Recommend me an excellent bodyshop in Hampshire

[mischmaster]

My patience is starting to wear increasingly thin with businesses that have 5/5 reviews but who undertake a sub-par job. I'm seeing more and more places that are either incompetent at what they do, or just do half a job without any care.

I won't name the place yet as my challenge is ongoing with them, but I have just received my car back from a relatively simple paint job and my car has a ding in the paintwork that wasn't there before, and a marked alloy which also wasn't there before. Not to mention the actual job has been completed to a very average standard.

This is a place that has consistent 5.0/5.0 on Google reviews, Yell and other review sites. Are friends and family leaving reviews? Have I got exceptionally unlucky? I would usually give the benefit of the doubt and say it could be the latter, but this is now the 3rd car related incident I've had with companies that have 4.9 or 5.0 out of 5.0 in recent years, so I'm at a loss as to what more I can do. If you can no longer trust reviews, where does that leave you with finding a competent place?

So, come on PH, help me out!

I am looking for a body shop that is more than happy to undertake both small and big jobs. From respraying a whole bumper to sorting out a stone chip.

Clearly going on reviews is no longer enough, but some other highly rated places I have found are the following. Has anyone ever used any of these places and can vouch for the quality of their work?:

Lived 9 Lives Kustoms Ltd - Southampton
A1 Body Elite - Eastleigh
Extreme Finishing - Basingstoke

Thanks all

[Loopyleesa]

If you can travel to Christchurch, I highly recommend these guys

https://kustomkolors.co.uk/

I've had several cars and bike done by Colin. I personally wouldn't use anyone.

[zspere]

I too have had shoddy work from 5/5 rated places in Hampshire. Not tiny little imperfections, but fairly obvious things that just aren’t acceptable. There is a shop in Winnall which is very highly rated but I had to go back twice to get things rectified…

Abbey Sprays in Romsey is my go to now. I wouldn’t go anywhere else. Not just the work, but aftercare and time given to the customer to explain things. Top bunch of people, difficult parking though.

[Deranged Rover]

I don't know about bigger stuff, but for stone chips, scratch/dent repairs etc. my brother-in-law, my other brother-in-law, a friend and I can all vouch for South Coast Smart Repairs.

https://www.southcoastsmart.co.uk/

[NDA]

I used Beenham Bodyshop who are west of Reading (nearly Hampshire).

They did a terrific job on a car of mine (two rear wings, new metal welded in and resprayed) - but I am not sure they'd do smaller cosmetic repairs. PM me if you want contact details.