Ok, so I bought my G on December 18th, and on February 10th someone pulled out in front of me in traffic and needless to say.....


So its his fault, shows insurance (i was surprised) said he just got it a week ago...officer puts the blame on him, no ticket because no witness

10K worth of damage to my car (thank god its a lease) I give it to a place called European Paint and Body here in west palm beach (they are locally known for handling very expensive imports and such, plus worked on a previous car for me and it came out great).

Two weeks into the repair job i call and ask for update.....speak to the manager...he says "ok, heres the update, had to take the engine out and install the rails, should be done in two weeks...." "great, i reply"


couple weeks later, get a letter, the guys insurance company "affirmative insruance" says that they have rejected the claim because this guy forgot to add the fact that his sister lives in the home with him...thats it, not forgot to list her as a driver, just forgot to list her in the household.....i call the state office in tallahassee and apparently they can do this....they void his contract back to inception.....i smell a rat...anyways


progressive assumed from the get go that i was gonna have a problem so they set up for having to go after him...they are obvioulsy paying for the damage...


I call European paint and body two weeks later...."ok Dan, heres the update...just took the engine out and we need to install the rails...." hmmm i dont really say much but ask how much longer "two more weeks"...shyte, im renting a 04 Ford Focus... "we should have your car done by the 31st..."


I call on the 28th of march, "...Hi Dan, ummmm Joe is handling your car, call back....".....I call back and ask for Joe...."Hi Dan, just took the engine out, installing the rails, car should be as good as new in two more weeks"




I reply..."ummm joe, are you reading from the notes on the file, or have you actually seen my car?" Joe says "no i just saw it".....i rant i rave...hes like "man, i dont know what to tell you, i feel bad, dont know what to say, this is a mess"....


Problem here is the first guy who handled my car, yah, hes the owner..i get no sympathy....


I call two weeks later (friday) "Hi Dan, car is buttoned up, i should have it on wednesday of this week...."....my insurance guy claims the same thing and not to worry "he's on it"


I call wednesday....to my insurance guy, not body shop, im sick of hearing "dont know what to tell you", my insurance guy goes...."friday, you're car will be done..."


I call the shop today @ 3:30pm....Joe says "Dan, cars done, BUT, the hinges for the hood are on a national back order from infiniti....we have no idea when they will come in................................................ ............


im in my office...i work as a financial advisor....many people witness utter frustration and a mountain of profanities....


on my way home i call my local infiniti dealership....nice lady replies..."hinges, for the hood of 05 G sedan....yah ive got tons...no, no national back order.....



im laughing now....i call, leave this message "you have 45 minutes to get your *** to the infiniti dealership and pick up these hinges..."


I get a call, "dont worry sir you'll have the car tommorow"




somethings i forgot to mention about the hinges, i asked, when did you fingd out about this back order, they said from the begining, i say, how come when you gave me dates about when the car would be done, you never mentioned that contingency.....no response from them....i was told my by insurance rep who checks up on the car "what do you want me to do about it"...



im so pissed...sorry so long, i left out a lot, but had a lot to say and vent, any advice for me tommorow before i "pick up my car"



thanks...


oh and sorry for the run on sentences and lack of periods....too much to get off my chest.

 

well, the only thing u can do is to keep ur eyes on them
they would just keep delaying the work, any workshop does it
like mine, always say, "a week later"
and u know how long i waited 'til i got my car back?
let me c, june ~ decemeer
wow, full 6 months.
i was pissed too, but wut can i do...nothing
and they didn't even do a good job on my car's repairing... sigh...
keep ur eyes on them bro.!

 

Sorry to hear, I've never had a positive body shop experience unfortunately. I guess it's all part of the accident experience.

Hope they did a good job at least.

 

Might be time for a letter to the Better Business Bureau (bbb.org) We gotta look out for each other. Especially when your making payments for an infiniti and driving a ford focus rental.

 

When my Jag got whacked last November (Kid in pickup watching sidewalk instead of the road, hit so hard from behind, drove us into the car in front; Jag looked like an accordian )

So, the punk's insurance company could not reach him to establish liability, so my own insurance co stepped up to the plate with recommended shop. I blew that off and made a couple of calls to local auto paint supply stores. I asked who was the best shop in town, and all three stores had the same answer. Citywest auto body. That's where my car went. In three weeks (a week ahead of schedule) they had straightened the frame, and rebuilt the front and rear ends, shot paint, and hand waxed it for me to pick up.

Good shops are out there.

Just my .02

 

Sorry about all the run-arounds and wasted time. I hope it runs and looks good when you get it.

 

so heres the update....


today was the big day...i found the hinges for the hood (why the customer has to do this work is beyond me) and i call 9:00am on the dot to anticipate the pick up time....

Joe: Hi Danny, (I hate being called that) yah, we got those hinges you told us about...wow, so you called palm beach infiniti? Hmmm, well we called Broward Infiniti (45 miles away), and they told us about the national back order...

Me: Doesnt it make more sense to call the Infiniti dealership less that a mile away Joe??? I mean, you guys are supposed to be the best in town...

Joe...haha, yah, ummmm we dont work with them too much, we deal strictly with the other dealership


Me: (to myself) whatever, dont have time for this


Me: So what time Joe?

Joe: Well, gotta put the finishing touches, so, ill give you a call about noon



Noon....no call


1:30pm


Me: Joe, whats the deal, what time can i come?

Joe: Danny, about 5ish

Me: thats fine, 5:00pm ill be there. Please dont wax the car, just wash it.




20 minutes later im with a client, and i feel a vibration on my desk, its my cell phone, nonchalantly look down....its the body shop....i now have no idea what my client his babling about, as a thousand scenerios are going through my head....I excuse myself from my office, and claim to have a minor emerergency, whilst i nonchalantly pick up the cell phone with me...


Message:


Joe: Danny, we've got some issues...your transmission won't move into gear and blah blah blah blah BLOODY MURDER RED RED RED RED RED...won't have it done, dont knw what to tell you....


I left my job, and headed down to the shop, to meet Joe....my car, is nooooo where near done, engine is in, transmission wont go into gear...no side rails, no bumper, grill, lights inside door panels......side mirrors....nothing....



I RAGE...very big scene...this guy is half laughing..dont know what to tell u Danny, this is not a good situation....


Meet with owner....he doesnt care...no apologies, and actually challenges me on the whole hinges episode...."uhhh yes there is a national back order"


Me: Apprently not at Palm Beach Infiniti less than a mile from here jackass


Im very rude, very loud.


He walks off....



Finally the manager, after two months of screw up and lost promises fesses up and offers an apology, and gets me into a Lincoln Towncar for free until me G is done....


im so pissed....i have to laugh


Oh, two weeks prior I called my insurance company and spoke with a local area manager to express my concerns, and ask for advice. He tells me that agent X who works for progressive and deal with that body shop is my point of contact, and should be keeping the pressure (not me) on them. Hes very corteous (as is most with progressive) and explains hes going to get on top of this because this is way to screwed up


So I called Agent X throughout the week to get updates....promising me this and that, dont worry (with attitude) itll be ready by Friday, that he personally saw it, and is on top of the situation.


I call him from the dealership on the friday that he and joe both promised the car would be ready....

Me: Agent X, do you know whats going on with my car today? (fully knowing that he and I had a conversation about the hinges yesterday)

Agent x: Ummmm, I think they are painting it.


Me. LOL....are you serious...(I tell him the situation)


Agent X: Well at least we're paying for it to be fixed arent we?

Me: Yah, that is why I pay insurance genius

Agent X: Well I dont work for you, dont talk to me that way.

Me: (pissed) Who do you work for?

Agent x: Progressive

Me: Who do I pay my premium too?

Agent X: Progressive

Me. Then guess what, you do work for me!!!

Agent X Hangs up.








Anyone feel im overreacting????



PS. downloaded original paperwork from the body shop....dated back to february..."problem with shifter, wont move back into place" written on two forms.


sigh

 

I will say this tho, the body work and paint job are fantastic so far, these guys, when they do the job and fantastic....no orange peel look at all, i was very impressed, now put my car together please.

 

Thanks for the supporting words everyone...

no more ford focus, thank god. Manager at the body shop arranged for a rental for me. I walked into Enterprise and said, can i have the most expensive car...young guy asked what i was replacing (told him about my G) he was trying to find something somewhat cool for me...Volvo S60, somewhat sporty he explained. I replied, "nope, most expsensive, dont care how much or what"

 

If they lied to you about the obvious....what else is there that they haven't told you?

I wouldn't drive that car even if you gave it to me. I would flip it for another one. It sounds like the beginning of a long uncertain ride for the remainder of your lease. Just think everytime you hear a noise or the car feels different, and then bring it to the dealer for warranty...they might say they will not repair because the bodyshop did something wrong. Then you go to the bodyshop and they say "we fixed it and the car was fine when you took it"....and it will go on, and on.

I don't want to scare you, I'm just thinking of possible scenarios. I would hate to be in that position.

By the way...did you take care of your client? I hope you handled his porfolio well. LOL

Good Luck

 

Ive already thought that through as well, im flipping the car soon, but not immediatly, i do however have a lifetime guarantee from progressive and the body shop.....as much as that isworth

 

weasel...

Hate to tell you this, but I had work from European on a TL in 2002. Progressive was the insurance company as well and they recommended European.

The initial job looks good, but they do a half-assed job. My biggest problem was paint overspray all over, exterior, on the rubber seals, moldings, mirrors, headlights, the glass, interior, door panels.... Grease and dirt smudges everywhere their workers touched the interior. Front door window dead. Power locks stopped working. A lot of the parts that they had to dismantle and then put back together, was done sloppily. I had to carry the car back to them twice for fixes. Rear driver door didn't line up with the locking mechanism... scraping sound everytime I closed the door. And more and more as time went by. I got so fed up, I fixed a couple of things myself.

Before you take delivery, make sure you look at EVERYTHING and EVERYWHERE they touched, or you think they might have touched. Places like that have too much work, and quantity is priority... quality is second, or maybe even third. I too was fooled into thinking that they were a top notch shop, because of the amount of foreign cars they do.. the high ticket items.

But... in all fairness, they probably do a better job than the average body shop out there... but they also fall far short on quality.

One place you DO NOT want to go to, is Trail Auto Body... an AAA certified shop, but they suck! My wife's Sequoia had some work done and they lie, misrepresent and deliver less than they promise. Problem is... most dealers are selling their body shops to Trail... it's cheaper to hire Trail as a sub-contractor, than for the dealers to run the body shop themselves.

Beware in South Florida... too much volume for those in the car fix-it industry, so there's always work to be had... therefore, quality, in both work and customer service, is far from high.

I hope your end result turns out better than mine.

 

I traded the TL (for my Gsedan) about 5 months after the body work and EVERY dealer I went to, Lexus, Infiniti, Nissan, Toyota, Acura, knew right away the TL had been in an accident. Like I said, their work may look good (to us laymen), but to the pros, it's transparent. I took a $5K hit easy... expect a similar experience.

 

Thats sucks...they handled my 04 TSX which was hit in front and rear, and traded that for my G....the dealership fortunetly never noticed....actually three dealerships didnt notice....The manager did tell me that he is most likely sending the car to Infiniti to get fixed....I will however be there everyday until the car is done.

 

Infiniti of Palm Beach... Jill Blaylock is a cool service advisor, a professional ... Bob Watson is truthful and fair, level-headed.... Roger Monk, a total idiot who lies and clearly has very little car mechanical knowledge, who thinks customers know less than he does, so figures he can fool us (me) with some fairy tale or the other, I truly believes he hates his job but doesn't know what else he can do. I had a run-in with the Svc Mgr, his style is deny, deny, deny... didn't even try to compromise with me on a brake issue I had.

Wait... they might send your car to Broward infiniti, not Schumacher. Hopefully there's a better bunch down south.

Also, since Infiniti is doing the mechanical repair... maybe you can get an Infiniti loaner???