need some opinions on what to do w/ a door ding.

[Raylo]

So heres the deal. I go to dinner w/ the family tonight (applebees). I come out and find a big scuff mark on my rear passenger door and a small door ding right on the body line!!! There is gold paint on my door. There is a POS beat up gold trail blazer parked next to me. The thing has not been washed in at least a year since the aluminum wheels look flat black because of all of the brake dust on them!!

So the wife tells me to relax and starts to try and rub out the scuff mark. I go back inside and ask the manager to find out who the gold trailblazer belongs to. The manager agrees and they start going table to table until the find the owner. The guy comes out and is actually pretty cool about it. Says he's sorry and says his daughter must have opened the door too fast (i'm not buying it since she is at the most 2 years old and still in a 4 point car seat). So he's in the same shape as his car. This dude is either barely making it or gives a rats ace about his things and himself. We talk for a bit and he gives me his insurance information and I leave.

I'm still pissed off and depressed about it so I keep bitching. My wife tells me to let it go its just a door ding and I will have many more to come. Plus if I call this dude's insurance company he is out at least his $500 (i'm assuming) deductible. I don't know if the paintless dent repair places can fix it since it is on the body line or if they would have to sand and paint which never comes out the same and the car ends up looking worse then before. I don't think the dentless place would be more then $100 if they could fix it.

My options are;

a. suck it up, just a dent and i know more will come.

b. call the dudes insurance and ruin his day/month(if the insurance is even good)l

c. if dentless repair can fix for reasonable amount call him up see if he wants to pay out of pocketfor it.

Sorry no pics, I got home late. It is really not a big dent but is noticible.

[smockers83]

I know how you feel. I had someone back into me 5 weeks ago, I gave them a deadline of today to hear back after questioning them a few times about it. Didn't hear back so now I'm going to have it replaced under my insurance and have them go after his insurance company once I get his info. But when it happened, of course I was upset that it happened, but I couldn't be mad at him, accidents happen. 4 or 5 days after that I went to Chicago and someone sideswiped me on the rear passenger side while I was parked on a one-way. My only option on that one is to pay out of pocket to have it repainted. For the guy's sake (I'm going with your 1st assessment of him), if its not too expensive I'd just do it yourself out of pocket.

But there will be more to come no matter how mad you are. Whether they can pop out the dent or not may depend on what the dent looks like since its on a body line. Not sure how well it'll come out. But I will say my brother's car got caught in a hail storm, dings all over it, and now you wouldn't even know it. If there is any bare metal, have it repainted since you live on the coast.

[lucidd]

Yup, had the exact same issue with some lady that didn't give a rat's *** about anything around her... So she denied it, and I din't have much proof to do anything, so I let it go...

But for u, at least the guy admitted to it... So what I'd do in ur case is call him up, tell him how much it would b to fix it properly ( which is about 300-700) then ask for $200.

Get the 200 and use it to try dent repair... Or use it for whatever you like.this way, u dont risk ur paint job (infiniti metallic colours are hard to match)... And it doesn't cost the other party his leg.

Then u, as the victim is compensated. At any rate, I feel for u... I was soo pissed to find a huge ding on my perfect G... But yes, I did get over it eventually.

Good luck, lemme know how it goes, L

[Bigjoe347]

these stories scare me! i don't want anything to happen to my baby

[numskul]

Try a reputable detailer. They (or their associates) often can remove the ding completely. Paint damage is a different story. They can take the panels off the door (or quarter-panel) and use some special rods to rub the ding out from the inside. They verify with special lights at different angles.

A skilled craftsman can remove it to the point you cannot detect it, even when looking for it.

Beware:A poor practioner may make it worse.

There is hope if you find a good dent remover. Should cost (as you said) around $100. I also find hope in the fact the guy was cool about it and admitted it might have been his (even if he did throw the 2 year old under the bus) fault. Most people wouldn't even walk out to the parking lot with you or would tell you to "F" yourself.

Hope it all works out for you. After I get my first door ding I stop caring about my car...its all downhill from that first ding. Sooooo- I do a lot of walking from remote parking spots.....

[abdoman]

I would definitely go to a paintless dent remover first as you don't really want to have any part of your car repainted unless absolutely necessary. They can usually remove scuff marks and door dings without repainting.

[bentrod]

I feel your pain. First of all, if this nimrod actually has insurance, it would be covered under his Property Damage/Liability coverage which has zero deductible. I'd call his insurer and file the claim. If he can't respect your car then, you have no reason to care if his premiums go up. Secondly, since I was in the auto damage appraisal business for 30 years, PDR (Paintless Dent Repair) is the way to go. Most G's have high metallic or even 3-stage pearl paint that is hard to match. I can't imagine a parking lot door dent that PDR couldn't take out. Body lines are not a factor unless the dent is large and deep! Cost is usually $100 to $125 for the first dent and less for subsequent dents. Good luck and let this guy's insurance fix it because no matter what the bride says, it's going to bug you forever.

[joe603]

I agree with bentrod...why would you care about the guys insurance?

But to be the "bigger man" I'd get an estimate, and let the dude decide if he wants to pay out of pocket or make a claim. If he brushes you off, call the insurance company.

[Tampa G35 Sedan 6MT]

let his insurance fix it... That is why we pay all that money!

DJ

[Sentientbydesign]

I feel your pain. First of all, if this nimrod actually has insurance, it would be covered under his Property Damage/Liability coverage which has zero deductible. I'd call his insurer and file the claim. If he can't respect your car then, you have no reason to care if his premiums go up. Secondly, since I was in the auto damage appraisal business for 30 years, PDR (Paintless Dent Repair) is the way to go. Most G's have high metallic or even 3-stage pearl paint that is hard to match. I can't imagine a parking lot door dent that PDR couldn't take out. Body lines are not a factor unless the dent is large and deep! Cost is usually $100 to $125 for the first dent and less for subsequent dents. Good luck and let this guy's insurance fix it because no matter what the bride says, it's going to bug you forever.

This is really good information. I think I'll start looking for one of these. I've got 1 large dent and 2 minor ones on my driver's side door and one on the passenger side (bought it that way) and my wife's car looks like somebody put it in front of an automatic ball pitcher.

[Raylo]

Thanks for the replies guys. I think I am going to take it to a paintless dent repair shop and see what they say. It is a small dent so I think they will be able to get it out. There is no paint damage. If it is around $100 I will call him up and see if he wants to pay out of pocket, if he does not want to I will call his insurance. I can't let it go right now, car is only 3 months old, it is going to bug me every time I see it.

Ray

[smockers83]

I found an area yesterday that appears to be a kidney shot from another door from Saturday night on the passenger side. I washed my car before going to a fireworks display, walked to the bars, drove home (not drunk, I sobered up), and found it in the morning. This is 3 incidents in the months of June and July (2 of which I will have to pay out of pocket), I'll have my car for 2 years this Aug 1 and up until this June, I've never had an incident. You know what happened in June? I was requested to name my car and named it St. G. Then it acquired the status as the patron saint of sex. My G is officially no longer St. G or the patron saint of sex. Sorry Tariq, I'm becoming superstitious of the name.

[Raylo]

Well here is the latest. The guy kept blowing me off. Not answering his phone, wife telling me to call at a certain hour then no one answering the phone. The wife would not even write my number down so her husband could call me!! So I figured I would take it to the "Dent Clinic" by my house. To my surprise he said $50 and it would look like new. Had him do it the same day (Tuesday). Wow, you can't tell the dent was ever there. He didn't even take the door panel off which was a big concern of mine because i did not want the door to rattle or the panel to be loose. He went through the hole that the wire harness goes through, amazing.

I ended up calling the guys insurance more then anything to see if he actually had it or if he was giving me the run around the entire time. Turns out he does have insurance and they are sending me the $50.

Long story short, dent is gone!!!!

[smockers83]

Woohoo, no more dent! Congrats. More good news, the people blowing me off for my insurance claim finally came through today. Mine's going to the shop sometime around the 28th to get a new front end. FINALLY.

[Tampa G35 Sedan 6MT]

See the big man is watching out for our G's

Glad to here it is going to be better for the both of you.