Paintwork help req

[STmichael]

Hello,
I recently suffered a park car ding when someone reversed into the front drivers corner of my bumper as I was sat waiting for a space. There was not much damage. The swage line off the arch was scuffed as well as the fog light surround and a little paint was taken off above it. Off it went through the insurance to get repaired. When it has come back I am devastated. The whole car seems to have a layer of overspray on it but worse is the fact that the wing has been polished into the bonnet and door leaving obvious swirl marks that you can see is direct sunlight and under street lighting. I would not have expected all the wing to be polished considering the repair was on the bumper. My wife has complained but they seemed to dismiss her complaint she she pushed it and they now concede that the car is covered in overspray. They have said that they can apply a coat of ‘blue gel’ to remove the overspray but then they will have to ‘machine it’. They have also said that a coat of wax would remove the swirl marks on the wing but they do not apply wax. My wife pushed again because if they machine the whole car then it will all have swirl marks. They have said they will send the car to a local valet firm to wax it after they have machined it.
I do not want them to touch the car any further. Any advice would be welcome.
The photo shows the wing but it is not the best as it was taken in the dark.

[wantmygti]

Not sure how successful you will be but the only option would be to get a professional retailer to sort the car at the expense of your insurance company.

[Booth11]

What a pain!  Feel for you.  Bad enough the damage but worse when the car comes back with a host of new issues.

The photo shows buffer trails left from the polishing process. Applying wax WILL NOT remove these, it may mask them slightly but the only way to remove buffer trails is to have the car machine polished again by someone more skilled. They are relatively easy to remove in the hands of someone who knows how to polish.  The overspray can be removed by claying and machine polishing.  I would push for the overspray and buffer trails to be remedied by a professional detailer.  A “local valet firm” would not assure me at all.  I would find a reputable detailer or two, enquire as to their costs to rectify and then present the quotes to the insurance company and push to have that course of action and the costs met.

[AmbushReality]

Waxing the car will not remove swirl marks. It needs a proper machine polish by someone competent after the overspray has been removed.

Edit: The expert beat me to it 

[Booth11]

Waxing the car will not remove swirl marks. It needs a proper machine polish by someone competent after the overspray has been removed.

Edit: The expert beat me to it 

 

[SRGTD]

If the body shop didn’t remove the front bumper when they repainted the damaged area, it’s possible that they may have blended the new paintwork on the bumper into the wing and then machine polished the bumper and wing. That would explain why you’ve got buffer trails (rather than swirls) on the paintwork on the wing.

Although I’ve not tried it, it should be possible to remove paint overspray by claying the affected area(s). There’s lots of videos on YouTube to show how this works. Claying might inflict some marring to the paintwork if insufficient lubricant is used, especially if a heavy grade clay bar is (or needs to be) used to remove paint overspray. However, marring can be removed by machine polishing, using an appropriate combination of polish and pad - a good professional detailer should be able to rectify your paintwork issues without any problems; but at a cost, and you shouldn’t have to bear the cost of putting right the damage the body shop has caused.

Please keep us posted on how this develops.

[2007GTI]

Was it a VW approved bodyshop? Either way, you have the right to have it corrected, go back and complain, sit in their reception until you can talk to someone senior.

[STmichael]

Thanks for the comments. I thought waxing would just cover up the damage but having basic knowledge thought I would ask you guys for help. The bumper was removed as they admitted to damaging the fog light wiring in the process and when I got the car back the radar faulted out so it has been back to Volkswagen to get that setup again. The car did not go to Volkswagen for repair but it did go to another main dealer so I thought it would be in good hands. I think I will get back in touch with the insurance and complain and ask them if I can send it to a detailer at someone’s cost not my own.