Ziebart scratched my car fixing clear shield, please HELP
 

About a week an half ago I went to Ziebart to get clear shield put on the car. Today I went back to get it fix because some areas were coming off and not fitted properly. I was under the assumption that they would try to add more adhesive and push it back down to the car but after only 30 mins they told me it was good to go. After carefully checking the car I saw that they cut out parts of the film where it didnt fit right. However, in the process of cutting the film, the paint also got scratched. So far I found 3 noticeable lines. The manager admitted the fault and was willling to *try* and fix it. He wasnt really sure if it's going buff out or not because the bumper was plastic and not metal.

The car is only 2 weeks old and the whole reason I bought the clear shield in the first place was to protect my paint; not have some guy cut into it. I will take my car to an infiniti dealer today to fix the rpm surge, airbag recall etc and have them look at the scratches.

I would like to know what are my options and what should I do with Ziebart. Greatly appreciate your help. (Sorry for the low quality pic, I took it with my cell phone)

http://www.imagedump.com/image.cgi?file=547102.jpg
http://www.imagedump.com/image.cgi?file=547100.jpg
http://www.imagedump.com/image.cgi?file=547101.jpg

I'm not seeing your picture for whatever reason. What is Ziebart?

Depending your color, touching it up if it doesn't buff out and then putting the clearsheild over than will just make those areas even more apparent.

Also, be sure whoever is trying to buff out the scratches knows what they are doing--they could end up burning your clear coat. My detailer and another in my area have said that the clear on my Blue Slate is some of the thinnest they've ever seen and they do not agressively go for scratches compared to other cars they've done---BTW one said the clear on Japanese makes is thin no matter the brand in his experience.

If I were you, I'd find a paint specialist on autopia.org (worth joining and then asking for him in your area). Or try posting the car detailing section here.

those scratches dont look like they'll buff out. it looks to me like your front bumper needs a repaint. i would demand that at the shop and make them pay for everything. that's bs!

i agree! it looks like razor blade cuts. not buff able. demand for a new paint job

wow sorry to hear about your experience... how much did you pay them? never heard of Ziebart...

That sucks. The shop should pay for all costs, no doubt. Don't let them pick a crappy painter either, get the real deal.

...and what the heck is Ziebart?? Never heard of em...

looks bad get on there a$$es pronto

definitely needs to be repainted...and tell them that u'll send the invoice to them after the manager agrees to pay for it...bring it to a GOOD shop! if u let Ziebart choose the shop, they'll most likely send it to some cheap @ss shop to get the bumper repainted...

Ziebart is a franchise of "automotive services that renew, protect and preserve cars and trucks." I paid them $500 for the clear shield.

I just got back from Infiniti dealer, will probably hear back from them about the estimate tomorrow. How much would a repaint cost ? They would probably need to take off the clear shield to repaint which means even more money to put back on. The manager seems like he wants to do the fix at his store so I'm not sure if he will pay for anything at all.

The biggest cut is about 2 - 3 inches long while the smallest one is less than half an inch. What are my options if he refuses to pay for repaint.

Thank you so much for your help!

I'd take it to my own painter/bodyshop and get their opinion first. If they repaint the car, my installer recommends that the paint be allowed to fully harden. My installer has a disclaimer specifically for newly painted cars:

"My car has been repainted. Is it a good candidate for the Roadblock (3m clearbra/ventershiedl) paint protection system?

It is possible to cover repainted cars, however we recommend waiting at least thirty days after the paint application to insure proper curing. This is a recommendation, not a guarantee that no paint damage could occur during the installation. We could wait 6 months and still pull up paint depending on the quality of the paint job. All installations are at the customers own risk with regards to paint damage. Roadblock paint protection is recognized by many insurance companies and is routinely covered in accident claims. However, Roadblock will not be responsible for paint damage due to an installation. If paint or clear coat comes up during an installation, it is a paint issue, not an installation issue. Roadblock does not have any liability."




If the Ziebart place won't work with you
1. Report him to the BBB in your area
2. Small Claims Court (depending on damage cost and your time)

Also, he's also reduced the value of your car as now it's "repainted" so I'd get him for any devaluation of the vehicle.

I took the car to a local detailer and they said it might come off if they were able to take off the clear shield and buff it.

I thought Ziebart was a paint and undercoating shop(ya know, rust proofer....)? Maybe cars don't rust anymore, so now they install clear bras..... or at least try to.

Ziebart did a decent job with my window tints, but I have heard they're very hit-or-miss on clear shields. Also, they're super picky about what brands they use because they're a major chain and have supplier contracts with certain companies. Either way, they're a large enough company that they should take care of it, regardless of cost. Keep us posted!

Time for a lawyer, my friend. Sorry to hear.

Hey guys, thank you so much for all of your inputs. I decided to request a full refund and not risk any further damage by either buffing through the clear coat or repainting the bumper and have it not match. The manager just called me with the approval, should be here next week. The two cuts are under the bumper so it's really hard to see and the other ones is close to the shield it's hard to see too. The clear bra will stay on as it is; hope I made the right decision.