Car Park Door Ding
Discussion
Had an incident yesterday in a retail park when somebody got out of their car from the back passenger seat and hit mine with their door. I was in the car and saw/heard it. It was pouring rain and they claimed “100 percent” no damage and ran off to the shops. I got out of my car when I remembered I had a microfibre towel in my boot. I wiped the area and , low and behold, a dent and a paint chip. My partner suggested I wait and speak to the driver. The driver, his wife and 14 year old daughter returned and I mentioned that the 100 percent guarantee had not held up.
The next thing it degenerated into denials, accusations of skulduggery on my part to defraud them and swearing in their language and English. The 14 year old was particularly gobby suggesting I am a great actor and it was bulls
t (she was also the one who put initially her hands to her face when her mum him my car with the door).
I got fed up and reported it to the police on the spot. They could hear the escalating exchanges between my partner and the women and suggested I get out of there. THREE times the driver refused to supply insurance details, telling me to finally “fk off.” I had taken pictures beforehand and told the police the retail park had CCTV.
I have been told to report this to my insurer, with the crime number.
This is gonna come out of my pocket, isn’t it? I haven’t got a prayer justice will be done, even though I witnessed it.
The next thing it degenerated into denials, accusations of skulduggery on my part to defraud them and swearing in their language and English. The 14 year old was particularly gobby suggesting I am a great actor and it was bulls
t (she was also the one who put initially her hands to her face when her mum him my car with the door).I got fed up and reported it to the police on the spot. They could hear the escalating exchanges between my partner and the women and suggested I get out of there. THREE times the driver refused to supply insurance details, telling me to finally “f
k off.” I had taken pictures beforehand and told the police the retail park had CCTV.I have been told to report this to my insurer, with the crime number.
This is gonna come out of my pocket, isn’t it? I haven’t got a prayer justice will be done, even though I witnessed it.
Some people are just aholes, who care nothing for other peoples property,
Sadly, your single real life experience will be all the justification someone with a little man/ centre of the universe complex needs to justify their decision to take up two spaces and park in the disabled spaces right next to the shop door, for the past 20 years.
holes, who care nothing for other peoples property,Sadly, your single real life experience will be all the justification someone with a little man/ centre of the universe complex needs to justify their decision to take up two spaces and park in the disabled spaces right next to the shop door, for the past 20 years.
Being realistic about CCTV, I doubt the car park operator will readily hand over footage unless you subject access request them and you would need to hope they don't use potato cams. So unless you have a Tesla which have side on parking mode cameras I doubt you will get clear footage. In a Court it will be 3 persons word against yours.
Car park door dings are unfortunate cost of motoring much like windscreen stone chips and nails in tyres - you can try to mitigate by parking in the deserted area of the car parks, end bays etc.
And what a fantastic parenting from the door dingers, denial and the child getting involved in the melee. She'll grow up to be another entitled chavscum.
Car park door dings are unfortunate cost of motoring much like windscreen stone chips and nails in tyres - you can try to mitigate by parking in the deserted area of the car parks, end bays etc.
And what a fantastic parenting from the door dingers, denial and the child getting involved in the melee. She'll grow up to be another entitled chavscum.
Not Cool said:
This is gonna come out of my pocket, isn’t it? I haven’t got a prayer justice will be done, even though I witnessed it.
I witnessed my car being damaged by a RR owner's wife. Rear door onto mine. After getting his attention, I demonstrated that his door matched perfectly with the dent and he agreed to cover the cost. I took his number - making sure it was correct, thanked him for dealing with it properly and carried on with my day.
Over the next few weeks I obtained quotes ranging from £1000 to respray, £650 for chips away and £150 for paintless removal. I didn't want to see him out of pocket, so after speaking with him agreed that I'd be happy enough with the paintless option and would see it I can fix the paint marks myself, at my risk.
No problems, just send me the invoice when it's done he said.
On sending him the invoice, that's when the fun started. Complete denial from him - couldn't speak or write more than basic English anymore either. Text messages starting arriving from his wife accusing me of all sorts. I quoted the earlier messages and pictures from the day but this was just met with more abuse.
There it ended. I could do no more to get the cash from him, so I just left it.
I did Google his name and location though. It turns out my new friend is a Surgeon at Newcastle RVI. You know, the kind of profession that you'd expect a decent level of ethical and moral tendencies...
If it were to happen again, I'd just deal with the insurers from the start, even if it came at a cost to me.
I imagine the success rate of restitution in these situations is <1%... very hard to prove and people don't give a st. Looking at the state of my SiL's door edges I suspect she falls into this category, if someone confronted her about a door ding I suspect she'd not understand what the big deal is. If they were insistent I don't think she'd get aggressive or confrontational, but she would get upset and probably dismissive. She wouldn't have the spare cash to fix it so you'd have to force it down the insurance route.
There is no easy solution. Years back some parked next to my old shed focus, they were faffing around in and out all the doors, the wind caught their door and it slammed into mine. No reaction, and 30 seconds later it happened again, so I got out to have a look and they mumbled an apology and walked off. Immature but I returned the favour, although I resisted the temptation to boot their door mirror off.
OP next time remove their wiper blades...
t. Looking at the state of my SiL's door edges I suspect she falls into this category, if someone confronted her about a door ding I suspect she'd not understand what the big deal is. If they were insistent I don't think she'd get aggressive or confrontational, but she would get upset and probably dismissive. She wouldn't have the spare cash to fix it so you'd have to force it down the insurance route.There is no easy solution. Years back some parked next to my old shed focus, they were faffing around in and out all the doors, the wind caught their door and it slammed into mine. No reaction, and 30 seconds later it happened again, so I got out to have a look and they mumbled an apology and walked off. Immature but I returned the favour, although I resisted the temptation to boot their door mirror off.
OP next time remove their wiper blades...
Car park dings are a fact of life. My local body shop charges £200 per "smart repair" and for that they do a proper re-paint, had it done a couple of times over the years when I've reversed into things or been driven into. My Land Rover has side steps which helps massively as any door edge comes into contact with those rather than my car's bodywork. Cannot be bothered getting into an argument, you never know how it's going to end and often not in your favour.
sanguinary said:
Not a chance unfortunately. I had similar - I've mentioned it before elsewhere.
I witnessed my car being damaged by a RR owner's wife. Rear door onto mine. After getting his attention, I demonstrated that his door matched perfectly with the dent and he agreed to cover the cost. I took his number - making sure it was correct, thanked him for dealing with it properly and carried on with my day.
Over the next few weeks I obtained quotes ranging from £1000 to respray, £650 for chips away and £150 for paintless removal. I didn't want to see him out of pocket, so after speaking with him agreed that I'd be happy enough with the paintless option and would see it I can fix the paint marks myself, at my risk.
No problems, just send me the invoice when it's done he said.
On sending him the invoice, that's when the fun started. Complete denial from him - couldn't speak or write more than basic English anymore either. Text messages starting arriving from his wife accusing me of all sorts. I quoted the earlier messages and pictures from the day but this was just met with more abuse.
There it ended. I could do no more to get the cash from him, so I just left it.
I did Google his name and location though. It turns out my new friend is a Surgeon at Newcastle RVI. You know, the kind of profession that you'd expect a decent level of ethical and moral tendencies...
If it were to happen again, I'd just deal with the insurers from the start, even if it came at a cost to me.
I suggest you contact him one more time, honesty is a necessity in medicine and tell him you will complain to the GMC on the grounds of probity, let me know what happens I witnessed my car being damaged by a RR owner's wife. Rear door onto mine. After getting his attention, I demonstrated that his door matched perfectly with the dent and he agreed to cover the cost. I took his number - making sure it was correct, thanked him for dealing with it properly and carried on with my day.
Over the next few weeks I obtained quotes ranging from £1000 to respray, £650 for chips away and £150 for paintless removal. I didn't want to see him out of pocket, so after speaking with him agreed that I'd be happy enough with the paintless option and would see it I can fix the paint marks myself, at my risk.
No problems, just send me the invoice when it's done he said.
On sending him the invoice, that's when the fun started. Complete denial from him - couldn't speak or write more than basic English anymore either. Text messages starting arriving from his wife accusing me of all sorts. I quoted the earlier messages and pictures from the day but this was just met with more abuse.
There it ended. I could do no more to get the cash from him, so I just left it.
I did Google his name and location though. It turns out my new friend is a Surgeon at Newcastle RVI. You know, the kind of profession that you'd expect a decent level of ethical and moral tendencies...
If it were to happen again, I'd just deal with the insurers from the start, even if it came at a cost to me.
Hol said:
Some people are just aholes, who care nothing for other peoples property,
Sadly, your single real life experience will be all the justification someone with a little man/ centre of the universe complex needs to justify their decision to take up two spaces and park in the disabled spaces right next to the shop door, for the past 20 years.
That'll be like this example I guess...posting pictures of his Alfa and a comment basically telling anyone that he doesn't care about their comments about his parking as he doesn't want his doors dented. Frustrating as it is to have it happen (and it's happened to me even when I've parked as far away from the shop entrance as I can), I can't condone parking like that myself:holes, who care nothing for other peoples property,Sadly, your single real life experience will be all the justification someone with a little man/ centre of the universe complex needs to justify their decision to take up two spaces and park in the disabled spaces right next to the shop door, for the past 20 years.
Regarding the OP; I fully understand how frustrating it is, especially as you were there when it happened (I usually find damage afterwards and then wonder what I could have done to avoid it). However I think you'll be better off going to Chipsway or similar and just paying for it rather than going through insurance as it'll make you worse off for it overall. I doubt you'll get anywhere with a failure to give insurance details/CCTV approach either.
Funny that I had my shed Ka nearly a year and no new marks appeared on it during that time. We instinctively park away from entrances and avoid squeezing in a space that might risk getting a knock, but of course it's no guarantee. Within 2 months of having it's replacement I've polished out 3-4 light scratches, some even happening outside my house: Turned out there is a woman cycling past on a massive tandem with huge panier bags, though I've never seen her hit the car it seems a likely reason for the damage. Even if I work out where she lives I'd no doubt be the bad guy if I knocked on their door and confronted them if I saw it actually happen. I just had to park the car out of her way and it hasn't happened since.
The top & bottom of this is that we are still using car park spaces designed for cars from the 1960’s which by modern standards are tiny.
There is a total lack of respect for anything nice these days and people just think they can get away with anything.
We’ve had our fair share of car parking dings but it’s infuriating when it happens.
I’m afraid it’s going to be down to you to sort as they’ve basically washed their hands of any responsibility- ignorant arrogant barstewards
There is a total lack of respect for anything nice these days and people just think they can get away with anything.
We’ve had our fair share of car parking dings but it’s infuriating when it happens.
I’m afraid it’s going to be down to you to sort as they’ve basically washed their hands of any responsibility- ignorant arrogant barstewards
Man of gas said:
I suggest you contact him one more time, honesty is a necessity in medicine and tell him you will complain to the GMC on the grounds of probity, let me know what happens
Unfortunately, that ship has sailed now. This happened back in Summer 2021, with the last message I received being the end of June that year. I'd have taken that course had I known it was an option back then though. 
Totally hateful behaviour and couldn't care less attitude. Some people just don't give a fk about other people's property and if they are happy enough to bash their own car doors then they'll not spare a thought for yours. I do purposely park in parent and child spaces in an effort to avoid this, don't take up disabled spaces though.
k about other people's property and if they are happy enough to bash their own car doors then they'll not spare a thought for yours. I do purposely park in parent and child spaces in an effort to avoid this, don't take up disabled spaces though.People like that are why I park as far away from the entrance as I can. I'd rather carry my st an extra 30 m or risk getting a little bit wet than have to deal with door dings or gobby councilistas (who always try to park as close as possible to the entrance because walking is hard).
t an extra 30 m or risk getting a little bit wet than have to deal with door dings or gobby councilistas (who always try to park as close as possible to the entrance because walking is hard). Bobupndown said:
Totally hateful behaviour and couldn't care less attitude. Some people just don't give a fk about other people's property and if they are happy enough to bash their own car doors then they'll not spare a thought for yours. I do purposely park in parent and child spaces in an effort to avoid this, don't take up disabled spaces though.
Well that’s something I suppose k about other people's property and if they are happy enough to bash their own car doors then they'll not spare a thought for yours. I do purposely park in parent and child spaces in an effort to avoid this, don't take up disabled spaces though.
Not Cool said:
I guess the only compensation I have is the law might prosecute him for failing to give his insurance details. I also have three witnesses to that in myself, my partner and her brother.
He doesn't have to give insurance details in law, only for an injury collision.He just has to give his name & address, the owners name & address & the vehicle ID.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff