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Shopping cart hit and walk-caught on Sentry cam
- Thread starter wolfwill23
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- sentry mode
What’s a quarter? I haven’t carried change with me for 20 years. The shopping carts would need to take credit cards or PayPal.
So I will agree with most: not gonna get anything from Costco... I would however go after the lady if at all possible. Yes she didn't *intend* to damage your car, but her negligence directly lead to the damage. Whether it's worth it or not to pursue, I have no idea, but if it was me, I'd be livid and at least put in some effort to track her down.
As an interesting aside to this conversation: people's strategies RE: where to park. I agree that I also avoid the cart corrals, but I questioned my own behaviour a few weeks ago. Was also at costco, and I noticed SO MANY carts pulled up with two wheels on a sidewalk far away from the cart corals. Made me think: if you parked close to a cart return, anyone close to the return is just going to put the cart in the corral, not leave it to drift into your car. Parking further away from the cart corrals might make it more likely that someone is going to be lazy and leave their cart near your car where it can ding it. Thoughts?
Having said that, I still park far away from the cart storage. My general strategy is to find a spot that is next to a curb or sidewalk, and squish my car as close to said curb/sidewalk on the one side, that way people would have lots of space to open their doors and not ding my car on the other side where it is "exposed". On the bright side, once you've gotten a "ding" it might make you a bit less paranoid... my previous car got s ding pretty early in its life, and subsequently had MANY more (damn student parking lots!). After the first one or two, I stopped being so paranoid about where I parked, and would just pick any spot that fit... but of course that was a Mazda 3, and this is a Model 3... slightly different price range/quality. I'd be pretty miffed if (when?? I hope it's not a when!) I get a ding.
As an interesting aside to this conversation: people's strategies RE: where to park. I agree that I also avoid the cart corrals, but I questioned my own behaviour a few weeks ago. Was also at costco, and I noticed SO MANY carts pulled up with two wheels on a sidewalk far away from the cart corals. Made me think: if you parked close to a cart return, anyone close to the return is just going to put the cart in the corral, not leave it to drift into your car. Parking further away from the cart corrals might make it more likely that someone is going to be lazy and leave their cart near your car where it can ding it. Thoughts?
Having said that, I still park far away from the cart storage. My general strategy is to find a spot that is next to a curb or sidewalk, and squish my car as close to said curb/sidewalk on the one side, that way people would have lots of space to open their doors and not ding my car on the other side where it is "exposed". On the bright side, once you've gotten a "ding" it might make you a bit less paranoid... my previous car got s ding pretty early in its life, and subsequently had MANY more (damn student parking lots!). After the first one or two, I stopped being so paranoid about where I parked, and would just pick any spot that fit... but of course that was a Mazda 3, and this is a Model 3... slightly different price range/quality. I'd be pretty miffed if (when?? I hope it's not a when!) I get a ding.
jkoya
NA2 NSX
I try to find the furthest end spot to park in also. My wife is used to it now...
WilliamG
Hinge Fanatic
First off, I am sorry to see the damage to your Model 3.
Secondly, nice editing/annotation of the video and the relaxing background music.
Back to the video. I have little doubt that the lady's cart hit your M3. However, your video doesn't actually show that the cart that hit your car was the cart that she left around. I am not sure if the police or the lady's insurance company would admit the video as proof that she's responsible for your damage given that it doesn't show that crucial connection. Perhaps you have other footage/angle that shows the missing link?
Anyway, I sincerely hope that your car gets fixed to your satisfaction and the culprit is paying for the fix.
Secondly, nice editing/annotation of the video and the relaxing background music.
Back to the video. I have little doubt that the lady's cart hit your M3. However, your video doesn't actually show that the cart that hit your car was the cart that she left around. I am not sure if the police or the lady's insurance company would admit the video as proof that she's responsible for your damage given that it doesn't show that crucial connection. Perhaps you have other footage/angle that shows the missing link?
Anyway, I sincerely hope that your car gets fixed to your satisfaction and the culprit is paying for the fix.
Unfortunate.
The Costco employee was lazy, he should have just taken her cart, but he and the store are not liable.
The lady is a lazy fool. She knows there's a cart corral nearby, but she's asking because she's lazy and wants the employee to take her cart. He doesn't, so she does the lazy thing and leaves the cart loose, ready to roll away. If anything she should have tipped it up, so that the front wheels were hanging over the edge of the curb, so that the cart wouldn't roll. If you could ID her, you could get her insurance to pay, however, good luck with that license plate.
Try PDR, it may not be too much, though we haven't seen the dent. I don't blame the driver, since he was on the other side of the cart corral. I think most of us would believe that's on the safe side of the cart corral, not realizing some people are so lazy, they leave their carts on the other side of a median. It's like those trash bins where the garbage is all around the bin and none inside! People are just too lazy.
FWIW, I park as far away from the entrance as practicable, and always on the uphill side. I don't know about you, but where I live all the parking lots are sloped, so runaway carts are quite common! If you see random carts around a spot, don't park there, that's where the lowest entropy dictates all random loose carts end up.
The Costco employee was lazy, he should have just taken her cart, but he and the store are not liable.
The lady is a lazy fool. She knows there's a cart corral nearby, but she's asking because she's lazy and wants the employee to take her cart. He doesn't, so she does the lazy thing and leaves the cart loose, ready to roll away. If anything she should have tipped it up, so that the front wheels were hanging over the edge of the curb, so that the cart wouldn't roll. If you could ID her, you could get her insurance to pay, however, good luck with that license plate.
Try PDR, it may not be too much, though we haven't seen the dent. I don't blame the driver, since he was on the other side of the cart corral. I think most of us would believe that's on the safe side of the cart corral, not realizing some people are so lazy, they leave their carts on the other side of a median. It's like those trash bins where the garbage is all around the bin and none inside! People are just too lazy.
FWIW, I park as far away from the entrance as practicable, and always on the uphill side. I don't know about you, but where I live all the parking lots are sloped, so runaway carts are quite common! If you see random carts around a spot, don't park there, that's where the lowest entropy dictates all random loose carts end up.
WilliamG
Hinge Fanatic
I agree. If I were representing the woman in court I’d argue there’s no proof her cart hit your car. Law is funny that way.
Bottom line is that as much as it sucks, the OP needs to just suck it up and get the car PDR’ed. We still haven’t seen any pics of the damage but if it can be PDR’ed it’ll be fixed in an hour.
jkoya
NA2 NSX
Well said - great advice on parking on the uphill side.
⚡️ELECTROMAN⚡️
Village Idiot
Yep never park downhill in a store parking lot that uses shopping carts. Tesla parking 101. Lesson learned.
Rotarypower
Member
Geez. I disagree with most in here.
There is zero downside to approaching Costco on this. It’s your time and effort that is lost. Definitely give it a try.
As for paintless dent removal, yes it works, but please know this.
Many times they MUST drill holes in your car! That is the only way to get to the inside of the panel. They use long rods with different spoon ends to massage out the dents and these won’t reach much of the time unless they add an access hole. Don’t let them touch your car until you know exactly how they are going to remove the dent. Ask about access and whether they will need to drill your panel. Require that they do full interior panel removal to get to the dent and don’t allow them to do any drilling.
There is zero downside to approaching Costco on this. It’s your time and effort that is lost. Definitely give it a try.
As for paintless dent removal, yes it works, but please know this.
Many times they MUST drill holes in your car! That is the only way to get to the inside of the panel. They use long rods with different spoon ends to massage out the dents and these won’t reach much of the time unless they add an access hole. Don’t let them touch your car until you know exactly how they are going to remove the dent. Ask about access and whether they will need to drill your panel. Require that they do full interior panel removal to get to the dent and don’t allow them to do any drilling.
The question in my mind is, why the employee didn't just take the cart and put it with those he was pushing? I've had plenty of cart retrieving employees that were passing me with a bunch of carts just grab mine as they past, once I had emptied it.
PianoAl
Active Member
I'm steeling myself for the first dent in our Tesla.
I think Buddha says one should picture your brand new car as already dented and you won't suffer, but I'm not convinced.
I think Buddha says one should picture your brand new car as already dented and you won't suffer, but I'm not convinced.
Looks like it hit the door given the video is from the camera on the front quarter panel.
They go through the window channel on door dents which doesn’t require drilling or panel removal.
I always feel sorry for retail employees when I see posts like this. The lady is responsible for not securing her cart not the employee already pushing carts. He told her where to push it and I'm sure Costco will tell you where to shove it. If the damage bothers you, just go get the dent fixed at a body shop and see if Costco can assist in ID'ing the lady who hit your car. They definitely want to protect their customers, but asking for monetary compensation for an at risk parking lot is going to get walls put up.
Edit: On second thought, as scummy as this would be, she probably could claim it wasn't her cart that hit you since the frame doesn't show what cart ultimately rolled back. Sucky situation though for sure.
Edit: On second thought, as scummy as this would be, she probably could claim it wasn't her cart that hit you since the frame doesn't show what cart ultimately rolled back. Sucky situation though for sure.
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Yeah, I agree. Why shouldn't I try to get Costco to cover it? It's worth a shot. Will prob drop in there to speak with the manager in the next week or so.
Thank you for the heads up on the dent removal holes. That's good to know.
Actually they are out there. I was in a shopping center in Gilroy, CA had this. It was near the Smart and Final “warehouse” type store but I think was actually part of the nearby 99 Cent Store. Somehow I found that funny having to “rent” a shopping cart to shop in a store. Have to say that was the only place I recall seeing this. Most other places have carts that lock their wheels and can’t be taken out of the store.
At first I thought this might be an older thread I saw on TMC about a shopping cart that came an amazing distance away and down slope and hit this guy’s Tesla. It looked like it also came out of or near a cart corral. It was the weirdest accident I had seen. Literally look like it came out of nowhere and was just stupid bad luck for the owner. He was parked no where near any cart corral but down hill.
Here’s his thread with the video. Pretty wild.
Runaway Shopping Cart
OP, sorry no I don’t think Costco will accept any responsibility for this or should. People have had their cars broken into at Costco and they don’t accept liability. Their employee didn’t shove the cart into your car.
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