Scrapes

[jennyjoan]

I keep my car on my drive way and noticed last Thursday a scrape running from the back to the front. I am annoyed as the car has only 9,000 miles on it and is 5 years old. I have an idea that two little boys who play in the street and I have found them in my driveway - have lifted two pebbles and scraped right down.

Now I will get them fix at the cost of £300 because of the mileage of the car and it is my last car. Because I did not catch them in action what can you.

Would it be a waste to put a car cover over it night (nuisance!!!!). Anyything you can suggest. Thanks

[Mosaic]

Nowt you can do but get worked up. Decide whether marks on the bodywork are important, or not - do they affect the running? If no, then rise above chips, dents, door dings and scuffs. I also do not clean my car. I believe nobody will be interested in stealing a dirty scuffed-up car.
Even if you did catch the kids doing it, are you confident their parents would be cooperative about it?
I discovered one source of scuffs was the paper delivery lad - buckles on his bag. He didn't mean it, or even know he'd done it.
You can generally tell the deliberate ones, they're deeper and slightly wave up and down. Accidental scuffs tend to be shallow and straight.

[TWR]

Jenny, with effort scratches can be taken out by using T Cut, It's hard work & also depends on the depth of the scratch.

[RATTER15]

£300 sounds very cheap for full length scratches involving 3 or 4 panels!

[ummmm]

That's very cheap.

[tonyav]

jj, before you cough up 300 quid get a smart repair guy to have a look at it.
Someone like this, other smart repairers are available so take a look in Yellow pages or have a look on line for one local to you. You may save yourself a few quid.
https://www.chipsaway.co.uk/

[jennyjoan]

I think they are two youngsters in the street but the scrapes are wavy but not deep.

[SirOracle]

Can you have a gate fitted to stop a recurrence in the future ?

[jennyjoan]

No Sir Oracle - my house and driveway would open plan. I'll just get them done and be over with it but if it happens again wouldn't get them done. The car is fairly young ie with the mileage.

[Dodger666]

Fit a CCTV camera and if they do it again tell their parents to pay, or notify the police.

[Electrochem]

Asking rather than telling the parents to pay may have a favourable outcome, although there is no obligation on their part to do so. I would like to think that a responsible parent would do so, but in this day and age...........

Reporting it to the police will be of no use unless a crime has been committed.