DB9 - Utterly distraught
Discussion
I've just returned from a hospital visit and at the ticket machine exit barrier there are several rows of individual 'bumps'. They appear to be made from metal with rubber tops and are inlaid into the tarmac. You have to drive over these bumps to leave the carpark. As I was driving over them I heard a dreadful scraping sound and to my absolute horror the picture shows what these 'bumps' have done to the drivers side front wheel.
I phoned the hospital car parks department and they're not interested and disowned any responsibility.
To say I'm distraught is an understatement, I've only had the car for 12 weeks and it's absolutely mint.
Firstly can anyone please suggest what action I might be able to take to recover the cost and secondly is it likely that the wheel could be repaired and returned to its immaculate finish?
Many thanks
Ice
I phoned the hospital car parks department and they're not interested and disowned any responsibility.
To say I'm distraught is an understatement, I've only had the car for 12 weeks and it's absolutely mint.
Firstly can anyone please suggest what action I might be able to take to recover the cost and secondly is it likely that the wheel could be repaired and returned to its immaculate finish?
Many thanks
Ice
prestige wheels in stockport & cheshire - they will take the wheel off, then the tyre, sandblast it, paint it, put it all back on - all for under £100
I'm sure there are others on here with details of similar companies
do not under any circumstances use one of the firms that comes to you - they charge the same but half the money is paying for their transport costs - they don't take the wheel & tyre off and they don't do nearly as good a job
I'm sure there are others on here with details of similar companies
do not under any circumstances use one of the firms that comes to you - they charge the same but half the money is paying for their transport costs - they don't take the wheel & tyre off and they don't do nearly as good a job
icee993 said:
Firstly can anyone please suggest what action I might be able to take to recover the cost
I would promptly return and photograph the humps/lumps or whatever they were. If you can get a photo of the particular one that did the damage with traces of your silver paint on it so much the better. I would switch on the date & time stamp on the camera too. I would then look for any signs or lack of stating that you need to exercise care traversing the humps/bumps or whatever - obviously you're trying to prove that there are no "take care" signs suggesting the bumps can damage your car. Print these off and get your friendly solicitor to write a letter to the hospital requesting their insurance (which they will have) cover the cost of repairs. Get some quotes quickly too to put with the letter. The quicker you do this the better.RichB said:
I would promptly return and photograph the humps/lumps or whatever they were. If you can get a photo of the particular one that did the damage with traces of your silver paint on it so much the better. I would switch on the date & time stamp on the camera too. I would then look for any signs or lack of stating that you need to exercise care traversing the humps/bumps or whatever - obviously you're trying to prove that there are no "take care" signs suggesting the bumps can damage your car. Print these off and get your friendly solicitor to write a letter to the hospital requesting their insurance (which they will have) cover the cost of repairs. Get some quotes quickly too to put with the letter. The quicker you do this the better.
This. Don't delay. Duty of care springs to mind here, it's difficult to see how they can wriggle out of it, although they will try.
Best of luck with it, don't forget to let us know n due course how you come on, be interesting to know.
Ice, fear not about the price for rectification. This is a fairly common problem and refurb companies are very good at sorting this sort of problem. AMDBSNICK had a very similar problem sorted recently for under £100 by a travelling company with impeccable results. The problem will be in recouping the costs from the parking company, as it will have nothing to do with the hospital.
Thanks Guys, I'll be back at the scene first light tomorrow with camera ready. Terminator X, no they're not like the one you show, they're much less intimidating looking, more like metal pudding basins with rubber tops. I'm pretty sure there are no signs advising caution when driving over them, I've certainly seen anything. The back of the ticket has the standard disclaimer for parked cars being the owners responsibility, but it wasn't parked! The cars booked into Bridge Mill in a couple of weeks I'm pretty sure they'll know of a reputable repairer but I guess recovering the cost will be a battle.
Ice you could look at wheel and tyre insurance. I paid about £500 and it covers up to 10 claims over 2 years If I remember. It covers tyre damage as well as wheel. Seemed like a good deal to me.
I had one claim for both fronts kerbed within a week in two separate incidents. My nearest dealer got them repaired under the policy no problem.
I had one claim for both fronts kerbed within a week in two separate incidents. My nearest dealer got them repaired under the policy no problem.
I managed to do a lot more damage than that to two of my DB9 wheels in a multi-story car park a couple of weeks ago. I am assured by a reputable company near me that they can have them looking as good as new for £100 - £120 per wheel.
I'd still pursue your claim against the car park, though.
I'd still pursue your claim against the car park, though.
From your description, I cannot see how a bump caused damage to the side of the wheel. Can you find a Google image of the type of bump?
A good refurb would be around £75.00 to £100.00. The only trouble is getting the finish to match the other wheels. I would therefore consider doing both wheels on the same side of the car. Diamond cut is very difficult to match.
If you need some wheels to keep the car mobile, I have a set of DB9 10 spokes you could borrow.
8Tech.
A good refurb would be around £75.00 to £100.00. The only trouble is getting the finish to match the other wheels. I would therefore consider doing both wheels on the same side of the car. Diamond cut is very difficult to match.
If you need some wheels to keep the car mobile, I have a set of DB9 10 spokes you could borrow.
8Tech.
Edited by 8Tech on Friday 30th August 23:00
From your description, I cannot see how a bump caused damage to the side of the wheel. Can you find a Google image of the type of bump?
A good refurb would be around £75.00 to £100.00. The only trouble is getting the finish to match the other wheels. I would therefore consider doing both wheels on the same side of the car. Diamond cut is very difficult to match.
If you need some wheels to keep the car mobile, I have a set of DB9 10 spokes you could borrow.
8Tech.
A good refurb would be around £75.00 to £100.00. The only trouble is getting the finish to match the other wheels. I would therefore consider doing both wheels on the same side of the car. Diamond cut is very difficult to match.
If you need some wheels to keep the car mobile, I have a set of DB9 10 spokes you could borrow.
8Tech.
Edited by 8Tech on Friday 30th August 23:01
The other problem you may have, is that the car park owners need to cover themselves for fraudulant claims, if not, let me know where they are and if I ever kerb my wheels, I will use their car park and make a claim.
See the problem?
You would have a queue of cars lining-up to make a claim.
See the problem?
You would have a queue of cars lining-up to make a claim.
Bincenzo said:
... as it will have nothing to do with the hospital.
Sometimes the subcontracting to parking companies does not involve the fixed equipment eg barriers etc. That may still be owned by the hospital, but irrespective of ownership, if the equipment is of a design that is likely to cause damage, or through lack of maintenance, is causing damage, then there could be a liability by the property owner, even though they may have notices denying liability for everything imaginable.Your photograph shows there was presumably something several inches above the road surface (greater than the tyre depth) that came into contact with your wheel. If it was a fixed kerb in a reasonable position then it would hard luck, but if an unexpected piece of equipment, that is likely to, or is causing damage to many cars being driven with due care, then there would be reasonable expectation that the property owner would have a liability for damage caused by unsafe equipment.
A ridiculous example, but it makes the point. Say there are notices absolving the owners of any damage whatsoever, and they install a razor blade speed hump that punctures most motorists tyres. Whatever their notices might say, they will be liable for the damage they have caused. Their actions were unreasonable.
hornbaek said:
Get them refurbished for 100 pounds and move on. Not worth the hassle to pursue a claim and be happy that you are out of hospital!
^ this ^I would be interested to see the photos, though, of what humps can do such damage when driving over them so that they can be avoided.
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