A Louisiana-based realtor and Tesla owner took his car through an automatic car wash. Afterward, he was astounded by the damage his car sustained.
Tyler (@tylervallot.exp) documented on TikTok how a piece of equipment became ensnared in the wash’s machinery, destroying some of his Tesla’s windows in the process.
In a series of clips, he explains how the WhiteWater Express car wash addressed the repair of his Tesla. Several commenters who replied to his videos, however, thought Tyler’s insurance premiums would increase.
WhiteWater Express car wash gone wrong
“Dude, I could not catch a freaking break. So look at this [expletive],” he says, recording his white Tesla vehicle. There are noticeable cracks in his car’s passenger side windows. Some indentations almost appear as if someone took a hammer to the side of the car.
The front passenger side window sports some bullet-hole-looking cracks. Furthermore, the rear passenger’s window has large chunks of its glass stripped from the panel, presenting a jagged aesthetic. Tyler explained what happened during his automatic car wash visit.
“So literally I’m going through this car wash at Whitewater. And, apparently, this…” He walks away from the car, aiming his camera lens at the ground. It appears to be a ratchet strap, as a large metal clasp is affixed to the cloth strap of the contraption.
This piece of equipment was tied up in one of the car wash’s spinning brushes. It twirled around at a high speed and collided with Tyler’s Tesla, destroying its windows.
“Was wrapped up in one of the little twirly things that just spins and washes your car,” Tyler continues.
Stop the wash
The EV owner described the scary scenario he experienced whilst inside his vehicle.
“While I’m sitting in the car wash, and it just like, pow, pow, pow! And I’m like what the hell’s going on?” he recalls. “So I’m like screaming ’cause it’s like somebody’s banging on my window. I’m screaming. I’m honking the horn for them to stop. And then stopped and I am just. I literally cannot believe.”
Furthermore, the TikTok user went on to describe the string of bad luck he’s been having with his car lately. “First rear-ended last week…this week this,” he says. As he continued to survey his car, he shows off more damage. The furthermost small window panel on the passenger side is destroyed. His front windshield also has a small crack on its bottom right side as well.
A recurring question that popped up in the comments section of his video was the matter of replacement. Numerous folks wanted to know how the car wash company responded to the damage on his Tesla.
@tylervallot.exp Just wanted to wash the car……..
♬ original sound – tylervallot.exp
Did the car wash offer a replacement?
In a follow-up clip, Tyler shares the car wash’s reaction to seeing the damage. It appears they didn’t blink an eye when it came to covering repairs.
“And just in case this happens to any of y’all, yes, they are replacing it,” Tyler says. “So when it happened, they had me go into the office. Fill out an accident report and sign. And they have 72 hours to reach out to you. They did call me on the third day, so right in the nick of time.”
However, during his call with a rep from the business, the situation became further complicated. Initially, Tyler was informed they would mend the window damage. “Said they were gonna fix it after two more days. They said, ‘No, we’re gonna send it to our insurance company. You can deal with our insurance.’ So then I called their insurance, and it’s just a whole big mess.”
The issue became even more of a problem for Tyler. That’s due to the fact that finding a certified Tesla repair center in his area was a tall order. “Because only one place in my city actually is certified to work on Teslas,” he says.
Insurance gets involved
At this point in the repair process, Tyler hit up his own insurance company to handle it. Rather than give himself a headache, he alerted his own insurance company to the problem. So his own insurance provider would cover the damage.
However, since Tyler wasn’t at fault, he got an agent from his insurance to contact an agent from the car wash’s insurance.
He did clarify, however, that throughout the entire process, the car wash never denied culpability. “So, yes, they are replacing it, they never tried to not replace it,” he notes. “They were, pretty apologetic about it, but I’m still [expletive]”
Will this kind of accident cause insurance increases?
Numerous folks who replied to Tyler’s follow-up clip said hitting up his own insurance provider was a bad play.
“Oof!!! You made a claim with your insurance?” one wrote.
Another said that his personal rates would go up as a result, even though the damage wasn’t his fault. “Bahahahahahaha, enjoy that higher premium goofy,” they laughed.
Someone else replied, “Noooo, don’t ever make a claim on your own insurance.”
Another offered up a more detailed response. “Don’t make a claim against your own insurance if theirs is going to cover it. You will probably be stuck with the deductible. It will go on your record and they will raise your premiums.”
One person said that their own insurance rate went up in a similar experience. But they didn’t even get a payout. “I asked for an adjuster to look at damage to my car. I did NOT file a claim,” they wrote. “4 months later, my rates went up $80 a month. They said it was because I inquired about repairs. I did NOT cost them.”
@tylervallot.exp Replying to @Ashleililil44 ♬ original sound – tylervallot.exp
Others deny
However, some folks who responded to Tyler’s post said they pulled the same moves he did. And as a result, their insurance premiums never increased.
“Good move that’s what insurance is for. I filed a claim with mine a few years ago. Not at fault head on collision my premium never went up,” one user said. “My car was totaled my insurance went after other party.”
Another approved of Tyler’s process, too: “Best way to do it! & go after diminished value for your vehicle as well.”
Someone else echoed the aforementioned sentiment, too. “Correct answer. Use your insurance and let them go after the other party always,” they said. “I had to do the same after an accident. Also, make sure you have a quality insurance company, not the cheapest available.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to WhiteWater Car Wash and Tyler via TikTok comment for further information.
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