Legal type advice: Damage caused by jetwash brush attachment
16 September 2004, 12:58 PM
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Legal type advice: Damage caused by jetwash brush attachment
Hi all,
wonder if anybody else has had a similar experience?
I have drafted a note to the insurance people of a supermarket to progress a claim. The detail is in the note.
Can anybody offer any extra advice or anything that I should add in?
C
wonder if anybody else has had a similar experience?
I have drafted a note to the insurance people of a supermarket to progress a claim. The detail is in the note.
Can anybody offer any extra advice or anything that I should add in?
C
Insurance Department
Supermarket X
17th Sept 2004
C
To whom it may concern,
I recently reported an incident at your store XXXXX
After a conversation with XXXXX at your office, I understand this has been logged on your system, and you now await a letter explaining the event.
As a brief history to events:
I used the ‘jet wash’ facility at the above store on or around XXXXX to clean my vehicle.
The vehicle is a 2003 Subaru Impreza WRX AWD (just under 1 year old), Registration XXXXXXXX, worth in excess of £17,000 market value at this point in time.
I purchased a token to use the machine from the kiosk, and proceeded to use the machine situated on the forecourt of the petrol station adjacent to the main store.
During the cleaning process, I used both the spray lance and the brush lance. The cleaning process was completed satisfactorily.
On inspecting my vehicle after the cleaning was complete, I noticed several deep scratches evident on several panels of the vehicle, which were not there prior to me using the machine, consistent with some fault or foreign body on the brush attachment.
I reported this to a Mr X, the duty supervisor at the petrol station, who asked me to complete a form and sign it. I was informed that an insurance department to progress the incident would contact me.
I have not yet gained a professional estimate of the cost to repair the damage, but would expect this to be a considerable sum. I can supply digital images of the damage on request.
Can you please advise of the next steps, and progress the claim accordingly.
Yours sincerely,
C
Supermarket X
17th Sept 2004
C
To whom it may concern,
I recently reported an incident at your store XXXXX
After a conversation with XXXXX at your office, I understand this has been logged on your system, and you now await a letter explaining the event.
As a brief history to events:
I used the ‘jet wash’ facility at the above store on or around XXXXX to clean my vehicle.
The vehicle is a 2003 Subaru Impreza WRX AWD (just under 1 year old), Registration XXXXXXXX, worth in excess of £17,000 market value at this point in time.
I purchased a token to use the machine from the kiosk, and proceeded to use the machine situated on the forecourt of the petrol station adjacent to the main store.
During the cleaning process, I used both the spray lance and the brush lance. The cleaning process was completed satisfactorily.
On inspecting my vehicle after the cleaning was complete, I noticed several deep scratches evident on several panels of the vehicle, which were not there prior to me using the machine, consistent with some fault or foreign body on the brush attachment.
I reported this to a Mr X, the duty supervisor at the petrol station, who asked me to complete a form and sign it. I was informed that an insurance department to progress the incident would contact me.
I have not yet gained a professional estimate of the cost to repair the damage, but would expect this to be a considerable sum. I can supply digital images of the damage on request.
Can you please advise of the next steps, and progress the claim accordingly.
Yours sincerely,
C
16 September 2004, 01:15 PM
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Digital images might not be acceptable, as they can be easily altered.
Your word against theirs that the damage wasn't there beforehand. Good luck, not an easy one. I guess a witness to examine the brush is taking the P a bit though.
BTW, you might want to give them a deadline to reply by.
Your word against theirs that the damage wasn't there beforehand. Good luck, not an easy one. I guess a witness to examine the brush is taking the P a bit though.
BTW, you might want to give them a deadline to reply by.
16 September 2004, 01:24 PM
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You did give the brush a good shake and run you hand over it to check for gravel etc before using it didn't you?? People just chuck the brushes on the floor when they are done - no wonder they are full of cr*p
16 September 2004, 01:50 PM
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My local jet wash has a disclaimer next to it, that basically says if it causes damage then tough s**t, not sure if that applies to the one you used ?
Good luck with the claim.....
Good luck with the claim.....
16 September 2004, 01:58 PM
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yeah a hand car wash damaged my alloy years back.(they were brand new!)
It was a 'hand' car wash- but they neglected to tell me it got pulled through on a conveyer type thing with metal bars to keep your wheels inline.
Gouged massive chunks out of my rims which i was understandably hacked off with.
I complained- first thing they said was it was there before hand-nothing to do with us.
I then told him the rims were a day old, and as new and could provide reciept and pictures
He then said get it fixed and we will re-imburse you, but refused to give me that in writing
I realised i was onto a loser, so I put it down to experience and have not used or recommended them to anyone since then.
As above- good luck!! There is probably a disclaimer there- our local tescos jetwash certainly has one
It was a 'hand' car wash- but they neglected to tell me it got pulled through on a conveyer type thing with metal bars to keep your wheels inline.
Gouged massive chunks out of my rims which i was understandably hacked off with.
I complained- first thing they said was it was there before hand-nothing to do with us.
I then told him the rims were a day old, and as new and could provide reciept and pictures
He then said get it fixed and we will re-imburse you, but refused to give me that in writing
I realised i was onto a loser, so I put it down to experience and have not used or recommended them to anyone since then.
As above- good luck!! There is probably a disclaimer there- our local tescos jetwash certainly has one
16 September 2004, 02:04 PM
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Originally Posted by Brendan Hughes
Your word against theirs that the damage wasn't there beforehand. Good luck, not an easy one. I guess a witness to examine the brush is taking the P a bit though.
My advice to anybody who cares remotely about their car is to never use any of these public car washes and always wash the car at home.
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16 September 2004, 02:12 PM
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Absolutely. Used one close to me for years, always very clean and no problems.
Took my previous car an My03 Sti in Black there and it came away with deep scratches over most of the bonnet and wings. Never use the place anymore.
On the odd occasion I have driven past it, noticed a big queue of 4x4's and Transits covered in mud from the local building sites.
Took my previous car an My03 Sti in Black there and it came away with deep scratches over most of the bonnet and wings. Never use the place anymore.
On the odd occasion I have driven past it, noticed a big queue of 4x4's and Transits covered in mud from the local building sites.
16 September 2004, 02:21 PM
#9
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I agree with Olly here you should always give the brush a good clean before using on your car, this is one reason why I never use jet washes.
However at the jet washes I have seen there has always been a sign stating "the company does not accept any liability for damage to vehicles whilst using this equipment", if there is a sign then I wouldn't hope for much but if there isn't you may have a slim chance of a apology I'm afriad.
However at the jet washes I have seen there has always been a sign stating "the company does not accept any liability for damage to vehicles whilst using this equipment", if there is a sign then I wouldn't hope for much but if there isn't you may have a slim chance of a apology I'm afriad.
16 September 2004, 02:27 PM
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Originally Posted by JoeyDeacon
My advice to anybody who cares remotely about their car is to never use any of these public car washes and always wash the car at home.
You may have picked the brush up after ive used it on my Enduro bike ..
Let us know how you get on with the claim
16 September 2004, 02:58 PM
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I can't believe people spend so much money on a car and still use those godawful (expensive) paint ruining devices - those and brush type car washes 
They are renouned for it. At most just use the jet bit to spray under and over the car to get the worst off and finish it at home...............
They are renouned for it. At most just use the jet bit to spray under and over the car to get the worst off and finish it at home...............
16 September 2004, 04:45 PM
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I'd bet it wasn't the brush but the hosepipes.
Number of times I've seen people drag them across he paint causing untold damage after they pick them up off the floor.
If you must use a jet wash brush, jet it first with the lance and then run your hand through it, and DONT let the hoses rub all over the car.
D
Number of times I've seen people drag them across he paint causing untold damage after they pick them up off the floor.
If you must use a jet wash brush, jet it first with the lance and then run your hand through it, and DONT let the hoses rub all over the car.
D
16 September 2004, 04:48 PM
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Originally Posted by Diablo
I'd bet it wasn't the brush but the hosepipes.
Number of times I've seen people drag them across he paint causing untold damage after they pick them up off the floor.
D
Number of times I've seen people drag them across he paint causing untold damage after they pick them up off the floor.
D
If you've got a decent car best not to use them,who knows what cr@p they put in as detergent?
16 September 2004, 06:01 PM
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our claims department at work doesnt try to make recoveries form car washes because of the disclaimers, not worth the time or the hassle, and we run the largest fleet scheme in the country
16 September 2004, 06:11 PM
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to be fair to the car wash firms....what do ppl expect?
you want to wash your car with a broom that spends 99% of its time lying it the ****e that has come of other peoples cars.......should think yourself lucky you only had a few scratches!
if you have no drive/hose commbo to do it at home the best bet is to use the car wash spray gun and a sponge of your own.
T
you want to wash your car with a broom that spends 99% of its time lying it the ****e that has come of other peoples cars.......should think yourself lucky you only had a few scratches!
if you have no drive/hose commbo to do it at home the best bet is to use the car wash spray gun and a sponge of your own.
T
16 September 2004, 06:39 PM
#17
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Originally Posted by OllyK
You did give the brush a good shake and run you hand over it to check for gravel etc before using it didn't you?? People just chuck the brushes on the floor when they are done - no wonder they are full of cr*p
16 September 2004, 07:26 PM
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1. You shouldn't have used the carwash -if it's a 17k car, handwash it you fool!
2. You don't say anything about a disclaimer, so it either wasn't there, or wasn't very noticeable. I think you have a very good case. Getting a quote for repairs would be a good thing to do - if it's less than a certain amount, say £500, they will probably just pay, as that will be their excess.
3. My car has a few stonechips and scratches. I'm off to find a jetwash with no sign, and then will use your letter as a template - cheers
2. You don't say anything about a disclaimer, so it either wasn't there, or wasn't very noticeable. I think you have a very good case. Getting a quote for repairs would be a good thing to do - if it's less than a certain amount, say £500, they will probably just pay, as that will be their excess.
3. My car has a few stonechips and scratches. I'm off to find a jetwash with no sign, and then will use your letter as a template - cheers
17 September 2004, 09:59 AM
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Thanks a lot for your considered and thoughtful replies.
A lot of what has been mentioned has already has already been covered.
They supervisor in the petrol station came out , had a look a tthe damage, had a look at the brush, and agreed with me that it was the brush that caused the problem (there was a gouge out of the plastic housing), which would only come in contact with the car at a certain angle, which fits with where the car is scratched.
I *never* use these bloody things as well, and decided to give it a bash (I usually only use the jet to clear off all the crap, then go home and hand wash it)
The comforting thing is that there was definately not a disclaimer on the machine.
I had a similar thing with an alloy wheel a few years back which was trashed when I went down the mother of allpotholes. Long story short, letter to council, told to get lost. There case was that they had an adequate inspection programme, and this stretch of road was last inspected 11 months ago. In the end I couldn't be arsed following it up, and ended up £100 out of pocket for a Pzero and £175 for a new alloy.
Thanks for the date reminder WWSD, I was waiting for some advice from s'net beore I posted it (i.e 17th)!
I just havn't had the time to get a quote for repairs (i'm sure most of it would TCUT out) but that's not the point. I recon it would be £200 or so at the most.
I'm havin a piece of them though, and will take it to the small claims if necessary.
Cheers again
C
A lot of what has been mentioned has already has already been covered.
They supervisor in the petrol station came out , had a look a tthe damage, had a look at the brush, and agreed with me that it was the brush that caused the problem (there was a gouge out of the plastic housing), which would only come in contact with the car at a certain angle, which fits with where the car is scratched.
I *never* use these bloody things as well, and decided to give it a bash (I usually only use the jet to clear off all the crap, then go home and hand wash it)
The comforting thing is that there was definately not a disclaimer on the machine.
I had a similar thing with an alloy wheel a few years back which was trashed when I went down the mother of allpotholes. Long story short, letter to council, told to get lost. There case was that they had an adequate inspection programme, and this stretch of road was last inspected 11 months ago. In the end I couldn't be arsed following it up, and ended up £100 out of pocket for a Pzero and £175 for a new alloy.
Thanks for the date reminder WWSD, I was waiting for some advice from s'net beore I posted it (i.e 17th)!
I just havn't had the time to get a quote for repairs (i'm sure most of it would TCUT out) but that's not the point. I recon it would be £200 or so at the most.
I'm havin a piece of them though, and will take it to the small claims if necessary.
Cheers again
C
17 September 2004, 10:10 AM
#20
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afaik disclaimer signs don't actually make any difference to legal liability. either the owner of the facility has a duty of care to you or they don't. putting a sign up saying "no duty of care owed" (or whatever) doesn't make any difference to whether they actually have or not.
17 September 2004, 12:27 PM
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I buckeled an alloy wheel a few years back too. It was on a tiny country lane near where I live and it fooked the wheel totally.
Sent them a nice long letter explaining what had happened and sent photos on a disk etc.
Got an apology but was told that as they had not been made aware of the problem, they wouldn't pay. I told them that my road tax was paid to KEEP the roads in good nick - not to let them fall into disrepair until a member of the public told them.
Ended up getting £500 out of them for a wheel, tyre, balancing, alignment and 'suspension parts' (Whiteline kit!) Also - they insisted on replacing my "fancy" £100 Smiths alloy with a "Standard part", which as it was a GTI-R, was £249 + VAT! Fools!
I've still got all the photos and letters at home somewhere. When I get angry about something like this, I'll ALWAYS win...
Moral is - Argue it and you'll get the cash.
Sent them a nice long letter explaining what had happened and sent photos on a disk etc.
Got an apology but was told that as they had not been made aware of the problem, they wouldn't pay. I told them that my road tax was paid to KEEP the roads in good nick - not to let them fall into disrepair until a member of the public told them.
Ended up getting £500 out of them for a wheel, tyre, balancing, alignment and 'suspension parts' (Whiteline kit!) Also - they insisted on replacing my "fancy" £100 Smiths alloy with a "Standard part", which as it was a GTI-R, was £249 + VAT! Fools!
I've still got all the photos and letters at home somewhere. When I get angry about something like this, I'll ALWAYS win...
Moral is - Argue it and you'll get the cash.
17 September 2004, 12:45 PM
#22
Originally Posted by paulr
Very true.
If you've got a decent car best not to use them,who knows what cr@p they put in as detergent?
If you've got a decent car best not to use them,who knows what cr@p they put in as detergent?
BUT, ANY jetwash, detergent or not (yes even your home one) will strip off any wax protection you have put on your car.
So, you'll need to wax it again everytime you jetwash it.
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