Ever wonder about valet service?

When you valet your car at restaurants,do you wonder how they are treating your car? With shades of "Ferris Bueller", the other night, my wife and I were at a restaurant downtown. Upon leaving, the manager informed me that the valet had an accident in my car. I figured it was probably a fender bender or a scratch.When we walked 2 blocks to where the accident was, I couldn't believe my eyes ! There was my corvette ZO6 smashed all to hell.The front wheel was completely sheared off,front and rear ends smashed, and side body work ripped off. So, next time you valet your car, think about what happened to me, you might be better off parking yourself, and walking !!!

[Robin Garr]

Whoa! Got any more detail on that story, John? Did they offer any explanation about what happened? I assume a police report was filed?

And I think it would probably be entirely appropriate to name the restaurant ...

Yes they did have an explanation.He gunned it on River Rd. and lost control of the car.This happened at Morton"s Steakhouse. A police report was filed and according to police it was careless driving..duh!! My car is a total loss, as the frame was bent. According to the valet company's insurance, they are only covering the book value and not the replacement cost. That was one expensive steak !!!

Whoa! That sounds like more than an "accident." And I think that as soon as it happened the valet service should have come into the restaurant and told you. But maybe it just happened as you were finishing your meal. Anyway, if it's a reputable valet service they are insured. Was anyone hurt?

That sounds like negligence. Time to call "The Hammer."

The valet was fine, but I'm pretty sure he had a sore chest the next day, since the airbag deployed. He would have been hurt if we had turned my VERY angry wife on him !!

I thought Corvettes came with a valet key that only lets the engine operate a fraction of it's full power. Is this not the case anymore?

Sorry to hear about your car.

[Robin Garr]

According to the valet company's insurance, they are only covering the book value and not the replacement cost. That was one expensive steak !!!

Really sorry to hear about your experience, John.

I do think that if it were me, though, after hearing that "offer," I'd be calling an attorney today.

Robin, I was on the phone to my lawyer within 2 minutes after seeing the wreck!! Hopefully he will get this resolved in a good way, but my experience with insurance companies,I will most likely be on "the short end of the stick".

[Robin Garr]

Well, good luck, guy ... I hope the results exceed your expectations. And thanks for posting here. Your Ferris Bueller story reminds us that some of this stuff doesn't just happen in movies.

Be sure your attorney has a copy of your auto policy. There is a chance, perhaps slim, that you have collision on a replacement cost basis. Never fun dealing with this stuff.

I hope they comped dessert!

"Winger

If that doesn't work, maybe try going to the media. The last thing a place like Morton's wants is bad publicity.

thanks annemarie,I have already replied to the ceo of morton's. I got home that night and there was an email from Morton's asking how my experience at Morton's was. I let 'em have it !!! Stay tuned.....

i myself don't let anyone else touch my car. i'm content to park it myself.

While it's offered many places, I have trust issues as well. I rode my like down to Forecastle in the summer to avoid the internal combustion parking scene to find they had valet parking for bicycles. I couldn't bring myself to leave it and had to follow along with the attendant to see where she chained up my bike and how it was handled. No way I could leave it in the hands of a stranger.

As I have said more than once on this forum, all of us are only as good as our worst night, or employee. The valet service does have insurance at Morton's, where as some people parking your cars do not. Often at a party when the host is given the price difference between company w/ insurance & the other company-- it comes down to price for many people. Thankfully, no one was hurt.