Champion repairer found in Cornwall

[philharve]

Hi All

I have been waiting around 9 months for M-B to authorize the repair of corrosion to the upper window channel of the rear nearside door of my M-B; a common problem for many models of a particular age.

Authorization was eventually given and the repair undertaken and completed to a very high standard.

The repairer, Keith J. Rule & Son, Nanpean, nr St Austell, Cornwall, (01726 822005) was selected because they met or exceeded M-B?s quality standards in all key areas. Furthermore, Keith J. Rule & Son is the current holder of a prestigious national bodyshop award.

The following press release, dated 20th October, appeared in the Bodyshop Magazine: -

?St Austell bodyshop rules the roost with national award.

Motorists in Cornwall can now have their vehicles repaired at an award winning bodyshop. Specialist car repairer, KJ Rule & Son Crash Repairer, based in St Austell, has won the Small Bodyshop of the Year award at the prestigious Bodyshop Magazine Industry Events Awards ceremony, held in London.

Excellent managements systems, a structured approach to measuring performance, closely monitored customer satisfaction and excellent standards of work all contributed to KJ Rule & Son Crash Repair?s success.

Small Bodyshop of the Year is one of the most closely fought categories of the Bodyshop Magazine Awards. Quality of repair, standard of equipment and customer care are key to the success of a small bodyshop. KJ Rule & Son Crash Repair excelled in these areas by constantly meeting and exceeding expectations.

Note to editors
The Bodyshop Magazine Industry Event was first held in 1997 to celebrate the publication?s 10th anniversary. It was such an overwhelming success that it has now become an annual event, attended by professionals from every facet of the bodyshop industry.

The Awards were established to recognise and reward excellence within the automotive repair and refinish industry. In total, there are 19 Awards categories ranging from Young Panel Technician of the Year to Independent Bodyshop of the Year.

Images available upon request.

For further information, please contact:
Emily Miles
Bodyshop Magazine
Tel: 01296 642809
Fax: 01296 640044?



KJ Rule & Son was runner-up in the Small Bodyshop of the Year Award in 2004 and won the Award in 2005. They also possess a clutch of other quality awards.

I asked Keith for information concerning the range of services his company provides and he supplied the following written statement: -

?Dear Customer,

Just a few lines to clarify the situation if you are unfortunate enough to be involved in an accident, whether the fault lies with you or someone else. You will have probably heard that insurance companies dictate where you take your vehicle for repair, this is not the case. As a policyholder, you have the right by law to have repairs carried out to your vehicle where you request.

If you wish to use us for repairs I will be only to pleased to help you. All you need to do is phone the above number. We can then recover your vehicle if required, prepare an estimate and liaise with your insurance company for authorisation. We will also provide you with a company car, at no cost to you, whilst your vehicle is in for repair.

If you have been involved in a non-fault accident and you have third party or fully comprehensive insurance, we can appoint a solicitor, if needed to deal with your claim, any out of pocket expenses and protect your no claims bonus, again at no cost to you.

We guarantee to carry out repairs to the highest possible standard, using the latest up to date equipment and paint.

Please don?t hesitate to contact me if you have any queries or require further information regarding an insurance claim. Just remember, you have the right to have your vehicle repaired wherever you want.

Safe motoring.

Keith Rule?

Amongst the list of facilities/features offered by this business are: -

? Two full low bake spray booths
? A Celette Jig for accurate chassis alignment
? Recovery service
? BMW specialists
? Free courtesy cars
? Free valet
? All work guaranteed
? 25 years experience

I did not choose to have KJ Rule & Son perform the corrosion repairs to my M-B. They were selected by M-B because they offer the highest possible standards of repair in Cornwall and no job, no matter how big or small, would be rejected. Despite their undoubted expertise with BMW, KL Rule & Son are prepared to undertake work on any make or type of vehicle. Their rates are also amongst the lowest in the business and they will give free estimates for any type of work.

I have my M-B back and there is no evidence of the door having been removed, stripped, repaired and repainted, save for the repair itself, which was invisibly blended with the surrounding paintwork.

I was without my car for 3 days during which I was given a brand new courtesy car, a 1.2 Corsa, for which I only needed to purchase petrol. My M-B was valeted before it was returned to me, once again without charge.

Keith reported to me that the corrosion repair was necessary because of inadequate paint thickness in the window channel; this allowed rainwater to collect thereby initiating rust. Extra paint was added to the channel on top of a top quality rust inhibitor that was applied after shot blasting to remove all signs of corrosion. The repair is now better than new and should last for the life of the vehicle without further attention.

There is a small rust spot forming along the trailing edge of the bonnet and on the offside A post. Both spots are due to thin paint according to Keith who has undertaken to chase a new corrosion claim (thin paint) on my behalf.

M-B cannot fail to ignore the recommendation of a ?champion? repairer but they may use the 'untreated stone chip' argument to avoid the costs of repair which M-B tightly control. According to Keith, M-B fixed the door repair at just 3 hours which seems ludicrously short. A bonnet respray is typically 5 hours work and £300.

I therefore have no hesitation in recommending KJ Rule & Son to other MBOA members whether living in Cornwall, or not.

Full details follow:-

KJ Rule & Son Crash Repair Centre
Hills Farm
Drinnick Road
Nanpean
St Austell
Cornwall
PL26 7YW

Tel: 01726 822005
VAT Reg. No.: 337 3108 72

MVRA Member
Insurance Approved
High Quality Repairs
Low Bake Spray Booths and Body Jig
BMW Specialists
25 Years Experience
All Work Guaranteed

The location of the business requires either a very good street map or GPS.

REGARDS Phil

 

[philharve]

Hi All

I am back at Keith J Rule's bodyshop again, the third time since buying my Mercedes. However, I believe each visit will bring me closer to having a C-class that is essentially free of serious corrosion and will continue to give many years of sterling service.

The reality of Mercedes-Benz ownership for many E and C-class owners, those with vehicles of 'a certain age' (circa. 1998 - 2002) is that repeated visits to the bodyshop to sort out corrosion problems will become a familiar activity.

I now realise that when I purchased my C230K I was entering into a life-long, three-way relationship: M-B Customer Service, the bodyshop and me.

I am over the shock of finding out that M-Bs do rust and expensive repairs are unavoidable and necessary if you want to keep the car.

My initial reaction to finding out that M-B had a serious corrosion problem - one of their own making - was anger. However, having seen what a good bodyshop can do, I am feeling much less stressed about ownership. But I have become very much sensitized to the rust issue and I will go out of my way to examine other Mercedes saloons if I see them parked up in the street or carpark. I know where to look for rust and corrosion-free examples are very much in the minority. Shame.

I've heard it reported that M-B is paying out a GBP1,000,000 per day in corrosion repairs and IMHO they have a duty to meet these costs. However, I have heard from someone in the trade that M-B dealerships often respond to corrosion claims by putting the blame on the owner. The 'untreated stone chip damage, owner's responsibility' excuse is very common. Many owners simply give up at the first rejection and eventually sell their cars. That's how I aquired mine. However, persistence can pay dividends and bypassing the dealership and contacting M-B directly can bring positive results.

Since my car was purchased by the original owner - I'm No. 2 - I've had one door repaired twice and the bonnet resprayed. Now I'm having another door repaired and all 4 wheel arches repainted. The door seals and channels of all 4 doors will be examined/repaired. A ding in the r/o/s wing will be removed and a wing mirror repainted. The ding and mirror damage was caused by a couple careless drivers whilst my car was parked. I would like to think the other drivers damaged their own vehicles in the incidents but the chances are they are not the kind of drivers who take pride in their own vehicles.

REGARDS

Phil

 

[jerseymike68]

I have the Corsa too and love it, my brother got his used from craigslist but I wanted a valid warranty so I got it here. Corsa Exhaust 14119, or you can try one of the sponsors here on the f