I was parked in a lot in Denver and someone opened their car door into my brand new MINI and left a scratch and dent. She was getting into the passenger side of a truck. I asked for her insurance info and got it, and also got the tag number of the truck. The insurance company called me after I filed a claim and said they're not sure it will be covered and will contact me soon. Turns out I should have gotten the owner of the truck's insurance info (I didn't know - this had never happened to me before). So I'm not sure what to do next... I did get the tag number off the truck. Should I file a police report? I got an estimate to get the damage repaired and it was $770 - it was close enough to the door that to make sure the paint matches they'd have to blend the paint into the door, etc. It's quite a process, will take 4 or 5 days and I'll need a rental. My MINI didn't even have 1000 miles on it!!! Any advice?
I now park FAR away from everyone!!

 

Sorry to hear about the ding. Bummer esp when your like me, going to great lengths to avoid such incidents and damage.....good news is your ins co can run the license plate and send a letter to the truck owner's ins company. At least you have the important details of the offending passenger, that would almost be impossible to obtain.

Not sure if the local PD would take a report on that.

Find a good PDR guy in your area. We found a fantastic one in Boston area, he takes them out like they were never there....I swear he has the phychic ability to manipulate metal.....

 

Most times if the incident is in a parking lot the local PD do not get involved, it is between the two affected people.

If it is scratched through the paint, then it will need to be blended as you noted.

Talk to Schomp at the service desk, I would use one of their body shops for the repair.

Turn it over to you insurance person and let them deal with it, they will get the money from the trucks owner, you should be good to go.

Don

 

I guess I'm concerned about my insurance rate going up, and I don't want to pay my $500 deductible. Everyone says I'll get that $500 back after the insurance companies do their thing but it's still a major inconvenience - I'm not loaded. Plus I'm scared to tell Schomp about the ding because I'm leasing the car!! I have the safe lease deal, but I still have this fear of telling them. However if I let them do the bodywork, maybe I'll get a cool loaner again - when they put on my bonnet stripes and roof graphic I had a convertible S... I just don't want to be stuck with this ding. It's not scratched thru to the metal but it is dented. I should add a picture but I'm not sure how well it will photograph. It's not a big deal but it's my BRAND NEW car. If it were an older car I probably wouldn't care. I mean, I didn't even have the car a month, there weren't even 1000 miles on it!! It's not that noticeable to anyone but me, but down the road, if I buy the car at the end of my lease, it's there. It just pisses me off.

 

If it is not thru to the metal, I would suggest a paintless dent repair, there are really good folks out there.

Schomp has a good one taking out dents.

Or you can try asking around your area.

 

Blend the paint is gonna be expensive. Any body shop will just do a fill and spray. You don't want bondo or body filler on you car.

Get the PDR guy to remove the dent, (80-90 bucks ) then try Langka paint chip and scratch repair for now. http://www.langka.com/

If you still need to have it sprayed after that, at last you will not have body filler in a new car and tried other avenues less expensive....my 2 cents.

 

Grey Raven - Good idea with the touch up paint!! I may very well go that route... especially since its so small.

Here are some bad pictures - my white balance wasnt set correctly evidently.
Looks like the paint is damaged - even if it is small.

 

Nice MINI - Love the roof too

To me looks more like a PDR fix and some buffing to remove paint transfer from other vehicle...that passenger was a real dolt, must have hit it hard.

Honestly, where are peoples heads these days.

 

She hit it hard enough that I jumped out and looked, and she was on the phone and totally not paying attention - I had to pretty much yell YOU JUST DENTED MY NEW CAR to get her to get off the phone. Love my MINI so much, I was furious. But yeah - the touch up paint seems like the way to go. But I do want the dent taken out!

 

So the response from her insurance is her policy "was not in effect at the time of loss". Figures.

 

If her Insurance was not in effect then it falls under Un-insured motorist, right? Most of us on our insurance have something we pay for that, I know I do.

 

I do but I don't want to pay my $500 deductible. Plus I just started the process of changing insurance.

 

Sorry for bumping an old thread. What was the final outcome?

Keep in mind this will fall under comprehensive and not collision. I would highly advise you to lower the comprehensive deductible to $100 or $0. It should not raise your premium that much either.