Hampden Auto Body

I was referred to Hampden Auto Body by multiple friends and associates. After doing some research and seeing the reviews and accreditations of the shop, I decided I would give them a try. I had to wait 3 months for an appointment, as it was the busy season for them. I went in for the first estimate as soon as I could. After getting the first estimate written up, I did have many questions. I eventually got in touch with Mike, as the previous employee I talked to was no longer with the company. Mike was extremely helpful, informative, and knowledgeable about any questions I had. I also had a second estimate that was for other repairs not related to the first. They assisted in both, as the first involved my insurance company. They also handled the rental vehicle, as insurance had to pay for it. While my vehicle was in the repair process, I received update emails as to the progress of repairs. I did have to stop by to retrieve some items out of my vehicle, and was walked through the damage to the vehicle piece by piece. I had requested to have all OEM parts installed, and they made it happen with the insurance company. The entire repair process took 2 weeks, from drop-off to completion. After getting my vehicle back, we did a quick walk-around and finished paperwork. It was my mistake that I did not look at the work closely at that time. Later when I was home, I started to inspect my vehicle closely. Turns out, there are numerous chips and imperfections in the NEW paint work. The paint work was on brand new OEM parts, as there was nothing to strip or paint over and no imperfections to begin with. All of the sections painted have “orange peel”, and there is a section where there is noticeable “running” of the paint. On other parts of the vehicle, that were to be “blended”, there are chips and imperfections protruding from the blended sections. On the front of the hood, which was new OEM and unpainted, there are 2 large drops of clear coat hanging off, and running of the clear coat. There is a similar drop of clear coat off the side of the new bumper. Underneath the hood, there was a sticker that was just painted over, and is now peeling up from under the paint. Lastly, there is a section of the bumper, close to the fog lights, that did not receive any clear coat. I didn’t expect a 5-star, show quality paint job, but the paint work turned out mediocre at best. I am very upset that a window switch bezel, that was loose, was “fixed” with glue. I knew that it was previously broken, and it was nowhere in the estimates or in any agreement that it would be addressed or touched. It was set to be replaced by myself when I got my vehicle back. I was never consulted with or asked if I wanted it “fixed”, in which I would have declined. There was not a single drop of glue anywhere in or around my vehicle before now. I now can’t remove the bezel, as it is now glued directly to the armrest, and there is glue coming out from under it, that is visible. The use of glue and not asking if the repair is wanted, is something I’d expect from a cheap and low quality shop, but not Hampden. In addition, there are zero fender liner retainers, where there were previously. Before I sent my vehicle in, I inspected these, as there were 2 per liner. There is now zero, where there are many empty holes for retainers. There is also a retainer missing on the underside of the hood to hold the “shield” in place. There is now a section of that shield that is unsecured and loose, that moves with the incoming air. It seems that something as minor as plastic retainers shouldn’t be a problem, but they were not reinstalled or replaced. On the right side of the vehicle, that the insurance company was paying to fix, the old scratched up and damaged trim panel was reinstalled as is. This should have been replaced or repaired as it was part of the insurance claim. It was not repaired or replaced. I now have a decent looking door with a scratched and damaged trim section which could have been repaired. The shop also allowed me to reclaim my old parts, but did not provide all the pieces to my grille assembly. Without the second piece, I cannot repair my old grille to practice, or have a backup. I am very particular about my vehicles, and everything that happens to them. I had approved everything in the estimates, but nothing extra or not included. There is a reason I paid more for OEM parts, walked through the damage on the vehicle, and talked closely with Mike. I understand that the shop has to keep their costs to a minimum, but it should not sacrifice quality. If money was a factor of quality, I would have been willing to pay more for better quality. But when I am provided with a quote, it is implied that I will receive quality work for the price the shop has requested. I do not believe that the workmanship was that of a several thousand dollar price tag. Hampden Auto Body was referred to me by a couple of friends and associates. It is an accredited body shop, but did not live up to the standards that come with it. The paint work was mediocre at best, with many imperfections, even on the brand new OEM parts. Imperfections included: running of paint, drops of clear-coat hanging off of body, painted over sticker, a section without clear-coat, and chips that were clear-coated over. They also used glue to repair a loose bezel without asking me, which was to be repaired myself. The vehicle was returned with zero fender liner retainers, where there were previously. There was also a trim panel that was to be repaired at the cost of the insurance company, but was not touched. Lastly, when I was provided my old parts, there was a section of my grille assembly I was not given. The work was not worth the several thousand dollar price, and I would not recommend this business to anyone, purely due to the poor work.