Clear Bra Saves the Day

I can't believe that she complained about your car being 'too low', after she hit it.

 

These kind of people in this world really piss me off. She deflects her incompetence by blaming it on you... " the low car I couldnt see". Sounds a lot like some guy in the White House I know blaming his problems on the former occupant!

People, man (or woman) up and take responsibility for your actions. She should have apologized right then and there.....I sure would have. RRRRRRRRRR!

JL

 

You handled that much better than I would have. Hopefully it is a simple fix. Best of luck!

 

I think you handled it as good as can be expected. This is possibly a nightmare, especially if it hits Carfax, because 50% of people on this board will not be in the demand side of the supply/demand equation if the carfax is anything but clean if/when you go to sell.

Here is my physiological angle; I dont worry about it because the car could be destroyed in the near future at my hand or the hand of others, then any stress I endured for the loss in value and the accident will be in vain. So dont worry about it (easy for me to say).

I had 2x cars hit by drunk drivers in 1 week! [1x Porsche=Totaled, 1x Ferrari=Minor bumper damage] Then, months later another drunk driver totaled yet another Porsche Turbo. Through it all I kept my cool, and I dont own any of the cars any more, and any stress would have been in vain. I do however frown on drinking and driving. BTW one was at 6pm, one at 8pm. Who is hammered so bad they cant walk by 6pm on a Friday?? Not like I was out at 3am on Hollywood Blvd.

 

OMG... you are a better person than I! First off that woman should have been horrified that she hit your car, irregaurdless that it is a Ferrari. I would have been apologizing non stop... Right after she made her first stupid comment I would have had to tell her it would be best to stop talking and just give me your info please unless you want to see an ATOMIC EXPLOSION!!!

Glad your clear bra worked. Mine saved me the other day too, I was washing my car Saturday and noticed a quarter sized gouge/damage in the front bumper right where the license plate should be!!!!! Apparently somebody pulled too far into their parking space while parking or hit it with something... who knows... bunch of f'ing mouth breathers out there who could care less about other peoples property.
Anyway, a bit of rubbing and use of my heat gun got the area on my 3M bra worked out good enough to not need immidiate replacing, and zero damage to the paint!

 

Her comment a couple hundred bucks
Your clear bra, 2000 bucks
this persons comment, priceless

 

Did you get a quote yet as to the damage?
I will share a true story that happened to my friends Lotus Esprit 3 weeks ago.
He was in line at a multi bay car wash, behind a truck. All of a sudden, the truck backed up into him (seeing an open stall one bay over), not seeing the Lotus and ended up backing into him at a slow speed. His 3M did save his car from the paint scraping.

He came to my house to show me the Lotus. I am no body man, but it did not LOOK very serious. No visible damage or cracks to the fiberglass body.
He got an estimate from a shop who works on exotics and the damage totalled $8500.00!!!!! He just got the car back this last Saturday.
It did not even look like anywhere near that amount, but I hope your car has not suffered an expensive hit.

You did say that the 3M alone was $2000.00.
Bring it to very reputable body shop that works on these cars and get a comprehensive estimate......hoods and bumpers for these cars are not cheap.

I almost could not believe what the cost of the hoods are on my 550 Barchetta & 575M!!!!
I feel for you and hope that it gets resolved to your satisfaction.

 

This person's comment ... political amnesia.

But the woman in the RAV4 was an idiot.

 

I'm angry just reading about it... You're right she is a stupid b**ch!! What does she need 5 miles of back up space.

Good luck with the repairs

 

You should have said

"My car is not stupid for being so low. You are too stupid to see where you're going!"

But, we're glad it didn't do any serious damage. Sometimes I think Ferrari's are chick magnets-- in the wrong way! (just a joke --- don't take that seriously folks, ok!)

On a serious note, it's frustrating when people won't take personal responsibility for their own errors. Clearly, she made the mistake. If instead of your car it was a small child there, would she complain that the problem was that the kid was too small to see or too dumb to get out of the way?

 

Sorry to hear Ted, but it sounds like the car got out of it ok.

Chin up and good luck with the repair.

 

she lucky to be alive.

 

That's not a word (double negative) - sorry, couldn't resist

 

In regards to this - take detailed pictures of the "before" side of the equation and keep your receipts - this will save you from the massive devaluation down the road if it truly is as minor as it appears to be.

Everyone always makes claims that the paintwork or ding on carfax was just a front bumper from a nick in a parking lot, so when that's actually the case, you need paperwork and pictures to back it up.

 

I think this would have been an apporiate situation to tell her the cost of the car...

"you do realize this is a 200,000$ car right?" (or what ever the retail is) and then explain to her, that body work on a car that expensive does not go for "a couple hundred bucks"

I would imagine your car is worth more than she paid for her house... The sticker shock might have changed her attitude?


Since your dealing with Geico, you may want to talk to a lawyer friend if you have one.. They can be a pain some times to get a fair claim from.

Sorry to hear about your unfortunate incident, and even more so to hear about the completely ignorant person you had to deal with.

 

You really have a good head on your shoulders man. Always better to take the high road and let the ignorant folks go... To many of them running around and soon enough natural population control will take over.

Good luck and hope she's back to good soon enough.

 

"Your stupid car is too low I didn't see it."

When you walked up to your car to leave, it was alone in the parking lot?

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"It's just a car you know."

Yes, an expensive one, which your insurance company will not enjoy paying to have fixed, but that's ok, they'll get it back from you with the caning your premium is about to suffer.

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"I know a guy that has a body shop, that will probably cost a few hundred bucks."

Yes, quite a few hundred, actually. Sadly, I can't say the same for you and your inability to accept that you did this because you were careless. I blame your parents and Obama.

 

Yeah, but then he would have been "That" Ferrari owner guy. You know, the one everyone complains is making Ferrari owners look like arrogant snobby dooshbags...

 

I think in this specific situation it would not have been in bad taste to educate the woman. She obviously had no idea the grander of her ignorance "it's just a car" yes, it's just a car that costs about 10X the price of an average car... At that point i would not view that as bragadocious, but more of informing her of the true cost of her carelessness, and possible financial ramifications that she will directly be feeling pretty soon....


But then again, often times there is no point in trying to educate or argue with a truly ignorant person.

Again the delivery would be the point where snobbery would be perceived, and the OP seems like he is a stand up guy.

 

I think someone up above had the best point - it really could have been a child going around the front of the car to walk with dad that took the brunt of her carelessness.

The problem with the pure $$ argument is that it really misses the reality that the impact to a young person, perhaps enjoying the first new/nice car of their lives - and not having available the funds to meet a deductible would be every bit as hurt as most Ferrari owners - by this sort of carelessness. If we hope for more caution for our rides, I am afraid we will be let down.

 

My hats off to you for handling this so well.

I hope I never get the opportunity, but if I do, I hope I can just stay silent and get the information like you did.

And, I have to say, I find her comments predictable. I think she was freaked out hitting an exotic car and likely pissed/embarrased/scared and thus her comments through that filter make sense (at least to me). This is why I find your reponse so perfect. Realizing the other person is likely on the defensive (and thus, for many folks, ready to be aggresive) is important...

Oh, and to repeat the great advice from switchcars...take lots of pics and write up what happended and keep the reciepts!!!

 

Congrats Ted, and being such a gentleman in such a circumstance says a lot about your character. Hopefully it is nothing.