You are correct about the black up front, yes they did it so you wouldn't see the red when veiwed from the side, and yes, it was a poor job, mine looked the same. You'll also notice that they didn't get much red paint under yours, mine also looked the same. Most people add a lot more body color under the wheel wells than the factory ever did (often leaving a lot of bare metal and thin primered areas) when repainting their cars, this will make the color show even more, making the blackout even more important to cover it up.