danager Report post Posted April 23, 2010 I ran into the grocery store this morning, and my son stayed in the car. When I came back, he said the person driving the van parked next to us hit the car when she opened her door. I took a look, and there is a very noticeable dent. It is larger than quarter size, and fairly deep. The paint is scratched through to the primary coat of the Platinum White. I took several pics with my iPhone, and called the police for advice. They advised we try to settle civilly or I could make a complaint as "mischief" because there is known property damage. I waited for the driver to come back, and she looked surprised that I was still parked next to her. I mentioned the issue, and she acknowledged hearing and feeling the impact, yet could not find any damage to my vehicle. She showed me she expected the damage to be just below the belt line. She thought there was no way she caused this type of damage, and then I asked her to open her door to see where they would meet. Well that was it for that conversation. She gave me her name and phone number and instructed me to call her husband. I visited the dealership I purchased the car from, and they have quoted $1,039.00 and 3-4 days for the repair! The estimator said the Platinum White needs to be blended across a significant section to prevent the repair work from being obvious. The multiple stages also add to the time and therefore the labour. This lady, or more likely her husband is going to have a bird, and I am concerned they will be reluctant to pay for any damages. I will get additional estimates, I will NOT skimp on the repair. I factory ordered to get this colour, and took delivery on November 27, the car is still so new. Wish me luck! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
drolds1 Report post Posted April 23, 2010 That just sucks! People are so disrespectful of other people's property, but you at least know who the culprit is and she admitted her guilt. That doesn't usually happen. They usually just drive off without a care in the world. The tri-coats are indeed expensive to repair and difficult to match. It takes a skilled painter. I had two tri-coat Lincoln LSes. I can't say whether the price is excessive or not, though. You could try getting an estimate from another quality shop in your area, just to get a ball-park figure for comparison purposes. The dealer is not always the best source. This isn't to say yours isn't. Do they farm out the work or is the shop a part of the dealership? Can you get to see an example of their work? I hope you got the name of her insurance company too. If her husband objects, file a claim against her insurance. I had to do this once. An elderly woman in a Grand Marquis insisted on trying to squeeze past my wife to get into a left turn lane when there wasn't enough room. She left a long scratch on the side of the bumper cover. I went to her insurance company's drive-in claims center and they issued me a check on the spot. In the alternative, you could tell the husband you intend to file a police report and a property damage report. I don't know what the threshold is your state, but here in NY if there's property damage exceeding $1001, a report has to be filed with the state DMV within 10 days. Failure to do so can result in license suspension. That might free up his purse strings. Good luck. Let us know what happens. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rodeo Report post Posted April 23, 2010 I hope you had the police respond and write up a report. Good luck to you if you didn't. Undocumented damage is hard to claim, even if you do go to small claims court.Personally, I would laugh at anything close to $1000 for that repair, even though it may in fact be accurate. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
danager Report post Posted April 23, 2010 Hi there, The dealership I went to has it's own body shop attached to the service department. I have had two vehicles repaired there, and have been happy both times. They are not quick, but they are good. The tri-coat does add an element to the quality of work - I will visit a couple other shops. This should satisfy any insurance company or the other driver, as well as my interest in making sure I am comfortable with the repair shop chosen. I called the police, they would not respond as neither vehicle was moving - therefore this would not be considered a collision. I kept detailed notes, and have 15 photos taken that show the placement of the vehicles, the damage, the location in the parking lot... She did not give me her insurance information, that is what I need to get from her husband when I phone. I do have the paperwork from the lube shop yesterday, and their walk-around inspection that notes the exterior condition as excellent. I am preparing myself that this may not be a walk in the park, yet I have taken the necessary steps to get this covered. Any other day, either myself or the other driver would have just driven off, and the damage would not have been noticed and documented. Here's hoping... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites