What to do if your vehicle is damaged in a car wash?

It's frustrating, to say the least, to find that your vehicle has been damaged in a car wash. Indeed, even in the most reputable car washes, mishaps can occur... At Landry Automobiles, we occasionally meet drivers struggling with this delicate problem. Here are our 5 recommendations.

 

1. Inspect

Before having your vehicle cleaned, take a look around it and note the presence of any scratches or dents. Go over the bodywork with a magnifying glass and check the windows, wheels, antennas and so on. In other words, make sure you know the outside of your vehicle like the back of your hand!

 

2. Find out more

Most car washes have a damage policy. So take the time to read it and understand all its subtleties. That said, we also recommend that you check with the owner to see what happens in cases where damage is the result of equipment failure... or operator negligence.

 

3. Notify

If your vehicle is damaged in a car wash, take immediate action. Call in the employee responsible and show him or her the damage in question. This way, he or she can try to identify the source of the problem by examining your vehicle and the washing equipment. It will then be possible to determine how the situation came about, which in turn will help future carwash users...

 

4. File a complaint

Are you convinced that the scratch or dent on your vehicle was caused by a car wash? You can file a complaint. First, you'll need to fill out an incident report or, at the very least, record your account of what happened. Be sure to note all relevant details and keep a copy for your files. Afterwards, the carwash owner may ask you for a repair estimate before processing your claim. He'll use this document when he contacts his insurance company. At this stage, you'll need to be patient, as the process can be quite lengthy.

 

5. Go all out

Your claim has been rejected and you feel you've been wronged? If you feel the damage to your car is considerable, try contacting the carwash's insurance company directly, or hire a lawyer.

 

A word of friendly advice in closing: bear in mind that no robotic carwash system is 100% safe. For results that live up to your highest expectations, nothing beats good old-fashioned hand washing...

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At Landry Automobiles, we pride ourselves on offering warm, personalized service to all our customers. Come and meet us in Laval to discover our new vehicles et used brands Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram.