Car Returned with More Issues from the Panel Beaters

We got hit by hail in Queensland a few weeks ago and my car had some dents in the roof, hood and trunk.
This car is a brand new Hyundai Elantra bought late last year, but unfortunately I was working and could not put it undercover. :(

So we contacted our insurance company and they sent us to an auto repair shop who looked at it to assess first (First trip)
Then they took it in for a weekend. (Second trip)
We got the car back on the Monday and had it returned with multiple issues: (Third trip)

  • Grease hand prints all over the interior lining
  • Trunk not closing properly because it was not aligned correctly
  • Interior lights not working
  • Parts left out and just sitting on the seats
  • Scratch mark on the leather steering wheel

As I couldn't pick up the car due to work, I had my parents pick it up and they did not notice the issues until I assessed it when I got home.

So I called them right away and had to go to the repair shop again to get some issues fixed. (Fourth trip)
Parents also had to go again due to my work commitments.
Most issues got fixed apart from the cosmetic side of the car. Some grease still on the interior but scuffed interior lining from their "cleaning" and the nothing was done for the wheel.
The person who they dealt with said something along the lines of "Sorry can't do anything about the steering wheel and interior, stuff like this happens". Basically just palming them off and told them to deal with it. As English is not the first language of my parents they could not do much to that response.

At this point, I figured we should just leave it BUT another issue popped up during the same week I got it back. It rained quite heavily on the Friday and then water had leaked into the interior lining. I got home early from work due to possibilities of flooding and called the repair shop immediately and demanded for the manager. I was pretty furious, but he assured me they would get the issues fixed. (Fifth trip)

So in the end, one the workers told me they would order in the lining and the wheel to replace the damages (only because I could actually speak English…) but have yet to hear from them since. Has been 6 weeks now
I have tried contacting them and they palm me off with "We have ordered but do not know when it will come in and just wait"

So I would just like some advice on what I should do at this point. I will try and keep calling but I'm getting pretty anxious and fustrated with the multiple trips as it is an hour round trip to get to them.

Thanks guys!

TLDR: New car dented from hail in QLD. Insurance company referred us panel beaters who gave car back with damages to car. Panel beaters have not contacted in 6 weeks. Need advice.

Comments

  • Contact your insurance agency and complain/escalate.

    Who is your insurance agency BTW? Most have much smoother large scale hail repair centres.

  • +1

    Definitely complain with the insurance and ask that they send you to another panel beater to rectify the repairs since the first one could not do it in 4 times.
    By the way, do you mind sharing the name of the panel beater so we can avoid him?

  • I've had a Similar problem before with a repair shop who refused to finish the job. Contact your insurance, they'll attempt to contact the repair shop to get them working, if they don't, they'll send you off to another shop. I'm all insurances guarantee their repair work. Don't bother contacting the original shop again

  • +4

    This is going to sound like a crazy idea - I mean no one would ever think of doing this since complaining on online forums is so effective….but have you actually TRIED calling your insurance company? You know…that company you pay your premium too? Get them to rectify the situation that's what you pay them for.

    • +1

      Should have reported it to the insurer the very first time you noticed the faults, and every time after that.

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