RESOLUTIONS QUESTION:

I am having a problem with the body shop that painted my car.

The car was painted about four months ago and the paint now looks worse than before the work was done.

I have been back to the shop about four times now -- they just keep polishing the car and it comes back to me all streaked. The last time I was in they told me that the paint company refuses to do anything about the paint.

I do not know what the paint company has to do with this, but the body shop said they have been having problem with this paint company and are going to change companies.

They said they would again paint the car with new paint and I would only have to pay another $400.

I already paid them $1,700 to do the job properly and now they want me to pay another four hundred dollars. It would be very much appreciated if you can address this matter.

ANSWER:

Your car's paint problem is called the "orange peel effect" and this can be caused by many factors -- being too hot or too cold when painted, drastic changes in the weather and/or the paint not being prepared properly.

I spoke to your body shop and at first they were not too receptive. Common sense prevailed, however, and they are willing to take a second look at your car after I convinced the paint supplier to come to the table.

Depending on the degree of "orange peel" in the paint, most spots can be removed and repaired without having to paint the entire car. Speak to your body shop to set up an appointment with the paint supplier since they want to look at the car first, but the last word I received from the paint supplier was that your car will be properly painted at no further cost to you.

QUESTION:

I had my car in for a lube, oil and filter and the garage took it upon themselves to rotate my tires.

In that process they broke two studs on the left front axle and then had the gall to charge me for replacing the studs.

I did not ask them to look at the brakes and since they took this upon themselves, I believe they should pay for the stud replacements.

We are only dealing with $16, but it is the principle of the thing that eats at me. Am I all wet on this, or do they need to return my money?

ANSWER:

Part of the lube and oil special included rotating your tires and do a brake check, which might or might not have been properly explained to you at the front desk.

It was, however, on the work order that was signed by you. The garage did not have the wheel nuts for me to verify this statement but did tell me that they were cross-threaded by whoever last installed them.

The garage is going to do better than the $16 by giving you your car's next lube oil and filter for free.

Some people have all the luck and yours was that this wheel nut problem happened in the garage and not on the road where the cost to repair -- if you had a flat tire -- would have been much greater than $16.

Do you have a query for Dennis O'Sullivan? Send your questions to him

by e-mail at: dennis.osullivan@cogeco.ca,

or by ground mail at: Box 10019, Winona, ON, L8E 5R1.