Body dent by mechanic? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

CrazyBoy · 11-07-2011, 06:50 PM

Hey guys,

I just picked up my 2001 boxtser s from the porsche mechanic who changed the rear trunk dampers and now I noticed a dent that wasn't there before as far as I remember.. The funny thing is the dent it outwards, I dont see anything from underneath, anyone care to comment as to how I could have a dent coming outwards and not inwards?

Attached is a picture!

Thx

stateofidleness · 11-07-2011, 07:01 PM

I had to stand across the street to see the picture.

Resized for the sake of others.

Are the dampers the hydraulic lift supports on the rear lid? That's a 10 minute DIY! An outward dent might be caused by something inside the trunk hitting the lid when it is closed (possibly a tool or support "pole" used when the lid is detached from the supports).

CrazyBoy · 11-07-2011, 07:04 PM

Yes, the hydrualic lift supports (dampers) were changed, couple of 1 inch scratches also noticed in the same are underneath the trunk, I figure he used something to hold the lid up which caused all the damage..

What would you do in such a case?

stateofidleness · 11-07-2011, 07:13 PM

Well, it's always hard to "prove" this type of thing (which is why I gave up on letting other people work on my car) so the best thing is to approach the shop respectfully and make them aware of damage that might have been caused while in their care. Their immediate response will usually be a good indicator of their reputation or willingness to "compensate" you if they actually claim the damage as their's.

Unfortunately, it will probably get denied and you'll be stuck with scratches and a "lesson learned." If they aren't willing to take responsibility and you can build a case that supports your claim that they are at fault, you might just have to "take your business elsewhere".

You alos have to look at it from the shop owner's perspective as well, as tehre are probably shady people out there that make fraudulent claims as well. These types of things can probably leave a bitter taste in the mouth of the owner and cause them to take immediate defense when a complaint comes in in good faith.

CrazyBoy · 11-07-2011, 07:16 PM

Yeah I feel what you're saying

last year the marina owner damaged my boat's dash which upset me, now this..the owner of the shop is a nice guy, spoke to his son very respectfully today, told him i sent him an email with picture explaining, he said he would look it up but never called me back..

DenverSteve · 11-07-2011, 09:21 PM

I photograph every panel on my car when dropping it off for this reason. Since you can't "force" them to do anything, be nice and ask them to have it fixed. They have insurance for this type of thing.

Ghostrider 310 · 11-08-2011, 12:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrazyBoy

Yeah I feel what you're saying

last year the marina owner damaged my boat's dash which upset me, now this..the owner of the shop is a nice guy, spoke to his son very respectfully today, told him i sent him an email with picture explaining, he said he would look it up but never called me back..

When I owned a boat, I was tied at dock and "busy" in the head when I feel and hear fiberglass crunching. I go topside to see my delta plow anchor buried in the transom of a Bayliner. The guy yells over to me "hey, you hit my boat" !!!! I thought he was joking but he truly meant it, ahh the public, always good for a laugh.

PS A good dent wizard body man can make that go away without paint & prep, I had about six taken off my car in various spots, could not find them again after repair.

milliemax · 11-08-2011, 03:00 AM

I had the same dent. My wife went to shop for groceries and the wine bottle dented the trunk. No more slamming the trunk for her. Sorry about your dent. Get it fixed ASAP and your will feel better .

ekam · 11-08-2011, 03:29 AM

That's why I have the Das Schild hood and trunk protector.

Das Schild Hood Protector:Porsche Parts & Porsche Accessories - Wholesale Porsche Parts & Tequipment - Cayman Panamera Cayenn

CrazyBoy · 11-08-2011, 04:33 AM

I only put my gym bag in the trunk but yeah this is a great suggestion, I emailed them for info. thx!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ekam

That's why I have the Das Schild hood and trunk protector.

Das Schild Hood Protector:Porsche Parts & Porsche Accessories - Wholesale Porsche Parts & Tequipment - Cayman Panamera Cayenn

insite · 11-08-2011, 04:34 AM

a paintless dent removal guy can probably smooth it out for less than $80.

milliemax · 11-08-2011, 01:39 PM

ONLY and ONLY if the paint is NOT cracked. Been there- and it hurt ! But it turned out OK ! They even painted under to match the inside of the trunk lid. A wine bottle accident , I hope, will be OK with the next owner. (Wrecked ? ) No, MY wife.

DenverSteve · 11-08-2011, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrazyBoy

I only put my gym bag in the trunk but yeah this is a great suggestion, I emailed them for info. thx!

Yep. Even though the television commercial shows Porsche as your "utility" vehicle, I don't put anything questionable in mine either. Although, I have been known to carefully load my golf clubs in the trunk.

jcb986 · 11-09-2011, 12:01 PM

Dent Wizards...great people...my bonnet got a softball one day. They guy came over, took about 30-45 minutes and now it's invisible.:dance:

CrazyBoy · 11-16-2011, 06:54 AM

The owner of the shop was very nice about it, he called someone right away to fix the dent, gonna leave car shortly for pickup before the end of the day. Hope the dent dissapears..but overall I'm happy how they dealt with the situation. Last year the owner of the marina where my boat is stored burned my xm receiver, broke a pin on my brand new GPS antenna and made a whole on my dash by mistake, he tried to put the blame on me saying the xm radio was probably already damaged along with antenna, both were brand new, I had just removed them from packaging in order to save space...What a nightmare that was, felt like sending a hit squad to his house lol

Ghostrider 310 · 11-16-2011, 07:07 AM

Crazyboy, are you a St Lawrence seaway boater? My friend out of Wellesley Island had a professional shop winterize the block wrong and it cracked. They fixed it with epoxy and shrugged it off.

CrazyBoy · 11-16-2011, 07:18 AM

No, the marina i had a horrible time with is caled Vigue Vague Marine in Pierrefonds, this guy Nick. His attitude was horrible and denied paying for the GPS antenna he had broken, the folks @ Hummingbird were nice enough to replace the cable with the broken pin under warrant, I had to redo the install I had paid for with the marine afterwards..