Stupid and expensive mistakes - feeling like crap tonight

[forgodssakes]

A bird shit on the bonnet of my car a few weeks ago in the work car park, I then took ill and I have been off sick from work and I have had various other personal stuff going on and I just didn’t get round to taking it to the car wash until today. I got home and I have realised it has eaten away at the paint, took it the local body shop and it needs a full bonnet respray at £500+. It’s a lease car and goes back in 2 months so I have no choice but to fix it but I feel like such an idiot. Someone please tell me your stupid and expensive mistakes and make me feel a tiny bit better.

Oh yes, my DH didn't respect the red beeps on our reverse camera warning lights and we have all the dings on the back to prove it. Goodness knows what it will cost to get it all repaired but I'm sure all the various scratches are now upwards of £3k

My husband spent the same on a tuna steak two years ago because he'd had a nice chat with the fishmonger and was too awkward to say anything.

I bought a new pair of expensive prescription glasses with thinned lenses. And the next damaged the anti glaze coating when I wasn't paying attention and ran them under the boiling water tap thing at work instead of the cold water tap. The glaze was cracked/crazed across the whole of the right lens and most of the left. I did cry

I would try t cut and return as is. My last lease car got keyed 3 times when I used to live (and so rightly parked) on a private road.

Damage was over multiple panels and I got a quote prior to returning which was £1500. Called the lease company and they suggested returning and they would price it up as it would be likely cheaper in-house as that was their business to turn them around again for sale. They charged me half the price so it was well worth it for me (although really pissed me off that it had been keyed and the police didn't care)!

They do take into account some fair wear and tear.

How long have you had the car?

I thought lease companies just send them straight to action? I’ve had it almost 2 years and it is immaculate apart from this.

Tried to save money by stripping the paint on the house wall ourselves, because the quote from the builder was outrageous.

In the middle of the job, DH stepped backwards, startling the cat who was walking behind him; she jumped into the paint kettle, getting the nasty highly alkaline paint stripper on her feet. The cost of the emergency vet bills would have gone a long way towards getting the job professionally done, and would have been considerably less traumatic for the poor cat (who recovered completely, you’ll be pleased to know).

I’ve just returned a lease car and it was an absolute nightmare. In fact, it’s still rumbling on two months later as the lease company reckon the boot doesn’t close properly. You definitely can’t just give it back dirty!

We spent a fortune respraying our first lease car to get rid of the scratches before we returned it and they didn't even check it! Never did that again.

We ended up just buying our lease car - couldn't face all the ding repairs!

You’re not stupid I had no idea bird poop could damage a car 😵‍💫

Are you sure it's not the car wash that has damaged the paint? I've left bird shit on my car for longer with no damage to the paint.

They saw a woman coming, and trying to take you for a idiot. Use polish and elbow grease. All male garages are like that.

Get some T cut in same colour that will get rid of it ! I had a a couple of marks on my car rubbed it with t cut worked a treat !

You need to respray a whole panel for it to look as good as new. My husband is a car body repair specialist and this is a VERY common occurrence.

But they would say that, wouldn’t they?

(Such a great line, Mandy Rice Davis, you have your place in history!)

I’ve got a massive bird poop on my car from last week, maybe I should wash it off! Luckily it’s on the roof so I couldn’t see if it damaged it anyway!

The man at the body shop actually told me to just send it back like that and argue it but I can’t take the stress and anxiety that it would cause me and it might prove to be even more expensive

I’ve had exactly this happen to me. Doesn’t surprise me that you need to pay £500.

My neighbour had a mobile company come to fix a small few bits on their car recently - it exists ! Don't pay that much

Here’s my expensive mistake-
went to the local shopping centre and had our car cleaned in the car park. When we left, we went and paid for the car cleaning but totally forgot to pay the usual car parking fee at the machine so have just had a £95 parking ticket through the post 😫

But it's not new. How can you possibly expect a car that has been used and parked for 1/2/3 years on public roads - going up to 70mph for thousands of miles - to still look like it's just left the factory?

Before it goes back, pay for a full detail valet and ask them to sort the mark out. I have a car shop near me called Smarty Paint - they sort stuff like this out but its nit permanent, hence why I suggested you leave it until its due to go back.

I was once convinced the reverse sensors were lying, reversed into a bollard and needed a whole new rear light (about £200)

I’ve done exactly the same. There was a tall post which I could see, assumed the sensors were beeping about that, ignored them, reversed into bollard. Gahhhh

One to make you chuckle.

My parents had an argument back in the 70s when they had very little money about whether they needed to open both gates to get the Mini on the drive.

Df decided to prove he was right by demonstration.

Dm was right and they had to pay for a new wing mirror.

This is why we need laugh emoji back please !

T cut . Job done