Anybody have any experience dealing with shopping cart accidents when the store is at fault?

My car was just side-swiped by a Fry's food cart employee (20 min ago). I knew I'd be in the store for tops of 15 minutes. Parked my car near the front of the store and there were 3 carts in front of my car and 4 other cars.

I thought I'd make it into the store and out before they moved the carts, or if they moved the carts, they might not hit my car. I'm in the store at 4:44 and out at 4:51. As I'm walking out of the store I see a large woman with 3 carts coming from where my car was parked.

I inspect the car and sure enough there are some decent new scratches right near the door handle and side. I immediately walk into the store, fill out a little claim sheet and they take pictures and I ask for a copy of the claim, and they tell me they'll get back with me.

I spoke with a friend in insurance and he said they'll just deny the claim because there is no way to prove this or that. I think my car is close enough to be seen on camera, but I don't have the footage.

Some of the scratches might be able to be buffed out, but that's not my job. The handle has a crease in it that can't be buffed and if you look closely where the front/back door meet, the cart caught on the metal and dug deep.

Pics:
http://i.imgur.com/ejtaf.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/IYYcf.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/YO6vi.jpg

Al3xK said:   Some of the scratches might be able to be buffed out, but that's not my job.

Whose job is it?

naas said:   Al3xK said:   Some of the scratches might be able to be buffed out, but that's not my job.

Whose job is it?

Autobody repair shop or Fry's. It's 100+ degrees in AZ, last thing I want to do is go buy a buffing machine and compound.

suezyque said:   Isn't there a sign in most grocery stores that relieves them of any responsibility if a shopping cart damages you vehicle?
Not in this parking lot unless it's hidden, which it may be.

My beef is this...I saw the carts and no damage, thought "they better not hit my car", then walked out and saw the Fry's lady walking with the carts away from my car and there are now scratches. She did it, plain and simple.

If I was shopping for an hour and I came out and there was a cart against my car, that's one thing...who knows what happened. I know that woman hit the carts against my car....that's what's frustrating.

Al3xK said:   I knew I'd be in the store for tops of 15 minutes. Parked my car near the front of the store and there were 3 carts in front of my car and 4 other cars.

Were you legally parked?

Why didn't you park somewhere else if you were concerned about the carts hitting your car?

We should play a game to see who can correctly identify OP's car. I guess Acura TSX or TL

You said: "I think my car is close enough to be seen on camera, but I don't have the footage."
I would be over there first thing in the morning and ask to speak with the store manager. Remind him of the incident; hopefully he has a copy of the report on his desk. Remind him they took photos of the damage. Ask him to see the security camera footage and review it with him. Bring the photos that you took. Good luck.

You should have parked your car by the Fire Lane.

You'll need to move quickly to put them on notice that any recordings of the parking lot are now evidence in a civil claim and cannot be rotated out or purged.

You have two hopes:

1. Be a nuisance they pay to go away.
2. Catch a clearly negligent employee on camera.

If it's your word against theirs, you will lose. Parking lots are sort of a responsibility-free zone, in practice. Good luck holding somebody accountable.

Funny how everyone thinks that store cameras are super high tech and catch every movement. Lot's of those dark domes hanging from ceilings are empty and have no camera. Hell, one company I worked for had dozens of color, digital cameras and couldn't catch the person stealing lunches.

I had a similar thing happen, but must be 12+ yrs ago now. Was in a Kroger parking lot, and actually watched an employee ram a shopping cart into my side mirror, leaving a big black mark. Went to C.S. and they said get an estimate or get it fixed and give them the bill. The next day or so, I brought a receipt from an auto parts store (like Autozone) of several waxes, scratch removers, etc. that I bought to fix the scratch. They swiftly paid the receipt (only 30 bucks or so).

Can't tell if your marks are deep scratches or can be buffed out. Hope it's not deep. GL.

saladdin said:   Funny how everyone thinks that store cameras are super high tech and catch every movement. Lot's of those dark domes hanging from ceilings are empty and have no camera. Hell, one company I worked for had dozens of color, digital cameras and couldn't catch the person stealing lunches.
And a lot of them don't record more than a few minutes at a time and then are recorded over.

I called and they said I had to file a police report to see the footage so I'm doing that now.

Logan71 said:   tennis8363 said:   Why didn't you park somewhere else if you were concerned about the carts hitting your car?

Good idea.

I park so far away that my wife starts asking folks nearby if there's a shuttlebus to the store.

Alex...aren't you a car guru of sorts? You'd think you'd know better..

I have/had a date that I needed to get ready for and I was thinking, "what are the odds that they'll get the carts within the next 10 minutes AND smash it down the side of my car". Almost all of the spots were full too.

Now I'm just sort of laughing at the irony of it trying to figure out how to recover. Thoughts become realities...

@SVR411 I guess I can send them a certified letter letting them know that the footage is part of a civil claim tomorrow morning.

Expect to receive a threatening letter from Fry's suing you for damaging their carts with your car. Thanks for shopping at Fry's.

pics? of your date that is.

tennis8363 said:   Why didn't you park somewhere else if you were concerned about the carts hitting your car?

OP, how come you did not move the carts yourself if you were so concerned about being hit?

I would have either parked some place else, or I would have moved the carts.

Your car is 7 years old, do you really care that much about scratches you had to highlight with red boxes?

Al3xK said:   
Yes in a row about 5 spots from the front of the store with cars across and beside me.

I don't understand, did the carts pass between you and the cars beside you?

Also, some of the scratches you marked have different angles, so the probably aren't from the same incident.

In general if you feel you are parking unsafely, don't. You say the parking was full, but I suspect you mean it was full close to the store, am I right? If you went to the other side of the lot there would be places for you to park safely, correct?

You have the worst luck of any poster I have ever seen

robby69 said:   I always try and park in a space between 2 already parked cars. My wife thinks I am nuts, until I point out all of the scratches she gets in the community college parking lot.I fail to see the correlation.

Update: The Kroger rep initially called me and left a voicemail 48hrs after, then wouldn't return any of my 25 voicemails for the last two weeks. During that time, I spoke to the operator and started leaving his supervisor voicemails too. The entire claim was $182.70 so they should just cut me a check if I can get through to somebody.

FINALLY I get a call back today and they'll send me a check out. I used their dial-by-name directory and was trying to dial their CEO (Dave Dillon) but that didn't work. I was going to be super annoying until they at least responded to me.