Car damaged in car park - can I request CCTV footage?

[BIG DUNC]

The Mad Monk said:

Why didn't you just claim on the insurance?

We had a large excess. Both the body shops we took it to for a quote said "new bonnet and bumper", plus painting.

I bought a second hand bonnet and bumper, fitted them myself and just paid for the painting. The total cost was just above the excess, but there was no increase in premium the following year as we hadn't made a claim.

With hindsight, for the amount of hassle and grief involved, we should have just claimed on the insurance, let them sort it all out, and taken the premium hike for the next couple of years on the chin.

edited for silly typo

Edited by BIG DUNC on Friday 27th April 16:09

[Four Litre]

This is why I will never help the police again.

I've only had a few reasons to contact them in my lifetime, each time I have left feeling completely let down and amazed at how much contempt they have for the public.

The worst was having a car stolen by a potential buyer. To cut a very long story short, the car was found as in true R5GTT fashion it had broken down! They had tried to torch it but unsuccessfully. The police weren't interested in the first place, even though I had met the guy face to face. Once the car was returned at cost to me, after quote 'forensics have been all over it'. I was cleaning it out and found the guys mail tucked down the side if the seat!!! Had his job centre ref / name and address in Bristol. I took it all down to the police station thinking I would have my sweet revenge, the guy on the desk asked me what I wanted him to do about it!!! Then took the info and that was the last I ever heard. I would bet my savings he just threw it in the bin.

The other couple of times have been genuine incidents, both times completely let down. Once I had a guy crash into my car but fail to give me any details and then try to kick off. I ended up calling the police who said they were on their way, 30 mins later, nothing. 45 mins I called them back for them to say they had decided they weren't coming but couldn't be bother to tell me. Only being interested when I said there was no way the other guy was leaving without his details and that I was more than happy to kick the st out of him if not, said they would be down to arrest me.

I used to be very pro police, however like others say on here, they are only there to arrest you, not help you in any way. Nowadays they are more interested in hurt feelings that material loss.

[Tidybeard]

Thanks for the feedback and commentary. Incredibly frustrating - I got the same answer from the station. They're happy to take their £12/day for the space but you're on your own for anything else.

I'm not even sure about the point of dashcams now. It appears I could have a 4k video image with Dolby surround sound of someone taking a dump on the roof and then setting fire to the car whilst holding a giant copy of their driving licence up to the camera and there wouldn't be much I could do about it (apart from fund the repair myself one way or the other).

Maybe I'll take it to Asda and go for the hat-trick...

[Brads67]

I`d tell you how parking across 2 spaces helps in the fight against aholes, but I`ve already been banned from the bad parking thread so ,,,

[NickofName]

C70R said:

NickofName said:

C70R said:

NickofName said:

Tidybeard said:

I do think we should have a reasonable expectation that our property won't suffer hundred's of pounds' worth of damage when taken out in public though. We shouldn't automatically just suck it up and pay up to be fixed - otherwise it just becomes acceptable to smash up other people's stuff rather than having a bit of respect for others.

Unfortunately I genuinely believe this ship has sailed for society.

Since when was this a new thing? "Society" hasn't suddenly gone to the dogs because some people's cars got damaged.
I remember my Dad in the 80s, complaining that someone had cracked his rear light and driven off when he left it in a multi-storey car park.

In fairness, I didn't say it had sailed recently...

So, tell me. When do you think it all went wrong?

I'm not sure why you're trying to turn this into a thread-derailing argument, but I'm bored so I'll bite.

I also never said there was an identifiable point at which 'it all went wrong'. The (I thought) clear implication of my post was that we now live in a society in which nobody really has any respect for each other or others' property, and that at this point in time I believe that situation to be irrevocable so we're just going to have to deal with it.

If we must put a timeline on it: I (and many others) would identify the ability of people to lead socially insular lives as being a primary cause of the degredation of mutual respect. If people no longer rely on each other they have no vested interest in maintaining relationships that are no longer beneficial to them. As the greatest change in this respect happened roughly between 1860 and 1960 lets blame that century for our current predicament. Or would you like me to be more specific?

[anonymous-user]

To be frank no one but you cares about people dinging your car. Sad but true.

So when I bought my car I bought a £300 "man will come and repair all dings smaller than x cm diameter and scratches shorter than y cm" 3 year cover policy.

My view was that once per year I could get them out to do all the stone chips, dings, dents etc in one go.

So my advice to OP is to admit defeat, no one cares about your dings (I mean as in no one in authority to do anything about it), and get a policy when you buy your next car. At least then you can get dings fixed as they happen at home or at work.

Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 28th April 11:54

[Brads67]

Or park defensively ! use 2 spaces. Is that any less selfish than someone damaging YOUR car, ?

All sorts will say "oooh folk will wreck your car, scratch it, park 2cm from the drivers door, burn it to the ground and eat your children, etc etc.

But truth be told, they won`t, they will tut and moan, but ultimately will do nothing because deep down they know why you are doing it.

[V8 Fettler]

Being forced to use station car parks is another perfectly justifiable reason to buy a Land Rover in addition to the polishing car.

[mustdash]

Section 34 Data Protection Act - you can request CCTV for the purposes of prospective court proceedings, court proceedings or to seek legal advice.

[Prizam]

V8 Fettler said:

Being forced to use station car parks is another perfectly justifiable reason to buy a Land Rover in addition to the polishing car.

That wouldn't get vandalised, just nicked and broken for parts. Lucky if it lasted a week before disappearing. then, equally, you would have bo interest from the police.

[zedstar]

Had a similar incident happen to my sisters car in the GP practice where she worked. CCTV caught the woman coming out of her appointment (husbands appt), scraping sisters car, stopping and picking her broken bumper parts off the floor and then driving off. Took about 3 visits and 6/7 calls to get the police to come and get the CCTV footage and the traffic dept basically didn't care. I spoke at length to the woman there over the phone and she basically said that unless someone viewed the number plate they weren't going to get involved. This was despite me telling her of all the CCTV and the doctor who was willing to identify her from the appt.

I was then and am now still appalled.

I'm even more appalled when I saw some police senior had an interview with the press defending people getting speeding tickets at 1mph over the limit. His view was that it's against the law and thats that. Real shame they won't accept that view from the public.

[sugerbear]

Atomic12C said:

Police should be interested in obtaining the CCTV as wouldn't it be "leaving the scene of an accident" and as such a crime has been committed ?

1. They should be.
2. They have more pressing issues to address.

I reported my own bump to the police in a car park covered by CCTV. I did try the company that owned the CCTV first but they will only give info to the Police.

My rationale for reporting it is that if I didn't it would never have been recorded as an unsolved crime. Cambridgeshire police sent an automated email about 20 days later saying there was no further evidence and the case was closed.

£300 worth of damage. My excess £350.

[BobSaunders]

I don't understand why stuff like this can not be pursued through the small claims court? Technically it's a civil matter (sort of), so treat it as such.

Especially if you can back it up with CCTV or dash cam footage.

I now run dash cams front and back.

Yes, car park dings are rubbish. But, sadly, it's now the way of life nowadays due to the breakdown of society.