parking lot scrape, agreed to have it fixed, got screwed and its my own damned faultl

[Dueller]

A few weeks ago as I was backing out of a parking space at my wife's restaurant, I scraped the rear corner of a car(3 y.o. Camry). Broke the paint and put palmed sized dings in both cars. I went back inside to find out whose car it was and it turned out to be a pretty regular customers.

I apologized and said we'd certainly have it fixed, pay for a rental car, etc. Everything very cordial. I told her that I had several contacts in the car business and let me know if she needed help finding a body shop. She said she also had a friend in the business and would contact him. I had our ding (which was wose than hers) repaired for $325.

She called me today and said her car was ready, she didn't need to get a rental car because she drove her mom's car while hers was in the shop. BILL? $979.00. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

[DanielDudley]

That would be your second mistake. Not paying would be the third.

I know how you feel though.

[Dixie]

But an unreported future denting of her car could be Karma...

[the]

Never give a stranger a blank check.

[Dueller]

Oh no...I 'd never think about just leaving the scene or not paying. The accident was my fault as was not taking it to one of my contatcs. The owner felt really bad...but a deal is a deal.

Wanna know what was the ultimate cause of this? The day before this happened, I pulled in to fill up my 911. Premium was 2.99/gallon. I put 20 gallons in my car and looked at the pump....total prce was $5.97. WTF?

The attendant had changed the gas prices at my regular station and instead of making the price $2.999/gall she made it $.299.

As much as I think the oil companies are raping us, I couldn't do this to my mom/pop owned station. So I told them about it and paid the $59.70 for my gas.

[gerard vaglio]

A few years ago I was getting out of my car, opened the door and the door stopped at the normal detent. As I turned to get my bag on the passenger seat the wind picked up, caught my door and opened it right into the car next to me.

This was like something out of a movie.

At the time the other car was a six year old Toyota with little scratches and dings on several panels. The mark my car door left didn't remove any paint, just left a 2'' dent.

I contacted the person and said I would pay for a paintless dent removal, $150, because I've have good luck with this service with my own car and that is the path I would take if her car were mine.

She agreed.

When I called to see how the repair went she told me the guy got most of it taken care of but she was not completely satisfied and wanted the door repainted. Repainting the door would have been $5-600 and would have made it the best looking panel on the car.

I politely declined to go farther then what we originally agreed to even though the dentless repair may not have been absolutely perfect.

Was I right, was I wrong?

There is something about these situations that are inherently hard to resolve.
I'd enjoy hearing others experiences with this type of problem.

[RANDY P]

it's really too bad the car is repaired already. Difficult, since if you decide to contest it the body shop just holds your client hostage and you get the bad rap.

If only there were some quotes from a few neutral shops firsthand.

If it really is that much of an issue (I'd be thinking hard about it) I'd turn the claim over to the insurance Co and see what they say when they see the bill.

rjp

[Jims5543]

Originally Posted by gerard vaglio

A few years ago I was getting out of my car, opened the door and the door stopped at the normal detent. As I turned to get my bag on the passenger seat the wind picked up, caught my door and opened it right into the car next to me.

This was like something out of a movie.

At the time the other car was a six year old Toyota with little scratches and dings on several panels. The mark my car door left didn't remove any paint, just left a 2'' dent.

I contacted the person and said I would pay for a paintless dent removal, $150, because I've have good luck with this service with my own car and that is the path I would take if her car were mine.

She agreed.

When I called to see how the repair went she told me the guy got most of it taken care of but she was not completely satisfied and wanted the door repainted. Repainting the door would have been $5-600 and would have made it the best looking panel on the car.

I politely declined to go farther then what we originally agreed to even though the dentless repair may not have been absolutely perfect.

Was I right, was I wrong?

There is something about these situations that are inherently hard to resolve.
I'd enjoy hearing others experiences with this type of problem.

I had the same exact thing happen to me. I was in my RX7 as I was about to get out the wind caught the door and it hit a very old Saab next to me. When I tried to find the damage I did it took a few minutes because the Saab was covered in scratches and dents.

I felt I still needed to talk to the owner. When I found her she freaked like I hit her brand new Mercedes. Instead of showing her the ding, I ask her to come out and see if she could spot the damage. She could not find it.

I opened my car door really slow so it would line up with the ding, then I told her I would be willing to pay to have the ding pushed out and that is it. I also told her I would not tolerate her trying to cash in on me to get the whole car fixed. I was actually rude to her even though I did the door ding because I could see she was going to try to play me.

I gave her my business card and I never heard from her again, this was about 4 years ago.

[Rot 911]

Dueller, I don't think the woman was trying to screw you over. She probably just took it to the body shop and said fix it. She saved you money by borrowing her mother's car. In hindsight you probably should have asked her for the estimate first.

[HardDrive]

Dueller, props to you for doing the right thing. It stinks, but I don't think she did anything devious. She just took it to the shop and said 'fix it'.

You did the honorable thing.

[TerryBPP]

I was backing out from a crazy one way parking lot at a bed & breakfast in St. Augustine. The lot went onto a one way road with no parking signs and striping all over it. It was also pouring down rain.

5 mph in reverse, BANG!!!, back into an illegally parked mid 90's Saab hatch back. We were on our way to dinner so I put my business card w/ an apology under the wiper blade.

I got a call about a week later from the owner of the B&B saying it was his car. I confessed but did ask what he was doing parked there. He said it was an unwritten rule. If I was local I would have pursued that angle.

Anyway, I had him get and estimate for the 4" diameter dent in the rear quarter panel. $3500!

I let my insurance handle it. I assume he had a friend mark the price up and pocket the difference.

[vash]

yup. this topic makes me want to puke. i did the same thing. i went in reverse and tapped the car behind me. my trailer hitch reciever left a faint square impression, so i left a note. the car was an early acura integra that was beat down badly. the guy went on and on, about how nice i was...yada yada yada. i got an estimate that included fixing his entire front end. $1700. he had a cousin work at a tuner body shop. **** that little bastard...i let my insurance take over. i still see the same car with the same square dent. he never fixed the car, and pocketed the money. i will never leave a note again. i am hoping two wrongs do make a right.

didnt finish the story. two weeks later, i come to my truck and find my rear bumper hanging off. no note, but my neighbor did right down the fools tag#. i talked to my insurance agent and he gave me the guys address. (with a, "you dont remember me giving you this...."). i ring the doorbell, and some old asian dude just starts crying....i have no money...baaaaaa...waaaaaaa.....i left, and fixed the truck myself. again, i feel sorry for the next guy, but nnnooooo note.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by Capt. Carrera

But an unreported future denting of her car could be Karma...

So true. Interesting deposit in the karma-bank by a stranger this weekend: My daughter lost her cell phone at the county fair. We immediately reported the loss and nixed her service.

We got a call about two hours later from the young woman who found the phone, looked up 'Home" in Arden's address book and pressed send.

What a great kid. Arden and I met her about an hour later with a $50 dollar gift certificate to Outback Steakhouse (the young ladies boyfriend loves the place).

She looked to be about 19...the only thing I wish I had done was get her parents phone number so I could have called them and congratulated them on a job well done.