Anyone Know A Great Panelbeater

[pip75]

My little brother bought an S ute 3 months ago brand spanking new absolutely gorgeous to drive( I could live in this car). Yesterday a lovely Indian fellow decided to drive his crappy FORD laser up the arse of it while he was stopped at traffic lights, he got pushed into the back of yes another Holden ute and has done a fair wack of damage. His little heart is broken as is mine no more Sunday drives in it. I would like to know if anyone can recommend a great Smash repairer so his (and my baby) might be back at its best again soon, The insurance company has recommended sending it to Domroy Smash Repairs at Moorooka Brisbane Southside. Has anyone dealt with them or heard about how good a job they do.

Thanks
Pippa

 

[sparkles_vp]

Hi, mate these days insurance companies are pretty choosy with who they do business with as most offer a lifetime warranty on repairs(make sure they do). The desicion is still up to you where it gets repaired as long as the place you want is the cheaper of the 2 quotes.(2 is all you need). So i would be asking who ever is quoting the job or getting authorised the repairs if they are using New genuine parts (not 2nd hand), that the paint company they use has a lifetime warranty on the product and always get a copy of the quote(sometimes not very forthcoming by repairer so ask insurance company). Never sign a clearance unless happy with the job. Always check the job over before you take it home(even though the bloke who repaired it will probably be lookin over going whats that dick lookin at!)Hope it works out for your brother and you.(by the way im a panel beater and manage smash repair shop so i know how to play the game) Cheers Brendan

 

[pip75]

Hi Brendan,
Thanks for that. I spoke to him tonight he is through Suncorp and apparently they are going to use genuine Holden parts the only trouble may be matching the paint (Cosmo that nice purple) The work and parts are guaranteed for life....after all this he is seeing the ligter side of it...The song on the radio was AC/DC Highway to hell....just not his day. I will let him know what you have said and from what I know and have heard Domroy's deals in the prestige and performance vehicles and being so new they have a certain standard they have to meet. He will be checking it I know he is fanatical about it. Thanks Again

Pippa

 

[jules]

QUOTE (sparkles_vp @ Feb 3 2004, 09:55 PM) by the way im a panel beater and manage smash repair shop so i know how to play the game)
that seems like good advice but i'd also mention that insurance companies won't give panel beaters free rein over how the car is repaired. if it's a 15 yr old car most of them will laugh if you demand new parts are used (obviously this is a new car in this case). people should always find out what the insurance company policy is on repairs BEFORE they take out a policy because it looked cheaper than the other guy's - then you find out the hard way why it was cheaper.

 

[pip75]

I guess being only 3 months old they do have a certain standard to meet it doesnt have scratches or dings like an older model car might have. Suncorp has sent it to a prestige and luxury car smash repairer so I guess things might be ok. It is just such a shame it happened it was a n awesome looking ute, will never be the same again. All work and parts are guaranteed, if that were me I would do it right the first time to prevent any future comebacks.

Pippa

 

[jules]

i would go to a workshop who did good work above one that offered a better warranty any day. in the trade they're often known as "concrete warranties" - they don't apply once you drive off the concrete!

 

[gsmrobinson]

Its the insuarance company that offers the lifetime w'tee usually not the panel beater. Let us know how the job goes because I swapped from the local RACQ to Suncorp when I found out that RACQ only uses secondhand panels on most cars and do not cover the cost of matching the paintwork anyway!

Most panel beaters use contract workers (in the bigger panel shops anyway) so you may not get exactly what you expect anyway. I know all of the panel beaters I have ever worked with don't like returns because it costs them money.

Regards Guy

 

[sparkles_vp]

Hi, reply to some of the quotes, The lifetime repair guarantee is the insurance company, but if your the panel beating business unless you guarantee the repairs you wont get the work. No panel beater likes comebacks but like every trade if you do a bad job your not going to do business with an insurance company for very long,as for parts the standard by insurance companies is 3 yrs. if the car is 3yrs or newer you should get new genuine parts, after 3 yrs the insurance company pushes for used or aftermarket parts if available first(still easy to get around)They all do that, as for colour matching every insurance company pays for blends on panels (exept white). the rate paid to the panel beater differs from ins company but is still provided."Concrete warrantys" look if you think thats going to be the case, stay clear of the shop. All work with the exeption of rust repairs should be warranted. With the lifetime warranty given by the insurance company these days the product we as a business use has to be top quality, at my shop we use the same paint product with lifetime warranty from start to finish, all repairs are guaranteed, and in the unlikely event of a come back, we do our best to make thing right asap! like most shops would. Sure there are **** tradesman and shops (like any trade or business)but these days unless your in it to make a good name for your self as a tradesman or a business you wont last long. Cheers Brendan.

 

[pip75]

Looks like I started a hot topic.... I must admit I have been extremely lucky and only had to deal with a panelbeater once in my 12 yearsof driving after a tyre blew out on a highway and I ended up in an embankment.( this was not a good panelbeater but one the insurance company reccomended.) The quote given originally in writing was not worth claimming on insurance...by the time he had finished he seemed to have found alot of other things caused by the accident which ended up costing me a few thousand out of my own pocket.

And like Brendan says if you get a bad wrap in any business it can really hurt. Word of mouth is the biggest business killer. I think it will work out ok..The ute is only. 3 months old and you dont get to be a luxury and prestige panelbeater by doing shoddy work..I could be wrong though.

Pippa

 

[Demons1964]

For those in the Melbourne's south-east, twice in the last few years I've used B & A Motor & Body Works in Clayton. The great part about them is that they are an approved repairer with all the major insurance companies, you just drive/tow in they do the quote and get it approved with the insurance company. They use genuine parts, and from personal experience their paintwork is sensational (4 years after the first accident the paint still matches). No I don't work for them, I just happen to know one of the owners. They always have a few expensive cars going through (BMW/Merc/Porsche) so I'm guessing they have a pretty good reputation.

Which reminds me, last time I was in there they had the original HRT427 prototype in for repairs. Some nuff-nuff at the HSV factory had closed a roller-door onto the roof. I didn't get a peek under the bonnet, but the interior of the car looked like a stripped-down Monaro with full roll-cage.

Mark