Fender bender today, need advice
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 61
Likes: 0
'08 Mercedes C300
Fender bender today, need advice
Hey guys,
I was sitting in my car today waiting to pick up my mother and someone tried parallel parking behind me and hit my bumper, luckily I was inside the car.
I was sitting in my car and felt a hard bump. It's not like just grazed it.
It was a chip in paint you can see a small white scratch, and takes up about 6-7 inches in width of scratches and little chips. It's probably not too bad and I am just being picky but it is bothering me because I can notice it from a distance.
He offered me to have it retouched tomorrow at a Mercedes Benz dealer he works across from, he said he can have them touch it up for free.
My worry is that they will not properly do it and instead add some temporary crap and a few weeks later it rubs off. Or that the paint wont match. Or that they'll try to buff it out and make it worse and more noticeable.
I do feel bad about having to report a claim on someone for something minor like a fender bender because I know more than anyone the pains of insurance costs. But I do want my car restored to the way it was before.
My question here is what's the proper way to repair damage like that to the fender? Where can I get that done?
If I know what needs to be done and where to do it I can go get a repair price and give it to the driver. If he can pay it, i'll let him pay it and keep insurance out of it. But if he can't I will just call insurance? (P.S. how long do I have to report it?)
What are your thoughts guys? Sorry, its my first fender. I usually try to go out of the way to park faaaar and safe and it's worked out until now.
I was sitting in my car today waiting to pick up my mother and someone tried parallel parking behind me and hit my bumper, luckily I was inside the car.
I was sitting in my car and felt a hard bump. It's not like just grazed it.
It was a chip in paint you can see a small white scratch, and takes up about 6-7 inches in width of scratches and little chips. It's probably not too bad and I am just being picky but it is bothering me because I can notice it from a distance.
He offered me to have it retouched tomorrow at a Mercedes Benz dealer he works across from, he said he can have them touch it up for free.
My worry is that they will not properly do it and instead add some temporary crap and a few weeks later it rubs off. Or that the paint wont match. Or that they'll try to buff it out and make it worse and more noticeable.
I do feel bad about having to report a claim on someone for something minor like a fender bender because I know more than anyone the pains of insurance costs. But I do want my car restored to the way it was before.
My question here is what's the proper way to repair damage like that to the fender? Where can I get that done?
If I know what needs to be done and where to do it I can go get a repair price and give it to the driver. If he can pay it, i'll let him pay it and keep insurance out of it. But if he can't I will just call insurance? (P.S. how long do I have to report it?)
What are your thoughts guys? Sorry, its my first fender. I usually try to go out of the way to park faaaar and safe and it's worked out until now.
Member
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 196
Likes: 2
c63, 335i
without a police report, it's too late to do anything now anyway.
police report first, sympathy later.
dealers never really do their own bodywork. it's always outsourced.
if some schmuck from the merc dealer is going to put touch up paint on your car, it's probably some kid who works in the service center.
without a photo of the damage, it's hard to give advice. the white cratch can likely be removed by compounding or wet sanding (if it's that bad). the chips, not so much. although it is odd for the bumper to chip from a light tap.
police report first, sympathy later.
dealers never really do their own bodywork. it's always outsourced.
if some schmuck from the merc dealer is going to put touch up paint on your car, it's probably some kid who works in the service center.
without a photo of the damage, it's hard to give advice. the white cratch can likely be removed by compounding or wet sanding (if it's that bad). the chips, not so much. although it is odd for the bumper to chip from a light tap.
Hey guys,
I was sitting in my car today waiting to pick up my mother and someone tried parallel parking behind me and hit my bumper, luckily I was inside the car.
I was sitting in my car and felt a hard bump. It's not like just grazed it.
It was a chip in paint you can see a small white scratch, and takes up about 6-7 inches in width of scratches and little chips. It's probably not too bad and I am just being picky but it is bothering me because I can notice it from a distance.
He offered me to have it retouched tomorrow at a Mercedes Benz dealer he works across from, he said he can have them touch it up for free.
My worry is that they will not properly do it and instead add some temporary crap and a few weeks later it rubs off. Or that the paint wont match. Or that they'll try to buff it out and make it worse and more noticeable.
I do feel bad about having to report a claim on someone for something minor like a fender bender because I know more than anyone the pains of insurance costs. But I do want my car restored to the way it was before.
My question here is what's the proper way to repair damage like that to the fender? Where can I get that done?
If I know what needs to be done and where to do it I can go get a repair price and give it to the driver. If he can pay it, i'll let him pay it and keep insurance out of it. But if he can't I will just call insurance? (P.S. how long do I have to report it?)
What are your thoughts guys? Sorry, its my first fender. I usually try to go out of the way to park faaaar and safe and it's worked out until now.
I was sitting in my car today waiting to pick up my mother and someone tried parallel parking behind me and hit my bumper, luckily I was inside the car.
I was sitting in my car and felt a hard bump. It's not like just grazed it.
It was a chip in paint you can see a small white scratch, and takes up about 6-7 inches in width of scratches and little chips. It's probably not too bad and I am just being picky but it is bothering me because I can notice it from a distance.
He offered me to have it retouched tomorrow at a Mercedes Benz dealer he works across from, he said he can have them touch it up for free.
My worry is that they will not properly do it and instead add some temporary crap and a few weeks later it rubs off. Or that the paint wont match. Or that they'll try to buff it out and make it worse and more noticeable.
I do feel bad about having to report a claim on someone for something minor like a fender bender because I know more than anyone the pains of insurance costs. But I do want my car restored to the way it was before.
My question here is what's the proper way to repair damage like that to the fender? Where can I get that done?
If I know what needs to be done and where to do it I can go get a repair price and give it to the driver. If he can pay it, i'll let him pay it and keep insurance out of it. But if he can't I will just call insurance? (P.S. how long do I have to report it?)
What are your thoughts guys? Sorry, its my first fender. I usually try to go out of the way to park faaaar and safe and it's worked out until now.
