Main Dealer Paint Damage!

[cdgthreesalmons]

Main Dealer Paint Damage!

A tale of caution!! I took my car in for its 1st annual service last week – no issues until I got the car home.

The car had been washed after the service which is a nice touch but I was horrified to see that the paint was covered in swirl marks!

As the car is my pride and joy I am very fastidious about the way I wash the car (using the two bucket method, grit guard, wash mitt etc), I knew that the car had pristine paintwork when it went in for its service so I was truly shocked to see its condition after the dealer wash. Maybe I am ultra picky but I’m proud of my car and its impeccable condition.

Another issue was that the car had been treated with AutoGlym Lifeshine before delivery – so I certainly didn’t want to use a swirl remover product on the car and remove this rather expensive product!

The dealer could not have been more understanding/apologetic and arranged a loan car to be delivered to my house and took my car back to the garage. He assured me that the swirls were in the hard LifeShine polish and had not damaged the paint. The car was stripped of wax/polish, and then the LifeShine product was reapplied/buffed.

Got the car back yesterday and couldn’t be more pleased. Swirls gone and looks amazing! The dealer did stress that the superior AutoGlym product had certainly helped save the paint - thank goodness.

Be warned – do check your car after any wash at the dealer!!!!!

[zollaf]

or better still, when dropping the car off at the garage, insist that it is not washed or cleaned in any way, and all you want is the mechanical work doing, nothing more, nothing less. unfortunately, the valeters usually working in garages sometimes dont take quite as much care over washing a car as you obviously do. i have seen a sponge dropped (not at vag i hasten to add ), picked up, shook and re used.

[phil miller]

or better still, when dropping the car off at the garage, insist that it is not washed or cleaned in any way, and all you want is the mechanical work doing, nothing more, nothing less. unfortunately, the valeters usually working in garages sometimes dont take quite as much care over washing a car as you obviously do. i have seen a sponge dropped (not at vag i hasten to add ), picked up, shook and re used.

ive seen a couple of valeters do that funny thing is there imployment has ended very soon after that


that is a good service to do that, i wonder if every dealer would do it?

[johnloaderuk]

A shame it happened in the first place, but what a great response from the dealership. Nice to read something positive that happened without a fight to get it.

[SC03OTT]

You'd have to be mental to let the dealer wash the car in the first place. A crappy hose, gritty sponge and no shampoo. No thanks.

[Keithuk]

He assured me that the swirls were in the hard LifeShine polish and had not damaged the paint. The car was stripped of wax/polish, and then the LifeShine product was reapplied/buffed.

Even more dealer bull***t. LifeShine isn't a product its the name of the package they sell. The polish is just AutoGlym super resin polish or high gloss polish, I had the AutoGlym LifeShine package.

Well at least the dealer fixed it for you and as zollaf says if you don't want it to happen again insist on a no wash. Everytime I've take it in for simple jobs it gets washed.

[percymon]

They probably buffed the car with autoglym super resin polish which is the so called paint protection of the lifeshine package. At least the car is back to an acceptable standard.

I once saw my old BMW dealers valleting guys out the back. They were jet washing a chamois leather draped over a brick wall !
I rejected a new Porsche for swirled paint - dirty buffer and a monkey for an operator!!