A CAR owner is warning drivers to be careful before handing their keys over after her Dacia Duster was damaged while in the care of a valeting company.
Sue Forbes says she has no option but to take the company concerned, A1 Car Wash on Ipsley Street, to the small claims court.
“They should have insurance but I’ve heard nothing from them and the owner is avoiding my phone calls,” claims mother of three Sue.
“My insurance company says the car isn’t covered because I handed them the keys.
“The police say it’s a civil matter which means I have no choice but to go through the small claims court.”
It was on October 16 that the former Redditch resident, who now lives in Stratford-on-Avon, popped into the town centre after visiting her dad who was in the Alexandra Hospital.
She left her car, which was then less than a year old, at A1 Car Wash on Ipsley Street expecting it to be nice and clean inside and out on her return.
Instead she found the wing badly damaged and requiring more than £1,500 in repairs with an authorised repair firm to stay within the car’s paint warranty.
She was told the car had been in an accident with a truck while on the premises.
Confronted with the damage, Sue filmed a man describing himself as the owner admitting responsibility and saying: “I will make sure I will get the car sorted to whatever standard it should be at – whatever it costs I will pay the guy”.
A1 Car Wash manager ‘Mahni’ Hamad told the Standard he didn’t dispute the facts of the accident but said he and Mrs Forbes had reached a verbal agreement that he would source the parts at a cheaper price and get the car repaired locally.
“I told her I could get a discount on brand new parts and she gave her consent and we agreed to get her car fixed,” he said.
“I ordered the parts and then she turned around and told me she didn’t want to go ahead.
“I promised her everything she wanted – I have always been true to people and she went back on our agreement.”
