[racer-85]

Hi.

I always wanted my first post on Teambhp to be a user review of my MG Hector Plus. Unfortunately, I am writing about damages done to my Logan (MG Hector Plus - named after my first dog) while being parked at the Mahindra Showroom (VVC Motors- Hyderabad) when we went to take XUV 700 delivery for my uncle.

I took Logan to the Mahindra showroom (VVC Motors- Hyderabad, Kondapur) today as my uncle was taking his car delivery (wanted to assist him in PDI & wanted to share his happiness as well). I visited around 3:15 pm & gave the car to the valet. The new car XUV700 arrived 15 min after & then it went for body wash, cleaning, fitting etc which took a lot of time as there were many other deliveries happening today. But the process got delayed even further as they couldn't find stock of door sills (XUV700 with LED) & my uncle was adamant about it. Finally, it was 7:25 PM & they hadn't got it polished nor underbody rusting done & we decided to take delivery on Monday as it was already night & next day is Amavasya.

So we took Logan to a nearby restaurant. After parking Logan, I noticed the driver-side quarter panel coming out. That caught my eye & when I checked, the front bumper had damages (grill got broken in some areas) & number plate was dented. Upon further checking, there were fins damaged on the intercooler. That is when my jaw dropped. I can explain how am I dead sure that the damage happened in the showroom parking lot.

I removed the dust from the car myself at 2:45 pm & I was sure there was no damage. There is no way I could've not noticed it after dusting the car. I took the car 5 min after cleaning to the showroom (9 km drive) & then gave it to the valet. I took the car back later at 7.25 PM & then parked near the restaurant at 7:35 pm. There is no way I could've hit my vehicle to any car & not noticed it as I was driving both times (coming & going from the showroom) & I am 1000% sure I didn't hit anyone - there were people along with me both the times, at least they would've noticed if anything happened. I was sure the damage happened in the showroom.

I went back to the Mahindra showroom & explained my version of events to an advisor there. He then called some other guy who didn't tell me who he was (even when I asked) & the other guy called 3 drivers who were doing valet duty in those times & said they didn't do anything. He said they couldn't check the CCTV footage of the parking in front of the showroom as the admin guy already left. Tomorrow is Diwali & thus he asked me to come on Friday to check the CCTV footage. He even said in his 4 years of working in that showroom, not even once a situation like this happened.

My question - what can I do? Whichever way I look at it, I need to claim insurance (which I don't have a problem with) but I don't want to let go of these showroom guys as they had already spoiled our delivery day. Even if I catch the valet driver who did it, they will claim damages from his salary which I don't want to. I am just in a loss-loss situation & I am super angry because the way the advisors talked to me when I explained the situation to them was just pathetic. I have attached images of the damage done to the intercooler. There is also damage done to the bumper as well the grill got broken.

Please guide me as to what I can do in this situation. I never imagined my first post on Teambhp to be of this sort .

[ashutoshb]

If you want to push it, you can try getting the CCTV footage. Once you get them to admit, it was their fault, you can ask them to repair your car. Because, it would be pretty difficult to get cash from them. And using your insurance means you will lose your no claim bonus.

[GTO]

1. Time is money

2. This is why we have insurance

Talk to your agent, open up a claim and get your car repaired. Accidents happen.

[mally2]

Sane advice from GTO. Don’t lose sleep over this. It happens. Claim insurance and move on. There is much to be enjoyed in life. Don’t waste precious time on pursuing this case.

[Snowcat]

Cars are meant to be driven, accidents happen, and Do Not give your cars to Valet. I try to avoid it as much as I can.

[MadMaxDiesel]

A word of advice, avoid giving your car for parking to valets at restaurants, clothing outlets, showrooms and similar places as valets hired by these service providers are young chaps and mostly unprofessionals. You can still trust valets at 4/ 5 star hotels and similar places as they are professionals and have been working that job for years.

[saikishor]

This might be a little too far, but since the showroom ruined the experience for you, why not ruin theirs by simply cancelling the booking and getting the car from an other dealer(assuming you haven't taken delivery yet)

[racer-85]

Originally Posted by saikishor

This might be a little too far, but since the showroom ruined the experience for you, why not ruin theirs by simply cancelling the booking and getting the car from an other dealer(assuming you haven't taken delivery yet)

I wish I could, but unfortunately, the T/R process has been completed :(

[prabhu7944]

Very little point in fretting. All establishments that employ valet parking will have a way out to wriggle out of such situations. I remember my car getting damaged in a hotel and after arguments at reception we got the hotel manager admit to error but i felt bad for him as he himself was under some sort of pressure. I didn't take his offer of compensation and left. Claim your insurance and be done. Don't let this ruin further. Dashcam might have helped if you had one.

[tharian]

Like most of the others have mentioned. Try avoiding giving your car to a valet. Of course it is convenient, but when things like this happen is when in hindsight we think that we could have spent few minutes more and parked it ourselves.

The car could have got damaged when it was parked and stationary too. Either ways, dealing with these guys will only add to the frustration. Move on and don't give them any future business from you or friends and family and get the car repaired through insurance.

[drsachin]

Move on buddy. This happens in India.
Congested parkings, poor road conditions, unprofessional drivers, dependence on valet parking attendants we have seen it all.
We can't help it , each one of us has gone through it. There is no point pursuing your case further. Nobody is going to help it any further.
Just use your insurance and whatever cost you have to bear just take it as a bad day.

Last month at a round about in delhi, i heard a loud roar of some big vehicle from my behind. I just reduced speed and almost stopped my vehicle to let it pass.
It turned out to Delhi Transport red bus who crossed from the left side and turned around with its back scrapping my new Hyryder around left fender and my front bumper. Both of which were damaged in the process. He must be driving at 70-80kmph at roundabout.
It took me while to realise what has just happened. Infact the bus driver stopped at around 100m distance from me probably to check the damages he has done. Or if he might have hurt a passerby.

My reaction. I just thanked God that I reduced speed resulting in lessor damages. It could have been worse. I am alive and that's what only matters. I said nothing to the driver and moved on.
In the evening I just handed over my car to Toyota workshop and used my insurance for damages.

I received my car a week later and from then on I had forgotten this accident as if nothing happened.
When we are driving in delhi ncr. We know that accidents will happen. But just hope that the damages are less in whatever accidents we are involved.

[racer-85]

UPDATE

Hi.

I visited the Mahindra Showroom (VVC Motors, Hyderabad, Kondapur) to check the CCTV footage.

I would like to apologize for not listening to advice from distinguished BHPians & others but the anger inside me & the love for my car made me visit the showroom to check the footage (I was desperate to know what exactly happened to my car - it's my first car). And it's my day off.

I went today morning (1st Nov, 10:30 am) to the showroom. Its a holiday & most of the people were on leave. So after calling a few people & waiting for 30 minutes, they arranged for me to check the CCTV footage.

So I started checking the footage from 3:20PM (30th October 2024) onward (along with a Showroom representative). 2 cameras were covering the parking. My car was parked in such a way that it was on the blind spot for one camera & driver's side of my car was not visible to the other camera (damage on driver's side). The footage, as expected was blurry & there was a lot of noise. I watched the footage till 6:08 PM (some of it in 2X speed & had to rewind & slow down in some places) & 3 hours passed by. Then came an incident on the footage where one valet driver was guiding an Ertiga which was reversing, & Ertiga got too close to my car & he started hitting on the reversing Ertiga to make it stop. Then I could see him talking to the car driver in anger (could make out from his hand movements). I thought this was the moment when that reversing Ertiga hit my car. So I made the showroom representative sitting beside me call the valet driver & fortunately, he was present & he came. He said the reversing car didn't hit my car & when I asked him not to get tensed he said this was not the moment when my car got hit. GOTCHA. So I asked him when my car got hit. He said 2 min before we were about to leave

There was a Thar Roxx guy who was reversing & bumped into my parked vehicle. The incident happened at 6:46 PM & we came out at 6:48 PM. What was even more frustrating was that we (family) stood there in the parking lot for about 35 min while we were having a chat about dinner & waiting for a cab to get booked & not even one person from the showroom came & informed us. The footage clearly shows people getting out of Thar & checking my damaged car (3 executives, 1 valet driver & 2 receptionists - it's clear lot of people saw it) when the incident happened. The receptionist in a yellow dress put her hands on her head when she saw what happened.

The vehicle is the showroom vehicle & not a private vehicle & it was being driven by a showroom executive (not a Valet driver).

The showroom executive (who was sitting beside me for watching the footage) asked the valet driver if he had intimated anyone about the incident. The valet driver said he intimated 2 people including the manager minutes after the incident happened. So clearly the person who I spoke to on that incident day lied to my face (he said that nothing happened in the parking lot, he even said "if anything had happened, it would've come to my notice). I was standing in the parking lot for 35 min & not even 1 cared to inform me that there was damage to my car.

So I spoke to the Delivery Executive on the phone (the person who denied nothing happened) & he asked me to come tomorrow to get the bumper fixed. He said since the bumper got displaced, he would fix it. But clearly, the grills in the bumper got broken & there was damage done to the intercooler as well.

My question - What should I do. If I claim insurance, I would lose NCB (& it is not insignificant to me). Should i ask the showroom people to get all the repairs done?. Or should i just give them a dressing down & move on & claim insurance? At least now I know what exactly happened. Not that it feels any better .

Here is the video link for the incident. I uploaded my first youtube video today.
Link -

https://youtu.be/cGR9dtqMe1A

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by racer-85

...

My question - What should i do. If I claim insurance...

Steer clear of giving your car to them for repairs. Most ASCs can barely handle their own brand's car competently, fat chance they'll repair another brand's car to any acceptable standard in-house. They'll most likely try to get an off-the-books repair at some FNG, which is risky, to put it mildly. Don't get talked into this, you'll regret it.

If you're insistent on making them pay for the damage, ask them to either pay for repairs at MG ASC, or make an insurance claim and have them reimburse your NCB amount.

[kgt.v8]

Originally Posted by racer-85

My question - What should I do. If I claim insurance, I would lose NCB (& it is not insignificant to me).

Please do not give your Hector to Mahindra VVC service center, as most likely they will try dent/paint repair, and it could ruin your Hector as you indicated that intercooler might be damaged.

My suggestion is to take your car to MG ASC, show them damages to find out how much would it cost to do all the repairs with insurance claim and without insurance claim.

You can push for one of the 2 options below
- If you are not claiming from insurance, ask VVC to pay for all the repairs upfront
- If you are claiming damages from your insurance, then ask VVC to pay for your NCB + any amount you pay from your pocket.
I am thinking that the showroom might try to push some accessories free to the XUV700 in compensation for the damages. If that happens, please keep pushing them to pay for your Hector damage repair.

[Jazzybala]

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

If you're insistent on making them pay for the damage, ask them to either pay for repairs at MG ASC, or make an insurance claim and have them reimburse your NCB amount.

I agree with Chetan on this. Get the car repaired at the authorized MG Service center and tell the showroom to foot the bill within reason of course.