Kia Sonet damaged during towing by RSA | Who is responsible

My car was towed by Kia's RSA Team and was damaged while towing it to the service centre.

Thanks to Ameya Lokhande for sending this in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing it with other enthusiasts via this Team-BHP share page!

I'm a Team-BHPian for about a decade now. I bought a Kia Sonet HTX Auto D. My car was towed by Kia's RSA Team and was damaged while towing it to the service centre. Now, the Kia showroom insists it's not their fault and I should repair it with my insurance. I would like to bring this issue to our fellow Team BHPians attention. Thank you.

Here's what BHPian lsjey had to say on the matter:

The RSA provider usually will be different from the dealer. The RSA provider should foot the bill for the repairs, for the damages done during transit. The dealer should help the customer in this process.

Please fight your case with the dealer, RSA provider and Kia. Do get all communications in written form. If discussions fail, these can be used in consumer court also.

Here's what BHPian humyum had to say on the matter:

How can someone damage it from the rear while towing it on a flat bed?

Are you sure nothing in the suspension etc. is damaged? This maybe a case of the car rolling and falling off the flat bed and someone hitting it.

Why I doubt this even more is the front of the car being damaged, which could happen if the car has hit the ramp while it fell off while coming down.

Here's what BHPian PaddleShifter had to say on the matter:

The RSA is provided from Kia, the manufacturer. Dealer is the authorized point for sales and service. I feel Kia should take ownership and rather than making the individual customer run after the dealer and RSA company. Kia should handle this for the customer and seek cooperation of both ASC and RSA.

When my car was loaded on a flatbed, I did not leave it to the towing guy. I actually travelled to the dealership in the truck after they picked up my broken down car from the road. Rather than fighting with the people, it is always best to keep a watchful eye on everything.

Here's what BHPian gkveda had to say on the matter:

The RSA Team would be usually sub-contracted by the dealers. So, in usual case, dealer should be held responsible for the accidents that happen during transit. Sometimes, if insurance does not cover towing charges, the dealer will provide the contact of RSA team and will ask owner to book the towing truck.

So the question here is, did the owner book the tow truck himself or was it booked through Kia dealer? If it was booked by the owner, the dealer cannot be held responsible for the damages.

Owner has to catch the tow truck agency and get it settled. If the dealer has booked the truck through sub-contracting route, then the dealership is responsible for the mishaps during transit.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.