In reply to Neil Williams:
> I subscribe to the "it should not be possible to tell visually that there has been a repair" view,
Plus 1.
A couple of years ago I found a note on the windscreen of my Mercedes SLK. It was from my neighbour, a taxi driver, who owns the parking space next to mine, appologising but he had scratched my front wing. Not only very honest but he said please take it to the Mercedes main dealer and he would pay the full cost of repair/paint repairs.
I took it down to Mercedes who looked at it and after much teeth sucking and head shaking said it would need a complete moulded plastic front end and respray - £1200 to £1500. I was staggered but told my neighbour who went white but said as it was his fault go ahead.
I thought, no, this is ridiculous, so I took the car to a little back street garage who do car repairs and resprays. They said they could patch it and respray the patch for £175. I told them to go ahead.
When I collected the car it was impossible to tell that it had been damaged and respayed to the damaged area.
Result the neighbour and I were, and remain firm friends.I respect his honesty for owning up in the first place and he was delighted that I didn't insist on Mecedes doing the job..
Don't touch main dealers, go to a reputable small car repair firm.