Dealership has accident in customers car

[Frankieola 22]

Got a call from a mate earlier asking for advice, he's put his 65 plate car into a main dealer for a service and whilst they have had it on road test its been in an accident. Range Rover has shunted it from behind. 

They are putting him in a hire car and propose to fix it and he'll have it back in 3 or 4 weeks. He was asking me what I thought. 

My feelings are that he should refuse the car back and ask for it to be replaced, I'm just thinking along the lines of what if he gets it back and its a bad repair, or the car develops faults in 3 months time, or if he comes to PX it and gets knocked on price as its obvious it's had a whack? 

All of these will just end up with him involved in conversations with the dealer or customer service and a lot of wasted time and effort on his part. 

I know that these things happen but am i telling him to be too demanding? What do you guys think? 

[Paddy 31]

Have you seen the damage? I'd need to see it before offering any advice, how bad is it? will it be recorded?

[EPV 631]

I don’t think you’d have a leg to stand on in trying to reject it personally. 

[Darkbluecars 10]

He should notify his insurers and they will take it up with the dealership insurers. If he then feels the repair is unsatisfactory he can request an independent assessment. All insurance bodywork repairs should be guaranteed for five years. If the dealership repair the car then his contract is with them and although they maybe very nice people they're not independent.

Prior to any insurance work being carried out a full assessment will be made of the car so there can be no dispute over what work was necessary as a result of the accident. The dealership may not be so thorough. Also in the worst case scenario their divers version of events may not tally with the RR drivers account. In time your friends insurers could be contacted and he could be subject of an insurance claim.

It may seem a faff in the short term but safer long term.

Edited July 5, 2018 by Darkbluecars

[BHM 994]

Christ, give them a chance! You’ve not even seen the damage, they haven’t even started repairs & you’re already wanting to reject it due to unsatisfactory repairs. Get real.

[whitestone679231 113]

Ffs it’s like mumsnet on here, accidents happen life goes on, why does it all have to be about getting betterment ie reject the car etc, do we know if it’s just a battered bumper or is it major stuffed, that is something for the insurance companies to decide not a mate down the pub getting a privates version of events, cars get stuffed everyday and if everyone wanted a new car every time someone hit them can you imagine price of insurance, tell your mate to leave it to the professionals, if the insurance assessor thinks it’s beyond economical repair then he will get paid out, in the mean time he has a loan car. 

[Rory RSC 596]

Accidents happen get the car fixed and get on with life.

[GLW 2]

This is way over the top, and if your in the trade you should realise this too! 

Everyone is too quick to jump on the "reject" bandwagon!

If its a serious knock then the insurance company with deal with it accordingly, if its repairable then im sure the work will be done to a good standard.

Give the dealership and the insurance company a chance! 

[It's me 612]

the other side of the fence

dealership damages car

obviously dont want to do it on insurance so will be paying,very few dealerships have crash repair depts so they farm it out

the famous words are 'how much can you do it cheaper'?????????

now where i am the cheapest bodyshop is run by polish nationals and trust me i see their work their bodges and basically the unsafe repairs they do so would not trust even a main dealer to put me back in the position i was prior to the bump by taking it to someone likes these monkeys it needs to go to a pas 125 bodyshop full stop

to  frankieola you need to tell your mate that unless the car is indeed a little scuff on the bumper he needs to get it independently inspected by a company like dekra or an independent trusted local bodyshop before any repairs are attempted and give the bill to the dealership,once this is done it should be his decision on what is the next move

all you guys putting him down it would be a different story if it was your 65 plater and you had worked bloody hard to own it

 

[Stephen 21]

what would happen if it was on pcp and it goes back and they notice the damage, this has happened to a friend, wonder where they stand

[Area 51 33]

PAS125 body shop end of....  same vehicle or better whilst this one is off the road.. Assessor checked repairs on return!

Only way to CYA for when its sold or returned if lease/contract; very least his insurers need to be fully aware.

Just an observation here, where isnt the third party who rear ended involved in the process? they are at fault there and the loss will be met by them.. Is the garage offering to repair going to charge the third party inflated repairs and make a buck from this + costs of replacement vehicle..?

With a RR off the road, few bob daily here to be made! Lets not forget the whippy claim (referral) for the driver... Dont this question is really about the repairs, more about who has the most to gain from the incident!

Lets see the pictures.... CCTV and VAR on the collision.. 4k images, scratch n sniff, walk around video and all that

Edited July 6, 2018 by Area 51