trouble getting my bumpers painted

[calicranberry]

having been thru the tape mark/bumper painted thing, here are my thoughts.
first, i thought since the bumper TSB, that dealers were not replacing and painting. just preping the bumpers and painting with a gray paint similar to the original gray color. know that someone on PTE (i think?) had it done even though warranty was expired. could be worth asking dealer about.
second, before i found a dealer that would replace and paint, i went to several body shops. all but two said to sand first, mostly so the paint would stick better (and the two that would just paint would not guarantee the work). the dealer who did my repair said they painted cruiser bumpers all the time and found sanding worked best. a year later, my cranberry bumpers do not have a scratch or nick, while the area around my grill and head lights have really started to show chips and damage. so i'd say get them painted, but find a shop that will do all the work or at least give a guarantee.