Door dings—those frustrating dents that seemingly appear out of thin air—can be highly frustrating and bring about unnecessary expenses. When it’s the fault of an inconsiderate driver in the parking lot, the matter becomes even more complicated. The owner then has to assess the damage, find the culprit, and file an insurance claim.

When redditor GeriatricGoat’s neighbor dinged his car several times without leaving a note, he wasn’t in the mood to fool around. To get back at him, he came up with a plan that admittedly wasn’t the most ethical, but it ensured that no scratches were left on his car anymore.

Scroll down to find the full story and a conversation with Jim Gruca, president of Ding Sticks, who kindly agreed to share some tips on how to prevent door dings.

Finding out your car has been scratched after leaving it in a parking lot can be highly frustrating

Image credits: Alex Suprun (not the actual image)

When it happened to this man, he came up with a plan that guaranteed this wouldn’t happen next time

Image credits: Nick (not the actual image)

Image credits: GeriatricGoat

“Calling the police won’t do any good unless the dent is big enough to be more than their deductible”

Bored Panda reached out to Jim Gruca, president of Ding Sticks, a door ding prevention product designed to protect cars from dents caused by inconsiderate drivers in parking lots. Who better than him to tell us how to deal with these irritating scratches and even prevent them? 

Gruca tells us that the first thing a person should do when they get their vehicle damaged is to see if there is a car next to them. “Then they should check the outer side of the other door to see if any paint got transferred.” That could be an indication of whether the individual parked next to you was the culprit. 

“Calling the police won’t do any good unless the dent is big enough or deep enough that the cost of repair would be more than their deductible,” he cautions. “If so, then it’s wise to get a police report. Generally, insurance will cover it if you’ve met your deductible first,” he explains.

The person who doored you may also offer to give you cash without getting the insurance company involved. Or if it’s a minor scratch that can be buffed easily, you may choose to let it go. “Every situation is different. What if it was the neighbor’s kid who ran into your car with a bike?” Pete Karageorgos, director, at the Insurance Bureau of Canada, said. “Yes, you could go after the neighbor, but do you really want to if you have to keep living there?”

Image credits: Erik Mclean (not the actual image)

The only way to prevent door dings from happening is to protect the vehicle

Admittedly, the only way to prevent door dings from happening is to protect your vehicle. One way to do that is to find a parking spot that minimizes the chance of accidental dings. This means you shouldn’t park near vehicles, especially bigger ones, and try to avoid taking multiple parking spaces. Parking over the line often angers other drivers, heightening your chances of intentional damage. It’s also smart to avoid leaving your car around curbs or other obstacles, which ensures that you don’t hit your door with surrounding obstructions. 

But if you can’t be bothered to exercise these car protection techniques daily, you may consider purchasing the Ding Sticks product. “They attach magnetically in 3 seconds and come off in 1 second,” says Gruca. “You can drive around with them on the freeway and around town; they last at least 10 years and can easily be transferred between cars.”

“We make your spot the perfect spot anytime,” their motto says. The product acts as a barrier, absorbs the force of the impact, and helps to preserve the resale value of a car by maintaining its flawless exterior. 

Such accidents where people ding, dent, scratch, or hit other cars are more frequent than we might realize, with 73% of hit-and-runs from 2015 to 2019 being property damage only. Therefore, it’s always better to be safe and protect your belongings, which in turn saves you money. People can save up to $1,800 on any size dent with broken paint. 

Image credits: Michael Fousert (not the actual image)

Readers seemed to justify the author’s behavior and even shared their own stories

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