Car came back from service with crack in bumper

[wongl]

Well what dealership was it?

I think it would be unwise to name the dealership as I plan to pursue some/all avenues suggested by fellow members.

 

[MancMike]

It is not so much that it is visible to the driver, but its visibility to potential vandals. A colleague of mine had his car broken into by some vandals who though that it was funny to smash up the dash cam. What is the point of that?

There is no point to mindless idiocy.

It's pretty discrete, I'll take a pic from the front of the car too. brb...

 

[GaryD]

I thought all high end dealerships (MB, Audi, BMW etc) now take pictures of the vehicles when they come in for any work, ensuring any defects or damage are noted prior to starting any work. That's certainly what happens at my local Audi and local MB garage anyway.

 

[markjay]

Yes. The Kia dealer walks around the car with me and marks all existing damage on a form in the same way as car hire firms do.

 

[Bonecho]

A dash cam would normally show nothing if the car was parked up with the engine switched off and someone drove into the car.

Also who is to say that an employee did it. Would the dealership be liable if the car received damage while the car was waiting to be picked up after it had been serviced? I can't see it somehow in the same way that a supermarket would not be at fault for an accident in their car parks.

Without evidence that the dealer did cause the damage I can't see what you can do.

 

[wongl]

A dash cam would normally show nothing if the car was parked up with the engine switched off and someone drove into the car.

Also who is to say that an employee did it. Would the dealership be liable if the car received damage while the car was waiting to be picked up after it had been serviced? I can't see it somehow in the same way that a supermarket would not be at fault for an accident in their car parks.

Without evidence that the dealer did cause the damage I can't see what you can do.

I see what you mean using the public car park example. However, I believe there is a duty of care in this case. I handed my car to the dealership to be serviced once this is done, the dealership have a duty of care to look after my car. They can park my car anywhere they like - on the roadside, in their public car park or inside their secured car park.

In much the same way, once I accepted the loan car I have a duty of care for the loan car. It is up to me where I park it, and had I returned the loan car with a crack in the bumper, the dealership wouldn't be all that interested how the crack got there I am sure!

 

[Namvar15]

I have a similar situation when my car was in. Luckily not as bad as a crack in the bumper but it was a curbed wheel. I pride myself on immaculate wheels and they were perfect when they went in. Got the car back but was in a rush so just jumped in without checking. Next day i was walking to my car i notice a large curb mark on my rear alloy. It defo was not me that caused the damage as curbing a car is the kind of experience that sends shivers up your spine and not something you wouldn't notice.

 

[wongl]

Got a result from the dealership. They have agreed to pay for a Smart repair on the crack and realign the bumper at their service workshop.

I though that smart repairs were only for minor bumps where body work itself is undamaged? Dealer is now saying that they suspect it is only the paint in the bumper that is cracked - but they never examined the crack properly in person and all they had were a photo from me to go by.

Any opinions as to whether I should accept a smart repair on a bumper?

 

[ioweddie]

Let them do it, its an admission of liability, if its crap, they will have to get it repaired or replaced properly, get plenty of photographs1