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Really !!!!ed off - advice please anyone?

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  • jeannieblue
    jeannieblue Posts: 4,761 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    I hear you Kenb2 - but I'm worth a lot more than salt..........
    Genie
    Master Technician
  • daveyjp
    daveyjp Posts: 13,537 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Forget about it for now. Yes you are annoyed and the car doesn't look as good, but leave it until you are getting rid of the car. You can guarantee if you get this one done it will only get more dents.

    My Audi which was new last year (I'm worth more than salt too. I do 20,000 miles a year and like comfort - if a banger breaks down it costs me money and I can't afford to be looking for a new car every year) was scratched over Christmas, but I know £50 at a valeters the day before I sell will see all such imperfections disappear.
  • manda1205
    manda1205 Posts: 2,366 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    kenb2 wrote: »
    Any money saver worth their salt should not be buying a new car.Ever
    I get mine off ebay, I go for ones with a new mot, and some road tax
    Last one a year ago, Peugeot 205 12months MOT, 8months tax
    £325. Almost a year later, not one problem, going like a dream.
    Tatty body with dents, but hey, its a tinbox, not a sentient being.
    If it fails its mOT next month, I scrap it, or repair it myself.
    It will have cost me £6.25 per week
    beat that, with depreciation on a new car,plus the worry factor.

    I have never bought a car for more than I need to in 40 years.
    First car in 1966 £8 never paid more than £450
    Its why I`m DEBT FREE!!!!!!!:j
    Just because people come on MSE doesn't mean they're all in debt! Personally Im just plain tight and like to know exactly where my money is and where its going to go and to save every single one I can! Im all for the getting a cheap car, I myself drive a 95 escort which cost £675 3 years ago (could never spend more than a grand)and I would NEVER buy brand new just cos I couldnt stand losing the £2000(or more) when I drove it out. But as I say theres alot of people on here who do have money and can do with it what they wish! Rant over. No offense intended either.
  • bclark
    bclark Posts: 882 Forumite
    kenb2 wrote: »
    Any money saver worth their salt should not be buying a new car.Ever
    I get mine off ebay, I go for ones with a new mot, and some road tax
    Last one a year ago, Peugeot 205 12months MOT, 8months tax
    £325. Almost a year later, not one problem, going like a dream.
    Tatty body with dents, but hey, its a tinbox, not a sentient being.
    If it fails its mOT next month, I scrap it, or repair it myself.
    It will have cost me £6.25 per week
    beat that, with depreciation on a new car,plus the worry factor.

    I have never bought a car for more than I need to in 40 years.
    First car in 1966 £8 never paid more than £450
    Its why I`m DEBT FREE!!!!!!!:j
    What a load of tosh! Moneysavingexpert is about living your life sensibly and getting the most for your money. It isn't about denying yourself and living like a miser. I have heard Martin state that many times on TV.

    I am also not in debt now and I drive a 57 plate Renault Megane convertible, go figure!

    There is also the argument that your saved money will prove a false economy if your old wreck doesn't protect you in an accident the same way that a modern car would!
  • kenb2
    kenb2 Posts: 55 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10 Posts Combo Breaker
    I do live life sensibly, and don't live like a miser,not throwing money down the toilet on a item thats worth half what I paid for it a year later, and still being in debt with the damned thing means I can spend what cash I have on other things I would rather have than a tin box on wheels.
    Sorry, not impressed by your Megane,convertible or not, even if you are, or any other car, for me a car its just a tool, not a status symbol, or any thing else to get worked up about.
    The argument about accident protection is tosh; for instance Volvo drivers might feel safe but because of that illusion they are some of the worst and most dangerous drivers on the road.
    they are protected but other road users are not.
    45 years on the road this year,never had an accident in one of my cheepies,
    probably because I take CARE .
    Police driver training teaches there is no such thing as an accident, just bad driving.
    Anyone who buys a new car [ with THAT tax loading, with VAT on car tax??]needs their head examined or has more money than sense.
    there thats my rant.

    Car ownership has to be one of todays biggest reasons for debt and /or needless expense and worry, just look at the OP; New car=worry
    +debt+loss, all avoidable.
  • jonfev
    jonfev Posts: 27 Forumite
    kenb2 wrote: »
    I do live life sensibly, and don't live like a miser,not throwing money down the toilet on a item thats worth half what I paid for it a year later, and still being in debt with the damned thing means I can spend what cash I have on other things I would rather have than a tin box on wheels.
    Sorry, not impressed by your Megane,convertible or not, even if you are, or any other car, for me a car its just a tool, not a status symbol, or any thing else to get worked up about.
    The argument about accident protection is tosh; for instance Volvo drivers might feel safe but because of that illusion they are some of the worst and most dangerous drivers on the road.
    they are protected but other road users are not.
    45 years on the road this year,never had an accident in one of my cheepies,
    probably because I take CARE .
    Police driver training teaches there is no such thing as an accident, just bad driving.
    Anyone who buys a new car [ with THAT tax loading, with VAT on car tax??]needs their head examined or has more money than sense.
    there thats my rant.

    Car ownership has to be one of todays biggest reasons for debt and /or needless expense and worry, just look at the OP; New car=worry
    +debt+loss, all avoidable.

    I think you've defeated your own argument. You say you feel safe because of your high standards of driving. I've no reason to doubt this and I expect you are well up on defensive driving but what happens when one of these over confident Volvo drivers you say are out there, loses control and smashes into you?

    I suspect your cheapie car with its limited or non existent safety features might leave you a bit second hand.

    I was shocked last year, when Fifth Gear arranged a head on crash between a mid nineties Volvo estate and a nearly new Renault Modus. I fully believed the sheer bulk of the Volvo against the tiny fragile looking Modus would be no contest and the Modus would be atomised. Quite the opposite, the sophisticated crumple zones and the strategically placed bar that spread the impact loading away from the passenger compartment meant that the Renault occupents would have got off quite lightly whilst the Volvo occupants would have been seriously injured and quite possibly fatally.

    I think cars are an incredible drain on your pocket and they are an appalling investment but the above story is why I spend as much as I dare on a car because there are loads of idiots out there and you can't spend the money you have saved on a banger if you are dead.
  • It'll serve you well in the long run to find a good 'dent man' as cars get dings. It's an unfortunate reality of modern motoring that certain elements of society don't have any respect for other peoples belongings. I've had a few dents removed relatively cheaply and effectively without bothering my insurance company. It might be worth waiting until you have more than one ding for them to do as they often do the lot for a set price.
    2009 wins: Signed Saxon CD, Solar Torch, Drumsticks, Priest Feast Tix, Watch, Hammerfest tix :beer:
  • anewman
    anewman Posts: 9,200 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Although it represents a large amount of money try not to get too upset, it's only a car. So long as you're ok that's what matters most :cool: . Hopefully you'll be able to find someone who can do a good job of getting rid quite cheaply of it from help provided above.

    Did it get a ding in a situation in which you could have been at hand and able to, for example, hear an alarm and go sort them out (bearing in mind personal safety etc)? What I am suggesting is getting some sort of car alarm professionally installed. Perhaps one with a shock sensor and proximity sensor (with a proximity sensor it will make a noise when someone is too close to certain parts of the car, most make a beep - no need for those cheesey voice ones that get all the kids excited, some go on to set the full alarm off if a person stays there too long, and some will just "chirp" until a further intrusion is detected).

    Recently had the neighbours messing with my car all-too-often. Not just the kids, the adults too :mad:. Caught the adults red handed once putting their Christmas rubbish boxes on the roof and bonnet (for some reason finding it amusing), but when I went out to question them they turned threatening towards me like I was doing something wrong (to$$ers). Installed a Clifford Arrow 5 alarm and it's gone off once - but unluckily I wasn't around at the time so could not tell what set it off. Having installed it myself I know it takes quite a bit of effort to set it off, and it didn't go off in the recent heavy wind suggesting someone's hit the car somehow. I can only assume the neighbours messed with it again, and given the fact it's only gone off once perhaps they weren't so eager to mess with it again once the alarm had gone off. My car isn't a brilliant car, a 94 Skoda Favorit Estate, but I don't want the anti-social chav losers next-door to start thinking they can mess with my car and get away with it, because if I get something nicer at some point, they'll probably mess with that all the more. Also, another benefit of having the alarm is I can use the panic function should an episode similar to the Christmas rubbish one occurr again. I can also tell if it's been set off in my absence as on disarming it beeps 3 times instead of once.
    bclark wrote: »
    There is also the argument that your saved money will prove a false economy if your old wreck doesn't protect you in an accident the same way that a modern car would!

    The way I see it is it's best not to drive like an idiot and do all you can to avoid an accident. Even old cars before the Euro NCAP tests had to meet minmum standards on impact collission. In most collissions in most cars you'll be perfectly fine, it's instances like when you're crushed by a lorry or get some idiot driving the wrong way down the motorway at 90mph, but these things rarely happen.

    But re: new vs old, expensive vs. cheap my view is spend what you have or can comfortably afford in terms of credit. If you have little money, £100 will get you a car and then you only have to worry about insurance etc. Unfortunately houses are all prices like £100,000 - you have the choice between spending £7,000 on a new car or £100 on an old car (so if you are struggling with cash the choice exists), unfortunately a similar range of choices doesn't exist for houses. So a car is something you can save lots of money on, if you don't mind not posing in the latest reg and the car with the best badges on it etc.
  • goldspanners
    goldspanners Posts: 5,910 Forumite
    kenb2 wrote: »

    there thats my rant.


    who asked for your rant,this thread is about MSE dent removal.
    not your views on people who buy new cars.

    i bought a new car 4 years ago,the only reason was because i was getting a manufacturer discount (after haggling) which meant there was no depreciation when i drove my dent/problem free focus off the fourcourt without loosing a penny on it.
    ...work permit granted!
  • jaymee
    jaymee Posts: 125 Forumite
    it did yes it looked as good as new,as much as i tried i could not see or even feel where the dent was,i was so happy with it.
    where abouts in the country are you?
    the guy that done it for me lives in wishaw near glasgow,he is self empoyed so not a major chain unfortunatly.
    That gave me a lot of relief - thanks. I am in the West London area and am thinking about giving this company a try after reading they have been reviewed by Auto Express and Auto Car.

    http://www.dentman.co.uk/index.html

    Thanks to everyone else too for trying to help. It has lifted my spirits. :)
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