What to Do If Your Car Gets Scratched in a Parking Space?
4 Answers
Here are the relevant situations if your car gets scratched in a parking space: 1. Scratched in a commercial parking lot, negotiate with the parking lot management: For commercial parking lots, whether underground or open-air, as long as they charge a fee, they should bear the responsibility of supervision. There is no justification for charging without taking responsibility. If your car gets scratched and the perpetrator cannot be found, in principle, the parking lot management unit is responsible for compensating for the vehicle damage. 2. Scratched in a residential parking lot, negotiate with the property management: Unlike commercial parking lots, the parking fees collected by residential property management are not necessarily vehicle storage fees but more like space rental fees. Therefore, it's important to clarify whether the residential area has signed a parking service management contract with the property management. If such a contract exists, according to the law, the property management is obligated to provide corresponding services as stipulated in the contract. Hence, if a resident's car gets scratched, property is damaged, and no third party can be identified, the property management must compensate. 3. Scratched in a free parking lot, contact your insurance company: In free parking lots, the management is not responsible for any vehicle damage. In such cases, you should promptly report the incident to your insurance company. If the perpetrator cannot be found, the insurance company typically applies a 30% deductible rate. This means the insurance company will only cover 70% of the assessed vehicle damage, leaving the remaining 30% to be borne by the car owner.
Last week, my car got scratched in the mall parking lot. I immediately stayed calm, took out my phone to photograph the scratches, the car's position, and the surrounding environment. Then, I contacted the property manager to inquire about surveillance footage—luckily, they had video evidence to help identify the cause. After that, I reported the incident to the police, provided the necessary information, and notified my insurance company to initiate the claims process. The whole experience taught me that parking in corner spots can reduce risks, and it's important to regularly inspect the car body and stay vigilant. Next time, I'll consider installing a dashcam to monitor the vehicle's safety and avoid similar troubles. If the damage is minor, I might try using toothpaste for a quick fix, but I'd feel more at ease handling it based on professional advice.
The first time my car got scratched in a parking space, I panicked a bit but quickly regained my composure. My approach was to first take photos as evidence, including the damage to the car and details of the parking space. Then, I contacted the parking lot manager to check for any cameras or witnesses. If none were available, I would file a police report. Next, I assessed the severity of the scratch. For minor damage, I handled it myself, such as using a touch-up paint pen. For serious damage, I sought quotes from professional auto repair shops. This experience taught me to pay attention to the distance between vehicles when parking, preferably in well-lit areas or under camera coverage. In the future, I plan to buy a small monitoring device to place in my car.
After my car was scratched, I immediately took photos to document the situation, including time and location details. Then, I contacted the insurance company to inquire about the claims process and prepared all necessary materials such as parking records and surveillance footage. If the responsible party is uncertain, filing a police report is essential to protect one's rights. I also checked the extent of the vehicle damage; minor scratches can often be resolved with polish, saving time and money. It's crucial to keep all communication records and evidence for follow-up procedures. I recommend all car owners to regularly inspect their parking environments to ensure safety.
