catgate Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 Management went to York mid morning to go to a branch of her late father's bank, to try to close his old account. She was going to drive up to the "Park and Ride" on the ring road, go into town, attend to the bank and get a couple of items of shopping. Going on for two hours after she departure the 'phone rang. I assumed she would be saying "Get the coffee on I'm just leaving P&R". But no. She said words to the effect that some prat had left his car with the hand brake "off" and obviously out of gear, and due to the slope of the car park it had rolled backward right into the rear of our car, guided by the crook-lock type steering lock, which the driver had fitted, with the wheels in such a position that our car was its only posible destination.So she had to stay there standing guard, whilst I got a neighbour to run me up there, armed with camera and annoyance.The neighbour deposited me up there, and management and I waited for the return of the prat, for hours.The York Council's jobsworths running the P&R, are soulmates with all other jobsworths and, other than putting a couple of cones in place to show that they were complying with high Health and Safety standards, were totally disinterested.Eventually after sitting waiting for about three and a half hours the prat and his wife arrived, and was rather taken aback by his doing. He had no alternative but to accept full responsibility and in view of the fact that we had photographic evidence of the entire situation (and his number plate) he gave us his details. We eventually go home for lunch at abouthalf past five!!The next step, tomorrow, is "the estimate". The entire "wrap round" bumper will need replacing, because some of the moulded-in fastening brackets are smashed, and Merc. bits are not cheap.http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v338/cat...nt=DSCF1155.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rong Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 Is there a water shortage up your way You are lucky your wife got back before them or they would probably have driven off without you knowing who had done the damage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandalph Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 It must have rolled back with quite some force to do that damage to a Merc. :0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irene Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 It must have rolled back with quite some force to do that damage to a Merc. :0I love my 'little' Merc. 3.2 SLKHaving waited most of my lifetime to own her , I would not be responsible for my actions for anyone who caused her damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catgate Posted January 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 Is there a water shortage up your way No but there is a "mud on road" surfeit from our village up to the main road, and it's the quick drying stuff at management's speed. It must have rolled back with quite some force to do that damage to a Merc.The car park is quite a bit steeper than it appears on the photos. In addition to which it had travelled in an arc rather than just the width of the "passage way". It had "skidded" the merc. forwards and compress the front tyre against a kerb, despite the hand brake being on and the 'box being in P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artist Posted January 15, 2009 Report Share Posted January 15, 2009 It doesn't look like there's a lot of damage to his car........All I can say is that your wife should have parked somewhere else......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andsome Posted January 15, 2009 Report Share Posted January 15, 2009 It's surprising how much damage costs to repair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lester1 Posted January 15, 2009 Report Share Posted January 15, 2009 French cars get good results in the encap crash tests Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandalph Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 It's surprising how much damage costs to repair.As soon as the repairer finds out it's an Insurance job the quote doubles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andsome Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 French cars get good results in the encap crash tests Do you mean that they are GOOD at crashing? :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catgate Posted March 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 The story continues....but slowly.The other partie's insurance agreed liability and arranged for an "approved" York body repair garage to come and pick up our car and take it away, leaving us with a "courtesy" car. This garage rang us only an hour later saying they would do the pick up on the following Monday 19th Jan and it would be returned on the 23rd.The day after they rang to say that it would not be picked up until someone had come and inspected it on the 29th Jan.Unsurprisingly I was not at all happy and so I rang the insurance company. They agreed that it was a very sad state of affairs and switched the job to an "approved" body repairer in Ripon.A couple of days later a man appeared with a camera, took a couple of pictures and disappeared. After a couple of weeks we were informed by the Ripon garage that they would be coming to pick up the car on the 29th Feb. This they did and left us a Susuki thing.They then rang us yesterday to say they would bring back our Merc. this morning, which they did.After it arrived I spoke to the body shop manager and told him I was sending it back. I spoke to the insurance company who are going to look into the matter. The pictures really need no expanation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandalph Posted March 4, 2009 Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 Although it saddens me to have to say it catgate, that little display is typical of today's workmanship. Just throw it on till it's near enough sort of attitude. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catgate Posted March 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 I suspect what they have done, Gandalph, is that instead of getting a new rear panel, as they should have done, they have tried to straighted the old one. These things are a composite of metal and plastic material and unfortunately if the metal gets stretched there is no way of getting it back into shape permenantly. (I once spent a whole day on the front panel of a 190D that I had, before I gave in to it.)They have tried, and thought they had succeded, but it has not been absolutly the correct shape and after painting they have put it back on and had to "force" it into position. It may well have left the body shop appearing OK, but after travelling a few miles on the road the vibrations and bumps have let it take up its natural relaxed position again and out it has popped. Never give lads mens jobs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanHo Posted March 4, 2009 Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 The story continues....but slowly........... After a couple of weeks we were informed by the Ripon garage that they would be coming to pick up the car on the 29th Feb. This they did and left us a Susuki thing.It is hard not to leap to the conclusion that anyone who works on the 29th February 2009 should not be trusted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tankus Posted March 4, 2009 Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 cars are designed to crumple on impact to absorb energy .. alignment maybe impossible as the crumple zones in the space frame have been compromised by your "event " live with it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deuces wild Posted March 4, 2009 Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 It must have rolled back with quite some force to do that damage to a Merc. :0I love my 'little' Merc. 3.2 SLKHaving waited most of my lifetime to own her , I would not be responsible for my actions for anyone who caused her damage. Nice ride! B) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catgate Posted March 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 The story continues....but slowly........... After a couple of weeks we were informed by the Ripon garage that they would be coming to pick up the car on the 29th Feb. This they did and left us a Susuki thing.It is hard not to leap to the conclusion that anyone who works on the 29th February 2009 should not be trusted. You are right, as usual. I have just looked at at the ships log and I have miss read it. It was the 23rd Feb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andsome Posted March 5, 2009 Report Share Posted March 5, 2009 Very sorry state of affairs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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