# Wheel refurbishment expectations



## Gizmo68 (Mar 27, 2008)

I was unsure whether to post this or not, but having got quite stressed over it this afternoon I thought I would ask the masses for your opinion on what you would expect from a professional wheel re-furbishers (this is their main work not 'as well as') it is not intended as a company flaming (which is why they have not been named - because is has ended in a semi satisfactory result)

The story is I needed to get my 4 month old genuine VAG wheel refurbished after it fell over onto it's face side  whilst cleaning the wheels and painting the callipers.

There were around 15 small gravel rash indentations (down to alloy in places) on half of the spokes, so after a LOT of research into where to go I picked one of the people who get a lot of praise for their work - they were also not the closest to me.

I collected the wheel today and I must admit I am seriously underwhelmed by the finished article, there are about 7 small 'spots' in the finish, which look like either paint spots or silicone spots, on one of the spokes there is a very noticeable 'shading' in the last 20mm before the rim, and on the rim there is only what I can describe as a 'chip' in the paint (but it is fully painted).

I was told by the manager(?) that my expectations were too high and it is unreasonable to expect a wheel completely free from blemishes (even a 4 month old OE wheel).

So am I expecting too much? are most wheels that are refurbished less than pristine?

It is worth noting that ALL of the areas where there are IMO 'problems' with the finish there was no prior damage at all to the OE finish from the wheel falling over.

'Spots'

















'Shading'









'Chip' on rim


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## pecka13 (May 18, 2011)

if you wanted a bad looking wheel then you would have kept it the way it is after it fell over.

tell them to redo it.


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## Mean & clean (Aug 19, 2007)

I've had second hand tatty wheels come back from my local place with a better than OE finish. 

So yes you should expect a perfect finish.

Mine were sand blasted and powder coated by a place that doesn't specialise in wheels, and they still do a flawless job.


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## terrymcg (Mar 19, 2007)

I don't think you are being out of order mate. It just seems nobody can do a decent job anymore...but they are willing to take good money for it!


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## DMH-01 (Mar 29, 2011)

Shouldn't have any excuses for them not being perfect, they're obviously trying to fob you off.


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## Andyb0127 (Jan 16, 2011)

Looks like dirt in the basecoat, I'd be taking them back and complaining, if your not happy make them re-do them or get a second opinion.

Same principal with a car if you had it painted and you saw dirt/imperfections in the paint and weren't happy I'm sure you would take it back to be done again, why should having a wheel done be any different....


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## Gizmo68 (Mar 27, 2008)

pecka13 said:


> tell them to redo it.


They did offer, however he did say that he couldn't guarantee that the next time round it would be any/much better, couple that up to running around on a 'space saver' 16" rim (the rest are 18") for another week I was not overly keen on this.



terrymcg said:


> I don't think you are being out of order mate. It just seems nobody can do a decent job anymore...but they are willing to take good money for it!


To be fair to him he did give me a full refund without being asked, I think he knew exactly how disappointed I was with the results, this is why I said I got a semi satisfactory result, not happy with the finish - but It cost me nothing other than my time and 2x 100 mile round trips.


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## turboyamaha (Nov 18, 2010)

Can I ask why you didn't go to lepsons??


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## Gizmo68 (Mar 27, 2008)

turboyamaha said:


> Can I ask why you didn't go to lepsons??


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## EliteCarCare (Aug 25, 2006)

Personally I wouldn't let a set of wheels go out with those imperfections, at least they compensated you for it. Looks like poor prep to me..

Alex


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## chrislondon (Apr 25, 2011)

does it look better now than it did? 
you got your money back and im sure the only one that will ever really notice it will be you lol 
think your just going to have to wipe your mouth and move on matey! 
just out of intrest did they offer to post it back to you if you were to have taken them up on the offer to repaint it?


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## Matt. (Aug 26, 2007)

So they refunded you the money?

Take it somewhere else and get a proper job from a reputable place.

I take it the whole wheel was sprayed and it wasnt just touch-ups?


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## Gizmo68 (Mar 27, 2008)

chrislondon said:


> does it look better now than it did?
> you got your money back and im sure the only one that will ever really notice it will be you lol
> think your just going to have to wipe your mouth and move on matey!
> just out of intrest did they offer to post it back to you if you were to have taken them up on the offer to repaint it?


The bit's that were damaged are now faultless, you cannot see the repair (if indeed there was any need for it?) so yes that bit looks better.
BUT the rest of the wheel looks worse than it did before.

He did offer to put the wheel into one of the vans to be dropped off to me, but the only day's that they come my way there would of be nobody in, so that was not viable.


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## Gizmo68 (Mar 27, 2008)

Matt. said:


> So they refunded you the money?
> 
> Take it somewhere else and get a proper job from a reputable place.
> 
> I take it the whole wheel was sprayed and it wasnt just touch-ups?


The only problem there is this IS a reputable company and came highly recommended by others, it was a whole wheel refurb and not a 'smart' repair. So I'm a bit unsure who to go to now.


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## Matt. (Aug 26, 2007)

Well nope i wouldnt of accepted that. 

There are places that collect and re-deliver. 

Which company did you use?


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## minimadgriff (Jul 8, 2007)

Who was this as this story sounds oh too familiar to me? i.e same thing that was said to me a couple of years ago and same out come.

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=109660

Told them on the phone I was very anal and they had to be perfect, also told them when they collected them. Was then told after the second attempt of them painting them that I was expecting too much and they would never be perfect and I would never be happy with their work. He just handed me my cash back.


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## Gizmo68 (Mar 27, 2008)

What I may well do is run the wheel as it is until the winter, then when i fit my winter alloys/tyres to the car I will have a few months to get this one rectified.

I don't really want to name the company as he offered everything that was available to him:
1/ Re do the wheel (he was still unsure if I would be happy with the result)
2/ Give me a full refund

So although I am not happy with the finish (and most seem to agree with me that it is not an acceptable finish) I am no worse off than I was before, apart from the company I wanted to refurb the wheel is now probably on the list of another refurbisher I don't want to risk using.

I agree that the problem seem to lie mainly with the preparing of the wheel, that and the QC guy should not of passed the wheel.


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## minimadgriff (Jul 8, 2007)

PM me who it was scuba, it has to be the same company.


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## turboyamaha (Nov 18, 2010)

Pm me to please!! I just had a wheel done and I got exactly what you just said (its a refurb and my expectaions are too high!!


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## Danno1975 (Mar 30, 2009)

Was it a place in Gillingham?


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## turboyamaha (Nov 18, 2010)

Mine was but op has gone off line!!


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## DMH-01 (Mar 29, 2011)

Danno1975 said:


> Was it a place in Gillingham?


Yeah mate it was the same place we spoke about.


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## Danno1975 (Mar 30, 2009)

DMH-01 said:


> Yeah mate it was the same place we spoke about.


Oh dear, thats a suprise, mine are really good.

**** poor attitude too there, I thought they pretty much has the same process as the factory so cant understand the comments re you shouldnt expect perfection.

Shame.

They did loose my centre cap when they re re did my alloy after the tire place damaged it. And blamed someone else, very politley though !!

At least they did them the right colour!!, scuff busters painted my the wrong silver and generally did a poor job. Looked like the finish off and 89 XR3i


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## turboyamaha (Nov 18, 2010)

Sounds like a standard answer! Really crap service! don't understand as everyone rates them??


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## Danno1975 (Mar 30, 2009)

Shame, the guy they reckoned had the cap is not the kind of guy who would loose anything, whereas the guy telling me, nice as he was was washing his MX5 with a yard broon on my last visit . He also had no reason to remove it. I could be ass'd to argue at £3 off ebay for a new un.


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## minimadgriff (Jul 8, 2007)

People who messed me about wasn't in Gillingham.


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## Gizmo68 (Mar 27, 2008)

Oohh looks like I am not an isolated incidence!!


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## Danno1975 (Mar 30, 2009)

minimadgriff said:


> People who messed me about wasn't in Gillingham.


Tonbridge?


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## minimadgriff (Jul 8, 2007)

Danno1975 said:


> Tonbridge?


Nope, not them either.


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## Paul N (May 4, 2011)

please someone pm me with the company name i have a set of wheels ready to be shipped next week through recommendations from here the company is at the other end of the country and VW are paying, getting concerned now


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## dubnut71 (Jul 25, 2006)

Its as simple as whoever prepped / sprayed them just didn't do it right. Maybe he had an off day? I suppose he maybe gets it right 95% of the time (everyone else) and then you fall into his 5% when he's thinking about going home or loosing his accumulator on the horses.

Got mine done recently through Bryan at Drive n Shine and we went to meet the guy who did them when we picked em up. The guy turned out 100% work and took pride in it, same day service and he really could paint!

If it bothers you then its time to have it redone I reckon.


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## johnnyguitar (Mar 24, 2010)

turboyamaha said:


> Can I ask why you didn't go to lepsons??


Out of interest, is this recommendation based on you having work done there?
Cheers.


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## Danno1975 (Mar 30, 2009)

Mine look great


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## vRS_Pagey (Jul 6, 2009)

scuba said:


>


Touché :lol:

As you are aware, I have inside knowledge about the who you used for this 'abortion', and quite frankly I expected a 'better than' OE finish based on the numerous recommendations.....back to drawing board for me then!


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## Gizmo68 (Mar 27, 2008)

vRS_Pagey said:


> As you are aware, I have inside knowledge about the who you used for this 'abortion', and quite frankly I expected a 'better than' OE finish based on the numerous recommendations.....back to drawing board for me then!


I really did expect the wheel to be flawless based on the wheels I saw when I dropped it off and the recommendations on here and everywhere else.
The paint spots are annoying, but in reality difficult to see, the 'silicone spots' stand out more but the worst bits are certainly the shading and the 'chip' which is probably a defect in the primer stage that went unnoticed before it was painted.

If you look on their website there is a photo of the wheels on a conveyor belt stating "Awaiting QC" I think he must of been otherwise engaged when my wheel passed!

Let me know where you eventually get yours done as so far the two biggest names in our area are off my list for getting this one and SWMBO's done.


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## Defined Reflections (Jun 4, 2009)

Not sure if its the same company,i did a 200mile trip to lepsons (i was told they were the best) with some old compomtive cx split rim alloys only to be told they cant do do them,damm long trip for nothing
As far as your case goes, i would expect that sort of standard from a mobile wheel repairer


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

A1 Wheels in Wolverhampton must be amongst the best in the country. The work they do on the Golf Monza wheels is staggering.


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## turboyamaha (Nov 18, 2010)

No I was not recommending them although the 99% of the wheel is perfect there is a bit of crap in the paint in one particular spot and when I phoned up they said my expectations were to high and have not offered me anything!! I still am trying to find out from op if it is lepsons as I can use this info when I speak to them next week!!


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## johnnyguitar (Mar 24, 2010)

Sorry, I'm a bit confused.
Was this not a recommendation?



turboyamaha said:


> Can I ask why you didn't go to lepsons??


I don't know who's gone where, but it reads like Lepsons are the best place to go.


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## Gizmo68 (Mar 27, 2008)

OK after the response from others on here who have had similar experiences with the same company and the all too common reply of "your expectations are too high" despite others confirming that they are in fact not too high and a flawless job CAN and SHOULD of been achieved I have decided to name the company after all, so others can see what finish there wheels _may_ have if they decide to use them. 
As I previously said I saw for myself how good a job they _can_ do, but likewise not ALL of the wheels were done to this standard!

The company who did the above wheel was LEPSONS of Gillingham, Kent.


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## David Proctor (Mar 6, 2011)

what was the name of the company


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## Racer (Oct 27, 2005)

scuba said:


> OK after the response from others on here who have had similar experiences with the same company and the all too common reply of "your expectations are too high" despite others confirming that they are in fact not too high and a flawless job CAN and SHOULD of been achieved I have decided to name the company after all, so others can see what finish there wheels _may_ have if they decide to use them.
> As I previously said I saw for myself how good a job they _can_ do, but likewise not ALL of the wheels were done to this standard!
> 
> The company who did the above wheel was LEPSONS of Gillingham, Kent.


I detailed a 996 Turbo lapis blue with 4 wheels refurbished by them and the interior clearcoat was peeling off , crappy work...

Try this one and you will be amazed

http://www.rimstock.co.uk/


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## Steve valentine (Aug 7, 2010)

David Proctor said:


> what was the name of the company


read the thread, especially the post before yours


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## ant_s (Jan 29, 2009)

Thought it was Lepson's after the your reply with the smiley with a zipped mouth, and then you said about the "awating QC" and I checked on Lepsons, and there was the pic. I patted myself on the back for being Sherlock Holmes, and then you go tell everyone! lol

Although i'm surprised to hear it was them, some pretty big names promote them 2 being Marc (heavenly, well I'm 99.99% sure he's recommended them on his 'burg 3 month detail) and Kelly @ KDS, their over the road from each other aren't they? Sure Kelly has mentioned in threads about using Lepsons.


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## turboyamaha (Nov 18, 2010)

I did not recommend them as said, The op said he didn't go to the nearest place and I thought that they would be the nearest place given that he was in kent! Also I was trying to find out why he did not go to Lepsons to see if there was a reason for this!!
They are used by a great many people especially manufacturers! But I have not received great service from them.


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