Shocking paint attack at Bunnings leaves woman furious—who's to blame for her ruined car?
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Bunnings Warehouse is a household name in Australia, known as the go-to destination for all home improvement needs.
With numerous stores nationwide, the retailer sees thousands of customers pass through its aisles and parking lots each day.
One such customer was Carol, who visited a Bunnings location just before Christmas. Little did she know, her quick trip would lead to a month-long saga over a paint-covered car.
Carol and her husband visited their local Bunnings store in Chatswood, on Sydney's north shore.
As they were shopping, another customer accidentally drove over a can of black paint that had been dropped in the car park.
The can exploded, and paint splattered all over one side of Carol's vehicle, causing significant damage.
The incident has since remained unresolved. Carol claims that Bunnings has refused to take any responsibility or pay for the damage, arguing that the incident happened in a public car park.
Carol, however, believes that Bunnings should cover the bill for the damage, as there were no signs warning motorists to park at their own risk.
Carol's car is 17 years old and only covered by third-party insurance. So Carol contacted 2GB host Ben Fordham on 25 January seeking advice on what to do over the incident.
'It's not a public car park,' Carol told Fordham.
'It (the car) is a mess.’
'My husband was at Bunnings when he approached by a staff member at the time when it happened who said “We've got cleaning fluids upstairs.”'
‘But he told them, “No, you've got to sort it out.”'
Despite contacting Bunnings five times over the past month and speaking to two managers, Carol says the situation hasn’t progressed.
She also claims to have at least three witnesses who can corroborate their story.
'He's also been in twice and spoken to two of the managers but they haven't done anything,' Carol claimed.
'This was over a month ago—this was prior to Christmas.'
The incident has divided public opinion. Some believe Carol should report the incident to the police, while others think she should foot the bill herself.
A lawyer named Rod called into the 2GB radio show to say that Bunnings should be liable in the first instance.
'It's their responsibility to keep their car park safe and to mitigate risk to others,' he told Fordham.
'But and it's a big but, people who suffer loss or damage have an obligation to mitigate their loss.’
'So if Carol's husband was offered cleaning products right there and then by Bunnings and failed to do anything about it and wipe the paint off while it's still wet, then that's a significant problem for her.’
'She or he should have cleaned it off with cleaning products right there and there, and the entire damage could have been mitigated immediately.'
Bunnings confirmed the incident, stating that their team offered the customer cleaning materials for the car.
'As soon as our team became aware, they offered the customer cleaning materials to help them remove the paint,' Bunnings Regional Manager Alan Harvey said.
'While our team did everything they could to assist at the time, unfortunately actions of other customers shopping with us are often beyond our control.'
The incident serves as a reminder to all consumers to be aware of their rights and responsibilities when using car parks.
It also highlights the importance of having comprehensive car insurance, which can provide coverage in situations like this.
What do you think, members? Should Bunnings be held responsible for the damage to Carol's car, or should she foot the bill herself? Let us know in the comments below.
With numerous stores nationwide, the retailer sees thousands of customers pass through its aisles and parking lots each day.
One such customer was Carol, who visited a Bunnings location just before Christmas. Little did she know, her quick trip would lead to a month-long saga over a paint-covered car.
Carol and her husband visited their local Bunnings store in Chatswood, on Sydney's north shore.
As they were shopping, another customer accidentally drove over a can of black paint that had been dropped in the car park.
The can exploded, and paint splattered all over one side of Carol's vehicle, causing significant damage.
Carol’s car was vandalised with paint by another car after visiting a Bunnings Warehouse, but the store refused to pay damages for the vehicle. Images: 2GB
The incident has since remained unresolved. Carol claims that Bunnings has refused to take any responsibility or pay for the damage, arguing that the incident happened in a public car park.
Carol, however, believes that Bunnings should cover the bill for the damage, as there were no signs warning motorists to park at their own risk.
Carol's car is 17 years old and only covered by third-party insurance. So Carol contacted 2GB host Ben Fordham on 25 January seeking advice on what to do over the incident.
'It's not a public car park,' Carol told Fordham.
'It (the car) is a mess.’
'My husband was at Bunnings when he approached by a staff member at the time when it happened who said “We've got cleaning fluids upstairs.”'
‘But he told them, “No, you've got to sort it out.”'
Despite contacting Bunnings five times over the past month and speaking to two managers, Carol says the situation hasn’t progressed.
She also claims to have at least three witnesses who can corroborate their story.
'He's also been in twice and spoken to two of the managers but they haven't done anything,' Carol claimed.
'This was over a month ago—this was prior to Christmas.'
The incident has divided public opinion. Some believe Carol should report the incident to the police, while others think she should foot the bill herself.
A lawyer named Rod called into the 2GB radio show to say that Bunnings should be liable in the first instance.
'It's their responsibility to keep their car park safe and to mitigate risk to others,' he told Fordham.
'But and it's a big but, people who suffer loss or damage have an obligation to mitigate their loss.’
'So if Carol's husband was offered cleaning products right there and then by Bunnings and failed to do anything about it and wipe the paint off while it's still wet, then that's a significant problem for her.’
'She or he should have cleaned it off with cleaning products right there and there, and the entire damage could have been mitigated immediately.'
Bunnings confirmed the incident, stating that their team offered the customer cleaning materials for the car.
'As soon as our team became aware, they offered the customer cleaning materials to help them remove the paint,' Bunnings Regional Manager Alan Harvey said.
'While our team did everything they could to assist at the time, unfortunately actions of other customers shopping with us are often beyond our control.'
The incident serves as a reminder to all consumers to be aware of their rights and responsibilities when using car parks.
It also highlights the importance of having comprehensive car insurance, which can provide coverage in situations like this.
What do you think, members? Should Bunnings be held responsible for the damage to Carol's car, or should she foot the bill herself? Let us know in the comments below.
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