Member Since: 25 Feb 2011
Location: Warwickshire
Posts: 4
I am the business in question so I will take this opportunity to reply. By the way, in answer to the person who said we probably employ minimum wage chimps, we do not. My guys are paid well above the average wage and are selected from about 50 applicants in reply to an add with the headline, "Wanted: Fittest person in Warwickshire". They are chosen because they are keen sportsmen and work out regularly and eat properly. They are fed a "health food meal" at lunchtimes.
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Apologies for starting my first post on this forum with a rant.
Also apologies to those of you who also read the other forum, as I have posted this there too, but I wanted to reach the largest audience.
Having weighed the pros and cons, I decided at the end of last year to get my disco waxoyled, as it has been the best car I ever owned and I intend to keep it indefinitely.
So last month I took it to the guy who advertises in LRO every month and who everybody recommends whenever this subject comes up. All the recommendations I'd heard were from owners of older leaf-sprung or coil-sprung Land Rover products so I specifically asked him if he had done modern Land Rovers before and he said yes.
So I dropped the vehicle off with him first thing in the morning. In retrospect, the alarm bells should have started ringing then as I had to show him how to lower the spare wheel and he said that they don't normally do that, but at the time I was still confident in his reputation.
No - we don't usually lower the spare wheel. There are some electrical connectors and other gubbins which Land Rover have hidden behind the spare wheel to protect them from overzealous pressure washing and dirt/abrasion etc. I think the spare wheel is best left in situ. There is never any dirt there so the area does not need pressure washing. We can get behind the wheel to squirt behind it pretty well. It is not an area that rusts or will ever rust so if there is a spot or two that is not coated it does not really matter. (We concentrate on doing a proper job on the bits that do matter like inside the sills which are very complex and need quite a lot of skill and experience to inject properly)
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I went away. I came back at 5 o'clock to find him not finished, so I had to wait.
Then he told me that they had accidentally broken off my nearside wing mirror.
'Oh well!' I thought, accidents happen, it was the season of good will after all.
Does this need to be mentioned? You got a quote for fixing it by phone and I knocked it off the bill without quibbling did I not?
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I went to inspect the wing mirror and found that they had also managed to completely flatten the battery, to the extent that it was just flashing odd red lights on the dash. Slightly annoyed now, but he has a charger so we put it on charge while the boy finished cleaning the car. The car which was filthy. Now the detailed Terms and Conditions that he sends you in the post before the job do include the warning that there may be the odd smear of waxoyl on the paintwork, but it was entirely covered, right up to the roofrack in sticky waxoyl overspray, which he was cleaning off with white spirit.
You left while I was still in the middle of cleaning it. You have admitted as much in writing to me. Need I say more?
Whilst the battery charged, I phoned a Land Rover dealer and got a price of £240 to have the wing mirror replaced and after a bit of negotiation he agreed to knock this off the price. So I paid the difference and left, disappointed about the wing mirror, but at least confident that he has a good reputation for the waxoyling.
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This week I took it to my friendly neighbourhood independent Land Rover chap to sort the wing mirror and to bolt back on all the underbody plates that the waxoyl guy wanted removed before the job.
Imagine how I felt then when my Land Rover guy called me at work to ask who had done the undersealing as it was the worst job he had ever seen.
In the immortal words of Mandy Rice-Davies, "He would say that wouldn't he?" After many years of being left alone by the trade, I find that my years of double page spreads in Land Rover Owner, extolling the virtues of waxoyl have created a market for rustproofing that other people are happy to service. So a negative report from a competitor has to be taken with at least a pinch of salt!
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The problems were:
- significant patches had no waxoyl eg. the boot floor and the inside of all wheel arches behind the plastic liners
There were not significant patches not covered. We do not spray behind the plastic wheel arch liners. Why would we? The wheel arch liners prevent abrasion damage and dirt hitting the steel underneath. The steel behind the liners will not rust for a hundred years.
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- everything else underneath, irrespective of what it was made of had a liberal coating, eg. plastic compressor cover, plastic wheel arch liners, air springs, exhaust, fuel burning heater, rubber brake hoses, and most ridiculous - he had thoroughly covered the inside of every alloy wheel!
- the paintwork is still completely covered in a thin, but sticky film of waxoyl.
A great deal of exaggeration here I think. Yes the plastic liners were coated. We don't usually coat those and it was an excess of zeal on the part of my operative. However, you could easily make the case that he did the right thing - giving everything underneath the same uniform finish.
A little bit of overspray sometimes goes on the exhaust. So what? Once the exhaust gets hot it soons burns off. If it does not burn off then its protecting the exhaust isn't it? We are not too worried if a little bit goes on the inside of the wheels. Its not an area anyone sees or particularly looks at. You say "rubber brake hoses". I think you will find they are plastic (only about 2/3 inches long from memory.)
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I would be interested to hear what you all think about whether I am over-reacting or not.
gasman
Yes - you are over-reacting.
27th Apr 2011 4:46 pm
John C
Member Since: 28 Aug 2007
Location: East Yorkshire
Posts: 3292
Welcome to the forum...
I'll be honest, (not that the above post is an example of this), but I've always been put off using your services (which sound great in theory) as I feel you can come across pretty aggressively on the various web forums...
Just saying... 2020 SDV6 D5 HSE, Carpathian Grey +
2022 Tesla Model Y LR... almost Carpathian Grey
Previously : 2005 TDV6 SE Auto, Cairns Blue (288K) - ours for 16 years
27th Apr 2011 4:54 pm
disco_steve
Member Since: 25 Aug 2009
Location: Are you sure this is the M5 ?
Posts: 1498
I would get legal advice from the CAB, AA or RAC and see what they suggest.
Don't let his 'threats' put you off, if you do your homework and keep cool you should be fine. and his suggestion of extionate costs is irrelevent, the court will decide what is reasonible or not in the unlikely event of you loosing (which, looking at the workmanship) would be unlikely Never get mad - get even !!
06 D3 now gone to family member and still going strong at 265k
previous vehicles:
04 D2 TD5 - (clocked 189k from new)
52 X-Trail 2.2 SVE
various euro boxes !
27th Apr 2011 5:02 pm
Discoed
Member Since: 16 Jun 2010
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 1020
I would keep away if only for reasons of price! I got a 110 done by a local specialist. Admittedly he didn't go the extra mile and knock my mirror off or flatten the battery or lather the brakes but then he did only charge £80 - now that seems like a sensible price to me.
27th Apr 2011 5:15 pm
chrissyboy
Member Since: 25 Feb 2011
Location: Warwickshire
Posts: 4
John C wrote:
Welcome to the forum...
I'll be honest, (not that the above post is an example of this), but I've always been put off using your services (which sound great in theory) as I feel you can come across pretty aggressively on the various web forums...
Just saying...
Fair comment. But try to see things from my point of view. A lot of the people who give me a hard time on forums are actually people with a vested interest, like people who make their living from welding on new cross members etc. who are able to hide behind the anonymity of forums.
Cheers Chris.
27th Apr 2011 5:19 pm
ruggedpeak
Member Since: 10 Jun 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 1625
Having looked at the pics again, other than checking that there is waxoyl inside the chassis, panels etc, is to question why the inside of the wheels etc are covered?
For a business to waste a significant amount of product on areas that don't need doing is a bit odd. The whole point is to protect the chassis/body work, not mechanical parts that will be replaced through wear etc any way. It does suggest the operative concerned did not understand what they were doing, and wasting the boss' money.
If the inside of the chassis, inside the doors etc is done then that's the main thing. I wouldn't expect, nor experienced significant overspray when I had my D2 done elsewhere.
Easiest thing is to review the job in the light of the article in July or August 2010 issue of LRO where the Editor had his D3 done fully monty style by Nene and compare with your job. His job was charged at about £750 including extras iirc. This would be a good benchmark.Tony
Club RLD Wheel Protector & Sump Guard
Club 4x4 Info activated
A lot of the people who give me a hard time on forums are actually people with a vested interest, like people who make their living from welding on new cross members etc. who are able to hide behind the anonymity of forums.
erm...
chrissyboy wrote:
It's laughing gas I use - I'm an anaesthetist.
Or are you suggesting he is lying...?
chrissyboy wrote:
But try to see things from my point of view.
maybe we should see things from this point of view:
Click image to enlarge
As has been said in various posts in this thread - lets hope there hasn't been damage with height sensors, suspension airbags, brakes, alloy wheels etc
For someone that states they know what is behind the spare wheel and that it doesn't get dirty, there seems to have been the opposite care and attention taken with areas that most certainly do have electrical connectors etc.
Oh, and for your information - the area behind the spare wheel most certainly does get wet, dirty and muddy.
Apologies for a bit of rant...but after seeing your posts on other forums and the feedback and stories from other customers I think the only person with a "vested interest" is you - otherwise you would not be posting the same statements on this forum and on disco3club...The next American ex-pat that calls it a "truck" is going to find out what 2.7 tons feels like on their foot...
Club "yes, I too have had the EGR's replaced..."
Club "yes, I too have had the compressor replaced..."
Club "yes, I too once had the car at the dealer for a couple of weeksnearly 4 weeksover 4 weeks...5 weeks"
Club "yes, I too have had EPB failure..."
Club "yes, I too get mysterious bings and bongs..."
27th Apr 2011 6:21 pm
MacLeod 313
Member Since: 18 Apr 2008
Location: away
Posts: 10723
Shocking
Driving through a molten pool of Bitumen would have created a better protection that that abismal attempt, and would have caused less damage. If it were my car, I can assure you it would have been the last vehicle you worked on.
27th Apr 2011 6:28 pm
grzesiul
Member Since: 11 May 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 6266
that is completely feckup alloy rim
fook!!!! nene takes all the wheels off for waxoyl what a job not mentioning the rest of fragile stuff on the suspension there
27th Apr 2011 6:29 pm
fmb123
Member Since: 04 Jan 2011
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 125
MacLeod 313 wrote:
Shocking
Driving through a molten pool of Bitumen would have created a better protection that that abismal attempt, and would have caused less damage. If it were my car, I can assure you it would have been the last vehicle you worked on.
can't believe people like this are allowed to trade. wonder how gasman got on following this up?
27th Apr 2011 6:39 pm
MacLeod 313
Member Since: 18 Apr 2008
Location: away
Posts: 10723
Well, looking at more pictures of this, and the cavalier attitude of the owner of the WaxBodge Facility, I would hope the vast network of LR owners and across these sites there's enough collective knowledge to stop any further owner considering using them.
27th Apr 2011 6:51 pm
chalky
Member Since: 22 Aug 2008
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 3145
From what I have read on here and on other forums this blatant attempt to blame all and sundry for the inept, shoddy lack lustre, amateurish workmanship bestowed upon your vehicle is indeed the tip of the ice burg !
It's bad enough b@llsing up the blokes car but blaming the fittest bloke in Warwickshire is nothing more than a joke !
Try showing the bloke where to apply the product you so expertly ram down peoples throats and stop feeding him hippy juice ! Take responsibility for your employees lack of understanding of the product you use and the vehicle that he is working on ! Stop blowing smoke up each others arses and tune yourselves into the fact that in business lifes like that !
You up you loose business !
I've read countless posts referring to your lack of customer care and the fact that you refuse to take any responsibility for either your own or your employees actions !
It's bad enough you one of us off
Why you would come on here embarrassing yourself Is beyond me ?
27th Apr 2011 6:52 pm
John C
Member Since: 28 Aug 2007
Location: East Yorkshire
Posts: 3292
chalky wrote:
... Welcome to Yorkshire, pal...
2020 SDV6 D5 HSE, Carpathian Grey +
2022 Tesla Model Y LR... almost Carpathian Grey
Previously : 2005 TDV6 SE Auto, Cairns Blue (288K) - ours for 16 years
27th Apr 2011 7:08 pm
chrissyboy
Member Since: 25 Feb 2011
Location: Warwickshire
Posts: 4
chrissyboy wrote:
But try to see things from my point of view.
maybe we should see things from this point of view:
Click image to enlarge
Lets try and look at this without getting hysterical shall we?
The operative has sprayed the brake components and the protective cover which covers the brake disc. This protective cover rusts and indeed was rusty in this case I believe. The brake components are mechanical and some electrical - thus prone to salt damage. Waxoyl is ideal for protecting against this kind of damage. Indeed the old Finnegans Waxoyl cans used to show a diagragm of a distributor being sprayed with waxoyl to stop the electrics being affected by moisture. He has oversprayed some onto the suspension bag. and some on the wheel rim which is unavoidable. He should have wiped these areas with a rag to give a neat looking job. He hasn't. Does it matter? The waxoyl will not damage the suspension bag. Once it is set, waxoyl is mainly parafin wax with some sulfonates. It will not harm the rubber. As for the bit on the wheel rims - who is going to see that apart from a mechanic and the mot inspector?
Cheers Chris
27th Apr 2011 7:21 pm
DiscoDunc
Member Since: 08 May 2006
Location: Bristol
Posts: 16390
mixed views though.. Duncan
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Shocking 
job not mentioning the rest of fragile stuff on the suspension there
