Paint Scratch Advice?

[jyu911]

I recently took my new RX330 to a detail shop to get

paint sealant and ClearShield installed (to prevent rock

chips). They scratched my bumper at several places.

The scratches aren't noticeable from far away, but

are noticeable close-up and are deep enough to affect

the paint and cause grooves that one can feel.

Questions on the remedy (from the detail shop):

1) I'd like to get it repainted since it really bothers me that

I spent good money to prevent scratches but got them in

the process. But is getting it painted worth the hassle?

Also, I've had bad experiences on other cars with repainted

bumpers that aren't as good as the original. Any suggestions?

2) Their other solution of offering partial refund + future detail

jobs isn't appealing since I can't trust their workmanship

anymore. Are there any other suitable compensation people

can think of?

Many thanks.

J

[SW03ES]

This is so common, and this is why I dont let anyone touch the paint on my car except me. I've even ruled out having one of those clear bras installed because I dont want them to touch it. I have a huge sign I hang from my rearview when its at Lexus for service "DO NOT WASH THIS CAR".

First of all, are the scratched underneath the clear bra? If so it will obviously have to be removed and replaced after the repair is done. What color is the car? How deep are the scratches, can they just be seen or do they catch your fingernail when you run it over them? More than likely they can be repaired to the point where nobody but you is going to see them, and you'll only be able to see them from a very upclose perspective. Can you take and post some pictures?

As long as you find a great bodyshop that you have personal references from and that will spend time with you and show you around the shop (look for clean surroundings, high line cars, dont be afraid to wait and pay for estimates) the problem really isn't the longevity of the paint, the problem is moreso matching the color. Depending on what color your RX is it can be very difficult to match, not impossible but it may take several attempts to get it right in all light conditions. I assume you dont have any advanced detailing skills or equipment?

Also where are you located I can direct you to good shops and detailers if you're around here or in specific other areas.