ALDI: "I'm sorry. We don't have cameras in our parking lot. The quarters are to return the carts."

[TheBlackAdder]

.

Some jerk rammed their shopping cart into the side of my front fender, towards the rear of the wheel well.

Aldi carts are relatively heavy metal, so it left a large dent that will require fender replacement.


When I went inside to ask about filing a claim, they said that the quarters used to take out a cart were their enticement to return them, and they have no cameras in their parking lot.


It's fucking 2019! What retail establishment doesn't have parking lot cameras?

What a way to discharge that responsibility. No film, no action on Aldi's part to protect their customers.

Now, you have to wonder how safe their parking lots are at night time.

.

[RockRaven]

1. It occurs to me that there is a difference between not having cameras and *saying* they

don't have cameras.

I could see a corporate policy of "those recordings are for OUR use, not for customers to use in disputes against each other, so just deny all customer requests/questions." After all, it is always possible one of the employees caused damage to a customer's vehicle themselves, and the company would not want to hand over evidence of their own liability. As a top-down corporate policy, never sharing the recordings, and even denying their existence to inquiring customers (outside of a law enforcement/court proceeding, of course) would make a lot of sense if you assume corporate policies are amoral.

It does not necessarily mean the person you spoke to knew they were lying to you, maybe they were even been misled by their superior.

But I'm straying into tin-foil-hat land. Probably they really don't have cameras. Probably they don't have cameras because a) they're being cheap and b) they don't want to document evidence of their own employees' behavior which rarely but non-zero-ly could be used against them.

[FoxNewsSucks]

5. I've heard that is the way Walmart views it,

the cameras are to protect them, not you.

QuikTrip is a little better. A few years ago someone stole a credit card out of my locker at the Y. They filled up their car at a QuikTrip here. The CC gave me the time and info for the charge. So I went to the QT to see if they had footage, and if I might recognize who at the Y broke into my locker. At the time, they didn't have cameras that covered the gas pumps. The guy used a pump close to the street which was not visible to the building cameras.

The manager at the QT did suggest that maybe whoever it was came in to buy something inside, and had me come back to their computer to look at the cash register video from the time the thief was there to see if I recognized anyone. Unfortunately, I didn't. The manager said that if I had, while they couldn't give me a copy of the video, they would save it for the police and prosecutor.

So some places will make good use of the cameras. These days, I assume everywhere in public has cameras and microphones. It does kinda suck, but I guess the occasional catching of someone who hits your car or steals your stuff makes it somewhat worthwhile.

[jberryhill]

2. "When I went inside to ask about filing a claim"

Could you elaborate on that part?

I’m not quite understanding how it is Aldi’s responsibility to have a camera in the parking lot, or to turn the video over to whomever asks, for that matter.

But you went inside to ask them about what?

[TheBlackAdder]

4. To inquire on video and to see if they had a claim process for damage on their property.

.

It doesn't hurt to ask, and any reasonable person would.

.

[jberryhill]

8. Oh. I didn't know what you meant

I’m sorry about your car.

I wouldn’t have thought they were obliged to have a video camera, though.

[TheBlackAdder]

14. I raised the security issue because a former co-worker's sister was murdered at a supermarket at 8PM

.

The store had no security cameras in their parking lot, and it was in an upper-middle class neighborhood.

No one saw anything. It is an unsolved murder.

.

[GulfCoast66]

3. I'm inclined to shop at stores with no cameras.

I hate the no privacy culture we have now.

It boggles my mind that a store should be responsible for filming everything that happens on their premises.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

6. No cameras in the parking lot of my grocery store, and I don't feel unsafe. In fact, cameras out in

public tend to make me feel less safe.

[lame54]

7. No cameras in our parking lot - and I'm glad

[Ms. Toad]

9. Your beef is with the jerk who rammed your car, not ALDIS

They are not (as a general rule) liable for the negligence of others on their property. As far as the cart return - I can't remember the last time I saw an ALDI's cart floating loose, in contrast to pretty much every other place with cart corrals, so the quarters must work pretty well.

I know it sucks, but that's what car insurance is for - for when some jerk damages your car and doesn't pay for it. When I have a new car, it's worth it to pay the additional premium to do things like replace a bumper when the offender is unknown or uninsured. When the car gets older, not so much - I live with the dings.

But either way - it's not, as a general rule, ALDI's responsbility.

[Hortensis]

30. This.

[TwilightZone]

10. In most cases, from what I've seen, it's park at your own risk.

Places like Target, grocery stores, and shopping malls have signs everywhere that state that they're not responsible for damage, so their stance isn't out of the ordinary. Aldi is very price-conscious, so it also doesn't surprise me that they don't have cameras in the lots.

I'm not sure how Aldi could be held responsible for the damage. A camera would be helpful to potentially determine the perpetrator, but you'd probably have to get the police and/or your insurance company involved.

[Raine]

11. Costco near me has no

cameras. Lots of car break ins and hit and runs happen there but there's no help in catching the perp since there's no cameras.

[TheBlackAdder]

15. The problem is, those who crime know where to do the crimes.

[Xolodno]

12. It's probably not their parking lot...

They probably lease the building and they leave cleaning, security, etc. up to the leasing company.

You could file a claim with your insurance company (assuming you have full coverage) and they will have it repaired....and won't bother with subrogating with the company that leases the building. As the cost of going after the offender will cost more than repairing your vehicle.

Top it off, the building owner probably state they aren't responsible nor required to have video cameras. And if they do, not required to turn it over to you.

[aikoaiko]

13. I get it /you're upset about your car.

But ranting about Aldi not having parking lot cameras and recostings seems a bit misplaced.

[TheBlackAdder]

16. Oh, I'm ticked at that jerk as this will be out-of-pocket for me. Aldi was no support--at all.

[Hortensis]

32. Aldi's supposed to sell you groceries and does.

I used to work in insurance, Adder, and unjust claims filed against the nearest identified pocketbook are very common. By your own account, though, it's not Aldi's fault. They have no liability, they didn't injure you, and you should get over being upset at them.

Whether it's right to be upset that they can't provide information to identify the jerk because they don't spy on their customers in the parking lot I suppose would be a matter of opinion. I've been there, though.

When my purse was snatched in the parking lot of a large Los Angeles mall protected by both mall security and an LAPD office right there in the mall, their monitoring didn't notice and cameras didn't catch it. I was disappointed, but that didn't make them the purse snatchers. At least I had a spare key inside the car, but neither were allowed to help by opening my car for me because I now had no identification to show it was mine. The mall was 2 hours from home, so I wasn't exactly pleased with that either. (!) But I understood why they were no support -- beyond providing a phone for me to call my husband, who was in bed recovering from back surgery 2 days before. That was worthwhile assistance I have to admit since it kept me from having to beg for change from strangers.

[TheBlackAdder]

34. And I'm a resident and if someone walks to my door and hurts themselves, I get sued.

.

Even with No Trespass signs, that only gives marginal protection, not in the quasi-public domain.

.

[Hortensis]

39. And if your walkway has no hazards that's just plain wrong,

isn't it?

You usually won't get sued, though. Policies usually include a little no-fault..."slush fund" so to speak for paying when you don't actually have any liability -- IF claimants can actually show injury and expenses -- to encourage them not to file a lawsuit to get the $200 the ER billed to Steri-Strip a cut paid. At worst claimants may harass your company for more money, which the company may or may not pay to get rid of them.

Btw, of interest here on DU, where health insurance is frequently discussed, for several decades now our home, auto and business policies have been paying for a lot of the medical care needed by people who can't pay for it. It's been an occult health insurance system paid for by our insurance premiums, but the costs got worse and worse as expensive medical technology continued to develop. Like a teen we knew with a bad knee that was reinjured as a passenger in a car when our son's friend hit the brakes for a hole in the road. The driver didn't do anything wrong, but the care needed and bills were substantial enough that his family sued his friend's family to get their insurance to cover it. Not admirable, and the insured parents took it poorly, but the boy's parents apparently didn't have the money and he really needed the arthroscopic cleanout, physical therapy, etcetera.

I'm sure the many millions more who now have insurance through the ACA has relieved this problem somewhat, but just one more reason we should have universal coverage.

[USALiberal]

17. Really, you thought this belong in general discussion? Try the lounge! Nt

[Niagara]

18. I would file a claim with the insurance company

At least you could get the damaged fixed to your vehicle. I know, it sucks.


It's like we can't have nice things these days and nobody seems to respect other peoples property.

[TheBlackAdder]

19. Unfortunately, I have a $750 deductable and it's just the fender panel.

.

It's probably less to fix than that, and even if it was a little more, I'd rather not file a claim for a few hundred.

.

[Niagara]

20. Perhaps this technique will work for you

It would save you money if it actually works and you wouldn't have to file a claim.

[TheBlackAdder]

21. Thanks, but it's creeved at the fender well, pushing in the metal and cracking the paint.

.

Unfortunately, it's not a semi-flat piece of metal. It's kinked in pretty good, and for about 8-10 inches in height.

At the bottom of the vertical crease, is a horizontal one that appears to have been from the bottom of the cart basket.


If you look at that image of the video, imaging a single panel that includes below the gas filler door. A few inches below that door, to the mud flap is pushed in a couple of inches, which includes that formed 1 inch faux-fender. I was stunned how deep it was, and a few who looked at it thought a car pushed the cart into my car because it was so deep.

.

[MichMan]

24. You might get lucky and find one the right color at a salvage yard

You can search here for salvage yards all over the country

http://www.car-part.com/

[Niagara]

25. That's a great idea!

[Blue_true]

22. Cameras won't make people properly return or collect shopping carts.

My guess is the person that had the cart that hit your fender took their stuff out, jumped into their car and drove away. The cart likely then ran into your vehicle.

You may not need to replace your fender. The external shell of modern fenders is carbon fiber, it can be warmed and bent back into shape. You may need a light paint touchup afterwards. Find a body shop that has good reviews for honestly and workmanship.

[MichMan]

23. Carbon fiber ???

Not likely

[mr_lebowski]

26. Not to mention carbon fiber is pretty much irreparable, like fiberglass ...

This is crazy-talk ...

[Blue_true]

42. I may have gotten the material wrong, but the exterior of most modern bumpers are rather easily

repaired, I saw it done by an auto repair tech on a new model car.

Actually you are wrong about fiberglass. If it does not suffer a fracture that weaken the composite, it can be reshaped using heat and shaping pressure. So much for crazy talk eh?

[Blue_true]

40. It is a fibrous type material. Your are right that it was not carbon fiber,

that came to my mind as a description. Regardless, the material can be reformed with a small amount of effort, I saw a retired auto body mechanic do the procedure once on a new model car.

[TheBlackAdder]

35. This is a steel fender, and it is not patchable.

[Blue_true]

41. How old is the car? nt

[TheBlackAdder]

43. 2011 Subaru Outback.

.

It's dent is larger than my hand spread completely open by two inches side-to side and four inches vertical.

It's goes in at least an inch and a half and creased the faux fender that is on the wheel well, putting a kink in the metal and cracking the paint. It's so large, that it is unbelievable that just a rolling shopping cart did it. The car was on a flat asphalt surface.


Unfortunately, it's cheaper to replace fenders than to fill, especially with newer cars and their thinner sheet metal.

.

[Blue_true]

44. Sounds like more than a shopping cart hit your vehicle.

Maybe some idiot pushed the shopping cart into your vehicle with another vehicle. Good luck, sounds like you are out of maybe several hundred.

[RhodeIslandOne]

27. I know a mall I worked at had no cameras whatsoever.

Inside or out. I was shocked.

[Vinca]

28. Try filing a small claims action against Aldis after you get it fixed and have a paid bill in hand.

We've had to do that a couple of times over the years and each time the other party paid up before the court appearance. Not having cameras in the lot seems negligent. I also noticed at the Aldis near me they only have one spot to return the carts to right next to the door of the store. Every other grocery store has multiple "cart corrals" around the parking lot. A person who doesn't care about their quarter refund will just let their empty cart go and this time it went into your fender. The cost for filing a small claims suit is minimal where I live.

[beachbum bob]

29. hate to say but what happens in the parking lot stays in the parking lot....no retailer has

responsibility for what happens with the carts....

[barbtries]

31. my son works at target

he started out on overnights. one day when i walked out to go to work, i noticed that my car was wrecked. someone had backed into it quite violently.

I'm not sure security ever even pulled the tape to look, but we go no help. the person was never caught.

[JI7]

33. they probably did have cameras but just didn't want to show it

[xmas74]

37. Most Aldi do not

Unless they share their lot with other businesses.

[xmas74]

36. Most Aldi do not have cameras.

One less thing to spend money on.

Walmart has them but they aren't always on. They were known for installing them when there was union talk and some stores only turn them on if talks resume.

My brother was in loss prevention. He has stories.

[boston bean]

38. Do you have car insurance?

None of that should matter for your claim.

You have to pay a deductible no matter what.