Gerber Collision & Glass - Palatka

I dropped my 2015 Nissan Altima off to Gerber Collision & Glass in Palatka, Fl on March 16, 2016. My car was rear ended causing damage to the bumper, trunk and quarter panel. When I dropped my car off it was about 10 AM, I have received a phone call every day since the 16th telling me that my car was ready. Every time I have visited the shop to inspect my car, it has been presented to me with less than adequate workmanship. The first visit on March 17th to “pick-up” my car, a little over 24 hours from the time I dropped it off, I immediately popped my trunk. There was a huge gap between the car body and the bumper. You could clearly see that the bumper was not installed correctly because you could see the ground clearly through the gap. I looked in my trunk and the plastic piece was not replaced nor was the trunk latch. The plastic piece was still visibly separated from the carpet in my trunk. I was told that they would get the plastic piece on order and would correct the bumper. The following day, March 18th I was called again to come and pick up my car. This time I showed up to the shop and my car was sitting outside of their gate. After getting an associate and having him inspect the car with me again, the gap in the bumper was still there. The gap was smaller but still visible. My rental car happens to be a 2015 Nissan Altima as well, so I showed him the difference between the two. He agreed that the work was not correct and he had his best guy on this. I told him that the work he was presenting me with was less than mediocre and it was becoming a waste of time to come up there every day when the gap was still clearly visible. And on the left quarter panel it was not in line with the rest of the car. When running your hand over the area you could feel it protruding from the car. He then advised me that they could just stick a retainer in there to fix it. He asked me to give him another chance at fixing it. The plastic piece was installed but it still does not fit seamlessly like it should and the trunk still not open/close to my satisfaction. There was air seeping in my window after the accident and he advised me that since the repairs were done, it should have corrected that as well. We left on the understanding that he would have the bumper and quarter panel repaired. I was called again on March 21st within 24 business hours of my previous visit to come and pick up my car. This time when entering their office I was presented with my keys and my paperwork and asked to give them an “excellent” survey. The associate I had been working with was busy with another client and the front desk associate asked if she could join me in inspecting my car. We walked out to my car and once I opened the trunk, there was still a gap between the car and the bumper. The gap was much smaller but it was there, I could physically put my finger in the gap. The line for the bumper and the tail light did not line up like the other side. I advised her that I would not be accepting the car and gave her back the paperwork and keys. I called back into the shop maybe 10 minutes later to see if I could speak with my associate again. He advised me that without having another vehicle to compare it to, he didn’t know what else they could do. Seeing as how I am still in my rental I let him know I’d be there in 5 minutes. When pulling up to the shop, there were 3-4 associates standing around my vehicle and I entered the office. The manager and the associate came out to inspect my rental and I showed him how there is no gap what so ever in the bumper and it fit seamlessly. We all inspected my vehicle together and I showed them the gap and how the bumper didn’t line up. He said that there was a manufacturer standard of being 5mm off. As they were looking at the gap, they said that they were unsure of what else they could do. That there “wasn’t that much damage” to my car originally and if they were to push the bumper in any more there was a bar preventing it. They were advising me that there was only so much they could do because of the structure of the car. I advised them that I would not be accepting the car in this condition as it is a brand new vehicle. They tried to compromise with me to “meet in the middle” as they have put the bumper on and have tried correcting with no avail. Seeing as how the vehicle had barely 7,000 miles on it at the time of the accident I let them know that I would not be accepting anything substandard. I am left feeling absolutely insulted and completely unconfident in the workmanship that was performed on my car.