ones were before the work and which were after. I asked for the actual photos, and the loss control manager told me she'd send them, but I just received an envelope without photos but with another copy of the body shop invoice.

The body shop invoice includes: "Refinish for Front Bumper Cover(1)," "Repair for Front Bumper Cover(1)," "Repair for Right Fender Panel (2)," "Refinish for Right Fender Outside (2)," and "Clear Coat (2)," and then $110 for paint. The numbers in parentheses are labor units at $40/hr. Since the damage the car sustained when I had it was limited to a single panel (the area above the right wheel), the front bumper panel stuff seems unrelated, and yet they are charging me for it.

Am I reading the body shop invoice correctly? What can I do to ensure I am not being charged for preexisting damage?

Scraaaaaape

ChrisR — Sun, 23 Jul 2006 20:41:41 -0800

How do I go about executing minimal, but adequate repairs to a damaged car paint job? I made a clumsy driving decision, and scraped the side of my sister's 10-year-old truck something fierce, rubbing it along a yellow-painted cement barrier post. The post is fine, thanks for asking, but there's a fair amount of yellow paint left on the truck that I'd like to remove, and there's some paint scraped away that I'd like to repair in some fashion.

The colour is not a common one anymore, although it was in its time, and the truck itself is one of those small, fuel-efficient Japanese-made units that isnt really popular around the scrap yard scene. Moreover, all the damage is cosmetic, so I'd view a panel replacement as a bit out of line.

So, how do I clean the yellow paint off, and how do I touch up/repair the underlying paint job?

Best body shop in Boston?

killdevil — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 11:57:02 -0800

Good people of Metafilter, what's the best place in the Boston area to get a car repainted? Actually, in addition to a repaint in a less obnoxious color, I'd also like some minor cosmetic dent removal. What are your recommendations and, secondly, roughly what should I expect this to cost?

Crappy Body shop broke my car..

crewshell — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 15:14:14 -0800

My Car has been in the body shop for a minor fender bender for over 45 days and today they call to tell me it wont start! what legal recourse do I have? (more inside) O.k I got hit in a parking lot ( a guy backed into the front of my car) I have damage on the front bumber and the two left and right quater panels. I got the estimate it did not include everything so I got a supplement on it myself, took it to a shop, and ordered the parts and continued to drive the vechile until the parts came in.

It was in for two weeks before i made my first call to check on it and they said they were getting a supplement. I called a week later and they said they were getting ANOTHER supplement because the first was 1st (2nd total) was not high enough, I then resever the check for that damage in the mail and noticed they had changed the parts from aftermarket to OEM, which i did not authrozie (its fine i got the "brand name" but i am sure this contributed to the time my car was in the shop) finally i get a call that the car was done being repair and the parts where in paint and finish, this was LAST monday and they told me it would be ready thursday or friday. Well wed came and I called to check and they said maybe friday. So I go in on thursday (on my lunch break, which ran WAY over) INTO the shop to put my face to the unhappy customer on the phone and they said MAYBE MONDAY. They said it was done and that it just needed to be put back together and detailed.. so I said fine monday, now its tuesday and I still do not have it. I called the shope today at 10:25 and they said the car will be ready tomorrow it just needs to be finished up. I then say i want to speak to the manager (who i have dealt with several times before) and they tell me he is busy but will call me back. I get a call at 2:30 saying that my car would not START and that they TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP!!! now It may be a flooding problem, I told them that this car must be kept running until it warms up once started (its a mazda rx-8 sports car) when i dropped it in and i told him this over the phone and this is what he said " I know you did, but I have 20 employees here they're bound to forget" WHAT! no you do NOT FORGET TO PROPERLY HANDLE A VECHICLE! if i was mr million man with my bentley there they would not have fucked it up (yes this place handles VERY nice cars, which is why i chose it in the first place) so I called the dealership and they said it had been in there since 11:10 this morning. I was one the phone with the shop at 10;30! The guy at the dealership siad he had jsut gotten on the phone with the body shop manager as in he did not talk to him and get authorization to look at the car until 2:20ish!!!! So now they say that they can not get to it untill tomorrow , so the days are jsut adding up and I am so so so upset right now. OI am paying for my rental out of pocket until the insurance company pays me back but STILL its crap i should not have to deal with. Also i do not want any problem with my car fix under warrenty, I want the body shop to pay for it, i do not want the issue to be connected with MY care of the car in anyway, I do not want it to come back to me down the line when some other problem creeps up. I want it documented that SALLERS did the damage they are repairing... it ran great when i took it in (less then 3 months after my maintance and it was running fine for the 44 days they drove it to department to department...

so I ask you. metafilter what recourse do I have against the body shop? Legal of course but also, I want to hurt their business, I Want everyone in hollywood to know NOT to go to them that they do not repsect their customers and what a awful experience I have had with them, here is their info.. STAY AWAY

Saller’s Body Shop. Elaine & Dick Saller 11511 Ventura Blvd. Studio City, CA 91604. Phone: 818-753-9557

Body Shop "Leap" perfume

loquax — Sat, 11 Dec 2004 23:51:45 -0800

Another perfume question: I figure it's a longshot, but does anyone remember the Body Shop's perfume called "Leap"? Apparently they don't make it (or sell it in Canada) anymore. Does anyone know where I could get some, or if it has been re-branded or co-opted by another store? Failing that, does anyone have any recommendations for something similar? Thanks.