Car getting damaged in car park, what do I do?

sammylou100

There is really no answer to the above question I don't think, but i am really irritated. I purchased a brand new car in April, just a little C1, but new & shiney & MINE! I park in the car park belonging to my flats, I am a commuter so only drive at weekends, meaning my car is kept in my space all day during the week.
About 2 months ago I noticed a little dent just below the wing mirror, about the size of a 10 p coin, no paint damage, just this tiny dent. Irritating but not the end of the world. This weekend I have now seen another dent in EXACTLY the same place on the other side of the car, but this is about the size of an old 50p...really irritating.
Now I know this is not the people who park around me as their doors wouldn't reach that spot and there is no paint damage, I believe these marks are from window cleaners who come and rest their ladders against the cars, this is not a big assumption, I noticed them resting against my old car in the car park when I had a day off one day, but as it was an old car I wasn't as bothered and they soon moved when I went down to get in my car. My space is directly below 2 windows and the carpark is usually quite busy so I understand they have to put their ladders somewhere, but why do I now have to pay for 2 dents to be fixed?! I could go through my letting agents to get the number for the window cleaners, but I have no proof that its them that have done the damage, however I would like to ask them to be more careful in future...is this just a pointless waste of time??!! There are no other spaces in the car park and I can't park elsewhere as I live on a main road. Any thoughts or just an irritated rant?! I suspect the latter!

[Deleted User]

sammylou100 wrote: »

I understand they have to put their ladders somewhere

There is no call for resting ladders against someone's car, new or old. I'd be livid!

Strider590

Small dents are easily removed, i've just removed a large deep dent from my car with a simple PDR (paintless dent removal) kit from Ebay £12.

You just glue a tab to the bodywork, pull the dent out, remove the glue with acetone (the stuff used for removing nail polish), then tap it down till it's all flat.

I'd had a quote for over £100 to do the job professionally, but with the kit I removed a large dent and several small dents where children have opened rear doors (must have been MPV's or 4x4's) into the area near my petrol cap.

Confidence was no issue, I figured as long as I don't damage the paint, it could still be repaired by a professional even if I did mess it up.

eddddy

I suggest that you discuss this with the letting agent. You pay rent to your letting agent (or landlord) and in return they should be dealing with any issues relating to your tenancy.

So they will probably talk to the flats management company, who will talk to the window cleaning firm.

The management company will be interested to know how well/badly the window cleaning firm are performing, as they pay them. (Perhaps they have had lots of other complaints about them, or perhaps lots of praise!)

The window cleaning firm will take notice of complaints that come from the management company, as they wont want to lose the contract.

This is the most 'business like' approach - everyone is doing the job that they are paid to do.

Like LeeUK, I would be livid if this happend to my car. The window cleaners have clearly been negligent, and I would consider suing them. However, it sounds like you may be less confrontational than me!!!

So maybe just explain to the letting agents that the current situation is unacceptable, and ask them how they will resolve it.

liam8282

IF it was the window cleaners.

Is your car parked in the same position all the time?

If the dents are on both sides of the car, seems odd that a window cleaner would go to the bother of resting ladders on both sides of a car.

Do you ever take your car to the supermarket, leave it in any public car parks etc?

Dents are very common from people opening doors, and do not always leave paint damage.

It's a bit unfair to just assume it is the window cleaners with no proof. Fair enough to approach the letting company or the window cleaners if you actually see them resting ladders on your car though.

sammylou100

Thanks for your responses everyone, had you heard the stream of abuse from me directed at the window cleaners yesterday I think you would think I am fairly confrontational! This has made me really mad, but I'm just very aware that I will make contact with them, they will ask me for proof and I have none, that will be the end of it. I am going to contact my agents today though, I just wanted to check I wasn't being irrational before doing so and you guys have assured me I am not! :mad:

sammylou100

liam8282 wrote: »

IF it was the window cleaners.

Is your car parked in the same position all the time?

If the dents are on both sides of the car, seems odd that a window cleaner would go to the bother of resting ladders on both sides of a car.

Do you ever take your car to the supermarket, leave it in any public car parks etc?
.

Yes obviously my car does leave the carpark occaisionally! So supermarkets etc are visited. However to get 2 marks in the same place each side would be pretty unlikely in random carparks. My car is always parked in the same place, there is a window to each side of the car, cars are pretty wide, you can't reach across one to clean a window. As I said had I not seen them resting on people's cars before I wouldn't just assume it was them, but having seen them do this to my old car I am fairly certain it was them this time.

Strider590

sammylou100 wrote: »

Thanks for your responses everyone, had you heard the stream of abuse from me directed at the window cleaners yesterday I think you would think I am fairly confrontational! This has made me really mad, but I'm just very aware that I will make contact with them, they will ask me for proof and I have none, that will be the end of it. I am going to contact my agents today though, I just wanted to check I wasn't being irrational before doing so and you guys have assured me I am not! :mad:

Huh?

Well...... Whatever you do, don't try taking it via the insurance company, even for something so minor your insurance premium will rocket.

sammylou100

No, its not worth an insurance claim, certainly not, this is something I will have to pay for myself to fix, which is part of the annoyance really.

mcjordi

a bodyshop blokey would sort this out fairly cheaply.. i had a dent in the wing removed for free in my previous fiesta.. but saying that i did have my 56 plate fiesta in the bodyshop at the same time getting a bumper resprayed, so he did the one in my mk4 as a freebie

Norman_Castle

Contact the agent telling them you have witnesed them resting ladders against cars and explain you believe that is how your car has been damaged. If you do not get this stopped you will have regular dents in your car. You call where you park your space. Assuming you have allocated parking could you try to have another space allocated to you?.