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Car Wash Damage
Swoosh1968
Posts: 6 Forumite
Hi,
I recently put my car through an "attended car wash" in my town - I've been using them for years with no incident, but on my last visit, there was a loud noise as I was in the machine and when I got home I noticed a large piece of trim had been ripped from the roof. I went back to the car wash and reported the incident, and the staff pulled mangled the trim out from the machine and set about trying to reshape it. I asked to speak to the manager, but he wasn't there, and having tried several times in the next few days to get hold of him, he was never available so I emailed the company through their website to raise the claim. They told me to go back and get an incident form filled out, and a quote from a garage for the repair bill, and supply them with both documents, which I did.
At this point, the tone of their correspondence changed. They replied saying that they are "self-insured" to the tune of £50K, and that their machines are checked daily and as they had no other reported incidents that day, their own investigations under their "self-insurance" has ruled out any wrong doing on the part of their machinery, and as such, they are only willing to reimburse me 50% of the repair costs.
Though they may not have found any fault with the machinery, the car wash is "attended" and the vehicle was given a jet wash, a soaking in detergent and then a scrub over with brooms by their staff BEFORE it enters the machine, so there are three other points at which human error may have played a role. If the car was damaged before entering the car wash (which they say they can't rule out), then there were three chances for their staff to have pointed it out prior to entering the machine.
I'm not happy with 50% of the repair costs - the car wasn't damaged before it went into their machine, and we know the damaged occurred on their premises because their staff pulled the mangled trim piece out from inside the car wash when I went back!
How should I proceed?
I recently put my car through an "attended car wash" in my town - I've been using them for years with no incident, but on my last visit, there was a loud noise as I was in the machine and when I got home I noticed a large piece of trim had been ripped from the roof. I went back to the car wash and reported the incident, and the staff pulled mangled the trim out from the machine and set about trying to reshape it. I asked to speak to the manager, but he wasn't there, and having tried several times in the next few days to get hold of him, he was never available so I emailed the company through their website to raise the claim. They told me to go back and get an incident form filled out, and a quote from a garage for the repair bill, and supply them with both documents, which I did.
At this point, the tone of their correspondence changed. They replied saying that they are "self-insured" to the tune of £50K, and that their machines are checked daily and as they had no other reported incidents that day, their own investigations under their "self-insurance" has ruled out any wrong doing on the part of their machinery, and as such, they are only willing to reimburse me 50% of the repair costs.
Though they may not have found any fault with the machinery, the car wash is "attended" and the vehicle was given a jet wash, a soaking in detergent and then a scrub over with brooms by their staff BEFORE it enters the machine, so there are three other points at which human error may have played a role. If the car was damaged before entering the car wash (which they say they can't rule out), then there were three chances for their staff to have pointed it out prior to entering the machine.
I'm not happy with 50% of the repair costs - the car wasn't damaged before it went into their machine, and we know the damaged occurred on their premises because their staff pulled the mangled trim piece out from inside the car wash when I went back!
How should I proceed?
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Comments
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Letter before action then be prepared to go to small claims court.0
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Swoosh1968 wrote: »
How should I proceed?
Go to Halfords and get a car wash brush, wheel brush, Zipwax, a hose & chammy leather?
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Swoosh1968 wrote: »*Chamois
Should I speak to my insurers about it do you think?
Nah. You'll more than pay the cost of a bit of trim in increased premiums.0 -
Ultimately this is a risk you take when you use car washes.
Dont expect them to cough up. You will need to take them to court to attempt to recoup the money.0 -
Most car wash premises have an indemnity notice releasing them from any liability, but I don't know whether these would stand up in court.I used to think that good grammar is important, but now I know that good wine is importanter.0
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Swoosh1968 wrote: »*Chamois
Should I speak to my insurers about it do you think?
Have you never heard of a chamois being described as a chammy?
Before you get pedantic, perhaps you should get off your high horse and do some research. :beer:0 -
Mercdriver wrote: »Have you never heard of a chamois being described as a chammy?
Before you get pedantic, perhaps you should get off your high horse and do some research. :beer:
I have heard it described as shammy, never chammy. 0 -
Bin the leather and use micro fibre.0
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