What can I do?

[cdtisri]

Guys - Help needed here I think!

Just had the car into be serviced by a main dealer to find when I have returned to the car it looks like it has been cliped/bumped while parked/at the garage. It has damage to the rear bumper and hatch , and am not talking just a scuff. I think the bumper is goshed (Has cracks on the top where I think it has flexed) and the hatch has a faint dent in it below the griffen badge.

I immediately advised the garage while on site - what did they say. Sorry nothing to do with us, must of been their already. I asked for the manager, got the same reply - What the hell am I going to do, I can't prove they did it, but know they did. I washed the car the night before I took it in just to try and show them that this is not a rep car but a private drivers car that looks after it - AM gutted.

Any idea's on what I can?? - I think all I can do is contact the old insurance company! The garage will get away with it........

GUTTED!!!

[AJA]

Tell them you're contacting the police as it's a hit and run.

Does the car park have CCTV in it bud?

[Paulmac07]

Guys - Help needed here I think!

Just had the car into be serviced by a main dealer to find when I have returned to the car it looks like it has been cliped/bumped while parked/at the garage. It has damage to the rear bumper and hatch , and am not talking just a scuff. I think the bumper is goshed (Has cracks on the top where I think it has flexed) and the hatch has a faint dent in it below the griffen badge.

I immediately advised the garage while on site - what did they say. Sorry nothing to do with us, must of been their already. I asked for the manager, got the same reply - What the hell am I going to do, I can't prove they did it, but know they did. I washed the car the night before I took it in just to try and show them that this is not a rep car but a private drivers car that looks after it - AM gutted.

Any idea's on what I can?? - I think all I can do is contact the old insurance company! The garage will get away with it........

GUTTED!!!

I think you're right mate. Unless you have absolute proof that the garage is responsible, all you can do is claim it through your own insurance......Nightmare.


Same thing happened to me 2 years ago, but I had protected No Claims, so not such a biggy.

[Doug-SRidirect]

Sorry to hear of your damage. Alas, there's nothing you can do - in the absence of an admission or a witness coming forward. Looks like you'll have to claim yourself (and swallow the bitter pills of NCB loss / excess payment / claim record). May be worth getting a quote before you even contact your insurance company - it could cost you less than a claim to pay out of your own pocket!
Doug

[AJA]

How about contacting Customer Services, they may contribute.

Repeat - have a look if the garage car park is covered by CCTV mate.

[SCOTTEX]

Well, you can tell us the name of the dealer so that anybody else here can stay away from them. I know its scant consolation. Its getting to the stage where we maybe forced into taking deatiled pictures of our cars before they go into the dealers and telling them that so they know we've got proof.

Another option is for us (the public) to develop our own inspection sheets. So that you give one to the service manager as you hand over the keys so that they can walk around the car with you to notify any scratches, etc. This is something I use now with hire cars, insisting that the person who hands over the keys walks around the car with me and we both sign and notify any scratches, etc. I got stung in Ireland with the car hire company debiting me £ 50 two days after I'd returned the car, saying that I had damaged the car when I hadn't.

[spoons]

You need to ask what there terms & conditions are regarding the vehicles safety before leaving any vehicle within their care. Ask for a copy of their terms anyway. If they dont have one, why not !!, do they have signs posted around the car park stating that vehicles are left at owners risk. If not they may have public liability insurance which you can claim on. Leave it to them to prove that they DIDNT cause the damage.

Speak with their Head Office or Vauxhall and raise an official complaint against the dealer stating that you are 100% certain that the damage was caused whilst in their care.

Contact a reputable car magazine - Autoexpress (as they have a car complaints editorial) and they may contact the dealer on your behalf to get a comment in reply to your acusation. The adverse publicity may prove overwhelming to the dealers MD who will offer to settle the claim amicably.

Good luck.

[JP7]

Really sorry to hear it, that's such a crappy thing to happen!

It's not going to help you now, but from my experience of working for a car dealership, it's always a good idea to go out to your car with a service advisor and agree the condition of the vehicle, and check the mileage. This way, if the mileage goes up unreasonably, or a new dent/scratch/scraped wheel appears, the service advisor should back you up.

At the dealership I work for (BMW, not Vauxhall), we have a policy that if a car gets damaged on our premises then the staff member who caused it will invariably have admitted it to management. There is no comeback on the staff member, no financial penalty or anything, the company repairs it and all is forgotten. This way, we know the employee who does it won't be too upset to admit it.

I'm always nervous when my car goes to the Vauxhall dealer, their yard is extremely cramped and on a steep hill, with little parking, so it would be so easy to cause damage to someone's car. I always thoroughly check the car with the driver when they collect it and when they bring it back.

[cdtisri]

Thanks all for your comments - I will explore the options and let you know. Thanks again