Sill damaged by tyre fitter - advice please
Discussion
I had 4 new tyres fitted to my 930 yesterday.
Whilst washing it prior to putting it back in the garage, I noticed that the sill just in front of the rear wheel arch (ie above the jacking point) has been crushed. The car spent 2 days being serviced last week and they went over it with a fine tooth comb. If the damage had been apparent on the car at that time they would have told me, because I asked them to identify any issues with the car. I have spoken to them and they are sure the car had no such damage.
I have spoken to the tyre company and am taking the car back this afternoon for them to have a look at it. However, as far as I see it, it is simply my word against theirs.
I just wondered if anyone could offer some advice as to the best way to handle it. I don't really do the Mr Angry thing but at the same time I don't want to be fobbed off and end up having to pay for a repair that is not of my doing.
Thanks in advance
Andrew
Whilst washing it prior to putting it back in the garage, I noticed that the sill just in front of the rear wheel arch (ie above the jacking point) has been crushed. The car spent 2 days being serviced last week and they went over it with a fine tooth comb. If the damage had been apparent on the car at that time they would have told me, because I asked them to identify any issues with the car. I have spoken to them and they are sure the car had no such damage.
I have spoken to the tyre company and am taking the car back this afternoon for them to have a look at it. However, as far as I see it, it is simply my word against theirs.
I just wondered if anyone could offer some advice as to the best way to handle it. I don't really do the Mr Angry thing but at the same time I don't want to be fobbed off and end up having to pay for a repair that is not of my doing.
Thanks in advance
Andrew
As you know you have a massive problem with proof. Unless spotted at the time - and even then it's not necessarily guaranteed - it will be your word against theirs. All you can do is appeal to their sense of goodwill and fair play, if they have any. A bigger chain may have layers of management/customer service who will be better to pester for a result than the tyrebrace-wielding who did the damage.
Good luck; sadly there's a chance you may end up rectifying it yourself.
Good luck; sadly there's a chance you may end up rectifying it yourself.
Thanks Domster, I thought that may be the case.
Bliarout, unfortunately I don't have a digital camera at the moment. If you imagine the car had been picked up and then gently put down (ie no paint damage) on top of an object that then squashed the sill, that's probably the best way I can describe it.
It's such a pain as the car is in such good condition. Any blemish just spoils the car in my eyes.
Bliarout, unfortunately I don't have a digital camera at the moment. If you imagine the car had been picked up and then gently put down (ie no paint damage) on top of an object that then squashed the sill, that's probably the best way I can describe it.
It's such a pain as the car is in such good condition. Any blemish just spoils the car in my eyes.
Why not ask the guy at the garage who did your servicing and recommended the tyre fitter to speak direct to them, He may actually stop recommending them if they are going to damage his customers cars. That saves you from trying to be Mr. Angry and hopefully the prospect of loosing referrals from the garage will be an incentive to sort your car out
944Newboy said:
Why not ask the guy at the garage who did your servicing and recommended the tyre fitter to speak direct to them, He may actually stop recommending them if they are going to damage his customers cars. That saves you from trying to be Mr. Angry and hopefully the prospect of loosing referrals from the garage will be an incentive to sort your car out
Interesting idea.. Unfortunately, I think mine is the first to be damaged so they are unlikely to stop recommending them on the basis of one error. I have used the tyre place before myself and have been quite happy.
In the end, it is an accident and accidents happen. I just hope they will take the same view and put their hands up..
Doubt it somehow...
You say the car was serviced before the tyres went on and they would have picked up a dent in the sill. I`m not sure they would, they are looking for mechanical defects rather than scratches or marks on the paint.
You will struggle to get the tyre people to pay for the sill retrospectively. Although the company have insurance it wouldn`t cover a small job like a 930 sill. There will be an excess on their policy and they would not want to blot their copy book on a small job. Similarly there is no reason to paint someone`s car if they didn`t do the damage, (and in fairness they may not have done it).
Henry
You will struggle to get the tyre people to pay for the sill retrospectively. Although the company have insurance it wouldn`t cover a small job like a 930 sill. There will be an excess on their policy and they would not want to blot their copy book on a small job. Similarly there is no reason to paint someone`s car if they didn`t do the damage, (and in fairness they may not have done it).
Henry
Well, one has to be honest and it appears you may well be right Henry.
I took the car back to the tyre fitters and approached the whole thing with a conciliatory rather than confrontational tone. They couldn't have been more helpful. The guys that did the work showed me exactly how the jacks worked and even re-jacked the car in order to demonstrate that there was good clearance between the jack and the bodywork.
The only way for the sill to have been damaged would have been if the car had fallen off a jack, which it definitely didn't as I could see it from the viewing area, albeit not the side which is damaged.
Unfortunately, it leaves me completely perplexed as to how it could have happened, and obviously with a bill to look forward to for the repair!
Could be worse, I could be an England supporter... Oh bo**ocks!!
Anyway, thanks for the suggestions chaps
I took the car back to the tyre fitters and approached the whole thing with a conciliatory rather than confrontational tone. They couldn't have been more helpful. The guys that did the work showed me exactly how the jacks worked and even re-jacked the car in order to demonstrate that there was good clearance between the jack and the bodywork.
The only way for the sill to have been damaged would have been if the car had fallen off a jack, which it definitely didn't as I could see it from the viewing area, albeit not the side which is damaged.
Unfortunately, it leaves me completely perplexed as to how it could have happened, and obviously with a bill to look forward to for the repair!
Could be worse, I could be an England supporter... Oh bo**ocks!!
Anyway, thanks for the suggestions chaps
mach said:
Well, one has to be honest and it appears you may well be right Henry.
I took the car back to the tyre fitters and approached the whole thing with a conciliatory rather than confrontational tone. They couldn't have been more helpful. The guys that did the work showed me exactly how the jacks worked and even re-jacked the car in order to demonstrate that there was good clearance between the jack and the bodywork.
The only way for the sill to have been damaged would have been if the car had fallen off a jack, which it definitely didn't as I could see it from the viewing area, albeit not the side which is damaged.
Unfortunately, it leaves me completely perplexed as to how it could have happened, and obviously with a bill to look forward to for the repair!
Could be worse, I could be an England supporter... Oh bo**ocks!!
Anyway, thanks for the suggestions chaps
I took the car back to the tyre fitters and approached the whole thing with a conciliatory rather than confrontational tone. They couldn't have been more helpful. The guys that did the work showed me exactly how the jacks worked and even re-jacked the car in order to demonstrate that there was good clearance between the jack and the bodywork.
The only way for the sill to have been damaged would have been if the car had fallen off a jack, which it definitely didn't as I could see it from the viewing area, albeit not the side which is damaged.
Unfortunately, it leaves me completely perplexed as to how it could have happened, and obviously with a bill to look forward to for the repair!
Could be worse, I could be an England supporter... Oh bo**ocks!!
Anyway, thanks for the suggestions chaps
Actually, it could be much worse.......you could be living without your Porsche
johnnywishbone said:
the sills on turbo and carrera SSE are removaable , remove the black rubber that is slotted in and you will see the 10mm bolts . a very easy repair to the stone chipped finish , if you need any help , or materials for a DIY repair please give ben a call @ 07000 911 996 !!
JWB
JWB
Thanks for that, but if you'd seen the mess I can make of an IKEA flat pack coffee table, you would understand why I would never ever attempt any kind of DIY on my Porsche.
It's going to Germany soon for a session on the Autobahns and a wander round the Nurburgring. If I knew there was anything on the car that I had been involved in attaching, I'd never take my eyes off the rear view mirror for fear that the car was dismantling itself at 150 mph!!
I wouldn't let the tyre company off that lightly, this sort of damage is very common as they use trolley jacks on the side sills where they should not be used. I bet when u took it back they jacked it under the car on a suspension point, go back and watch them jack other cars on the side sills. If they jack on the vertical seem it, folds over, and then creases the sill.
In practice two sorts of lifts cause this damage, two post lifts and trolley jacks. Either incorrectly used can do it. Although not a POrsche, I had a VW dealer buy back at full price my golf when they did this damage on a two post lift.
In practice two sorts of lifts cause this damage, two post lifts and trolley jacks. Either incorrectly used can do it. Although not a POrsche, I had a VW dealer buy back at full price my golf when they did this damage on a two post lift.
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