Is this damage worth a new roof top?

[Jimmeline]

Hello everyone, this summer I rented a VW Bulli T6.1 California Ocean. On the last day of our trip we had to clean the car. We opened the roof top and it accidentaly hit something above. Because the roof top hit something the two bellows on each side are now bended a little bit (in the picture I have cirkled the bellow with red). The company told us that they could heat up the bellows and fix it, but they told is that their is a problem with the roof top itself. As you can see their is a small protuberance (also cirkled with red and another picture) in the rooftop. They want us to pay for a whole new roof top which will cost us €3500 in total. We are shocked that such a small protuberance have caused into replacing a whole new roof top.
The reason I post this on this platform is because i don’t know what to do and I want to ask some advice from people on this platform. Thank you already for your time!

 

[CC44853]

Sorry to hear this, super unfortunate thing to happen.

I wonder if you could plead with them and get a body shop to repair it for cheaper?

 

[larrylamb]

Surely there was insurance on the vehicle to cover damage?

 

[owen_h]

The roof cap is quite thin aluminium and can get kinks in it relatively easily. Usually if it is lowered with something in the way (like the canvas!). But it can be bent back with little force, the depending factor on a invisible repair will probably be how 'sharp' the kink is and if the paint has cracked. In the UK there are a lot of PDR (painless dent repair) companies used to manipulating metal. Maybe you could ask the hire company to get one of those to take a look.
It was a while ago but remember there was a post on here a while ago where a cycle handlebar had got caught in the roof and made a much bigger dent/kink. That was repaired by the owner and looked perfect to my eye. But she was a silversmith / jeweller with good skill in metalwork.
good luck

 

[Barry Chuckle]

I'm guessing the difference if the vehicle was your own you could live with a near perfect repair, however a rental company is going to expect to be put back in the same position as prior to the damage and that will mean a new roof sadly.

 

[JuanVecino2023]

I'm guessing the difference if the vehicle was your own you could live with a near perfect repair, however a rental company is going to expect to be put back in the same position as prior to the damage and that will mean a new roof sadly.

Yes. Most rental companies who rent Calis clearly state all damage will be repaired with genuine VW parts.

It’s worth trying to ask them. Check the paperwork or FAQs on their website.

 

[BoredArtist]

Take it back and drop it off at the rental Co. It was their responsibility to make sure there was sufficient insurance in place to cover any damage. At the end of the day it was an accident and regardless of cost all accidents should be covered by insurance,

 

[pjm-84]

I would suggest that the 3500 euros is probably the excess on the insurance. You will be responsible for this.

The standard excess for high end cars on test drives (which you sign for, is £2k now)

 

[pjm-84]

Check your paperwork

 

[haydnw2]

They may also be considering the fact that even if it's repaired to look like new, it'll be more prone to popping back into its mishapen state under less pressure in future, thus requiring another repair and therefore cost. Presumably this is more likely on a hire vehicle where users are perhaps less well-versed in ensuring the canvas is properly stowed.

 

[secret lemonade drinker]

As it was a rental did you have the Collision Damage Waiver cover, so that if you are involved in a collision you are also covered, it is like an extra insurance charge, if you did then this is a collision and should be covered

 

[RockinNRollin]

Echoing the above, from a rental company's view, they'll want it perfect and understandably so. I suspect you'll be paying whatever the excess on the hire agreement was, which is probably the 3500 euros as it's too round a number otherwise! I assume you didn't take out an excess reduction policy? Have you any travel insurance that might cover the excess too?

Physically, to get it back to normal, it'll need a new roof that will have to be painted, I suspect new linings at a minimum (possibly new electrics), the bellows (as we know well) get trashed when removed, so a new bellows, new elevating arms as they're kinked and any other consequential damage. If I was the owner, I'd also being thinking about seals in the hydraulic system as it's clearly had to work much harder than usual (I'm quite surprised it has bent that steel arm actually as it's a pretty substantial piece of metal). I would suggest the cost of all that is probably double the price you have been asked for by the time you factor in fitting and the fact the vehicle will be unavailable for hire (so won't be earning it's keep) while waiting for all these parts to come in, workshop availability etc.., not to mention if the company has a solid booking sheet, lots of future customers who may have their hire cancelled because the vehicle is unavailable.

It's really frustrating; I reversed a large MH I hired once into another car (they had come up behind me quickly while I was stopped on a singletrack road with some unfolding chaos up ahead, there was no reversing camera and they were so close I couldn't see them in either mirror - I reversed back and whack - the excess wasn't anywhere near as much as yours, but I was still kicking myself for ages over it).