ok so i just bought my new 98 eclipse gs. the person i bought it from did a shitty job trying to repaint the the flaking paint. he did it with a spray can. how should i correct this error?

You can go to any auto parts store and pick up waterproof sandpaper. Get a few sheets of 500 grit and a bucket of water and begin wet sanding the flaked areas.

depending on the amount of money you're willing to invest to correct this will determine the solution.

if you want to go the most expensive/cleanest route take it to a paint place.

or you can either have just the spots where he f'd up fixed but it won't blend very well.

or you can attempt to fix it yourself, something i wouldn't recommend unless you're comfortable with paint/bodywork

If your going to try and do this yourself, check out this thread.