Dealer installed decals and ruined roof

[BALDRICK1001]

Advise please :-)

My car is two years old and I have owned her since new. She is a pepper white one with check roof, pepper pack and sports seats 06 plate

After a few months of owning the car i noticed that the check roof decals were overlapping - I contacted the dealer who said they would sort it out - months and years have since gone by and I then noticed that one of the decals had cracked and that the ones on the edge had shrunk - to my dismay I could now see what looked like cuts in the paint work under the decals - it looked as though whoever installed the decal had used a stanley knife on my roof to cut the edges......

I wrote a letter to the dealership relaying my concern around lack of service etc etc - today they took the car in to remove the decals and polish the roof - my suspicion has now been proven true - there are a number of cut marks on the roof, particularly on the corners......I have also discovered that whilst trying to polish the roof thay have scratched my car just below the windows screen, near the driver A pillar..

The dealership has said that they will respray the roof - I'm not over happy with this as I have looked after my car extremely well and do not feel inclined to accept a respray for a car that I brought new - i know the car is two years old now, but from day one my car has not been perfect - which i paid good money for.....


Your guidance would be appreciated. What should i accept - should i ask them to give me a price for the car and sell it back - as i said, i'm not particularly keen on accepting a respray.

many thanks

[ratherbewindsurfing]

The dealers offer to re-spray the roof is perfectly reasonable (maybe even generous).

Re-spraying is the normal way of refinishing cars.

I am at a loss to know what else you imagine they should offer!!

Remember cars are for thrashing and crashing.

[wiggis]

Quote: Originally Posted by BALDRICK1001 (original)

Advise please :-)

My car is two years old and I have owned her since new. She is a pepper white one with check roof, pepper pack and sports seats 06 plate
///
Your guidance would be appreciated. What should i accept - should i ask them to give me a price for the car and sell it back - as i said, i'm not particularly keen on accepting a respray.

many thanks

Pepper White is one of the easiest colours in the world to match - you will never know that it's been done, except that it might look shinier than the original paintwork.

Accept the respray of the roof and say thank you - they are being generous.

[DaFlake]

If they said they would fix it then I wouldn't be to bothered. However, I would be picky on the respray.

[supa-dupa-cooper]

I also think its good of them to offer to re-spray the roof, surely thats them offering to rectify the mistake they made in the first place

[MINXYMOO]

I would be livid!!

They have deceived you and must have thought they got away with it for some time..... that said, I do think a respray is the best offer you will get.

Personally, I would try not to be fobbed off and haggle for some compensation... after all, you paid good money for a perfect car which was not 'perfect'.

Best of luck.

[scraggles]

probably best to let them paint it. might invalidate your paint warranty otherwise

[andrewcregan]

A respray of your roof is as close as you will ever get to a new roof - they are therefore doing all they can to rectify their mistake. I would accept that as an excellent result for you

[wiggis]

Quote: Originally Posted by MINXYMOO (original)

I would be livid!!

They have deceived you and must have thought they got away with it for some time..... that said, I do think a respray is the best offer you will get.

Personally, I would try not to be fobbed off and haggle for some compensation... after all, you paid good money for a perfect car which was not 'perfect'.

Best of luck.

I think you're stronging it a bit. The guy who applied the decals more than likely didn't set out to deceive anyone - he might not have done a good job, but that's different entirely. Fact is that it is an imperfect world we live in, and most people have two arms and two legs and are capable of making mistakes like everyone else. Someone with the care and accuracy with a knife of a brain surgeon is unlikely to be applying decals to the roof of a MINI, so it's not too surprising that the paint got a little scratched. The fact that it didn't rust means that it can't have been too bad of a botch job, just a little clumsy by the sounds of it.

What counts is doing the right thing to put right mistakes - the dealership has offered to do that without really kicking back. I think that would be fair enough - especially with a simple colour and a well defined panel (i.e. no blending with other panels required) like the roof of a MINI and white paint.

If we all ran around demanding compensation for everything in life which didn't go perfectly, then no one would bother manufacturing or selling anything unless the compensation was baked into the original selling price. And then hardly anyone would be able to buy anything in the first place, but those who could would have perfection, and brain surgeons would apply decals for us, and Formula 1 mechanics would do all our servicing.

My advice - let them paint it, say thank you, and get on with driving and enjoying the thing

[Mini-Trainer]

Go easy on the boy it's his first post!!

Right the truth is this you'll not get compensation as long as I have a hole in my ass.

Go with the respray and don't alienate your dealer, you start chelping and they will be less likely to do you any favours, after all it's better the devil you know

You may need them in times of trouble
Rams

[Sooper Rob]

I've sent you a PM

[NeuroBeaker]

Quote: Originally Posted by Mini-Trainer (original)

Right the truth is this you'll not get compensation as long as I have a hole in my ass.

Rams,

I'm pretty handy with sutures, would you like me to come over there an take care of that hole for you?

Once said hole has healed, cosmic forces will re-equilibrate - and Baldrick will then be able to accept his brand new Cooper S Works, full tank of petrol, and £30,000 in unmarked notes as compensation from a slightly confused dealer who is uncertain as to why he made such an offer in the first place.

So... what'd'ya say Rams?

All the best,
Andrew.

PS
Baldrick - in all seriousness, accept the re-spray. I know you're upset that your paintwork was damaged in the first place - I would be too - but it's a fantastic offer from the dealership to put things right again.

[BALDRICK1001]

Thanks all for your input, it is appreciated.

I must say, however, that I am suprised that so many of you have just said "take the respray"......

In defense of my frustration - I bought a new car - a car that was damaged by the dealer, albeit by accident. I didn't order a paint damaged car, nor do I want one that has been patched up by some t..t that couldn't remove his belt when trying to polish out the roof scratches, thereby inflicting more damage on the motor.

Having read some of the posts above I do feel as though I should be self harming in recognition that this is somehow my fault.

That said, thanks again for your comments.

Best regards

[OJM]

No one said it was your fault - the fact of the matter is, the roof isn't 'ruined' and just needs the scratches fixing. The dealer could turn round and say that they'll touch the scratches up - THAT you would notice! As someone else commented, by offering to respay the whole roof, you won't notice a thing!

At the end of the day, they're scratches and not dents etc - if they were dents, then that would be a different story!

[batou]

It all sounds too easy when it's not your pride and joy!

I think he's more concerned about having a respray done by a dealer who can't even fit a decal without stanley knifing the roof and dry humping his A pillar with a belt buckle while trying to "polish it out". Sounds like a bunch of cowboys.

Come to an agreement if the respray is not up to scratch and your still not happy then start playing hardball, i.e they deceived you by selling you a paint damaged car by covering it up with badly fitted decals.