Would like to know your opinions on a recent wheel refurb I have had done on my wheels?..
We do powder coating at work but decided since it was for the wheels on my car that I would pay to have a professional job carried out?
I looked at various companies and decided on one in particular due to there website and recommendations? I won’t name and shame just yet.
I spent time removing the wheels from the car, leaving on blocks, having the tyres stripped off to make it easier for them etc. Delivered the wheels first thing in the morning and picked up at 5 later that day (Fit in with a job I was doing for work).

The wheels are 18” Alpina with 5” aluminium locking centre caps (both parts to be powdered).
When I collected the wheels they were stood waiting outside as I was 10mins late picking them up, receptionist passed me my receipt, jumped in taxi and left me to inspect there job? On first glance the wheels didn’t look too bad, opened bag to look at wheel centres, these were absolutely appalling! Looked like they had been hamerited rather than powdered! I then continued to inspect wheels to find that I was rather disappointed that I had paid a firm over £250 to do an ok job? Blistering from corrosion was still visible on the inside of the wheel, front face of wheel isn’t pristine and to be honest would have done a far superior job myself? As said the only reason I didn’t was the hassle of rubbing/sandblasting and time with the car off road? I wanted a professional job?
When I got back home I rang the company to let them know I wasn’t happy to be told that the centre caps are prone to corrosion as thinner than the wheels and cannot guarantee a finish to match the wheel? I had just bought a brand new centre at a cost of £70 which they had fccuked! His only reply was send the centres back and we will inspect and re do if they feel necessary when we re open on 7th August (shut for 2 weeks Holiday)!
I thought I’m not sending them back for them to fob me off with some excuse so I emailed them a long email with pictures how I wasn’t happy and there next plan of attack, they replied with short one sentence saying “return the centres for inspection/check and we will re do them if necessary on the 7th August”.

To prove to myself that there was no corrosion on the centres I have stripped them back and re powdered and lacquered them at work with good results and as I thought there was no corrosion to the centres, just a shoddy job!

Here are comparisons of how they had sent them and now how they look after I have re done them: -

look at this fccuk up 1

look at this fccuk up 2

I would have liked to re do the wheels as I’m nowhere near 100% happy with the results and fear soon the corrosion they have failed to remove will reappear?

Would you agree that they have done a poor job?
Should I be able to claim back the money I have paid for a shoddy job?

Cheers Darren.

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i had the same from laptab. i think the work they done was crap, and they only told be afterwards that pitting/corrosion was not corrected after they took my 350 odd pounds. i know i would have prepped them myself and got a fantastic result. funny how their showroom demo wheels are perfact?? good luck getting a refund though mate, i think the offer of redoing the work is the only first step forward. p1sses you off though when these so called experts give you short thrift

my advice: name and shame them.

You're never going to get your cash back from independant firms that do this. Problem with them is, it comes down to 1 or 2 people with no other pressure to decide whether to give you a refund or not. Thats why even though large firms (kwick fit etc...) usually do worse jobs than small independants working on cars, at least you have the come back if they do screw up.

I think some of the large tyre places even do refirb services.

It's nothing to do with corrosion and all to do with prep, application of powder and how you cook them. They obviously bungled it. Take the pictures to another powder coater with good rep and ask them what the reason for the pitted appearance is

I suspect that now you've redone them yourself, you'll have trouble getting any cash back, as the "evidence" is gone, despite any photos?

As Cappo says above. Youve confused the issue by redoing them yourself.

How did you pay? If its on credit card you may have some recourse with your card issuer on the grounds that you signed for payment before you had seen the wheels. In these cases they should be able to issue a chargeback where the merchant will have to prove the work done was to standard. If it was cash you've got no chance but its amazing how an auto business can fail once word spreads round the forums.

That awful!!
Their work makes my DIY refurb look like a pro job!
Name and shame them I say

Id go throught the credit card company for a refund for unsatisfactory service and I'd also write to the powder coating firm asking for a refund, telling them that you couldn't wait until the 7th august and had to go elswhere to have the job done properly.

The fact that this other company (you ) manages to turn out a perfect result proves that corrosion wasn't the cause.

never kno wyou might get your money back twice over

They've done an awful job. It does look like they have brushed over it with Hammerite.

As the others have said, get a second opinion from another refurb company and try your credit card, etc.

If you get no joy, then take more photos for evidence and maybe try your local Trading Standards office, as they may be able to help.

all paintwork is down to 90% prep and 10% paint. laptab told me they do not prep great knowing that after the event. all they do is blast and paint. got some lovely paint runs, but they were willing to do them again and offered a massive reduction the next time i got a set done..

I re-furbed mine with the tyres on, and was perfectly happy with the results.

Wheel

I did mine with the tyres off......... but they ar esooo nice I'm scared of having tyres put on them

lol at McMikes wheel pic. I thought it was photoshop at first but it's a well placed little model innit

I agree, name & shame as a warning to others.

BTW, your sig is 330k larger than the 20k max allowed. You'll feel the wrath of one of the Terminators, oh, sorry,, Moderators

Hamster

my effort:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v187/S1MMA/coupe%20wheels/DSC03399.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v187/S1MMA/Fiat/sDSC03545.jpg

I prepped them for ages!

I thought, from the website, commendation from quentin, and the price they quoted me that they were a quality refurbishers. But you're saying they are a bunch of cowboys?! thank god I didn't use them

RIP steve

I think you've the wrong thread here Adam, post on the RIP Steve thread you nutter!