Garage scraped my car

EvilDreams · 12 Apr 2013 at 19:11

My car failed its MOT yesterday. I knew it would fail so I left it with an independent local garage that takes the car somewhere else (reputable) for the test and can weld floorpans etc. unlike a lot of places.

Anyway, the car had been parked with its rear to the wall in the garage's yard (presumably so I wouldn't notice until I got home) and after paying for the MOT (I'm taking it somewhere else for the welding, especially now) I drove it home, and only when I got back did I notice this:

I suppose they decided to wait until late on a Friday afternoon, so that by the time I got home and noticed it, they'd be closed for the weekend.

What can I do in this situation? I can't really prove that it was them, unless I can find some black paint on their wall. If it had been the MOT garage, and not their fault, they would have probably told me about it.

Since I left the premises, they'll probably just say I could have done that at any time after leaving.

Am I screwed?

Minstadave · 12 Apr 2013 at 19:25

Start by calling them when they reopen?

PiKe · 12 Apr 2013 at 19:30

Watch them deny all knowledge

Hades · 12 Apr 2013 at 19:31

I'd call them tonight if they have an answerphone and leave a message stating there is damage, rather than waiting until Monday (otherwise they have more reason to say the damage was caused by you over the weekend). But I assume they will just try to deny it anyway.

I always have a walk around the car when collecting it, whether it's a small place or a main dealer.

EvilDreams · 12 Apr 2013 at 19:32

Thanks Hades, but I tried them already, the phone just rings.

I can get the damage repaired reasonably cheap (and I can use the same guy for the welding too if I'm lucky) but it's more the fact that I've been treated like a mug.

pioneer2000 · 12 Apr 2013 at 19:35

Call them out on it. Ask to see the records they may have made noting any existing damage when you dropped it off.

Hades · 12 Apr 2013 at 19:36

Are they open Saturday? Some places are. Try calling them first thing in the morning.

EvilDreams · 12 Apr 2013 at 19:37

Now that I think about it, the place is question is "sometimes" open on a Saturday. When the place is shut, they have their gates closed.

Maybe I could sneak down there tomorrow morning with a camera to take a pic of any paint left on the wall.

Participant · 12 Apr 2013 at 20:30

This happened to my Fiesta years ago. I noticed it when I got home but never even bothered mentioning it because it would have been a fruitless task. I now always walk round my cars before I leave the premises.

EvilDreams · 12 Apr 2013 at 20:34

Fruitless indeed. If they have already gone to the trouble of parking it so I can't see the scrape and waiting until late on a Friday afternoon for me to pay/pick it up (when the MOT was yesterday afternoon) I think they're prepared to just deny it too.

Dave L · 13 Apr 2013 at 10:07

I'd just repair it myself and learn from it.

Mr-White · 13 Apr 2013 at 10:20

If they refuse to repair the damage name and shame them.

MW

pugheaven · 13 Apr 2013 at 10:29

Get down there and see any walls for black paint, take pictures. Write a quick letter now, and posy it through to them so they have a copy, email as well if possible and cover all avenues. They'll do what a local garage did to my wife, say it wasn't them. Then I pointed out how there wasn't a single mark on the car and how they always commented how mint the Alfa was... they backed down and touched it up which was still annoying as there was nothing on the car...

breadturbo · 13 Apr 2013 at 16:59

camaro!!! gimme

Participant · 13 Apr 2013 at 20:37

pugheaven said:
Get down there and see any walls for black paint, take pictures. Write a quick letter now, and posy it through to them so they have a copy, email as well if possible and cover all avenues. They'll do what a local garage did to my wife, say it wasn't them. Then I pointed out how there wasn't a single mark on the car and how they always commented how mint the Alfa was... they backed down and touched it up which was still annoying as there was nothing on the car...

I wouldn't say touching it up was backing down, I'd say it was making you go away.

pugheaven · 14 Apr 2013 at 16:40

Robbie G said:
I wouldn't say touching it up was backing down, I'd say it was making you go away.

I'll amend, they sprayed and blended the area and it was as new.