Car damaged on Eurotunnel

[drdel]

Hi

 

I recently had a day trip to France using Eurotunnel. When I got on the train, I was directed to park very close to the carriage doors. On the outward leg, at disembarking time, the doors opened and hit my bumper, preventing the door from opening fully. There was some damage to the painted bumper.

 

I contacted their customer services department a day later to report the event and to ask for their comment. The response was that I did not report it at the time and therefore they could not accept any claim, as per their terms and conditions (not strictly true).

 

There was nobody around at the time, there was a man directing traffic at the very end of the train, but as I slowed down to mention the door, he simply waved with more vigour. Other than use the emergency call button I do not believe there was anything I could do. There was no further opportunity to contact a Eurotunnel staff member, not even a building after leaving the train.

 

Are they correct? Does anyone have any advice?

 

Del

[barracad]

Yes they are correct - as you didn't inform them at the time, there is no proof how the damage was caused. If you reported it at the time they would have been able to inspect the damage.

[Bookworm]

There was absolutely nothing stopping you from pulling out of the queue, stopping the car and reporting it there and then, the fact that the guy was waving you on makes no difference, he would have had to deal with you if you had stopped. If you had had a car crash, would you move on because the cars behind you are honking? Of course not.

 

I agree with Barracad, if you didn't report it at the time, there is nothing you can do.

[JonCris]

Others appear to be taking the view that because you failed to act at the time you won't be believed & whilst it's unfortunate that you didn't or weren't able to report the damage at the time you can still submit a claim to Euro-tunnel.

 

They are not idiots & if you explain your very valid reasons they will know if what you say is correct about not being allowed to stop & will consider your claim accordingly.

 

Failing that they may even decide to compensate you just on the basis of the your nuisance factor, or they may not. You have little to lose other than some time & trouble

 

I suspect their reaction will to some extent be dependant on the cost of repair so it's important to get more than 1 estimate which must be from reputable & I suggest well known, garage. Also don't forget to take photo's of the damage

 

I should go for it but I would just add one word of caution. - I have no doubt your story about how the damage occured is true, but if it is not then you could be accused of fraud under the new 2006 Fraud Act

[Bookworm]

Well, of course, he can! There is no law stopping him, obviously. However, I would rate his chances at strictly 0 to get anywhere. Fact is, OP could have stopped and didn't, and Eurotunnel's first response clearly shows that they will not consider it on good will alone, so I see little benefit in trying again, IMO it would be a waste of time and energy.

[JonCris]

BW rather than get into a peeing contest I did try to PM you but found you appear to only accept Skype & I don't have a clue how to use that, not having it myself - & being a computer dummy

 

To reiterate if the OP is to be believed then they do have a valid claim & having driven off Euro trains myself I have to agree with the OP that it's impossible to stop unless you want to hold up traffic & have everybody behind you going nuts.

 

So with the greatest of respect BW you dismissed the OP's claim rather out of hand & I was giving him advice based on the circumstances as the OP explained them.

 

I would also mention that whilst more difficult there are thousands of belated damage claims settled every year so I don't agree that it's necessarily a waste of time

[Bookworm]

JC, it's not a peeing contest at all and funnily enough, I also based my response on my first-hand experience of Eurotunnel trips (and at one point, I was going over 3 to 4 times a week), and I quite disagree that it is impossible to stop, the quays are more than wide enough and having had to pull out of the queue because of a sick passenger, I can assure you it can be done without major problems to anyone.

 

I didn't dismiss anyone out of hand, far from it, but likewise, I don't believe in sending people on wild goose chases.

 

OP has stated he already had contacted Eurotunnel and they have already turned him down once. I would assume that he in fact already had given them a run-down on how the alleged incident had taken place, so I personally see little merit in explaining it again and firmly believe he would get the same answer.

 

If OP is intent on pursuing this, then I'd say his best bet is to contact his insurance company and see what they reckon his chances are to pursue this. My feeling is that he's wasting his time, no least because of the way the incident is supposed to have happened as well as the non-reporting it there and then.

 

PS: I'm not logged on Skype either, I don't know why it keeps on showing it. ;-)

[JonCris]

Thta's all very well BW but who does he report the incident to the guy directing traffic - I doubt the guy would be even prepared to take the OP's details let alone even listen to his complaint

 

Of course they denied liability - don't they all - that doesn't mean he doesn't have a valid claim which if the cost of repair justifies they can pursue

 

As for wild goose chases clearly (& unless I'm wrong) you haven't worked in RTA claims

[Bookworm]

Oh, that's an easy one, and again, I am speaking from experience: When you pull out of the queue and stop, even if you thought that there was only one chap around, all of a sudden, there'll be a dozen of staff by your car, and if you're unlucky, a couple of CRS with them!

 

RTA - not UK ones, no. From all over the world, yes. Claims, repats, the lot. My bedtime stories would scare a regular loss-adjuster from now to Halloween. ;-)

[drdel]

Thanks for the responses.

 

My view at the time, and the reason I did not simply remain in the same spot was thay any damage was not going to disappear - I didn't even check it myself until I parked elsewhere (and there was part of their door trim lodged in the bumper). If a heavy stainless steel door makes contact with a painted bumper it will undoubtedly do some damage, no matter how sensitive the sensor is. I am actually surprised a warning signal wasn't sent to the train crew.

 

The guy at the end of the train did not appear to be the "right" person to report anything to - I did not stop on the platform as I thought there would be an office further on - there is on the ferry, and there is at nearly all train termini. Not on Eurotunnel I found out.

 

As to the question regarding the car crash - if it was possible to move the car and it prevented traffic hold up then yes I would move the car out of the way (assuming no injuries).

 

At the end of the day it is some scratched paintwork -probably not worth the effort of pursuing -I didn't even try to make a claim, I just asked for Eurotunnel's comment, and then they went completely defensive.

[JonCris]

I don't believe it:eek: you actually have bits of their train & they are dismissing your claim out of hand:evil:

 

Have you told them - if not I should do so when at the same asking them to reconsider their current stance. - Having what is physical evidence tends to support you allegation:D

[Chesterexpress]

In order for the doors to damage your vehicle, then you obviously moved the vehicle forward prior to the doors opening. Otherwise the doors would have caused the damage when closing.

[JonCris]

Only the OP can answer that

[drdel]

Tha car is an automatic and was in Park with the handbrake on - it physically cannot move until the ignition is switched on.

 

The doors are actually closed before you drive up to them - i.e. when the carriage in front is full they close both the back door of the front carriage and the front door of your carriage. They then direct you to roll forward, forward, forward and stop - so that there is about an inch to spare at the front, and 3/4 of a car length at the back of the carriage. In this case, the loader had a second look once I stopped, but decided that it was ok and didn't ask me to reverse. A simple misjudgement, but not mine.

 

The residue on my bumper was part of their door trim - a rubber or plastic coated edge. When I mentioned this they stated tha their doors had a stainless steel edge. I thought I was going mad, but my passengers have confirmed that there was a black edge strip on the doors. The mark has washed off, so I have no remaining evidence, but they did lie to me.

 

The other thing that gets me is tah they have CCTV in the carriages in case of operational problems - I would have thought htatthe door had a sensor that gave a warning somewhere and then the crew could simply look at their screen and see a problem. (It really wouldn't surprise me if they did.)

[shywazz]

OPs very 1st thread quote: 'there was some damage to the painted bumper'.

OPs thread 22.24 quote: 'The mark has washed off'

Wish my car damages just washed away, im sorry if the car was hit by the train door and there very heavy... you would have stopped to inspect the damage and report it accordingly.

[drdel]

The damage to the bumper is some deep scratches in the paintwork. The material left by the door was resudue from the door trim, either rubber or paint (and not a large amount at that). When I say washed off, I mean it came off in the rain and wet roads. The damage itself did not wash off.

 

The doors had a sensor that prvented them from opening fully when they hit the obstruction. The door rested against the bumper - it is the delay in the sensing and the door stopping that caused teh scratches. Without the sensor there would have been a "crunch."

 

I would have reported it, but I was not to know tha the guy at the end of the train was the last possible contact with Eurotunnel. I was looking for a reception desk/ticket office/customer service type of building that they have at the exits to the ferry (ok, so it is an entrance but accessible from the exits).