Window cleaner damaged our car...

alicol29

This happened a month ago, we heard, but not saw, the clunk followed by the window cleaner saying to his mate 'I've just hit that car with my ladder'. Couldn't go straight out and confront them as the kids were really poorly and we were trying to get them cleaned up.

Window cleaners did next doors' windows them slung all the equipment into their van (which pulled up just long enough for them to get in) and zoomed off, despite only having cleaned half the windows in the road.

Asked neighbours if they had any contact details, all they had was a card from the window cleaners with a mobile number and description of their services.

So later on that day DH phoned the number on the card and explained calmly what had happened, guy he spoke to said he would talk to the cleaners and call us back. When he called back he said they knew nothing about it and refused to take any responsibility! DH asked what the company was called and his question was ignored

Today the van was back in our street so I was able to get the company name off the side and a contact number.

So where do I go from here? We have a 3 inch long dent with the paint scraped off, on the roof of our car, can we do anything to get them to pay to fix it?

olly300

They should have public liability insurance for this so you need to get as much detail as possible of them. (You may have to get a friend or relation to ring up pretending to be a new customer who had their service recommended to them.)

Once you have the details you can:
1. Send them a recorded delivery letter threatening to take them to court if they don't pay the cost of repairs in 28 days. (You need to get quotes for the repair.)
2. Then submit a small claim in court if they don't pay up.
OR
You can let your car insurance company deal with it.

Either way you have to inform your car insurer of the "incident" if they ask you to report "incidents" to them on their claims questions. If you do have to report "incidents", then your insurance premium will go up next year.

Mankysteve

Phone the policy report an act of vandalism, claim off your insurance. I suspect you'll never find proper contact detail for the company.