Driver Refuses to Provide Evidence of Damage to Tesla

Basically my mother was driving our car and apparently gently touched the rear of bumper of a Tesla.

My brother was with her at the time and used his phone to take a pic of the Tesla's rear bumper which showed a little scuff. The woman driving the Tesla refused to allow proper examination. The collision is estimated at 1-2 km /hr and was really a "kiss", as she rolled into the other car. My brother says there was definitely no dent in the bumper and he doubts there was any paint damage.

The woman concerned has refused to show any evidence of the "damage" but apparently has a panel beater recommending the bumper being resprayed.
What should we do about the lack of cooperation with the other owner. She has shown no evidence that there is damage and for all we know is just trying to get a few shopping carpark scratches removed on us.

Of course if there is legitimate damage then my mother will pay the damage.

Comments

  • +4

    I just love these people who cause an accident and almost tries to make the other party jump through hoops to get the car repaired. If you crashed into my car, I would want my car repaired properly at your cost at a reputable workshop with zero concern for how much it costs you. You have already caused massive inconvenience to the other driver. Just ask for another quote and move on. Your brother probably pretty much admitted fault at the scene and now you're almost doing a backflip trying to find a way to not pay up.

  • +2
  • Is the Tesla driver aged in her forties with dark brown hair and lives in the inner-west of Sydney?
    Does she drive a white Tesla Model X?

    Do you know if she drives to work in a westerly direction?

    If so, I'll have a word to this lady.

    • I'll have a word to this lady.

      Dinner?

      • +3

        No, she's my aunty.

  • +3

    Ex quality controller from a panel shop here. If the scratch has gone through the clear coat there is really no other option than to respray entire bumper. For all the problems that can come with a "blend" repair… It's not worth doing a "touch up" . There is the possibility it hasn't gone through the clear coat and could be removed via machine polishing and that's still assuming there is no damage done to the panel. Even at low speed, I find it hard to believe there isn't a slight indent.

  • I had a BMW 325, i bumped into a van when reversing out (slow speed, maybe 3-4kph) at 90 degrees. The van's body was already banged up (tradie van) but my rear had a nice indent about 5mm deep and 2-3cm wide, no paint come off, bit of scuffing where the impact was made. Van driver didn't care and said don't worry about it and drove off lol

  • -1

    I agree with everyone. Let the insurers sort it out. Something similar happened to my Mum a while back, she rolled into someone, I was with her. No damage on their or our car. We had no camera (was a while ago) in the car but took a photo of hers when we got home. Sure enough their insurer called saying the other drivers car had a dent in it (it didn't) and she called her insurer, sent in her photo of her car saying to put a dent in it, surely there'd be a mark on ours. Whole thing got dropped. I'm not sure how they made the decision or if the other driver had a history, but TLDR: ring your insurer.

  • +7

    OP has been thoroughly wrecked in the comments.

    In before DisabledUser12495.

    • (71503)
      They've been a member since 2012. Safe to say they've seen it all before.

  • +1

    Why don't you just report the whole incident to your insurance and let them deal with it?

    Provide them with the pictures you have taken (front, sides); that's what the insurers are for..

    • +2

      because he knows he doesn't have a leg to stand on if it goes through the official channel

    • …because that's logic. Something the OP does not consider relevant.

  • +3

    If I put myself in the tesla woman's shoes…

    Obviously, if I own a Tesla, I can afford a comprehensive insurance. I must've already contacted my insurance about the incident, gave photos of the car, OP mom details and the car, etc.
    I'm not at fault here. I'm not worried of getting my premium increased.

    Thats the purpose of having comprehensive insurance. Not to be dealing with stranger who hit/kiss my car.

    Its not a matter of little scratch or big dent. I just want my insurance to take care of this for me.

    When my Tesla bumper is getting repaired for free, I would get another loan car.

    Yayyyy for comprehensive insurance.

  • +1

    In before disableduser423049823490283

  • +7

    Couldn't help myself - I found a picture of the scene. This probably explains the claim.
    https://cdn.teslarati.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Model-S…

    • +1

      Such a passionate kiss!

    • You can hardly see the damage, I can understand OP position now.

    • +9

      OP is that your second account?

    • +11

      What is the world coming to when I can't just come into your property and take your belongings without having to deal with those pesky police!
      It's probably not really important to you anyway, if you were so worried about losing your property you should just leave it in a safe, belongings are going to get lost/misplaced/worn out. It's just a little theft and I shouldn't have to have any consequences because I just took a few of your things. it's not like I ran over your child!

      • -2

        I'm insured up the ying yang. Shouldn't have to be, but people like you do just take what they please. Had to have most of the contents replaced 3 times (they end up getting you better gear than what the thieves took anyway - and aways a little scope to get a few extra items from the ins co anyway)

        • "but people like you do just take what they please"???

          For full disclosure, I'm not actually a thief, and was being sarcastic.

          I thought the sarcasm was obvious…

        • ok, I was being a=sarcastic too then, I thought that was obvious.

  • +1

    So did you manage to sort it out OP?

  • +1

    Still waiting on that photo?

  • +3

    Guessing your mum wasn't an insured driver on your policy.Don't be a scumbag. Pay the damm money

  • +3

    This is some good irony. OP wants the driver to provide evidence so he can better assess the situation. However, OP won't provide his own evidence so that we can can assess the situation to give advice.

  • Inb4 disableduser

  • +2

    My previous BMW was bumped at low speeds by another car previously. It was only a slight scrape, but still cost the other driver a few thousands. If it was an old car, I wouldn't care, but I'm also the type of person that parks away from everyone else in shopping centres so I wanted it to be 100% again. So you can't assume they wouldn't want the car perfect again either, even if it's minor.

  • +3

    I don't think the OP's mum hit the Tesla… i think the OP hit the Tesla

  • Talk is useless. Show us the photo already and we'll decide

  • Summary: Tesla driver won't share photo & neither will OP

  • +4

    Why did your brother let your (by now) 85 year old mother drive the car? Does he not have a license?

    • Ageist.. But agree

      • So OP is troll?

  • Why do the op still have this active. They know they hit the tesla and turn it into this spamfest you rolled into someone (looooool how) and now should pay the consequence…

  • At least she didn't mistake the accelerator for the brake, and plough through the Tesla/front of a post office like a number of dangerous elderly drivers have.

  • +5

    OP didn't realise he was in the wrong.

    All we want is a pic of the damage and you won't show us, because apparently there is no damage?

    Hey, that sounds similar to the problem you are having, how ironic.

    Something to hide??

  • OP i think its pretty obvious. Photo or get out!

  • Panelbeaters are ridiculously expensive these days. I just had to get my 2015 Skoda's front bumper redone because a mate of mine accidentally drove it into a ditch, and the cost to remove the panel, sand back the scratches, respray it and then bake it came to around $650, and that was the quote from the cheaper of 3 places - the most expensive quote being around $1200.

  • Unfortunately it's not just about the damage you might see on a car.

    Most new high end cars have a range of sensors / cameras etc build into bumpers etc. A slight 'Kiss' is all it takes to put them out of alignment.

    A similar incident happened to me, when a driver bumped the car & the damage was around $6-$7k.

    That's why we take out insurance, to minimize the risks. Hand everything over to your insurance company and let them work with the other drivers insurance company to resolve.

  • +1

    Why not show us the photo

  • +2

    I'd be on a witch hunt if someone even opened their door into mine let alone "nudging" it.

  • dw, he can afford it

  • The best advice is do not make contact with them.

  • On a expensive car like a Tesla, a touchup might not be deemed a sufficient repair. so a respray of the bumper and blending into surrounding panels might be the only way to get it looking back to the way it was….basically $$$$$

    If it was my car I would want the best repair possible.

    None the less, if you have insurance, pass the details onto the other person and let the insurance sort it out. Thats why you pay for it.

  • I remember hearing that Tesla repairs/ resprays are really expensive. Might be better just going through insurance. Op your mum just has to cop it on the chin

  • +1

    Same old Ozbarging driving story posts,
    “Ozbargin I did a F Up, I drove my car into another car/object, make it the other persons problem” OP

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