Well Known Detailing place, ruined my car!

Last week I took my car to a well known detailing place in New York area (I'm not going to mention the name yet) for a film replacement on my fenders. While they were removing the old film, they lift up the paint of my car. According to some experts, that usually happens when you are not heating up the film before you remove it. In any case, I took it to my body shop guy to fix it. The car came out perfect. Do you guys think that I should get reimbursed for the damage they did on my car?

 

In their defense it also commonly happens if the original film was applied before the paint was fully cured. Anytime you are removing anything there is the possibility of something happening.

Did they tell you that there was a chance of the paint lifting when you brought them the car? What excatly did your body shop guy do to fix it? Repaint? Give us some more details.

 

That sucks. If you steam the old film off the paint should not lift. A hair dryer or heat gun is the wrong method.

 

They didn't tell me that there is any possibility that something like that might happen. My body shop guy had to paint the damage area and to blend it in with the rest. I am mostly upset because I've been going to these people for years and I sent them a lot of customers as well. I feel that they didn't treat me right considering the facts. They defiantly lost a very good customer. There are a lot of others out there that they can have me as a customer.

 

Did the detailing place tell you they made a boo-boo and offered anything to make things right?

 

The opposite. They didn't even feel that they did something wrong. They blamed it on Ferrari. They kept saying that Ferrari paint is very cheap.

 

This kind of situation does happen from time to time. Usually the cause is either the paint not being fully cured before the film is applied, the paint job was not prepared correctly, or the person removing the film was not doing it correctly. Regardless, it is not the customer's responsibility to repair the damage if they were not properly informed about the chance of damage. We always inform the customer that this type of damage is possible before beginning the removal of the film.

 

I have personally seen this happen many times and more often with Ferrari's. The paint on a ferrari is is not what it used to be and I am sure people will agree with that statement. I have seen a ton of overspray on all new Ferrari's and very uneven depth's of material as well. Due to the lack of superior standards at Ferrari in their paint department it could have very well caused your issue or a prior repair - if one had been done.

It is an unfortunate incident and I applaud you for not stating a company name so to not tarnish a reputation publicly. I would urge you to speak with them to resolve the situation amicably. Most issues in this or any industry can be resolved by non-confrontational discussion as long as both parties talk calmly and come to a mutual decision.

Good luck with the car, as you stated the repair came out perfect and I am glad to hear that!

 

consider your new paint job an improvement / upgrade over the factory crap

 

it is the paint from ferrari. it happened to me on my 430 spider, their paint job is horrible. ps you dont need a heat gun to take the paint off that's an old myth

 

Assuming guys that it is the Ferrari paint that it's so pure in quality that caused the problem. Also assume that the detailer tried to remove the old film in a proper way. Don't you think from a business perspective that they should try to work something out with me since I'm such a good customer to them and I have spent a lot of money there? I guess they don't need my business anymore. Someone once told me 'It takes years to gain a client and seconds to lose one'

 

Oh, you think the paint on the older cars was good?? Having owned a Mondial, a carbed 308 and now a 328 I can tell you that the paint on the older cars sucked. On my Mondi and 308, the old paint was spider-webbed and cracked, and too thin to buff out. And the 328 is not much better. Not what it used to be?? I should hope not.

I disagree. If the shop screwed up and is unwilling to make good on their mistake, especially if they failed to warn him about possible damage during removal, then he should out them so others don't have a similar problem. And if they make good on it and are "stand-up" guys, he should let folks know that as well. If the company messed up the paint and stuck him for it, they tarnished their own reputation. If they do the right thing, they deserve to be praised. Let's see what happens when he goes back to them on this, assuming he does. IMHO, the detail shop should at the very least offer to split the cost of the repair with him, if not pick it up entirely, or provide some other form of compensation.

 

Let me make it clear. They didn't warn me of any possible damage on the car due to the removal of the film.

 

That is horse sh*t.. How does the shop know if the paint from Ferrari is cheap or if there was some sort of problem with the paint. They screwed it up.. Unless they had a rep. from the paint manufacturer PPG come out and inspect to see if there was some sort of defect in the materials, clear, application etc... that detailing place is on the hook.. PERIOD.. What kind of crap is going on here.. The clear film is nothing but trouble.. It looks like sh*t after some time and to boot it is super expensive.. Tell that shop to give you their insurance information and file a claim.. He is responsible unless he can prove otherwise.. I aways laugh at those parking garage and car wash signs that state we are not responsible for damages... its a crock.. they damaged your car.. they are liable.. and for those idiot remarks they were trying to put past you they deserve to have the name mentioned.

R

 

The older paint was Glasurit, no? That's a top-of-the-line paint. At least when I worked for Inmont. Maybe it was the application? Early 80's Inmont had to buy back any cars from Ford/GM/etc that the paint got screwed up on. And I can tell you there were very few buy-backs.

Agreed.

 

Glasurit is some of the best stuff out there..

R

 

Ring,

Do you, or anyone else, know of a place that has a "steam gun" to remove it? I'm trying to unwrap the vinyl from my Mini. I've gotten 80% of it off, however the remaining parts are well baked in due to sun exposure and heat cycles on the hood from the turbo.

Anyone have any suggestions?

-Gene


P.S. looks like I'm back on Fchat now. lol

 

II,
CM at FoCNJ told me about this method of removal. He told me you can use the steam cleaning units for fabric. This should do the trick:

http://www.jiffysteamer.com/

Good to hear from you man and good luck.

 

Ring,

I actually have a very similar device for clothing at my old home. I'll get my hands on it and try that! Thank you! I hope things are excellent with you and your family!

II

 

Agreed. But that is assuming that the car is prepared properly, that they use the correct undercoatings, and that the paint is applied properly and with the correct number of coats. All I can say is that the three Ferraris I've owned all have the same problem with the paint -- it was too thin to allow for proper buffing, and could only be remedied with a respray. The Mondi was pretty much original, and I just lived with it. The 308 and 328 have both been resprayed, in whole or in part, because the paint could not be made to look good otherwise. Just the nature of the beast, I guess.

YMMV, but that's been my experience.

 

This thread has inspired a little bit of ANGER in me which I would like to vent out.

**heart rate: rapid**

ANYONE -- AND I MEAN ANYONE -- WHO DENIGRATES FERRARI PAINT OR TRIES TO LAUGH OFF THE FERRARI BRAND IN ANY WAY WHATSOEVER AS A SERIOUS POINT OF CONTENTION ISNTEAD OF JUST A JOKE -- AS THOUGH FERRARI'S PRODUCT QUALITY IS "TYPICAL FERRARI" OR IN SOME WAY INFERIOR -- IS SPEWING HORSE SH*T AS SOMEONE ELOQUENTLY STATED JUST BEFORE!

I laugh about some of the things Ferrari does all the time. Their techniques and their thought processes (or lack therof) are sometimes laughable. But in all seriousness, try advancing a well-founded argument that the most successful and recognized brand in the world got to that place because their engineers are stupid.

It's a sales trick advanced by either the ignorant or the deceiving, or both. Ferrari's paint is just fine and it always has been. Anyone who tells you you cannot paint meter a Ferrari is an effing idiot. The paint meter on a Ferrari will *not* yield perfect 6.5 6.5 6.6. 6.5 results like the paint on a Porsche will; but it *will* be consistent across the board under a reasonable threshold -- say, 6.0, 7.0, 7.5, 9.5, 8.0, etc. I've paint metered Ferraris and have seen 18.0, 22.0, etc. and been told by these a**holes who think I don't know anything about Ferraris, "Well, you know how Ferrari paint is. You can't paint meter a Ferrari." Bullsh*t!!!

Paint is paint. Metal is metal. Paint techniques are not the best in Maranello, but they're just fine.

Oh, another favorite of mine. Recently a Ferrari elitist told me "Virtually every Ferrari is repainted at the port." What a crock of sh*t!

Anyone who says these things is a salesman and either isn't being honest or is a Ferrari moron.

**heart rate: normal**

 

+1

 

+2

The original lacquer paint on my 1976 fiberglass GTB is doing just fine...
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+3! Lol!

 

Disagree. Paint on my 355, 550, and 360 Spider are fragile and does not stand up to normal use compared to my other cars.