Whose fault is it anyway?
Discussion
Maybe a bit of a tricky one this.
I was given a lift by a colleague this week in his Audi S1. I got out of the car and unfortunately the seatbelt didn't retract properly and the buckle got trapped between the door and the sill when I went to close it. This has then put a little chip in the paintwork which he is insisting I have to pay for. I've obviously apologised but contested it and told him his faulty seatbelt on his relatively new car isn't my problem. He has one of those seatbelt pad things on the belt which I guess stopped it from retracting properly. I've been getting in and out of cars for 30 years now and the first time I've been in one with a pad, this happens, which seems like a giant coincidence. In my view no seatbelt buckle should rest happily in a door sill for this to have happened.
We went out to have a look next time I saw him and yeah the belt retracts properly in normal operation but I'd hazard a guess that it isn't consistent with the pad there and with me be being a powerfully built type in such a tiny car I suppose it had further to travel than with just him sat in it.
Anyway, he's gone to get a quote from a bodyshop I've recommended that did some work on my Aston but he seemed fairly insistent on going to Audi, and while I don't necessarily mind chipping in (excuse the pun) to keep the peace I also don't want to fork out hundreds for main dealer shoddery which I've got a house move on the cards and Christmas coming up.
If anyone has any legal standing or anything of this nature please feel free to email me privately if it's something that isn't my fault and could be made into something official to present to him.
Ta.
I was given a lift by a colleague this week in his Audi S1. I got out of the car and unfortunately the seatbelt didn't retract properly and the buckle got trapped between the door and the sill when I went to close it. This has then put a little chip in the paintwork which he is insisting I have to pay for. I've obviously apologised but contested it and told him his faulty seatbelt on his relatively new car isn't my problem. He has one of those seatbelt pad things on the belt which I guess stopped it from retracting properly. I've been getting in and out of cars for 30 years now and the first time I've been in one with a pad, this happens, which seems like a giant coincidence. In my view no seatbelt buckle should rest happily in a door sill for this to have happened.
We went out to have a look next time I saw him and yeah the belt retracts properly in normal operation but I'd hazard a guess that it isn't consistent with the pad there and with me be being a powerfully built type in such a tiny car I suppose it had further to travel than with just him sat in it.
Anyway, he's gone to get a quote from a bodyshop I've recommended that did some work on my Aston but he seemed fairly insistent on going to Audi, and while I don't necessarily mind chipping in (excuse the pun) to keep the peace I also don't want to fork out hundreds for main dealer shoddery which I've got a house move on the cards and Christmas coming up.
If anyone has any legal standing or anything of this nature please feel free to email me privately if it's something that isn't my fault and could be made into something official to present to him.
Ta.
There is always a risk when you let a passenger into your car, from muddy shoes to broken trim. It doesn't sound like you were negligent so he should sort the repair. He may want to consider getting the door welded shut at the same time as it will be of little use to him in the future.
speedking31 said:
There is always a risk when you let a passenger into your car, from muddy shoes to broken trim. It doesn't sound like you were negligent so he should sort the repair. He may want to consider getting the door welded shut at the same time as it will be of little use to him in the future.
lol!Your friend should suck it up, it was an accident, one of those things.
Maybe chip in a few quid to soften the blow.
hole.To be fair, I'd be a bit annoyed at myself if I were you. Getting out of a car and letting a seatbelt drop to the door sill and slamming the door shut without noticing?
(A few assumptions there but you don't make it sound like you were careful).
Agree those seatbelt pads are absolute trash though, it sounds like you're not friends and I think you could get away without paying, but it won't make you look good... How much is he asking for to have it fixed? Can't be more than 100 to have a chip repaired.
(A few assumptions there but you don't make it sound like you were careful).
Agree those seatbelt pads are absolute trash though, it sounds like you're not friends and I think you could get away without paying, but it won't make you look good... How much is he asking for to have it fixed? Can't be more than 100 to have a chip repaired.
Bodged said:
Bit too precious about the car I think for a touch up pen, although it was a thought...Bad Biddy said:
To be fair, I'd be a bit annoyed at myself if I were you. Getting out of a car and letting a seatbelt drop to the door sill and slamming the door shut without noticing?
(A few assumptions there but you don't make it sound like you were careful).
Agree those seatbelt pads are absolute trash though, it sounds like you're not friends and I think you could get away without paying, but it won't make you look good... How much is he asking for to have it fixed? Can't be more than 100 to have a chip repaired.
Yeah I am a little annoyed with myself (mainly because work provide taxis for this kind of journey which I was happily planning on getting). It was at night so not immediately obvious and I don't usually check for seatbelts in doors; I'd held the door open for a bit and thanked him and I closed the door like a normal person rather than a slam. All quite unfortunate really but my point would be a seatbelt shouldn't actually drop to that point and get caught in the first place. Unsure on costs and I imagine £100 or less but I'm more operating on principle at this point rather than it being financial ruin.(A few assumptions there but you don't make it sound like you were careful).
Agree those seatbelt pads are absolute trash though, it sounds like you're not friends and I think you could get away without paying, but it won't make you look good... How much is he asking for to have it fixed? Can't be more than 100 to have a chip repaired.
groundcontrol said:
Yeah I am a little annoyed with myself (mainly because work provide taxis for this kind of journey which I was happily planning on getting). It was at night so not immediately obvious and I don't usually check for seatbelts in doors; I'd held the door open for a bit and thanked him and I closed the door like a normal person rather than a slam. All quite unfortunate really but my point would be a seatbelt shouldn't actually drop to that point and get caught in the first place. Unsure on costs and I imagine £100 or less but I'm more operating on principle at this point rather than it being financial ruin.
I do get where you're coming from, but if it was me I'd feel like I should pay for it even if it was a colleague I wasn't particularly fond of. Doesn't sound like he's been particularly grown up about it though and I certainly wouldn't be giving him a blank cheque - offer to pay for a smart repair?Edited by Bad Biddy on Friday 23 November 13:47
Bad Biddy said:
I do get where you're coming from, but if it was me I'd feel like I should pay for it even if it was a colleague I wasn't particularly fond of. Doesn't sound like he's been particularly grown up about it though..
So don't pander to him. Offer him a drink as a goodwill gesture.Just a thought, but how about getting someone who does Smart repairs out - Chips Away or similar?
And maybe suggest going 50/50 on the cost to try to maintain a bit of office harmony! (If you didn't use the taxi could you claim it on expenses)?
Sadly if this had happened in my last office job I would have got the most grief from the colleagues I liked the least - next time "Just Say No" and get the cab!
And maybe suggest going 50/50 on the cost to try to maintain a bit of office harmony! (If you didn't use the taxi could you claim it on expenses)?
Sadly if this had happened in my last office job I would have got the most grief from the colleagues I liked the least - next time "Just Say No" and get the cab!
Mr Tidy said:
Just a thought, but how about getting someone who does Smart repairs out - Chips Away or similar?
That's exactly what the dealership will do anyway, ship it out to someone else and pocket the difference. They don't do bodywork at dealerships (beyond very simple stuff), they'd have to pay someone a decent wage to do that, and then the admin staff would get their arses in a sling over a grease monkey earning more than they do.Mr Tidy said:
Just a thought, but how about getting someone who does Smart repairs out - Chips Away or similar?
And maybe suggest going 50/50 on the cost to try to maintain a bit of office harmony! (If you didn't use the taxi could you claim it on expenses)?
Sadly if this had happened in my last office job I would have got the most grief from the colleagues I liked the least - next time "Just Say No" and get the cab!
Fortunately I don't work in an office so workplace harmony isn't really a concern. And maybe suggest going 50/50 on the cost to try to maintain a bit of office harmony! (If you didn't use the taxi could you claim it on expenses)?
Sadly if this had happened in my last office job I would have got the most grief from the colleagues I liked the least - next time "Just Say No" and get the cab!
Spoke to ChipsAway and something so small isn't worth them bothering coming out for apparently and a 'proper job' would be around £100, which I'm not paying. Also spoke to Audi who wouldn't really class it as a belt fault or do anything about it in 'good will' (although I imagine they would if you complained enough) but the sales woman on the phone echoed the sentiments of this thread, which is all I needed really.
Where I live (Switzerland) you would be responsible for faults you make (and it is you fault unless you can proove the pad was attached to jam the buckle in the door). It doesn't matter if it happend accidentally or not. I would offer him a reasonable amount of money to get rid of the problem.
If he insists to have it repaired by Audi, I would call my 3rd party liability insurance to handle and pay the repair. I you don't have such an insurance make sure Audi makes an quotation for the repair. If it is reasonable bite the bullet, otherwise insist to have a second quotation from your preferred paint shop.
Show moral and intellectual greatness to handle this .... and you have learnt your lesson
If he insists to have it repaired by Audi, I would call my 3rd party liability insurance to handle and pay the repair. I you don't have such an insurance make sure Audi makes an quotation for the repair. If it is reasonable bite the bullet, otherwise insist to have a second quotation from your preferred paint shop.
Show moral and intellectual greatness to handle this .... and you have learnt your lesson
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