Car Damaged In Garden Centre Car Park.

chocomonsta

Hi

we had parked our car in Morrisons car park (going back about 6 years) the trolleys had grown to a long line sticking out of the bay and the last one managed to roll against our car and cause a huge dint, we didn't see it happen but saw the damage and the line of trollies resting on our car. I thought we had no chance of a claim as I thought you parked at your own risk. However my husband got the store manager and he had a look, apparantly the trolley boys had not cleared tthe trollies for some reason allowing them to pile up and therefore the manager allowed the claim. We took it to registered Toyota dealer and they (Morrisons ) paid in full, approx £300 although the letter stated that they were not accepting responsibility but was a goodwill gesture.

So it is worth speaking to the garden centre because if their policy is to clear the trollies say every 15 minutes and it was not done maybe they will except responsibility, certainly worth a try.

WoodruffsDad

I emailed the garden centre. Here's the reply I got from the Manager:

"I have been forwarded your e-mail that you sent to our customer services department with reference to the incident with your vehicle, a Land Rover Freelander, and a customer trolley of ours on Saturday 21st May.

I have subsequently viewed our cctv footage that covers the car park as I was unaware of this incident as it was not reported to the garden centre at the time.

Firstly I understand that the damage to your vehicle was not your fault and that I am sure is not what you wanted but having viewed the cctv footage I have identified that it was caused by another customer who was parked alongside you who returned to his vehicle, offloaded his shopping and pushed his empty trolley up the car park and deposited it into the border at the top of the car park rather than returning it to the trolley park provided.

It was from this position that some 5 minutes later it was dislodged and rolled the 2.5mtrs across the roadway and hit the back of your vehicle and then continued further down the car park for a further few car park spaces where another customer fortunately was able to grab it and prevent it going further. This customer then pushes it back up the car park. I believe having a few words with you on the way, depositing it back in the border a few mtrs further on from where it had started.

After a further couple of minutes my “lad” Ben collects the same trolley, not knowing that this incident had occurred, and puts it into our trolley park shortly followed by yourselves driving away once you had taken a look at the damage to your vehicle.

Whilst I now understand that you have some damage to your vehicle I am unable as The Garden Centre to accept liability for this damage as we do endeavor to collect abandoned trolleys as quickly as we can and do have a set trolley park for customers to return trolleys to. My lad Ben had in fact been carrying out this duty along with loading compost into cars throughout the day in question and the time span between the trolley being first deposited in the bushes by the customer who had made use of it and Ben returning it to the trolley park was in fact 8 minutes.

I would therefore ask that you contact your own insurers to repair any damage that your vehicle has sustained and I would hope that this does not deter you from returning to the garden centre as a customer."

NeilF3485

Pretty much what I would expect them to say.

Interesting they say "dislodged" but don't say how, might worth asking if it was the result of another car hitting it, and if so, for the number plate?

I am inclined to agree with them that it is not their fault, they provide trolley bays, they weren't used and they also collect trolleys but cannot be expected to collect them instantly.

Goes back to my earlier point, that really the person who chucked it down the car park in the first place was the negligent one, but doubt you'll get any joy there.

Think you've just been really unlucky, and will have to foot the bill for repair - by which I mean pay for the repairs rather than wiping out your no claims and paying an excess for insurance to do it.

visidigi

If hes see it all happen on CCTV why not ask him to provide you with the number plate of the car???

If he won't then report it to the police as they will be the only ones who would be able to obtain it...

Outpost

"My lad Ben."

hcb42

Cringeworthy standard of business English....!

Googlewhacker

visidigi wrote: »

If hes see it all happen on CCTV why not ask him to provide you with the number plate of the car???

If he won't then report it to the police as they will be the only ones who would be able to obtain it...

CCTV has to be very good to pick numbers up, I would ask for a copy and go from there.

Whiteknight

WoodruffsDad wrote: »

I emailed the garden centre. Here's the reply I got from the Manager:

"I have been forwarded your e-mail that you sent to our customer services department with reference to the incident with your vehicle, a Land Rover Freelander, and a customer trolley of ours on Saturday 21st May.

I have subsequently viewed our cctv footage that covers the car park as I was unaware of this incident as it was not reported to the garden centre at the time.

Firstly I understand that the damage to your vehicle was not your fault and that I am sure is not what you wanted but having viewed the cctv footage I have identified that it was caused by another customer who was parked alongside you who returned to his vehicle, offloaded his shopping and pushed his empty trolley up the car park and deposited it into the border at the top of the car park rather than returning it to the trolley park provided.

It was from this position that some 5 minutes later it was dislodged and rolled the 2.5mtrs across the roadway and hit the back of your vehicle and then continued further down the car park for a further few car park spaces where another customer fortunately was able to grab it and prevent it going further. This customer then pushes it back up the car park. I believe having a few words with you on the way, depositing it back in the border a few mtrs further on from where it had started.

After a further couple of minutes my “lad” Ben collects the same trolley, not knowing that this incident had occurred, and puts it into our trolley park shortly followed by yourselves driving away once you had taken a look at the damage to your vehicle.

Whilst I now understand that you have some damage to your vehicle I am unable as The Garden Centre to accept liability for this damage as we do endeavor to collect abandoned trolleys as quickly as we can and do have a set trolley park for customers to return trolleys to. My lad Ben had in fact been carrying out this duty along with loading compost into cars throughout the day in question and the time span between the trolley being first deposited in the bushes by the customer who had made use of it and Ben returning it to the trolley park was in fact 8 minutes.

I would therefore ask that you contact your own insurers to repair any damage that your vehicle has sustained and I would hope that this does not deter you from returning to the garden centre as a customer."

Have to laugh at the fact that the person who caught the runaway trolley did not actually return it to the trolley park but put it back in the border where it "could" have caused more damage.

Used to see it all the time when I worked at a supermarket and also saw the damage caused by a runaway trolley which is why I am very selective where I park my car. The person to blame was the original customer who was too lazy to return the trolley - its a shame you can't let them know what damage they caused.

Aquatronixjenny

Ask for a copy of the CCTV tape. You are within your rights to have a copy of the tape if you are in it (as you are)

arcon5

Aquatronixjenny wrote: »

Ask for a copy of the CCTV tape. You are within your rights to have a copy of the tape if you are in it (as you are)

Thats correct to an extent.

I'm pretty sure the copies have to be supplied edited to protect other people of the tape. THis includes hiding number plates.

It would have to be requested via the police.