Detailer mishap

[MountainMan]

Good morning everyone, I just had my truck detailed professionally at a place I had been using for years. After I left the facility, I noticed a burn mark in my pain, on the lower half of the C-piller drivers side. The mark is a perfect circle with swirl marks headed towards the center of the circle, the paint is gone, down to the bare metal. I took it back to them and they said it was a stone chip and refused to pay for it. Anyone have any suggestions on what to do about this mark. The link to the mark is posted below.

http://gallery.me.com/mountainman4#100216

[jkk7479]

Re: Detailer mishap

Hello,

That doesn't look like a stone chip to me....it looks like a freakin bullet hole! I have never seen a rock chip that severe....or in that location. Maybe to the front bumper....definitely not to the lower side of the door. But it seems like you went to some quick lub and wash place.....unless they were very reputable...I wouldn't go there. I would try to find a reputable detailer in your area.

To fix this, you really cant polish or compound it because its down to the metal. I would suggest drop filling it. You can get a paint pen that has both the color of your car, and clear coat on opposite tips. Or you could try Paintscratch.com, they have all Make and model colors for the past 50 years or so.

Either way, sorry they did this to your truck.

Good Luck

[gto_don]

Re: Detailer mishap

Mountainman,
At first read, I thought that this would be something that a rotary would/could do by your description (without looking at the pictures).
Then I called up the pictures and looking at them, I noticed in several pictures (see picture DSC_0663) that there appears to be blisters or bubbles in the paint. I am curious as to whether this could have promoted this paint removal (possibly by the detailing <>) rather than a "burn through"? Maybe I am way off base, but certainly something to look at and consider. BTW, I am not implying that this "chip" wasn't caused by or done at the detailer, I am only suggesting what could have promoted it. At a minimum, regardless the cause of it, I would say it calls for paint touchup.
Just my opinion....

[ClearlyCoated]

Re: Detailer mishap

I can't really get a feel for the size of the defect, but I agree with the others that the defect is too deep for anything other than a repaint or touchup paint. But if the defect is down to bare metal, a repaint is probably the better way to go. Paint touchups usually require at least the primer coat to be intact to be effective, long lasting, and protective.

Go to drcolorchip.com and click their contact us link. Email them a desription and the link to your photos. They will be able to give you a better evaluation if touch up paint will work for you.

[MrCLRider]

Re: Detailer mishap

If that was taken after being at the detailer that you have used for years, I would stop going to them just for the fact they left behind all that polish residue! Sorry for the nasty spot in your paint.

[InfiniteDetail]

Re: Detailer mishap

I think GTO Don is onto something. A rotary burn would usually be found on an edge or protruding plastic trim. That spot is flat, metal, and round like a blister. Looks like the paint might have been blistered and was separating and the rotary might have finished the job. The fact that it appears to be perfectly round and about the size of a dime on a flat spot seems to suggest a paint adhesion problem hastened by the rotary.

In any case, a 'reputable' shop would never let you leave without pointing that spot out to you, whether it was their fault or not.

Whenever we work on a car, we walk around the car with the owner both before and after, pointing out all of the uncorrectable defects, chips, and other problems. We had one incident of "paint lifting" in an area that wasn't very noticeable - however we alerted the owner and over the course of a few weeks touched it up and wetsanded the repair. The owner's trust in us actually increased as a result.

[wifpd4]

Re: Detailer mishap

When I look at the photos, it looks like the rock chip or "bullet" is still in there. Also it seems like a peculiar location for a rock chip in relationship to the step. It doesn't look like a glancing blow, but something perpendicular to the body of the vehicle. Can't imagine a welding spark would create something that large.

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: Detailer mishap

I have to agree with GTO Don and Kerrinjeff. It looks more like a blister then a chip.

Either way they should have told you.

It appears they did not do a proper inspection of the vehicle. Finished off the blister and now are denying any fault. Time to change detailers.