Gibbo

I parked in a valet parking lot yesterday in the city. Anyway after picking my car up I found a nice vertical mark in the back bumper. It took off paint and also put a slight dint in the black plastic at the botton of the rear bumper. As always they denighed that they did it.

Well the car is being picked up tomorrow by the new owner and here I am with superficial minor marks in the paint on the rear bumper.

I can not believe it, how careless and negilgent can these parking attendants be. Their care factor was zero.

Anyhow the reason for my post is to praise the guys that came out to my office at 10:30 this morning. With 1 hours notice they scheduled me in and repaired the paint. I expected maybe a touch up paint job and a buff on the spot, however these guys cut the area back, repainted it, filled the dint in the black plastic, ground back the crease that was made and then cleaned it all up.

The end result is a completely flawless job. It actually looks better than how it was before the accident. They even polished out a minor scuff mark that another parking attendant did.

The repair has taken 3 hours and it is unbelievable. There is no sign at all that anything ever happened.
I know how these cars are most people's pride and joy and it happens that other careless people cause damage.

The guys details are:
Touchupguys
Colin Howcroft
0412 429 036

Sydney wide

I can not emphasise how brilliant the job was that these guys did. For only $350.00 they did essentially a bumper respray on the spot.

Too often exceptional service and work goes unrewarded so the best reward I can offer these guys is to recommend them to you.

EZZY

good stuff.
i always check the car in front of them before i gave them the keys and after they brought the car to me.... and yes, their care factor = 0.

Revolver

Thanks for the referral Gibbo.

I recall reading a thread on valet parking (RX8Web?) which contained many similar stories. I don't trust the barstids either.

Actually, the last time mine was valet parked the guy promptly stalled it in front of me. Guess that can happen to the unwary with the RX8 but it doesn't exactly instil massive confidence does it?

oz_red

I record the kms as well, but I take a photo of the reading with my phone so the date and time is recorded as well.

Revolver

Yeah? Cripes, that's a bit OTT isn't it?

I have to say, I don't think too many valets and mechanics are going to bother to go joy-riding in an RX8 but I suppose I could be wrong. I'm more worried about the hits.

oz_red

OTT? Not at all. I started to do it when I came back to the carpark after being away for about 4 hrs and found the bonnet was still quite warm (even though it was an under-cover car park). The next time I used that park, I took a photo of the reading and found a difference of 18kms when I returned. The park manager vehemently denied using the car until I showed him the photo - then he offered me $200 not to take the matter any further. The car wasn't scratched or marked in any way, so I took the cash and promised that I wouldn't complain to Consumer Affairs.

My wife complained instead.

Phantom Menace

Ever since Midas gashed my rims, I WILL ALWAYS take 360 degrees of pics with my camera phone (right in front of them) and do a 360 walk through before I take my car back--from dealers, mechanics, detailers, friends, family, ANYBODY. Now, I trust no one with my ride.

I advise all of you with camera phones to do the same...

Gibbo

Ferris Buller's Day Off anyone........

oz_red

Qld.

"Trusting people"??? Hmmm, an interesting concept, but I don't think it will catch on.

Phantom Menace

Hi Missy!
Thanks for doing my questionnaire! How'you doo'in?

Gibbo

Hey I have an idea....lets see how far Off Topic we can get this thread and ***** it up as a singles site...... oh wait you just did

azzaboynt

not only valet parking, I shudder everytime i have to park in a chatswood carpark. I have seen lots of times what happens when a mother and a bunch of kids swing open the doors of their SUV's without thinking or caring that there happens to be a car next to them...

Cromax

Yeah, I'm sick of these inconsiderate creep head mothers with their 4WDs who put dents into other people's cars and don't even leave a note!

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!

Sorry, I just really hate people who do that sort of thing, they just have no respect for other people's property!

lone_wolf025

You should read the some of the stories of people who decide to take revenge on the door dingers. I read one story where the guy stood on the tailpipe of the van that dinged his car and bounced up and down on it til the support snapped.

Personally I hate parking in any lot and I will always seek out the spots way out that no one wants to be in because of the distance away from the entrance ways.

capncrunch

My vehicle has never been to a shopping centre car park and never will whilst I own it for that very reason.

Gibbo

That post wasn't aimed at you Missy.
It was the request for photos.

It was tongue in cheek.

Revolver

Wow! Near miss Kall.

I can appreciate that some have had bad experiences, which has led them to be extra careful these days, but it's all a matter of where you draw your own line on the care factor spectrum between wrapping it in bubble wrap and occasionally patting it to just driving and parking it anywhere without a second thought.

Although I exercise some care as to where I park it, I think having hard and fast rules about never entering parking lots or making a detailed photo record every time you drop off and collect the car is a bit limiting. It's just a car at the end of the day and it'll inevitably accquire some "experience wrinkles" over time. I suppose it's an individual choice about how obsessive you are about this stuff (and I use that term neutrally, so as not to ruffle the obsessives' feathers).