New car damaged by dealership

CantThinkOfANam

Hi all,

Was due to collect my new car at dealership but they rang to say it’s been damaged by the valet. The side is slightly damaged, no paint is scratched, just dented. It’s been sent to approved body shop.

What are my options now? I’m really disappointed as I’ve been waiting 6 months and now it feels like I’m taking damaged goods.

And what if they dealer is claiming on his insurance? Will that be registered against the car?

XsApollo

Have you seen a picture of it? If not then get one.

I wouldn’t be accepting a car that had any repainting or repair.

if the dent can be pulled out easy enough then I might not mind, that or a brand new panel/ door or whatever was damaged.

road_high

That’s a right “dent”- looks he did it off the side of a concrete wall or kerb?

road_high

The paint looks removed at the lower end

CantThinkOfANam

Agree on both counts. Must have been a bollard I think.

Don’t know what to do as never had or heard of this situation before:/

elperello

Has he offered you any discount in addition to fixing the damage ?

Liam2021

If it was me I would not take the car. You will always remember it was repaired. Its not new anymore.

PsychoPete

Plenty of cars are damaged in transit some get bodywork before they even get to the dealer or if its delivered damaged then the car is sent back to be repaired. These things can easily happen but once its fixed properly then shouldn't be an issue and ask some form of discount

User1998

The car won’t be recorded as damaged and the car won’t be devalued by getting a bit of paintwork.

waterwelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120162187#Comment_120162187

Yeah I'd imagine if he doesn't buy it then it will be fixed and sold to another unsuspecting customer at full whack.

Or used as a demo car for a while before being patched up and sold.

PsychoPete

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120162198#Comment_120162198

A car getting body work isn't a problem once it's done right. Cars are often damaged being loaded or uploaded from trucks,boats etc

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120162198#Comment_120162198

The car hasn’t been devalued. So theres no ‘unsuspecting’ customer, and theres no need to offer a discount on the car

Honestly it is what it is. Sure look better they did it and fix it than you do when you buy it.

I wouldn’t refuse to buy it anyway especially because they’re getting it fixed properly. Just make sure to take a proper good look when you go to pickup the car and make sure you’re not getting taken for an eejit.

Unlikely considering the garage didn’t have to tell you what happened. Could easily have just told you it’s just a bit held up on the valet and offer you their sympathies for the extra week or two waiting. They are at least honest!

colm_mcm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120162261#Comment_120162261

It’s absolutely worth less than a van that wasn’t damaged and repaired. Now they could do a great job on the repair and probably will, but an experienced person will spot a repair, and will pull back on the value accordingly.

To counter that though, how readily available is another van in the spec and colour you want, how long will you be keeping the van for, and how happy are you knowing it was damaged? Personally I’d walk away, but maybe there are practical issues here that would make just accepting this van the best option.

CantThinkOfANam

Thanks for all the input everyone.

No he hasn’t offered any discount, I think we’re going to call in tomorrow and discuss it.

I’m sure they’ll do a great job on the repair, they’re a main dealer and let’s just say it’s not a cheap car, not that such a thing exists these days!

But colm_mcm made a good point. I won’t notice the repair but what if a professional does when I go to sell it. This risk is will have to be valued and also the loss of joy and excitement…why bother buying a new car otherwise.

road_high

If you’re spending a large amount of money on a vehicle you want it to be right and happy with it- you clearly aren’t and it’s an issue. I would reject it unless a tempting offer was on the table and/or would accept another model instead depending on stock availability

paul71

I am not sure if this is at all practical, but would anyone know if the op could request a new panel from the factory instead of a repair? Or would the lead tie by too long?

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120162369#Comment_120162369

For a start they won't be doing the job.

It will be farmed out to a third party.

That will be a good professional body shop and they will produce a finish that will be indiscernible from new when you collect it.

I have seen enough of this type of job to know that time is not on it's side.

After 3 to 5 years a bit of fading or colour difference can often be detected.

You might be lucky but for taking that chance I would need more than a job which is just putting the car back where it should be anyway.

raclle

You're paying a lot of money for a damaged new car. The fact you're looking for advice says you're not comfortable buying it so go with your gut.

daheff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120162369#Comment_120162369

How much of a drop in value is it going to be? And what about in X years when you trade it on? Once it's fixed it's not a major issue.

As long as they fix right then it's not a big issue? It's cosmetic more than anything then.

colm_mcm

..

CantThinkOfANam

Talking to the misses here and we considering to either walk away, or, take the car with a discount (for us the joy and excitement is gone, might as well be buying a 2nd hand car) and also a written guarantee that any issues in the future with the repair will be rectified. I’ll have to make some inquires first to see how binding the latter can be.

De_man

was in a similar position 5 years ago, but I accepted the car and when trading in at a different dealer filling out the SIMI form I had to say the

car was repaired. I lost about 1K I believe, (boot door had been replaced) after 2 years it became a slightly different shade and was noticeable

sligopaul

OP it's a shame your buying experience has been affected, as others have said sill needs paint, when repaired it could look ok now but in 3-5 years that could be a different story, the vehicle is worth less and the dealership while offering no discount will know that a discussion is coming. I hope it all works out to your satisfaction

XsApollo

Not a hope I would take that, unless whatever was damaged was replaced with brand new.

masterboy123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120161951#Comment_120161951

What car model is it?

rom

I waited months for a couch last year only for it to turn up damaged. Had no hesitation asking for a refund. It was a pain in the hole alright but I don't regret doing it. I bought a car before and when collecting it the valet was reversing it at top speed around the car park. Really pissed me off so can totally see how this can happen. It would always annoy me if I was buying new. Part of the new feel is that it is not damaged. DFS tried to say they would repair it but under the Sale of goods act you are entitled to a full refund. At least use that for your negotiation stands if they are offering no money off if that is what you are after.

Hooked

A good friend of mine does PDR - paintless dent removal - and would have those 2 big dents good as NEW! Once no paint is broken.

BUT - the lower sill looks dented (pushed in) and damaged - and this is a different story! If it were me - I'd prob walk away. Especially as it's brand new!

JoeA3

I would be very unhappy about it, but, depending on the car and my situation etc, I'd be very much in 2 minds about rejecting it and starting all over again.

Those here that are saying it will be "devalued" are deluded imo. Who's ever going to know? It's relatively minor panel damage. There's hardly a car on the road that hasn't seen new paint at some point in its life - and often as in this case, very early in their life! If the work is done to a very good standard by a good bodyshop, you or anyone else will never be any the wiser and it certainly will not affect its resale value. I've traded in many cars to dealers over the years, a few of them have had minor touch ups / repairs done under my ownership (to a very good standard!), the dealers didn't ask - or care.

Main dealers do not (or very rarely) do body work these days so if you were going to go ahead with the repair, I'd insist on seeing it "in the metal" yourself and speaking directly to the bodyshop who are doing the work for their opinion on it.

PDR may also be an option, but only if the paint is undamaged. If PDR does work - even better.

Stallingrad

That damage is not insignificant, and will require a sizeable respray on the side of the car to blend it in. As others have said it may look fine afterwards, but in a few years? I would walk away.

HildaOgdenx

It would take the good out of it, for me, personally.

I would be inclined to walk away, but as others have said, I suppose you have to look at the practicalities of walking away versus going ahead. Only you can decide that.

Best of luck whatever you decide.

monseiur

The repair/respray will show gradually as the cars paintwork fades over time. If for some reason you need the car now and can't wait for a replacement - demand say €1,000.00 off + a years road tax or else your deposit back. With a bit of luck & some haggling you may get the cash but not the road tax.

On the other hand if you can wait it's best for your own peace of mind and enjoyment of a new vehicle to reject car and wait for a new one.

JoeA3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120164440#Comment_120164440

I've seen a few people on this thread comment that the "repair will show over time". You guys must use some really pi$$ poor bodyshops! A good quality repair in a proper bodyshop (not a "smart" repair done in a carpark) will be good for the lifetime of the vehicle.

Francis McM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120164449#Comment_120164449

Correct. Lots of cars get damaged between the factory and car showroom, get resprayed / touched up and nobody is ever the wiser.

corks finest

Demand a new replacement feck that,

I'm shopping for a ,2017 ATM and I'll expect a car without dents

Would not accept any excuses ref purchase of a brand new car

Alonzo Mosley

Are you cutting your nose off to spite your face ? As you say you have been waiting a long time for the car and if you go making the demands what's stopping the dealer refunding your money and on your bike!! He'll sell it to someone else non the wiser within the week.

Stallingrad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120164449#Comment_120164449

True, but you just don't know. I've seen questionable repairs from very highly accredited body shops used by main dealers. This repair is probably coming directly out of the dealerships pockets, you just don't know what quality the repair will be. And that's the point, this is a new car and that kind of uncertainty is not expected or welcome. It's up to the OP if they want to roll the dice or not.

CantThinkOfANam

Thanks everyone for your messages, it’s greatly appreciated to hear everyone’s opinions. Very interesting.

It’s really hard to walk away as it’s more than a “car”. Really hesitant to say the make and model but lets just say we want it for summer and it’s spec’d to our needs.

Our only option right now is to meet the dealer and discuss our options. I’ve been talking to the CCPC and trying to contact someone in SIMI also.

Regarding Alonzo’s post, is a dealer allowed to sell a vehicle that was damaged to a non suspecting customer?

JoeA3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120164647#Comment_120164647

Yeah I agree, there are good bodyshops but there are also lots of average ones who just rush through insurance jobs every week. Hence why I suggested to the OP that he makes sure he's involved in the repair-process itself, engage directly with the bodyshop and if not happy, insist that the repair is carried out by a body shop that you are happy with.

On the plus side, this is a new car with fresh factory paint, so if paint is required, matching/blending is much easier than it would be on an older car.

Yes the dealer can sell the car. It’s not a damaged car if it’s been repaired.

JoeA3

Brand new un-registered cars are repaired every day of the week. Some of them are repaired before they leave the docks.

elperello

In this case the car was not damaged in transit.

The damage was done by the valeter.

Not clear if that was an employee of the dealer or a contractor.

cml387

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120164706#Comment_120164706

The point is the OP knows it's damaged and therefore feelings towards the car are affected.

Possibly a repair will be acceptable (and a proper repair,not a filler job) but I can't believe that no matter how good a paint job is done it will match the factory applied paint over the complete lifetime of the car. Also that is substantial damage including damage to the pillar.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120164655#Comment_120164655

trying to contact someone in SIMI also

You mean nothing to SIMI as they are a lobby group for the motor trade and not there to represent the customer. Don't waste your time!

Girl Geraldine

I see that the sill of the car is badly scratched and pushed in. That is bad news. Very bad.

The sill is a structural part of the car and if that has been damaged, then it and any repair work could *potentially* have caused a twist or strain to be induced elsehere in the chassis. It would be an imperceptibly minuscule strain, but there all the same. This could also have an effect on the performance of the chassis in a crash.

With all the sensors and accelerators in cars these days, you could not absolutely guarantee with 100% certainty that any such infinitesimal misalignment consequent to the strain in the chassis would not interfere with the inertial instrumentation and control systems in the car. Even dealerships are rarely successful in resolving such instrumentation issues - they usually just replace parts and eventually throw their hands up and put it down as one of those cars with no apparent fault but is nonetheless unfixable.

The cill is also exposed to the full caustic environment of wet, dirt and road salt. A repair will probably involve sanding or cutting through the galvanised coating leaving the area more succeptible to corrosion. And corrosion in a cill is like cancer. By the time it becomes evident and blisters the paint the damage is already done and there is probably a spread of extensive corrosion inside the cill section, potentially severely weakening it and making its crash performance unpredictable.

Even with repairing, the whole side of the car would have to be re-painted to make it look right.

GSBellew

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120164956#Comment_120164956

That is a massive over reaction in relation to the notion of the structural integrity of the car being affected, nor will any non existent subsequent misalignment from such an impact have any effect on any chassis safety systems.

The outer sill is a relatively light piece of metal there mainly for aesthetic purposes, ie to achieve the desired lines for the exterior, the main structural parts are contained within and would not have been touched by any such brush to the outer sill.

The allowable tolerances in assembly of these components to form a body shell would far exceed any possible miniscule movement of any other component due to such damage, keep in mind that a bodyshell is a flexible component and will move as a vehicle is driven, chassis safety system sensors also have tolerances to allow for this, otherwise the first time a door was slammed or a pothole struck the car would have a meltdown.

Markus Antonius

There is no way I would accept that car after seeing that level of damage even if it's not discernable after repair. At least not without getting some form of discount.

The sill of the chassis could be bent in too, nevermind the panels

CantThinkOfANam

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120164846#Comment_120164846

Had a call with them yesterday and they were really helpful. If we don’t come to an agreement they will mediate and try get it resolved. If that doesn’t work then it will go to the SIMI arbitration panel whose decision is binding for the dealer.

road_high

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120168833#Comment_120168833

Sounds messy? I’d try sort it out directly with them but it would be either rejection and a different car or a discount for me. No only repair offer

CantThinkOfANam

Not messy but I want to know all my options before any discussion.

Agreed re discount. Our new car experience has been destroyed.

Marcusm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120168833#Comment_120168833

In an arbitration under CIArb rules the decision is binding on both parties including potential liability for costs which are capped at €1,600. Why would you agree to arbitration? What is your claim? You can take car or negotiate a discount, that doesn’t need an arbitrator but rather might need a mediator. Either way and element of cost is being introduced which would better be spent on a discount or a high quality body shop.