Someone Keyed My Car - What to Do?

dTer on 16/09/2019 - 11:27

Hi bargainers,

Over the weekend, someone keyed my car. I'm not certain when it happened, I was at my house and my partners house, and parked at a shopping centre once. It happened between Friday night and this morning.
I believe it happened at the shopping centre, as this is not in an amazing neighbourhood to say the least. I was parked for about an hour there.

The scratch is deep, and is down to the panels: https://imgur.com/a/8GMNbZh

I have emailed the shopping centre asking for footage for the hour I was parked there.

Should I file a police report and call insurance to lodge a claim, even though I don't have evidence, but rather a very strong suspicion?
This is the only place I think this could have happened, as at my house I was parked in the driveway in a good neighbourhood, and my partners neighbourhood is quite good too.

I know that if the video camera footage comes back and shows anything suspicious, I will file a police report and insurance claim for sure, but I am just not sure if I should do it now without any evidence.

Cheers, hope the pricks get caught!

Automotive

Comments

  • spackbace on 16/09/2019 - 11:32
    +10

    Shopping centre cameras will be potato quality, and likely won't capture their license plate.

    If you want it fixed, you'll be up for paying your excess

    • [Deactivated] on 16/09/2019 - 12:04
      +3

      You'd really want to use at least a cucumber or eggplant if you're hoping to capture license plates.

      • FoxJump on 16/09/2019 - 15:40

        Can you recommend an eggplant dashcam?

      • spackbace on 16/09/2019 - 15:58

        Organic?

        • [Deactivated] on 16/09/2019 - 23:25

          Only in low light situations.

      • bobs burgers on 19/09/2019 - 10:43
        +1

        I thought you want carrot ones for night vision

    • nubzy on 16/09/2019 - 12:08
      +1

      Maybe not, but can match the car and approx time they left, then check cameras at the exit gates which will be high quality/good position and have perfect picture of the licence plate

      • [Deactivated] on 16/09/2019 - 13:37

        It wouldn't qualify as sufficient evidence. There are too many similar looking cars in a shopping mall. Unless it has very clear identifying features and you can pick that car out from a lineup of the same vehicle in the same colour, it is circumstantial.

  • Seraphin7 on 16/09/2019 - 11:33
    +4

    In short, file a police report, but don't expect anything to happen.

    Consider if you want it fixed (sounds like you do) and arrange some quotes first without looking to insurance. It may be that it will not be worth your while getting insurance involved. Pending that, either lodge a claim or get the job done privately.

  • EightImmortals on 16/09/2019 - 11:34
    +6

    What do you have a strong suspicion about?
    I don't think the location of the damage matters to the insurance company. Just call them ASAP and make a claim, that's what they're there for. :)

    • HighAndDry on 16/09/2019 - 11:37
      +2

      Get a quote for the repairs first. OP only gets to avoid the excess if the insurer can get it from someone else. If the CCTV footage can't finger the actual culprit, it might be cheaper for OP to fix it themselves (or leave it) than to pay the insurance excess.

  • Archi on 16/09/2019 - 11:47
    +5

    hey OP… you might wanna read this post
    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/483604

    this person maybe the culprit. you took his parking spot

    • Kangal on 16/09/2019 - 12:58
      +2

      Different city, Hobart vs Melbourne.

      • HighAndDry on 16/09/2019 - 17:39
        +6

        Man, that's some crazy grudge. Go all the way across the strait just because someone stole your parking spot?

  • nubzy on 16/09/2019 - 12:02
    +1

    This is why you need a good dash cam hard wired so you get constant monitoring. It may not catch the person scratching the key across your car but if you go through the footage and find them walking up to your car/looking suspicious and hear the scratch it is at least some evidence to hand over to insurance, police and the shopping centre. Try buffing it out as much as you can, but I think you will have to pay your excess and get it fixed properly. Hope the piece of shit who did it gets what he deserves.

    • Kangal on 16/09/2019 - 13:17
      +1

      Unfortunately, to get proper monitoring you need several Dash Cams.

      Most cams have a Field of View of around 120' (ultrawide), so at the minimum you need x3 to cover a full 360' view.
      Unfortunately, the visuals at the sides aren't as sharp, and you really want to get some overlap from different angles.
      I would say two facing forward, one facing back, one on each side, for a total of 5 cameras is really the minimum to cover the entire car.

      But that's before thinking of angles and elevation, and to do a better job, you need more points of data/view.
      To get an ideal vantage point, you actually need something above 8 cameras.
      So that ends up costing around $1,000 just in cameras, then another $400 in memory, then install a sizeable super-capacitor and a backup battery for $300, a backup hard-drive for $200, a software to oversee it all $100, and lastly the harnesses/connection/installation/labour would cost quite a bit too maybe $300. So your total cost is likely to be $2,000 and up. That's tough to swallow if your car costs below $40,000 (which most do).

      If the car was designed with this in mind, and had them installed via mass production, it would only cost you a $1,000 premium.
      However, the manufacturers, governments, and society haven't quite woken up to make this a reality yet.

      • nubzy on 16/09/2019 - 13:35

        Yeah, it is all too complicated and expensive. I can't be bothered with it. A front + back solution, hardwired/with a battery is the way to go. Looking forward to that new Viofo 4k coming out. I know it wont cover the sides, but at least it will capture any impact + sound and save the footage of the car or person going past. Currently I just use my cheap dashcam with a power bank to monitor the front, because I have seen so many careless people and trolleys left behind at my local shopping centre it is not even funny. I always reverse into spots, so at least if a trolley or car hits me I have the evidence. I wish someone would come up with a 360 degree camera at a reasonable price.

    • boomramada on 16/09/2019 - 13:54

      What you going to do with the pic? put on ozb/fb? Cop wouldn't be interested, so is insurance company.

      • nubzy on 16/09/2019 - 14:07

        If you capture a plate and it is quite clear they did it then yes, the cops ARE interested. Already made a successful claim before. Went to cops, showed the video, they looked up the car owner, called them and they had to pay their excess to fix our car.

        • boomramada on 16/09/2019 - 14:23
          +2

          Only IF the person who keyed drive a car and park next to your car and have clear visibility of his face. What are the chances are? In your case it did, my case, just dude walk along the neighbor keyed all the cars that parked in the street for some random reason. All you see is a guy in hoodies.

    • kiitos on 17/09/2019 - 19:47

      What's the maximum depth of scratch that you could expect to be able to buff out?

      • Euphemistic on 19/09/2019 - 08:56

        Clear coat and possibly a smidgen of colour.

  • lovetodiscuss on 16/09/2019 - 12:35

    I have a friend who has got "trolleyed" in a super-market. It was a young teenager and they even remotely saw it. But being out-run. No video recorded. Someone are just very sick in their minds and like to sabotage. If you are in a not so nice neigbhourhood, then it's worse. Agreed to leave it as repair might mean respraying the two doors. Worst thing is another scratch might happen again…

  • JIMB0 on 16/09/2019 - 12:39
    +3

    Did you take someone's spot?

  • Downvoter on 16/09/2019 - 13:04

    Get quotes and see if it’s cheaper than your excess. /thread

  • dTer on 16/09/2019 - 13:09
    +7

    Update - didn't happen at the shopping centre. Either at my place, or my girlfriends', both in good neighbourhoods.

    Looks like I'll be out of pocket if I choose to repair.

    People suck. Thanks all for the advice.

    • spackbace on 16/09/2019 - 13:22
      +4

      Someone pissed off a neighbour?

      • tsunamisurfer on 16/09/2019 - 13:24
        +3

        Girlfriend found his browsing history and OP did not have any pet bunnies.

    • dafil on 16/09/2019 - 13:29
      +1

      Maybe your girlfriend's ex.

      Is it a Subaru Liberty?

      • dTer on 16/09/2019 - 13:29
        +2

        07 liberty, yes

        • Yummy on 16/09/2019 - 17:42
          +3

          Plot thickens…

      • Caped Baldy on 16/09/2019 - 13:56
        +3

        So you know who did it?!

      • FoxJump on 16/09/2019 - 15:44

        Hopefully he's able to use the best value full comprehensive insurance that he has on it.

  • tsunamisurfer on 16/09/2019 - 13:22

    You are out of pocket anyway.

    Even if there was footage, it is unlikely to be good enough to see the name, address and social security number.

    Your insurance claim was almost guaranteed to be without an identifiable other party.

  • xuqi on 16/09/2019 - 13:53
    +3

    My money is split across either of your ex's.

  • HeWhoKnows on 17/09/2019 - 11:00
    -8

    OMG
    You Poor baby

    Your problem is mole hill and you make a mountain out of it.

    Get over it

    NOBODY CARES!

    Besides the fact you obviously did something wrong and hence upset somebody enough to want to key your car and hence you probably deserved it …

    But how conveniennt to leave that part out of your post.

    Like I said.

    NOBODY CARES

    • dTer on 17/09/2019 - 11:50
      +1

      Do you have a brain or sense of empathy?

  • Whisper Quiet on 17/09/2019 - 11:47
    +3

    Police will do nothing. I've been shown video evidence of two guys kicking my car and taking the mirror off, then got into the car next to mine. So police had their license plate and faces. Nothing was done! Was worth over $600 damage. Never go to the police for stuff like this even had friends with similar incidents who had the same result. Try and get the footage yourself and number plate etc then go on a one man revenge adventure. I had the manager of the hotel give me the details of the guys car and he even showed me the footage of it happening. I stupidly went to the police. I might wait a few months then track them down… You should do the same

  • kale chips suck on 17/09/2019 - 14:14

    If the scratch is only on the two doors you might find it cheaper to find doors the same colour at a wreckers and swap them.

    It's a long shot I realise. But might be an option.

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