Valet incident

[Barn Man]

Hey all,
Here is another valet incident. A friend of mine took his NSX to dinner one night. He had it valet parked. He came out, it was wrecked to the tune of 24k. The final estimate has not been written yet so it may go to around 26k. All four wheels have been wadded up, both rear quarter panels, rocker trim, suspension parts, etc.
Please be careful when parking your car with a valet. Make sure they know that you know the mileage of the car when it was dropped off. This will prevent a joy ride.
The upside to this dilema is that we are going to put a Cantrel Studios wide body kit on from SOS. Chris and Seth have been outstanding as far as information and compassion in this whole matter. They have been insrumental in helping us decide which kit to use, the wheel offset to use etc. The kit we're putting on it is the same as the one on Chris' NSX. Here is a pic.

http://www.scienceofspeed.com/produ...ell_Concepts/wide_body_conversion/default.asp

This will be the first red one to have the Cantrel Studios wide body kit. You can see pictures of it on my web site as the work gets more completed. There will also be pictures of the car after the wreck. I'm waiting to post the pictures until after the car is finished per the owner.

Here is the site. www.demonmotorsports.org

Have a great weekend all,
Barn Man..

 

[NsSeX]

If I was your friend I would demand that they pay the full retail value of the car at purchase and demand a new NSX. 24k in damages is way too much just my opinion.

 

[blackcat]

the pain!!!

I cannot imagine the look on your face coming out.... Did you see the valet???? If it was me I think it would have been really hard to restrain myself.... Death Penalty well maybe not!!! serious restitution and jeez i don't know.... Tell Us more

 

[LeftLane]

How is that not considered totalled? And is your friend suing the valet company? They have to carry insurance for this exact reason...

I would never want a car back after $24k in damage has been "fixed", no matter how good the repairs.

When is the funeral for the valet parker?

 

[NetViper]

I agree. The car is worthless from a resale point of view. There must have been frame damage also at that cost.

I would scrap it and get a new NSX.

 

[LJSB]

What year was the car?

 

[RyRy210]

I never valet my car. If I was forced to, I would pay extra $$ to the Valet and have them park it in front of the restaurant in plain sight.

 

[Barn Man]

Well, to try and answer all of your questions in one email....here we go.
The car is a 98 targa, I wasn't there. But almost cried when seeing my baby in the body shop. (This car has been under my care for 90% of it's life), the frame was BARELY tweaked, the body shop is the same shop that fixes the cars at our dealership, they do EXCELLENT work, TOP NOTCH. The reason why the estimate was soo high is because I have been involved with this car ever since it hit the body shop. I have demanded that ANYTHING that even had a scratch on it get REPLACED. If it was changed in any way, it gets replaced....not repaired. The car will be in EXCELLENT condition after it's completion. I PROMISE. I WILL ACCEPT NO LESS. In case some of your weren't aware, a quarter panel alone is around 1600 bucks, both were damaged.
Parts for an NSX aren't cheap by any means. After everything is completed, I'll give you more info on the repairs. These cars don't have to be hit hard at all to add up to big bucks. The paint job alone is very expensive.
To total a car, you have to have (if I'm not mistaken) 50% of the cars value or more in damage. ?
The valet company had a 10k deductable. The valet companies insurance co. is paying the remainder.
The kid couldnt' even tell him he wrecked his car, he ran off crying....literaly. And yes, if it were my car, (kinda feels like it is as much work and seat time as I've had in it and work I've put into it), he would still be trying to get my foot out of his crying ass.
The valet co. has stepped up to the pump and agreed to repair the car. That is all they are required to do.
You would be suprised to see how an NSX can be repaired. There is another customer of mine who's NSX has had two accidents that added up to 40k. I looked at the car and told the body shop to replace ALL the rear suspension. The car drives like a new car, feels great on the track, and hasn't had ANY issues since. I'd buy it in a heartbeat. I feel confident driving it. I have tracked it at Nashville Superspeedway. The car is sound and feels just like one that hasn't been wrecked at all. A good body shop can do this for a car. The owner is getting a depreciation check also. The insurance co. hasn't revealed the amount of the check yet, but it will be a fairly large sum of money. It will cover the potential loss of resale value. Hell, I'm one of the pickiest people in the world when it comes to cars, and I'm confident it will be a great car again. Have a great weekend all.
Barn Man....

 

[KGP]

Quite a story. Yes, I guess all that can be expected from the valet company is to have them pay for repairs. Man, a few hits of that 10k deductable and I can imagine the valet company not being around for very long.

What I want to know is, did the kid just get to run off crying and hide? Or, is he going to be held acountable in some way? Not a real good message for the kid if he gets off scott free.

I'd never valet my X. I always have visions of the guy in Ferris Bueler.

 

[NSX01]

Quite a story. Yes, I guess all that can be expected from the valet company is to have them pay for repairs. Man, a few hits of that 10k deductable and I can imagine the valet company not being around for very long.

What I want to know is, did the kid just get to run off crying and hide? Or, is he going to be held acountable in some way? Not a real good message for the kid if he gets off scott free.

I'd never valet my X. I always have visions of the guy in Ferris Bueler.

Gene,

Can I please please valet your car when you get it back?

 

[demigod]

Sorry to hear about your car, after reading about it..I'm reluctant to valet park my car now..scary!

 

[NSX/MR2]

I have seen the way some valet guys looked when a car like a NSX coming around.

 

[NSX/MR2]

To total a car, you have to have (if I'm not mistaken) 50% of the cars value or more in damage. ?

Is that true about the 50% thing to totalled the car?

 

[NSX/MR2]

To total a car, you have to have (if I'm not mistaken) 50% of the cars value or more in damage. ?

Is that true about the 50% thing to totalled a car? The NSX gets total a lot once it crashed in most accidents (the ones that i have seen.) Care to elaborate?

 

[demigod]

I thought any frame damage would constitute as totalled.

 

[GT-N]

man this scares me when i remember I took my car to the Acura Dealer of Holland Road, and I found out they drove my car 32 miles.. wth they have to drive it that far? I know they probably pushed it.. just like the same thing happened to my lawyer (the previous owner of my car) they drove the X to an absurd amount of miles, and he complained. There wasn't much I could do, but complain to the HQ of Honda/Acura, and complain to the dealership. I got 50% off my repair that I was getting when I complained, which saved me like $200, free oil change, free full tank of gas, and most importantly respect because they sure didn't show me it when I found out my car had driven 32 miles with no proof, but I had a witness, and that sure didn't do too well, so now I'm going to be more careful.

 

[LJSB]

I don't know what the threshold for a total loss is in other states but in NY it is 75% of the actual cash value of a vehicle not 50%.
The type of damage, frame or otherwise has no relevancy except for how it affects the repair/replace cost.
I believe that a insurance company can pay for a total loss on any loss if they want to but ,most perform according to the minimum standard that the law, by which they are regulated in that state, allow.
In our state, NY, once the car has a repair cost that reaches 75% of the value it's title must be surrendered to DMV and branded as a salvage vehicle. This of course would have a negative effect on the value of the vehicle and since the policies here in NY are "actual cash value" policies, vehicles that meet this criteria are paid by the carrier as a total loss.
Incidently, the NSX does not have a frame so there can be no "frame" damage. It is of unit construction and the unibody is serviceable by replacing theses units as provided and suggested by the manufacturer and, in some cases, repaired by realigning these dimensions. There is much to be considered in adapting a correct, successful repair strategy for any damaged vehicle but the bottom line is that the form and function are supposed to be restored to factory specifications just like in any type of repair, mechanical,collision or otherwise.
What you can't fix are feelings, or punitive damage but for some MONEY, or in this case a widebody, helps.

 

[Barn Man]

The NSX gets total a lot once it crashed in most accidents (the ones that i have seen.) Care to elaborate? [/B]

It all depends on the insurance co, body shop, and their interest in the car. One thing you must remember, they are capable of totaling a car when it really isn't that bad. They may have a personal interest in the car. They may want to rebuild it and keep it for themselves. I've heard of this happening before. A friend of mine had a Supra, he wrecked it, took it to the body shop, they totaled it, 3 months later he saw it driving down the road.
The body shop can total a car, buy it from the insurance co. CHEAP, and repair it. This way they have very little in the car. Remember body shops have access to parts for less money than the average consumer can get them for. Be careful if you have a car that a shop claims has been totaled. Have an independent inspector look at it without talking to the body shop. This way you can get a fair estimate. If your paying the guy out of your own pocket to check the car out, he'll be looking out for your best intrest. Especially if your standing there watching him while he does it. I've heard of independant inspectors just taking a copy of the original estimate and using it to make one of their own without even looking at the car. ESPECIALLY when there's a car that's a low production car. They aren't used to looking at them and it takes a while to write the estimate up. So to save time and have a long lunch possibly, they will take the original and slightly modify it to make it look like a new estimate. As if the consumer doesn't have enough to worry about right.
Barn Man...

 

[Zuerst]

Good thing the valet boy ran away... if that was my NSX I'll bust that punk "American History X" style.

 

[LJSB]

"The body shop can total a car, "

Not quite right Barn. This is a common misperception. The body shop is not the insurer and does not have authority to dictate to the insurance company how to execute the provisions of the policy with their insured or as you say "total a car". The repair shop can give input to the insurance company, customer or anyone willing to listen but the insurance company and /or customer is under no obligation whatsoever to agree with them or act upon their opinion. Were it so things would be a WHOLE lot different in claims settlement and settlement costs.

"buy it from the insurance co. CHEAP",

Again, not likely. Insurance companies are businesses and want the top dollar for their salvage especially on a NSX where they usually get top dollar, at least at the salvage auctions I've seen.


" Remember body shops have access to parts for less money than the average consumer can get them for".


Well I don't know about that either. Most of the vendors I deal with give the same discount or less than people here can get from vendors like Niello and others.
Salvage yard don't give body shops a break that they don't give to the public, in fact they usually charge more thinking that a insurance company is involved.


" Be careful if you have a car that a shop claims has been totaled. Have an independent inspector look at it without talking to the body shop. This way you can get a fair estimate. If your paying the guy out of your own pocket to check the car out, he'll be looking out for your best intrest. Especially if your standing there watching him while he does it. "

Really?
If a person has larceny in their heart it won't matter if you're standing right next to them or not.
I respect your opinion and expertise(you've come to my aid more than once) and know you're not exactly green so you must of dealt with a insurance appraiser while working at a dealership. Did you feel they were as qualified to diagnose a problem as YOU. Did you need one to keep you honest and "fair" and looking out for the owners best interest or did you more often than not have to TELL them what was wrong?
Since they don't have to stand behind their judgement by actually delivering a repaired product and a guarantee what consequence do they have to endure if they are wrong? That the general public on whom they don't depend for business will not use them?
If you think the shop is dishonest then go to a shop you trust but hiring an independent may work with home inspections but not with cars.

Barney, I would be glad to hand you the keys to my car for ANY mechanical problem and would be 100% confident I was leaving it with the very best in the business and that the job would be done right the first time but, on some advice here we do not agree. Now, move closer to Poughkeepsie, we need ya.
Joe

 

[ChopsJazz]

I'm confused. Did the valet get a tip?

 

[DeNguyen]

Ok... another situation

lets say you come back and the valet didnt crash your car or anything, but theres 20 miles on the odometer that shouldnt have been there. What can you do?

 

[Lazarus]

Ok... another situation

lets say you come back and the valet didnt crash your car or anything, but theres 20 miles on the odometer that shouldnt have been there. What can you do?

Not much you can do, aside from filing a complaint with the management of the establishment you had just dined at. If there had been some kind of evidence of the odometer reading when you arrived, and it had been acknowledged by both you and the valet operator, then you might have a chance at recourse. But if not, then you're probably out of luck. Don't give your patronage to that establishment again, or if you must, park the car yourself. At any rate, there'll always be some risk whenever you hand over the keys for a really nice car to a total stranger who you probably couldn't identify in a police line-up. Let's hope there's a Porsche Carrera GT or a Ferrari Enzo there at the same time that you're there.

 

[AGENT948]

Unfortunately this valet is going to walk away unscathed. The retaurants insurance will have to pay for the damage and the kid will most likely lose his job. The insurance company has no claim against the kid because that is like suing your own client and the restaurant owner doesn't have a claim because that is like suing yourself. All of this because the valet was working as an agent of the restaurant. That just burns me up!! But that's the way the law works. The moral of the story: Be very very selective when letting someone else drive your car. Because the resulting damage falls on your lap and your insurance record.

 

[Barn Man]

Original quote by PBASSJO
"Not quite right Barn. This is a common misperception. The body shop is not the insurer and does not have authority to dictate to the insurance company how to execute the provisions of the policy with their insured or as you say "total a car". The repair shop can give input to the insurance company, customer or anyone willing to listen but the insurance company and /or customer is under no obligation whatsoever to agree with them or act upon their opinion. Were it so things would be a WHOLE lot different in claims settlement and settlement costs".

True, there again, around here you have a lot of good ole boy shops that have friends in the insurance co. It happens all the time. I'm just saying beware. All the body shop has to do is claim damage that the insurance co. may not take the time or the pateints to inspect. It can happen.


"Again, not likely. Insurance companies are businesses and want the top dollar for their salvage especially on a NSX where they usually get top dollar, at least at the salvage auctions I've seen".

True, but if they think the car is in worse shape than it really is, then they are just going by what they think is the true condition of the car. Unless the insurance co. has a mobile frame rack, how would they know if the frame is damaged or not? There are MANY holes you can jump through as a body shop to get what you want. You would be suprised.

"Well I don't know about that either. Most of the vendors I deal with give the same discount or less than people here can get from vendors like Niello and others.
Salvage yard don't give body shops a break that they don't give to the public, in fact they usually charge more thinking that a insurance company is involved".

There again, I did say "the average consumer". There are only a small percentage of NSX owners that have the resources that some of us do. They don't even know about NSX Prime or the NSX list. You'd be suprised. They don't know that there is a parts guy that will give them a decent deal on parts. They just drive the car.

"Really?
If a person has larceny in their heart it won't matter if you're standing right next to them or not.
I respect your opinion and expertise(you've come to my aid more than once) and know you're not exactly green so you must of dealt with a insurance appraiser while working at a dealership. Did you feel they were as qualified to diagnose a problem as YOU. Did you need one to keep you honest and "fair" and looking out for the owners best interest or did you more often than not have to TELL them what was wrong?
Since they don't have to stand behind their judgement by actually delivering a repaired product and a guarantee what consequence do they have to endure if they are wrong? That the general public on whom they don't depend for business will not use them?
If you think the shop is dishonest then go to a shop you trust but hiring an independent may work with home inspections but not with cars".

The only thing I'm saying is this. I've seen this kind of thing happen. I don't condone it, or approve in any way of missleading a customer. This kind of thing doesn't happen every day, but it does happen. The whole reason for the post was to make people aware of a POSIBILITY. I'm not saying it's deffinitely gonna happen. I'm just saying that I've seen it happen. I have been to body shops on a number of occasions to look over my customers cars for a body shop. That's what I do. I look out for my customers best interest. Some body shops don't have anyone in the shop that's ever worked on one, much less done an estimate on one. I highly recomend finding a reputable body shop that has experience by all means. I only recomend the best shops for my customers. There are 3 in town that I would recomend without a hesitation. Just be careful out there guys.

"on some advice here we do not agree".

I agree!

Barn Man...