damage when entering car park

crazycatlady2_2

On Wednesday night I drove up to an NCP car park. There are two entrances and I normally go through the one on the left. However, just as I got up to it I noticed a blue traffic cone in front of it so moved over to the right entrance. I had to open my door and lean out to get a ticket. I then proceeded to move through the barrier. There is a 90 degree corner to the left just after it which takes you up a ramp to get to the parking areas (not allowed to park on ground level). As I started to turn the left-hand side of my car hit off the plastic casing joined on to the casing that holds the barrier etc. I reported it to the car park office and they took my details. I then went to my appointment and noticed that they had put a second traffic cone in front of the left entrance. By the time I came back to get my car (less than an hour later) both cones had been removed and both entrances were available for cars to go through. The staff agreed that the traffic cone was not very visible in the dark and that it was not clear that the entrance was in fact closed - there was nothing else to indicate this. I asked about how I'd go about claiming against the car park for this as I felt that it could have been avoided if they'd clearly marked the left entrance as being closed and I'd have been better positioned to go through the right entrance. They said that they weren't sure as nothing like this had happened before. When I went back to get my car and pay my ticket it didn't work so I went back to the office. At that point the guy said that he wouldn't advise that I call the Manager the next day to follow it up as he believed they'd then charge me for the damage to their property. Apparently the plastic casing stuff was a bit bashed. As I've just recently had a small bump (no other vehicle involved) and I'm paying for that myself rather than through insurance, I don't want to get them involved now. I've decided to get it repaired and pay myself. £420 to get it done. I'm now worried that the car park will follow it up and try to charge me for their repairs (if any). As I said, both their barriers were working when I left so any damage is purely cosmetic. What do you think I should do? As far as I'm aware, I've provided NCP with my details so have covered myself legally. I've chosen not to go through my insurance and pay my car damage myself. Should I just sit tight and hope/assume that NCP won't bother? Or should I try phoning them? The guy I spoke to seemed to do his best to put me off phoning the Manager the next day. Initially he wasn't going to fill out a form and just rely on me getting in touch. He then did fill out a form so I'm not sure if he's passed this on.

DUTR

Phone the manager, however they have strong legalities not to pay up, so you maybe at a loss

crazycatlady2_2

Thanks DUTR. I'm already paying £270 to have some bumper damage repaired privately rather than through insurance (previous incident). I've accepted having to pay £420 to get this new damage to one of my doors fixed privately rather than though insurance. I don't want my insurance being affected so that's why I'm paying myself although if it was going to be very expensive then I would have had no choice. My worry is that NCP will potentially pursue me to pay for repairs to the plastic casing bollard thingy. Given that any damage is cosmetic, do you think this is likely?!

peter_the_piper

DUTR wrote: »

Phone the manager, however they have strong legalities not to pay up, so you maybe at a loss

Having a thick day today(flu) but what does this mean?

McKneff

crazycatlady2 wrote: »

Thanks DUTR. I'm already paying £270 to have some bumper damage repaired privately rather than through insurance (previous incident). I've accepted having to pay £420 to get this new damage to one of my doors fixed privately rather than though insurance. I don't want my insurance being affected so that's why I'm paying myself although if it was going to be very expensive then I would have had no choice. My worry is that NCP will potentially pursue me to pay for repairs to the plastic casing bollard thingy. Given that any damage is cosmetic, do you think this is likely?!

If you read your T & Cs of your insurance you are bound by it to inform them of any incident/damage whether you are going to make a claim or not. You have actually broken tht contract with your last 'incidents' . Lets hope nothing flags up on the National Data base

crazycatlady2_2

Hi McKneff, how can it flag up on the national database? The last incident involved a concrete pillar so there was no third party and I had it privately repaired. Obviously this time there is a third party so the situation is different and I am considering this. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Should I just inform my insurance company of this recent incident for information purposes only?

McKneff

Thats really what your contract says, It has to be your choice. I can see what you are saying when there is no third party.
It all depends on these other people whether they chase you for the damage.

If you do tell them they will no doubt up your premium because, to them, you are now more of a risk.

TrickyWicky

Did you report this to them and get it put in their accident log book at the time it happened? - If not you've got no chance in hell.

My partner once bashed one of NCPs ticket machines at an entry barrier (no idea how she managed it but she drove the front of the car into it lol). She never said anything to them and likewise they've never made contact about it over 2 years later and the barriers were covered with CCTV. The machine was apparently ok (minor dent).

As for the cones its usually when the machine is being checked / emptied / refilled with tickets. You might not see anyone there at the time as they might have to go back and forth a bit.

crazycatlady2_2

TrickyWicky I reported it to the office and they completed a form. Now considering phoning to speak to the Manager. I've not heard anything from them and they have my mobile number.

sarahg1969

McKneff wrote: »

If you read your T & Cs of your insurance you are bound by it to inform them of any incident/damage whether you are going to make a claim or not. You have actually broken tht contract with your last 'incidents' . Lets hope nothing flags up on the National Data base

What national database would it be flagged up on? Who would have put the matter on this national database, if it has not been reported to anyone? And why would the OP's insurers interrogate this national database on the offchance that this one policyholder had had an incident?

sarahg1969

OP, I might be being thick here, but I don't understand on what basis you're blaming NCP. You went through one of their barriers, that is used every day by other people? And you hit something that is always there, that everyone else drives past without incident? Is that it? I don't know what the relevance of the left-hand lane is, or the cone? The cone wasn't involved in the incident, was it?