8 November 2011

Can anyone recommend a cheap panel beater?

| ohmygoy
Join the conversation
27
damaged car

A while ago, I was at work when a few drunk people decided it would be a great idea to throw all the furniture off the back balcony. Due to the fact we were really busy and short staffed at the time, no one noticed what they had done until after the damage was done.

Unfortunately, my car and a colleagues car happened to be in the firing range and I only have third party insurance 🙁

We did get video footage of them doing it, and also know who they are, but because they’re such no-hopers in the first place I’ve been informed that there really is no point in suing them.

First quote I got was $4,000, but I’m really hoping I’ll be able to get it fixed for less.

If you can help or direct me someone that might be able to that would be great. Cheers

damaged car

Join the conversation

27
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest

Man that sucks!
Where did this happen so i can avoid parking in their parking lot.
FYI – pretty cold that your employer didnt offer to help out, hard pill to swallow at your age.

krats said :

Classified said :

http://www.gio.com.au/car-insurance/third-party-car-insurance

Note the second major point on the page:

“GIO provides cover up to $5,000 for damage caused to your car by an uninsured driver when we agree you are not at fault and you can provide us with the name, address and registration details of the other driver.”

Obviously key are is ‘uninsured’, but I would still call and check.

There Was NO OTHER CAR,It Was Furniture!!!

That’s why I keep saying GIVE THEM A CALL!!!

Classified said :

http://www.gio.com.au/car-insurance/third-party-car-insurance

Note the second major point on the page:

“GIO provides cover up to $5,000 for damage caused to your car by an uninsured driver when we agree you are not at fault and you can provide us with the name, address and registration details of the other driver.”

Obviously key are is ‘uninsured’, but I would still call and check.

There Was NO OTHER CAR,It Was Furniture!!!

Agree that some third party policies may provide cover if you can find the person at fault. Be careful though going through the court/tribunal process on your own. I haven’t looked recently but there are fees and charges for lodging and proceding with a claim. We went through such a process agreed on a settlement with the no hopers, they made one $50 payment (they owed thousands) and then skipped town. When we enquired what happened next we were told that if we found them we could try to garnish their wages (assuming they managed to get jobs) or we could start the court process again (after paying a new lot of fees and charges).

Just checked the NRMA website, they provide the same cover.

http://www.gio.com.au/car-insurance/third-party-car-insurance

Note the second major point on the page:

“GIO provides cover up to $5,000 for damage caused to your car by an uninsured driver when we agree you are not at fault and you can provide us with the name, address and registration details of the other driver.”

Obviously key are is ‘uninsured’, but I would still call and check.

harvyk1 said :

Classified said :

OK, all may not be lost. You say you have third party insurance – is this third party property? If so, you may well find that it actually covers your car if you can nominate the at fault party.

Won’t cover squat. Third Party insurance only covers you against claims made by a third party and \ or a third parties insurance company.

Some years ago I had an old car which had third party property insurance with GIO. The policy explicitly stated that my vehicle would be covered if the accident was not my fault and I could identify the at fault party.

Give them a call. It may come to nothing, but it may save a lot of trouble.

creative_canberran6:01 pm 08 Nov 11

krats said :

Comprehensive Insurance Does Not Cost $4000.

Like to bet 🙂

NRMA Comprehensive Policy Quote (Hypothetical scenario with $800 excess)

Vehicle: 2011 BMW X5 4.4L (w immobiliser + alarm)
Unsecured finance

Driver Details:

Age & Gender: 18 Male
Started driving age: 17
Driving incidents in last 5 years:

Mar 2009: collision, at fault, with another vehicle
May 2009: collision, at fault, with another vehicle
Sep 2009: collision, at fault, with another vehicle
Sep 2010: collision, at fault, with another vehicle

Quotation: $6072.00/yr

Jokes aside, it was very difficult to get that amount above $2000, much less $4000. If that were a quote for a Hyundai i45, even with the same driver details and awful driving record, the quote would only be around $2600/yr.

churl said :

If you were parked at work, are they responsible for customer(?) actions??

Well that’s what I thought but apparently the car park isn’t their property and insurance doesn’t cover it. Only covered their damaged furniture. Worst.

krats said :

Comprehensive Insurance Does Not Cost $4000.May Be You Will Consider It In The Future,Then Again I Bet You Don’t.

Thanks For The Advice, Mate.

Couldn’t afford comprehensive insurance when I was 20 though, and still can’t afford it at 21.

Oh, and you should have a look at your companies insurance policy. It occurred on-site, so it might in fact be covered.

– Police report, get them charged with criminal damage.
– Get 2-3 quotes to repair damage
– Get witness reports from all involved
– Take them to ACAT. You can represent yourself, small claims is designed for a normal person to go through the tribunal.

Perhaps this is a lesson to not just have 3rd party. You gambled at lost.

krats said :

Comprehensive Insurance Does Not Cost $4000.May Be You Will Consider It In The Future,Then Again I Bet You Don’t.

As an under 25, scum of the road P plater, i think the excess of our car is pretty close to that. At least OP had insurance i suppose.

If you were parked at work, are they responsible for customer(?) actions??

Legal action. If you know who did it and you have footage of them doing it then go for it. Also hit them up for the court costs. It will teach them a valuable lesson and you’ll get your car fixed.

Comprehensive Insurance Does Not Cost $4000.May Be You Will Consider It In The Future,Then Again I Bet You Don’t.

Classified said :

OK, all may not be lost. You say you have third party insurance – is this third party property? If so, you may well find that it actually covers your car if you can nominate the at fault party.

Won’t cover squat. Third Party insurance only covers you against claims made by a third party and \ or a third parties insurance company.

I’m with the others, take them to the small claims court. You won’t be up for big money to do so, and I don’t even believe you really need a lawyer in a small claims court, as it’s a court set up for legal laymen so to speak.

All you would need is proof that the items where dropped onto your car (undoctored photos will work), and if you have one of the items any sort of identification marks such as serial numbers will go along way to proving your case.

As for the issue that they don’t have money, thats between them and the courts, a court can as others have said take funds out of bank accounts, deduct money from pay, or sell assets until the bill is paid.

Felix the Cat12:26 pm 08 Nov 11

Classified said :

OK, all may not be lost. You say you have third party insurance – is this third party property? If so, you may well find that it actually covers your car if you can nominate the at fault party. So here’s what to do:
1) Make a formal police report, and turn over your video evidemce. Name the people involved. Gte a pollice report reference.
2) Call the insurance company, tell them your car has been damaged and you want to make a claim, and can clearly identify the responsible party. Give them the names and as many details as you have, and the police report reference.
3) Insurance company may well fix your car, and will then chase these idots to the ends of the earth to get their money back.

+1 for Fred @ Auto Dentist

I doubt the OP will get their car repaired using TP insurance, it’s called Third Party for a reason! The purpose of it is to cover the OP incase they run into another vehicle or property (house etc). perhaps if another vehicle that was insured ran into the OP’s vehicle then the insurance companies can sort it out amongst themselves and the damage would be fixed (OP may need to pay excess?).

It would be a pretty big job to repair the car with the roof caved in, $4K sounds pretty conservative but AD may be able to cut a few corners and use some second hand parts to do it cheaper.

The rear 1/4 panel is an easy repair but I’d still guesstimate $1-1.5K to fix.

OK, all may not be lost. You say you have third party insurance – is this third party property? If so, you may well find that it actually covers your car if you can nominate the at fault party. So here’s what to do:
1) Make a formal police report, and turn over your video evidemce. Name the people involved. Gte a pollice report reference.
2) Call the insurance company, tell them your car has been damaged and you want to make a claim, and can clearly identify the responsible party. Give them the names and as many details as you have, and the police report reference.
3) Insurance company may well fix your car, and will then chase these idots to the ends of the earth to get their money back.

Lodge a claim with the ACT civil and administrative tribunal (ACAT) ?

Your quote is under the $5000 (?) limit for small claims. The tribunal has power to take some of their wages (over time) and auction off belongings to repay the debt. Looking at the photos, there aren’t many belongings left!

carnardly said :

Sue them.

Even if they take 10 years to pay you back, it’ll might make them think twice next time before being idiots.

I’ll sue them for the damage and pain they’ve caused me since people now think I’m a hopeless driver.

But seriously though, if I sue them, what if it doesn’t work? Then I’ll be stuck with a bigger bill!

Can anyone recommend a cheap lawyer? No, it’s ok. I’ll find one.

Sue them. Even if they take 10 years to pay you back, it’ll might make them think twice next time before being idiots.

DUB said :

ThatUniStudent said :

Ahh, that’s not fair, no teasing, we want the video proof! Come on, it will be funny as heck.

+1.
Damage to property is a crime, you have a video of it, but these people are known to you, and you don’t want to sue them.Would you like to tell us a full story?
P.S. I think your quote is pretty cheap. People usually get charged $800+ for a smallish dent.
Honestly-I think your car is a write off, your roof looks f00ked.

Definitely a write off. That’s my friends car. No one would pay 4 grand to get that car fixed! The video footage is surveillance footage taken from where I work. It shows them coming in and out getting the chairs, but because we don’t have a camera on the back balcony it doesn’t show them actually throwing them.

I don’t personally know them, but the cops who saw the footage do.

I don’t think they’ll have any money to pay me if I do sue them. And I’m pretty sure they’re all in jail for other misdemeanors anyway. Boourns.

Civic Smash Repairs – 23 Lonsdale Street, Braddon . 6249 1780 (They are hard to find in Yellow Pages, but are in White Pages and also the online YP)

Had some work done by them many years ago and was very happy with them. More recently had a quote and was very pleased by the figure quoted – much less than I had thought. Unfortunately, some %#@@%^ ran a red light and wrote off the car before I could get it fixed or compare quotes.

ThatUniStudent said :

Ahh, that’s not fair, no teasing, we want the video proof! Come on, it will be funny as heck.

+1.
Damage to property is a crime, you have a video of it, but these people are known to you, and you don’t want to sue them.Would you like to tell us a full story?
P.S. I think your quote is pretty cheap. People usually get charged $800+ for a smallish dent.
Honestly-I think your car is a write off, your roof looks f00ked.

That’s a rear quarter.

They’re gonna cost heaps to fix.

If you know who it is, and have a police report proving it’s them, i’d sue em.

P40 Tomahawk10:04 am 08 Nov 11

I always thought your car was damaged due to poor driving skills…but this is an outrage!

ThatUniStudent9:56 am 08 Nov 11

Ahh, that’s not fair, no teasing, we want the video proof! Come on, it will be funny as heck.

As for cheap panel repairs, try Auto Dentist at 76 Shepperd Street Hume, behind the kitchens place and Pharleys.

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.