Some stupid kid dinged my door!

I pulled into a public car park yesterday evening, on my way to the gym. Once I parked the car I realised I had to make a call, so I'm sat there chatting away and I can see this young couple walking over. The young lad goes to the car next to me (a fairly beat up Citroen AX) and his lady friend goes to the ticket machine. Now it was fairly windy..... so he opens the passenger door and climbs in (obviously the driver door doesn't open) and as he gets in I hear 'BANG'.. so I cut my call short and wander round the car to survey the damage.

Sure enough two burgundy coloured dents in the door...

I was fairly angry as he didn't even say sorry or get out the car or anything and his girlfriend wandered over and got in the car like they were leaving..

I'm banging on the window politely trying to explain that they need to pay for this now.... anyway when I peered in the lad was actually about 17 and openly admitted, 'I don't know what to do this has never happened to me'.. which made me feel sufficiently guilty for going off it....

So I have his name, address, phone number, insurance company, a picture of his car, a picture of the car with the door open (whilst he was filling out his details for me), and the door next to my car with the dents in... hopefully all bases covered.

Now I can either;

1. Get a price for the job - which involves me leaving work early to get a quote, dropping the car off for the work to be done, dropping Charlotte at work on the day, and using her car whilst the work is done i.e. lots of running around for me.

or

2. Claim it and do it all through the insurance, courtesy car, easy street...

I had a chat with my Dad and he says the lad could just bugger off as it's on private property so not covered by insurance..? but surely in it's lowest form this is vandalism?

Help me people! what should I do?

I'd get a quote and tell them to pay or it's being reported to the insurance company.

that's what i did when some old fool reversed into me.

don't I only have so long to report the claim though?

don't I only have so long to report the claim though?

Not sure, check the T's and C's.

You can always file a claim and then tell them to forget it should they pay up. Just don't sign the paperwork they send. It'll take a few days for them to send you this.

Similar happened to me a long time ago.

phone someone like dents away (assuming your paint isn't chipped and their paint will just t-cut off) and see if they can come and look at it and give you an idea of cost.....then phone the lad for a contribution..........this IMO will be the 'easiest' way.....

don't I only have so long to report the claim though?

yeah, just do it asap.

won't take long to get a quote, the guy i used just looked at it and said £100, phoned the guy who hit me and had a cheque within a couple of days.

still havent' had the bumper resprayed yet

 

dropping Charlotte at work on the day, and using her car whilst the

Who said I'm going to let you use my car?

Who said I'm going to let you use my car?

quit it shorty....

Yep I think I'll log the claim now and then run it round to the place I got my other scrapes repaired at tomorrow....

Always nice to get a sanity check on here first!

Thanks

This just happened to me.

Caught them driving off. I went to the coppers though and they said as it is a public access area then it is policed. His car and his insurance so it is officially an RTA.

My problem was it was the passenger who let the door go so they weren't sure what the charge would be. Still he admitted it was his fault to the copper so it should be getting fixed.

I have had two quotes, one for £193 and one for £250 to take the dent out and respray the door. The cheap garage say they can pull it out (not exactly deep) and the second want to remove the door and take all the electrics off. I'm waiting for the blokes prefered fixer to come and have a look though.

m.

Really sorry to hear this Mike and hope its sorted soon.

Dents can be pulled out easily.

Had three done on mine.

Cost me £50.

id try and do it without informing the insurance first. speak to the guy and let him know youll get a couple of quotes for the work. Even ask the sprayer if he'll knock off the VAT for paying cash, then charge the young lad VAT.. and hey presto a few quid for you

mention its being reported to the police and the insurance company, maybe even to the drivers insurance company, and he'll shit himself and do everyhting he can to pay for the repair.

I had a chat with my Dad and he says the lad could just bugger off as it's on private property so not covered by insurance..?

Don't think that can be true, or you could just go round ramming people in car parks!?

I've made a succesful claim in the past against some woman who reversed into me in a car park once.

Hope you get it all sorted, mate.

 

So I have his name, address, phone number

I know what I would bloody well do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know what I would bloody well do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

calm down it was an accident, people don,t go round damaging cars on purpose you know:rolleyes:

calm down it was an accident, people don,t go round damaging cars on purpose you know:rolleyes:

Do you know matey, I have seen sufficient people dinging cars in car parks where they don't give a toss to the outcome.

This young fellow certainly doesn't seem to have been that bothered until Sonic Soop pulled him aside!

So my comments stay!

The parking spaces where i work are really tight and the rare occasion i commute in the car, i'm worried that one of my collegues will ding my doors. Not sure of the best policy for getting damage paid for should it happen.

This happened to me a few weeks back in Tesco's car park, the young lad that let his door go was very sorry (made a hell of a bang), but I was in luck as his door hit my door handle, not the door itself. I'm always carefull not to smack anyone elses car, an always hold the door when its windy. I think alot of people just don't think about what might happen, or they don't care. Hope yours is sorted easily SonicSoop.

I'm always carefull not to smack anyone elses car, and always hold the door when its windy.

A fine upstanding member of the Her Majesty’s Armed Forces – bring back National Service I say and get those ‘dinging-door’ civilians sorted out!

bring back National Service I say and get those ‘dinging-door’ civilians sorted out!

It'd sort out more than the door dinging twats.

It's proper out of order when this sorta thing happens.

It's a shame because with these cars one of the down-sides is the thin metalwork on the doors. It seems to pick up dents very easily, and is the same on all Toyota's.

It'd sort out more than the door dinging twats.

Indeed Sir - Agreed 100%!

 

I had a chat with my Dad and he says the lad could just bugger off as it's on private property so not covered by insurance..?

Not the case, I think that any car park that leads onto a public highway is treated as a continuation of the road as far as insurance goes

Mike, you are like 73 foot tall, im sure he was bricking it!!

He openly admitted he didnt have a clue, so if he starts backpedalling after you get the quiote i should just tower over him and im pretty sure any defiance will melt away