bad carwash

[budmann2002]

OK so I'm getting my truck washed and one of the tenticle brush arms rips off my right rear bumper cladding and rips several huge chunks off and pretty much rendered it useless. I'm dealing with the store that manages the wash right now but have a very ugly feeling things are about to get ugly. The manager says how in the world could our carwSb have ripped that off if it wasn't already loose. It wasn't. Then they say well I should have read the sign that state they don't cover aftermarket parts. So I have to explain its not aftermarket but factory and then give a run down on the truck. I'm dealing with people that have no idea why to do except TRG their best not to make the situation right.
Any suggestions here word be great. Advice. Do I need to get ready for small claims court or am I just jumping the gun.

 

[Quickstop [UK]]

Re: bad carwash

Sorry man, that sucks. :tdown:

Where did it rip it off from? Is part of the piece still attached to the truck or did it come off in one go?

Have you or anyone else had it off previously? Were the rivets aftermarket?

I think probably keep calm and highlight that it is a factory addition and get an article supporting that statement - an old Car and Driver edition or article from the internet or something.

Do they have CCTV in the car wash? When was the last time you checked it was secure? These are all questions you'll need to answer anyway...

I can see the brushes going up under the cladding and then bending round the lower edge and pulling the cladding off. Was it climbing from the rear rather than going down lol?

 

["Nickel"]

Re: bad carwash

I would have never went thru that kind of car wash with a syty for exactly that reason... Your in for a fight with them that's for sure.

 

[TNPhoon]

Re: bad carwash

You have full coverage? Just file a claim with your insurance company and make sure to give them all of the information for the car wash. Let them handle it. That's why you pay premiums.

And FWIW: this is why if I use a car wash, I only use touchless. :2cents:

 

[budmann2002]

Re: bad carwash

my truck was really dirty and I usually use a brushless car wash or do it mysrlf. but this time I was right next to the wash so I said wth. well that's what I get. I may just contact my insurance company here shortly.

 

[0966Sy]

my truck was really dirty and I usually use a brushless car wash or do it mysrlf. but this time I was right next to the wash so I said wth. well that's what I get. I may just contact my insurance company here shortly.

Bad move on the car wash choice. Pay your deductible and claim it, let the insurance handle it.

 

[atkonkler]

Re: bad carwash

Bad move on the car wash choice. Pay your deductible and claim it, let the insurance handle it.

Ditto....it's what I would do also....I hand wash mine in fear of something like this happening or I bring it to the local $2.00 wash with high power wands and all my soap and wax...etc.....If it makes you feel any better...my father was getting mine out of storage and the impatient man he is instead of nicely removing the cover...gives it the grip and rip and tore my Lf wheel well cladding.... I said well that's a 1 minute brake stand in your corvette to make this even....silly old fogey.

 

[Norm]

Re: bad carwash

Is there a sign that says" Not responsible for vehicle damage"? If there is, good luck. It's a 20 year old vehicle. Should be going through no drive through. Bucket wash at home.

 

[TNPhoon]

Re: bad carwash

my truck was really dirty and I usually use a brushless car wash or do it mysrlf. but this time I was right next to the wash so I said wth. well that's what I get. I may just contact my insurance company here shortly.

Well, we have lapse in judgment. At least this one didn't cost you numerous penicillin shots!

 

[-Wip-]

Re: bad carwash

my truck was really dirty and I usually use a brushless car wash or do it mysrlf. but this time I was right next to the wash so I said wth. well that's what I get. I may just contact my insurance company here shortly.

I don't know how much better the brushless ones are. I had a factory stock extreme and went through one and it blew the grille right out of it

 

[blue83z]

Re: bad carwash

You may say "this is why I have insurance" but you probably don't want to file a claim for a piece of cladding and paint. And yes, I know what that cladding costs.

You will lose any sort of accident free discount, and should you need to file a "real" claim, for an accident, theft, or other higher dollar claim, you just may get dropped, and may not even find another company to cover you at all, or at least reasonably.

My in laws own several independent insurance offices in ne ohio, I hear the stories all the time.

 

[Typhoon#747]

Re: bad carwash

What's your deductible and who is your insurance company? You have to consider those two items BEFORE you file a claim. And even before contacting the insurance company, you have to do battle with the car wash owner.

 

[TeeTopZ]

Re: bad carwash

I believe this would be a comprehensive claim, not a collision claim. Rates are not affected by comp claims

 

[ajt86]

Re: bad carwash

I believe this would be a comprehensive claim, not a collision claim. Rates are not affected by comp claims

Rates are effective by any claim. Most insurance companys wont drop you for a claim anymore, they want you to stay on, raise your rates, and recoup the claim like they gave you a loan for the repair

a few years ago i hit a peice of steel with my ctsv... it fell off of a scrapper truck, i didnt get the plate because he drove off and i was spewing coolant on the highway. I paid my 1000$ deductable... the bill was 8000$.... my yearly premium went from 1100$ yearly to 2800$ yearly for 3 years.

I try to stay away from making a claim, you rarely benifit.

 

[TeeTopZ]

Re: bad carwash

That may be your experience, but not mine. My truck was backed into by a trailer at a job site. No one said anything and I didn't see it until quitting time. Called my insurance company, filed as a comprehensive claim and it was taken care of. No rate adjustment. It is a no fault claim

 

[0966Sy]

bad carwash

I'm agreeing to file a claim, $500 deductible here. As long as there investigation does not find you at fault you should be fine. No rate hike or dropping of your policy. So basically if there is a sign before the car wash stating that they are not responsible for damages done by car wash then you may be in trouble, unless the sign is just not in plain view. I would take dated pictures of the drive in if no sign present. Owner could always add a sign before insurance comes to investigate. Another thing to consider is proving the bumper damage was a result from the car wash

 

[midnightbluS10]

Re: bad carwash

Is there a sign that says" Not responsible for vehicle damage"? If there is, good luck. It's a 20 year old vehicle. Should be going through no drive through. Bucket wash at home.

That sign don't mean shit. They have insurance for a reason. Just like any shop you go to. Even though they have a "sign" it's not a free pass to let anything happen to your vehicle. Any shop I've worked at has paid/made things right when a vehicle got damaged. Sign or not . No sign, no matter what it says, will excuse negligence. Even with theft and vandalism, in most cases, the shops insurance will still cover it. The vehicle was in their possession and under their care. Damage done as a direct result of their machines, etc? Yea, they're liable for that.

 

[budmann2002]

Re: bad carwash

That sign don't mean shit. They have insurance for a reason. Just like any shop you go to. Even though they have a "sign" it's not a free pass to let anything happen to your vehicle. Any shop I've worked at has paid/made things right when a vehicle got damaged. Sign or not . No sign, no matter what it says, will excuse negligence. Even with theft and vandalism, in most cases, the shops insurance will still cover it. The vehicle was in their possession and under their care. Damage done as a direct result of their machines, etc? Yea, they're liable for that.

true, i have talked with a friend that is an isurance adjuster and he said the same thing about the sign. basically regardless of what the sign says, if you paid for a service and the company provided you with that service and their equipment caused damage to your property then that said company is at fault and held liable for the damages.
i have filed a claim and the deductible was only 500. as expected the company that owns the carwash didnt call and i dont expect them to. letting my insurance company go after them.

 

[yar]

Re: bad carwash

Take them to small claims court,you will win.

 

[bad4point3]

Re: bad carwash

Original owner of my truck did the same thing. Cladding didn't get ripped off but it did crack it. Car wash paid for a new piece and paint. I still have the cracked piece as well.