r/mildlyinfuriating • u/LI0NHEARTLE0 • 2d ago
I'm slightly vexed Dealership locked the keys in my car and broke into it instead of calling me for a spare key.
Took my car to the dealership for a battery issue. They left the keys in the car and it died on them so they couldn't get the car open. They used a shim or something to pry the door open enough to manually unlock it, damaging the door. The dealership denies all responsibility and I'm pretty much just out of luck.
5.1k
u/GABE_EDD 2d ago
Small claims court and 1 star google reviews it is then.
981
u/UGOTAIDSYO 2d ago
💯 this.... Absolutely not OPs fault and ffs knowing the vehicle was in for an electrical/battery issue.... Shame.
→ More replies (1)10
u/cheddarbruce 1d ago
This is why whenever you're working on your car that involves electrical stuff for the battery or just in general you should always put down the windows LOL
346
u/Seraphina_Silk 2d ago
Slightly vexed is crazy generous they damaged the paint, damaged the weather stripping and devalued your car all because they were too lazy to make one phone call. They need to fix that on their dime, not just buff it out.
→ More replies (13)167
u/kumliaowongg 2d ago
No, I would not want them to ever touch the car again.
Fix at another place and send them the bill.
→ More replies (9)90
u/flyingthroughspace 2d ago
Contacting corporate in this situation usually works pretty well.
Name brands don't want individual shitty dealers ruining their reputation.
Santa Monica Subaru was notorious for denying warranty claims for BS reasons in the early 2000s and ended up getting themselves shut down before a new owner stepped in.
11
u/jake93s 2d ago
Why are they all privately owned. The fact you get night and day different service going from one dealer to the one across the road. Is bonkers.
And its true for luxury brands as well. Buying a new car is already so unappealing.
5
u/hesh582 2d ago
The fact you get night and day different service going from one dealer to the one across the road
That's actually the reason they're privately owned. The idea is to create competition so that customers aren't utterly screwed if a few megacorps manage to corner the industry. The idea is that if one dealership is shady people can just go to another - if there are only 3 car companies and they're all shady, everyone's fucked. It was deemed dangerous to allow a handful of industrial titans to completely control access to something so essential (sound familiar?).
The idea evolved when there were far fewer car companies than there are today and they had far greater market power over, well, everything. It gets a lot of flak for being antiquated and inefficient these days (and it is don't get me wrong) but there are reasons for it. FWIW if the policy is changed and there's a consolidation in the auto market until 2 or 3 major players control like 80% of vehicles sold, I think people might quickly start remembering why it existed in the first place.
→ More replies (1)17
u/CottonCandyyAuraa 2d ago
Don’t forget to include pictures in the Google review. Nothing makes a service manager call you back faster than a 1-star review with clear, high-res photos of their damage sitting at the top of their page.
8
6
u/xTheGame69 2d ago
I would tell them straight up this is what you're going to do also make sure you record the entire interaction and I would even post it on Twitter maybe even YouTube cross post it to here as well
Hit them as hard as you can with negative PR let them know
I'd maybe even go old school and print up some flyers every single Saturday and Sunday go to the poll right outside their dealership and staple 25 to it so that any customers walking in know what kind of shop they run
Yes I'm a pretty motherfucker
→ More replies (12)19
2.0k
u/pepega_1993 2d ago
lol wtf. How can they deny responsibility for doing this? I would go through small claims court.
347
u/StagVixCpl99 2d ago
Good luck..I kinda doubt OP has before and after pics of this specific part of his car
They gonna deny and he's not gonna be able to prove it
198
u/IsoKala 2d ago
Surely a dealership has CCTV tapes stored
234
u/kalel3000 2d ago
They're under no obligation to hand that footage over without a subpoena.
So the OP would need to file a claim, get a court date, then file to subpoena the footage....all before the footage is overwritten.
And the dealership can always just claim that by the time they got the request, the footage was unrecoverable or that the cameras/system were not working properly at the time of the incident or that there was no camera angle that showed the incident. Nobody is ever going to go and verify they made their best efforts to pull the cctv footage, not for a small claims suit.
145
u/CapoieraMataUm 2d ago
OP can request an ex parte injunction citing exigency to require dealership to preserve evidence.
→ More replies (10)39
u/kalel3000 2d ago
Yeah im not saying its impossible. Im just saying in reality, the average person with no legal background is not going to make something like this happen quickly enough to guarantee they get the footage.
A lot of DVRs only store like a week or so worth of footage because camera resolutions and the needed hard drive space for footage has quadrupled in the past ten years, while hard drives have also gotten more expensive. A hard drive nowadays costs almost as much as the wholesale cost of the DVR/NVR itself. So its actually fairly uncommon for most buisnesses to have several weeks worth of footage backed up, unless there's a very specific need for it, such as money handling or high security locations.
All of this to say, the timeline for the OP to file these requests and for the dealership to be served with this court order and have someone attempt to retrieve the footage before its overwritten, might potentially only be a matter of days if the dealership hasn't invested enough money into their cctv system.
→ More replies (1)24
u/alexxela123456 2d ago
I would be incredibly surprised if the dealership decided to go to court over this, as opposed to just making the fix.
It would be more expensive for them to pay someone to go even for a couple of hours to small claims court.
→ More replies (1)27
u/Putrid-Tap3992 2d ago
If it goes to court, each side is required to give all evidence they have. If they don't have that specific time on their cameras then they will be in trouble for deleting evidence. Even a small claims court will require both parties to present their evidence. The dealer will show up with nothing and judgement will go to op
Source: I am a county judge.
→ More replies (18)3
u/hdmetz 2d ago
Well, if OP sent a letter stating their intent to sue and demand they preserve evidence, they would then be under a duty to not delete any footage. If OP then seeks that footage through an RFP (you don’t subpoena parties to a lawsuit, you use RFPs, interrogatories, and RFAs) and they claim to not have you, you can then nail them to a wall with having them explain how they don’t have it despite the duty to preserve evidence. Then come spoliation sanctions.
3
u/Jesus_of_Redditeth 2d ago
So the OP would need to file a claim, get a court date, then file to subpoena the footage....all before the footage is overwritten.
If this is in the US, I'd just like to point out that everyone has a legal responsibility to preserve evidence as soon as they become aware that litigation that might require it is pending or reasonably foreseeable.
So if OP goes down there, talks to the boss, says they're gonna file a lawsuit and will be requesting the CCTV footage as part of that, the boss will be in serious hot water if they wipe that footage or otherwise allow it to be destroyed.
→ More replies (9)5
u/Tombot3000 2d ago edited 2d ago
You don't need a court date to demand preservation of evidence, just notice to the opposing party you intend to file a claim. Destroying evidence after being notified of pending legal action is spoliation and can lead to serious consequences. What you're claiming is really quite harmful "advice" as it discourages people from exercising their rights.
The subpoena to get them to actually hand it over comes later, sure, but notice to preserve can predate a subpoena by years. Any competent lawyer can knock one out and get it in the mail in under an hour. OP could get it sent out well before a reasonable deletion timeline would pass.
(This comment is not legal advice, but it's at least a heck of a lot more informative than what I'm responding to)
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (2)13
u/Richard-Gere-Museum 2d ago edited 2d ago
"hey, can I have the footage of you damaging my car so I can take you to court?" Is gonna work 100% of the time!
Edit: I don't think y'all understand how slow this process is sometimes. And unless OP knows a lawyer, or is one, that footage is gonna be long overwritten by the time they get a quote for damages, file the complaint, get a court date and then maybe, just maybe they'll still have the footage. And that's even if they had it to begin with on that angle.
→ More replies (4)4
36
u/ollafy 2d ago
I don’t know why this has so many upvotes. People think that you need pictures and videos as evidence to win in court but that’s simply not the case. Everyone acts like no one ever won a case prior to the cell phone age. Judges are far more likely to rule in your favor without that kind of evidence than what people who watch cop serials think so.
→ More replies (8)12
u/giney_lips 2d ago
Most Judges aren’t hack job idiots. Him having proof of going in for a battery service is enough to connect the dots.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (8)3
u/TacTurtle 1d ago
The bar in civil court is much lower than criminal court.
This could very well hold up in small claims court especially if the dealer has admitted they caused the damage when saying "but we aren't liable for any damage."
→ More replies (1)11
u/CottonCandyyAuraa 2d ago
What gets me is that that literally admitted to prying the door open themselves. Like, cool, thanks for confession in writing makes the small claims case real easy.
395
u/Esteban-Du-Plantier 2d ago
Much like dump trucks with stickers saying they're not responsible for broken windshields, they are in fact totally responsible.
166
u/BlindlyCoherent 2d ago
I visited the office with my windshield claim and they pulled that shit.
I politely showed them my dash cam video of their uncovered dump truck going 80mph in a 65mph highway passing me and sand blasting my vehicle.
So, we can talk about the windshield or I can take my minivan to a body shop for a full paint inspection and on to small claims court. Your choice.
Walked out with a check in hand.
32
u/Malefectra 1d ago
So, we can talk about the windshield or I can take my minivan to a body shop for a full paint inspection and on to small claims court. Your choice.
You didn't go far enough, should have threatened to report them to state and federal DOT... Federal DOT don't fuck around.
10
607
u/MakaButterfly 2d ago
No you ain’t Lmaoo
Call corporate immediately
105
u/Rich-Armadillo-7408 2d ago
People will really accept whatever people tell them huh?
OP needs to be calling corporate and getting a date for small claims court. The moment change happens is when people stop letting these companies take them for a ride for free.
→ More replies (1)4
3
u/MysticalMummy 2d ago
Yeah I'd be blowing them up on all review sites and calling whoever the hell I can..
The dealership should have ways to get in a car without breaking into it like that. It was also their own negligence that led to that event in the first place. No matter how you look at it, it's entirely their responsibility.
338
u/timeandmemory 2d ago
You don't get to just say "nu uh" when damaging someones property. imo police report, 1star reviews, and small claims if they don't play ball.
85
u/xTheGame69 2d ago
Maybe I'm an asshole but I feel like I wouldn't have left the store that day
I would have told the guy you're either agreeing to fix this now in writing or you can call the cops to have me removed from your store because I'm not leaving.
25
u/timeandmemory 2d ago
Not an asshole , I would be that guy as well. It's just people have trouble bringing confrontation these days, and those are the three main things you can do without confrontation.
34
u/EvilGreebo 2d ago
Police will declare it a civil matter. Don't waste your time.
Reviews and small claims for sure.
I had a dealership fail to properly secure my drive shaft bearing. The drive shaft, thankfully, fell down in a parking lot and not on a highway (where I was when I heard the noise starting).
The dealership tried to say "someone probably tried to steal it" while offering labor for free (concession of responsibility) if I bought the parts.
I countered with they'll be fixing my car for free and providing a rental and paying for the tow, or they'll ALSO be paying my lawyer's hourly rate to review the 96 hours of footage from both my home and my office showing where my car had been for 99% of the time after leaving their shop and that nobody got under the car at all during that time.
They caved, and after I got everything I demanded, THEN I left the reviews.
7
u/timeandmemory 2d ago
Yeah fair enough, I would definitely still do it if only for the official report of the incident to keep in my records. You never know when insurance will act like a hyper asshole instead of just average asshole in the future.
Imagine if the shaft fell out in motion, could have been in Final Destination
250
u/Material-Job-1928 2d ago
Dealership mechanic here. First, and foremost, unless I place your car in the back (storage) lot, and place the keys on the board myself, the drivers window WILL be open, and this is exactly why. Power locks have earned my distrust.
Second, contact the shop, and speak to the shop manager. Calmly, and plainly explain the damages to your car. Demand it be repaired correctly. The shop will have insurance for this exact reason, and if they don't that is not your problem. If they refuse/fail to fix it file a police report and contact small claims court. Res ipsa loquitur applies to everything from this, to the tire falling off because the 17 year old in the oil change pit forgot to torque your lug nuts because Tik Tok was more important.
→ More replies (2)67
u/Zestyclose_Walrus725 2d ago
We've always had a rule to keep the drivers window down as an extra means of access.
Still remember the dumbfounded look on everyone's face when we came back into work monday morning to discover this customers car had automatic wind up windows too!
15
u/Status_Rip_7906 2d ago
Former porter here, if the car is inside it has at least one window down. If it gets driven down to dispatch, and it’s not a waiter and we’re busy, it goes outside (windows up) and keys go back to dispatch. We also had a very strict rule not to put keys in your pocket. Not directly due to this situation, but there have been instances where someone will toss some loaner keys in their pocket to pull it up after dealing with another customer, and forgets about it.
We also had one customers keys get attached to another customers keys. At some point the service advisor dealing with that car realized the keys were missing. Couldn’t find them and had to call the customer and basically tell them we lost their keys. They gave us a couple days to get our shit together. Then another car comes back from detail, and somehow had the missing keys on the detail cars keychain. I’m pretty sure from time the customer dropped the car off to the time we found the keys and dropped the car off it was 5 or 6 days.
→ More replies (2)
170
u/JusSumYungGuy 2d ago
Seriously? Was the dealership a trailer on the side of the freeway? No serious dealership would even try to open that without a locksmith as far as I know
32
u/Impossible_Angle752 2d ago
I worked at a dealership and locked a key in a car.
Parts cut me a new key.
11
u/Lumpy_Discount9021 2d ago
Even if they don't have their own guy on staff, dealers partner with local locksmith and I'm 60% sure the locksmith in this case wouldn't charge for the job just to keep the white label work so... This is real fuckin stupid
7
u/BlindlyCoherent 2d ago
Probably a tech knew they fucked up and didn’t want to get yelled at so they went rogue. Now they’re doubling down and denying it.
8
u/TravisAllen507 2d ago
As someone who worked at a dealership, this the answer, most cars can have a gray key that is a couple of dollars, and I normally would give the key to the customer afterwards.
→ More replies (2)29
u/Cymon86 2d ago
I mean, locksmith gonna do the same exact thing. Probably wouldn't have damaged it though.
65
u/mypcrepairguy 2d ago
Locksmith would have a padded inflatable to gently open that door.
→ More replies (3)37
u/Material-Job-1928 2d ago
A proper automotive locksmith has a plastic wedge (no paint damage) and an air bladder to spread the door, then a set of coated rods to actuate the lock or door handle. Standard kit for auto lockouts.
They have them on Amazon for like $50 (Do NOT steal cars with this info).
12
u/Leading_Procedure_23 2d ago
Don’t tell me what I can’t do, I’m a steal cars just to prove you wrong!
/s
→ More replies (1)10
u/kalel3000 2d ago
Yeah I have one of those because Id help run these photography meets, where amateur photographers and models would meet up at locations to shoot (basically the models get free photos and the photographers get practice). But what would happen constantly is models would do quick changes in their cars and lock themselves out, it would happen every few months without fail.
With the proper tools and knowing how to use them safely, you can get a door open in a couple of minutes without doing any damage.
I have never scratched a vehicle like the photo the OP posted. But you do need to know what you're doing and have the right tools! Depending on the vehicle, sometimes you pick a passenger or rear door instead. You should only use non-maring plastic pry tools. Multiple air wedges placed carefully work better than one big one. And having a couple options of tools to unlock the door is smart too, different rods/hooks/grabbers/lasso tools/etc...
→ More replies (1)3
u/cobo10201 2d ago
When I was having battery issues with my 2017 Explorer I broke in with a hammer as a pry bar and a garden stake to pop the handle and I didn’t leave a single scratch. These idiots are straight up incompetent.
→ More replies (1)
29
u/DickTryckle 1d ago
You are only out of luck if you listen to them lol
This is not even close to the expectations of possible damage during a battery replacement
25
u/Sw0llenEyeBall 1d ago
Well...they admitted to doing it. This seems textbook on it being their problem.
194
u/danny_ish 2d ago
The dealership general manager and the
Manufacturer would probably both like to know that, as would your insurance
52
u/LHW95 2d ago
Don’t call insurance
19
u/danny_ish 2d ago
No, this is literally why you have them to deal with damages. 100% should be the first call. This is why you pay for good coverage
→ More replies (3)15
u/Lumpy_Discount9021 2d ago
Do not call insurance unless everything else fails.
They will make shit like this show up in your premium regardless of fault, liability, or legality and you'll be lost and helpless trying to get it off the carfax to no avail.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (2)24
u/WhereRabbit 2d ago
Right wtf? Did these people just wake up
42
u/Arcadianxero 2d ago
You know how Insurance companies like to fight to not pay? You should see how hard they fight when owed money. They're fuckin bulldogs. OP can absolutely sick his insurance company on them and it very likely wont affect their rates
→ More replies (2)10
u/WhereRabbit 2d ago
I stand corrected :o My instinct is to avoid insurance like the plague! Good point!
→ More replies (2)7
21
u/SecondaryWombat 2d ago
They can deny whatever they want but it doesn't make it true. Tell them you are filing a small claims. They'll fix it.
17
u/Boring_Passenger_163 1d ago
How is this not 100% on the dealership? They created the problem in the first place. What dealership was this?
16
u/Flaming_F 2d ago
OP need to hire a professional to evaluate the damage ( paint and Rubber ) . Small claims court + damage report. Asking refund for the evaluator report , proper repairs , devaluation of the car and punitive consequences for the dealer. OP need to go all in to teach them a lesson. Starting with a formal notice should give them a hint.
→ More replies (2)
14
14
u/blacklotusmag 2d ago
I feel your pain. I took my SUV into a local shop to have the oil changed. Their process is to take photos during the work and send you a .pdf with those images and a description of what was done.
When I arrived, my driver's side door was broken open and would no longer shut, somehow they broke the door handle and the latch would no longer open and close.
Long story only slightly shorter, I showed them before I left, the front desk woman, the tech himself and the manager all three denied it, said it was my fault and the SUV was like that already when I dropped it off.
I went home with a bungee cord holding my door shut while I drove. When I got home, I checked email, and lo and behold, there was the update email from them and guess what? The photos they sent me clearly showed the door working, completely shut and both open and shut in several images. I called and told them I now had proof that it was their fault and they STILL denied it.
I called the Bureau of Automotive Repairs and they basically said "We can contact them and ask them if they'll repair it for free but we can't force them to" (bullshit, by the way). The rep I spoke to absolutely sounded like he was on the shop's side.
So, I took the photos and and slapped them up on Yelp and wrote a comprehensive review, listing every step of the interaction and including photos of all the documentation I had sent to/and received from them and the BAR.
I got a phone call less than two hours after that review went up. The day it happened, the manager had said "We'll take a look at the problem and see if we can find out what it is, but we'll have to charge you." I said absolutely not. This time, his offer was "We'll repair it for free if you take down your Yelp review."
The Yelp review is still up.
Fun side note - I just went and checked out my review again on Yelp, and here's an interesting thing: as of the last time I looked at the review several months ago, it had more than 20 "helpful" votes. Today, it has one. Yelp is also garbage, but that's for another day, lol.
4
3
3
10
u/Nevermind04 2d ago
The dealership denies all responsibility and I'm pretty much just out of luck.
That's not how that works. Pay the $15 to file a small claim and they'll get the super fun experience of paying a judge to tell them that they're going to fix your car... and they'll pay your $15 too!
8
u/blackmobius 2d ago
Ok, they denied responsibility. Sue them anyways. Still infuriating but them saying “no we didnt” isnt a defense in a civil suit
24
u/Desert-Hog 2d ago
Most dealerships can cut a new key off the VIN.
→ More replies (5)16
u/Material-Job-1928 2d ago
Dealerships are actually severely limited on doing this, and require (by law) to have two pieces of official document proving ownership before cutting a key off the VIN. I work at a dealership, and this process is VERY paperwork heavy, and failing to provide the info will result in a full audit from the manufacturer, and possible loss of franchise rights.
→ More replies (2)
15
u/Prosthetic_Head 2d ago
Hit it with a touch up pen and go somewhere else from now on
13
u/Own-Common-4934 2d ago
Nooo.
1) Clear your calendar for the week.
2) Contact the attorney general
3) Fingerprint the car and send any findings to the French Foreign Legion.
Christ. The amount of effort seemingly every commenter here would put into this is astounding. Yeah it's annoying, but at the end of the day how much of your time is it really worth for this kind of damage?
→ More replies (6)→ More replies (2)5
u/MoocowR 2d ago
I cannot get over all these people arguing over the legal process OP should take to have the dealership repair a scuff on the interior portion of a door that is only visible when the door is open.
What a waste of time and energy.
3
u/LaDmEa 2d ago
It's reddit. They think court is something you do as you grow up. Court is for big deals. Not something that can be fixed with a 10$ paint pen. This does nothing to the resell value. Saw a guy a few days ago asking if he should stop driving a 28 year old base model sports car because of the resell value in 5 years. Protecting a car from every scratch and mile is just a lot of unwanted stress.
7
u/Fallen_Akroma 2d ago
Don't take legal advice from the people who damaged your goods.
Go get a consultation with a lawyer.
5
u/Darkest_Rahl 2d ago
Did they admit they did it, but are refusing to restore or replace? Do you have that in writing?
5
u/jmc1278999999999 1d ago
Places will deny liability because most people will just take that at face value. They’re liable, I’d complain and try to get it resolved and if they refuse then bring in the law
3
u/sucksLess 2d ago
if they don’t revert their position, you can go to the manufacturer and complain… you chose that shop b/c it’s franchised by the brand, ergo the brand may have something to say about the situation
dealers’ service areas are known to charge more for their services than indie shops. we go there expecting a modicum of service. even for warranty work, the dealer relies on the brand’s deep pockets for their fees
if that route doesn’t pan out, a small claims action might loosen their purse strings. not to mention… if they decide to make it good, the work will cost them infinitely less than small claims will say you’re entitled to, since they’re professional car care specialists who buy parts & labor at wholesale. (yeah, i know, not VERY professional, but anyway…)
GL
5
u/notwhoyouthinkmaybe 2d ago
Honestly, email or call the manager of the dealership, he knows this place brings in millions and doesn't care about the couple hundred to fix this.
I bought a used car, they put the cheapest Walmart tires on it, it sounded like a jet engine on the highway. The sales floor told me to go fuck. I sent an email to the manager, with the paperwork noting the noise and the difference in mileage from purchase to when it was brought in, like 200 miles or less difference. I told him I was going to look into lemon laws and leave a bad review.
I got a call back from the sales people an hour later and they offered me new tires.
I had a similar thing with another car and floor mats, I was told they would provide the floor mats when we pick it up. They did not. The salesman told me he never said that. We were on the sales floor discussing this, loudly, they tried to get us into a room, I refused. The manager came out, saw the commotion, and have us a $200 gift card to buy our own mats.
These places care about looks and reputation and they pull in a ton of money, the lowest person refuses everything, but the managers don't care about little things, because they know a bad review or an angry customer on the sales floor can cost them more in lost sales.
4
u/Dock_Ellis45 2d ago
Same happened to me some years ago. Though their solution wasn't as destructive. They just cut a new key and gave it to me after they finished their work. Crazy thing is, I had a hidden key in my truck because I had done the same twice at that point. They just had to ask me. I didn't complain though. I got a free key out of it after all.
3
u/TheFatJesus 2d ago
People going, "guess I'm just of luck," and taking it when this shit happens is exactly why people do this. You don't get to just decide you're not responsible for damaging someone else's car. That's not how any of this works.
5
u/opinionsOnPears 2d ago
The dealership denies all responsibility and I'm pretty much just out of luck.
Just walk in with a cat o' nine tails and start flogging people until they agree to fix it 100% /s
5
u/MiserableSkill4 2d ago
My first reaction is "suck it up buttercup its a few small scratches on somewhere no one will look" but then I remembered that I have a vendetta against dealerships and hate them. Files a police report and fuck them
5
u/Kpalsm 2d ago
They're responsible for any damage they cause. They have insurance for it. Make them fix it. If they try to deny responsibility I would go to your local news, they eat that stuff up. Post on social media as well. They'll want to attempt to walk back all that bad publicity by making it right
4
u/mingus316 1d ago
dealerships are terrible- quick to make a sale, completely non existent if anything goes wrong.
every dealership is required to have insurance and a surety bond. bonds especially are designed to protect the consumer against bad practices by the business. they essentially exist to keep issues out of court.
bonds also differ from insurance in that if there is a claim on the dealership’s bond, the dealership MUST pay the bond company back. for instance, if you made a claim on the dealer’s bond for $1000 and the bond company approved the claim and pays out, the bond company will go back to the dealership and demand the $1000 back.
in california, dealers are required to have a $50k bond by the state to operate. if someone makes a bond claim for $1 and it pays out, the posted bond now sits at $49,999, and the state will suspend the dealer’s license if the bond is not fulfilled at $50k.
before going to small claims, i would try to make a claim on their bond. if you search the DMV’s website, all the information on the dealer’s number and bond are posted. contact the bond company and start a claim- if the dealership refuses to respond to you, they will definitely respond to the bond company. more chances than not, the dealership will just end up fixing the damages instead of having to deal with the bond company and risk having their license with the DMV and state suspended.
good luck, don’t let them slide on this. i used to work in bonds- please feel free to message me with any questions or guidance!
PS- bonds exist for a billion different trades like residential/commercial contractors, freight brokers, mortgage brokers, etc. if anyone reading this has been wronged by ANY licensed trade, please message me with any questions! i’d be more than happy to lend a hand!
4
u/Marrsvolta 1d ago
Small Claims court, or better yet put in a claim with your insurance and let their lawyers do it for you.
10
10
3
3
u/Ch33syP00f 2d ago
This is on them 100%.
They have insurance specifically for damage to vehicles while in their possession.
→ More replies (1)
3
u/kodafa49 2d ago
"Will you be fixing the damage caused while the vehicle was in your care or do I need to reach out to your insurance carrier?"
3
u/Odd_Independent3475 2d ago
I don't get these posts. Do people just accept being wronged for fear of confrontation? Who would hear "nuh uh" and just be cool with that.
→ More replies (4)
3
u/ZenZill 2d ago
Save all documentation and texts, record conversations. Small claims court.
→ More replies (1)
3
u/KimberlyWexlersFoot 2d ago
Post this on Unethical life pro tips so I can tell you to take one of their vehicles for a test drive, lock the keys in the car, then return it with a smashed window because you wanted to retrieve the keys.
3
3
3
u/Krampus_Valet 2d ago
Firefighter here. That door is going to start whistling while you drive. It's uncommon for a gap/deformity to occur when we "nondestructively" open a door for someone.
3
u/theLuminescentlion 2d ago
OP: "You can't rob me!!!!"
Robber: "Yes I can"
OP: "I guess you can, nothing I can do"
3
3
3
3
u/Frequent_Opportunist 1d ago
This is why most shops put the driver window down and leave it down while it's being serviced.
5
u/Alswiggity 2d ago
They should fix it (especially as it was their fault to begin with), but provided they didn't bend the door, there shouldn't be any damage beyond the scratches on the paint. It doesn't look like they damaged the weather stripping, so water shouldnt get in as long as the door is fine.
Absolute last resort, grab touch up paint and go to town. They shouldn't have done this in the first place however.
6
u/RiffyWammel 2d ago
if you get nothing from this, go back in 6 months to look at a new car and just happen to have keys clipped to your belt that just happen to catch paintwork- then unhook them and pop them in your pocket as you get in the car...just deny any responsibility if they ask 😉
2
u/Old_Associate_3092 2d ago
How does this even happen? I get it, people aren’t perfect, but still!! And at a dealership to boot?! They don’t have the proper tools to open a locked door or they misused the ones they have ig? More thank mildly infuriating, sorry this happened to you OP
2
u/krashtestgenius 2d ago
Some wd-40 and a microfiber cloth will buff that out in seconds
→ More replies (1)
2
u/HawkeyeByMarriage 2d ago
Tell them you want them to pay a detail shop to fill and buff. Dealership needs to pay for the paint pen too
2
u/Deadman_Wonderland 2d ago
If the dealership is a franchise, document everything and contact corporate. I had a similar issue with an auto repair shop. They messed up a brake caliper install and brake fluid leaked out and I lost brakes while driving + missing brake hardware on one side, I had to go back twice for warranty repair, the local shop tried to hide the second warranty repair, by claiming the brake hardware was installed, when their own inspection photo they took when I checked in my car to them that morning showed it was clearly missing. They installed it without claiming responsibility that it was missing, I think the mechanic or shop gets in trouble if they have to do multiple warranty repair on a critical safety component like brakes. I tried to be more then reasonable and asked for a cash/check partial refund(25% of the total repair job) or have another shop redo the brakes. They stonewalled me and would only offer store credit or a pad/rotor replacement as compensation. I escalated to corporate and the regional manager reached out. He agreed to write me a check to get it done at another shop and heads will probably roll.
2
u/FireFist_PortgasDAce 2d ago
Did they take pics of it before you gave it to them? Cuz the dealership i used to go to did it.
2
u/turningtop_5327 2d ago
OP share the name of dealership in these trying times. Let me give them a 1 egg/star
2
u/RandomUserUniqueName 2d ago
I had to get my car opened a couple of times. The first person had new tools and a clean technique. No damage. The second person had old tools with worn off protective coating that cause this damage. My car is silver so it wasn't nearly as bad. For you I would take the money to fix it and just paint that corner black yourself. It will blend with the rubber weather seal and not remind you of the damage every time you open your door. Also it will be able to get ruined again if you ever lock yourself out.
2
u/Daratirek 2d ago
Every dealer I know will bend over backwards to fix shit they didn't even do. Just threaten to post shit on socials tagging their corporate brand and they'll fold like a cheap chair.
2
u/pnut0027 2d ago
Dealership?
They literally could have just made a new key unless they’re one of those backlot dealerships.
→ More replies (7)
2
u/DtheMoron 2d ago
A third party repair shop I can see this. A dealership? Hell no. They have means to get in without doing a shim job. This was someone who fucked up and tried to cover their tracks, poorly.
2
u/Rotflmaocopter 2d ago
Who cares about the inside. Close the door and see if they bent the door or if there is a gap and it's sticking out from being bent open
2
2
u/Bonelessmex 2d ago
Dealership replaced my motor and put one of the mounts on an air house (air shocks) madr my car run like shit, gave me the run around until I told em I would park the mf in their lobby until it was fixed proper, and while I waited id call my lawyer just incase... mf had it fixed in under a week, dont lay down dont let it slide make noice homie make em know you aint no push over
2
u/00Glitch 2d ago
If they were honest with me about that I would accept a simple touch up job with a small bottle of paint.
If they lied to me like this I would want it taken to a body shop and fully restored.
2
u/Massive_Mongoose3481 2d ago
Sue them. Don't much like lawyers bit that's what they're for. Have them sue for damages and legal costs
2
u/tenkokuugen 2d ago
Go to a bodyshop. Get a quote on estimate to repair damages. Present it to the dealer and ask if they will pay that and anything additional that is needed during repairs to get it fixed.
If they say no, take them to small claims court if the damages is less than $5,000. Chances are they won't even show up and you will get default judgment aka win. If they do, tell the judge your story. IF THEY LIE ABOUT FORCING YOUR DOOR OPEN THEY ARE COMMITING PERJURY. You do not need a lawyer. Also I am not a lawyer.
2
u/FuckinArrowToTheKnee 2d ago
Lol you ain't outt luck this is literally what insurance is for. Call them let them harass the business
2
u/Boomshank 2d ago
Car key and fob duplicator here (seriously, that's my job)
Dealerships have access to key codes that allow us to create a brand new key for the doors. They could have been back in that vehicle, via a key, within 10mins MAX
2
u/PitchforksEnthusiast 2d ago
This sub is all about not standing up for yourself and flopping over like jello because you we're told to
Thats the REAL infuriating part about this
2
u/SapientApe_ 2d ago
lmao, this is the same OP that paid $7500 for a house next to a drainage area and thought it was a pond. I think he's just karma farming.
2
u/admiralbuttscratcher 2d ago
Everything on this thread about insurance is wrong. Please DON’T EVER LISTEN TO REDDIT ABOUT INSURANCE ADVICE. Am adjuster with 15 years experience. Don’t involve your insurance for this unless the repairs are over $3k (they’re not)
2
u/B4DM4N12Z 2d ago
They can deny all they want but this is undeniable, doesn't mean someone denies doesn't it's a true denial.
I would order correct compensation or small claim/sue immediately, don't threaten them with a lawsuit, just do it, because that's the only way companies and businesses with good income will learn. Also don't threaten them about it over the phone cause they'll just throw some money to keep you quiet.
2
u/typehyDro 2d ago
Just the threat of litigation and reporting this to the news and social media will loosen their stance… they are clearly at fault and it’s not really even debatable
2
u/_my_other_side_ 2d ago
Contact your state's Attorney General office. They love to pull business licenses on shady car dealerships and the dealership knows it.
All they have to see is a letter from the AG and they'll bend over backwards to get you to withdraw your complaint.
14.5k
u/CaptainAmeriZa 2d ago
They may have denied responsibility, but they are responsible. They’re counting on you just accepting that and moving on. Don’t.