Shopping cart dents and door dings are just a few of the things that can happen to your vehicle in a parking lot. Most of the time, they seem to just appear out of thin air. While a new dent can be frustrating, it’s not the end of the world. We will go over 5 things you should know about shopping cart dents including how to fix them.
5 things to know about shopping cart dents & dings
- Document the damage
- Who is responsible for shopping cart dents?
- Should you file an insurance claim?
- Why you should fix dents and dings
- Use PDR for dent repair
Document the damage
The first thing you should do if your vehicle is damaged by a shopping cart is to document it. Take pictures, note the time…etc. You may need this information should you decide to file an insurance claim.
Who is responsible for shopping cart dents?
Generally, the store or place of business is not responsible for damage caused by a shopping cart to your vehicle. There are some exceptions, though. As FindLaw explains when one woman tried to get Sam’s Club to pay for her shopping cart dents.
Here, Sam’s Club probably did have a duty to protect people and their cars in its parking lot from harm, since the store owned and controlled the parking lot. Shopping cart dents and dings likely happen often enough for them to be foreseeable. However, reasonable safety measures, such as having conveniently placed cart corrals and attendants who pick up the carts, probably fulfilled the store’s duty to protect.
In the end, Sam’s Club ended up paying for the damage since the employee moving the carts lost control of them and was considered negligent.
Should you file an insurance claim?
Depending on your deductible, you may or may not want to file an insurance claim for just a shopping cart dent. Even if you have a low deductible, a claim will still go against you and may cause your rates to go up. It may be cheaper to pay for the dent repair without getting the insurance company involved. If the dent did not chip or damage the paint, it can probably be removed with Paintless Dent Repair for a lot less than your deductible. You may even have a reduced deductible for a comprehensive claim.
If the paint was damaged, things get more expensive and it may make sense to file a claim. In either case, you will want to document the damage by taking pictures. Tip: Before contacting your insurance company, take your vehicle to a reputable Paintless Dent Repair shop for an estimate. They’ll quickly be able to tell you what you are looking at for repairs.
Why you should fix dents and dings
It’s just a little dent, why get it fixed? Well, there is a lot going on with that little dent and it may cause more headaches later. When that shopping cart made the dent, it caused the metal of the vehicle to stretch. When metal is stretched, it can become stressed. That extremely thin layer on top of that stressed metal is your paint. See where we are going with this? Getting a small dent repaired now while the paint is still intact is a lot cheaper than waiting and having to pay for both dent repair and painting.
Use PDR for dent repair
For almost all dents and dings, including shopping cart dents, PDR or Paintless Dent Repair is the best way to remove them. The best part about PDR is that it repair a dent without disturbing the factory paint. It will look just as good before the dent and you never have to worry about it reappearing down the road as paintless dent repair is permanent. PDR is the method preferred by dealerships and for auto hail repair because it is faster and more precise than conventional methods.
About The Dent Company
At The Dent Company, we are The Auto Hail Repair Experts and our Paintless Dent Repair, is the industry-leading standard for automotive dent repair. With PDR, your vehicle’s factory paint is not harmed and no aftermarket parts are required. We repair the vehicle as is so it stays 100% original with full-value retention. When we are finished, it will look as good as it did before the hail damage took place. We guarantee it.
Customer satisfaction is our top priority. Every vehicle we repair comes with a Lifetime Warranty and Satisfaction Guarantee. Word of mouth has made us who we are today and we never forget that. We want to be your go-to dent company and the one you tell your friends about.
Two Denver Area Locations:
|
6260 W 52nd Ave #112 |
11450 Huron St. Ste. D |