How to prove Ram dealership caused this damage?

[NinjaSue]

Looking for some advice, thanks in advance!

Took the van to the Ram dealership for an oil change. They took photos of the vehicle during drop off.  I took 2 quick shots myself. Picked it up, drove straight home, and within a week noticed the awning was damaged. The awning was not damaged when I took it in.  Notified the Ram service manager. He has responded "Hello, This could not have happen here. My racks that can lift the vehicle are 9 inches wide and also have stoppers covered in foam at the top of them to keep this from happening." 
 
He shared the photos they took of my vehicle on drop off. The ones he shared with me did not include any of the awning.  He provided a photo of the lift. 

I have no experience to argue back other than to say it's clear to me it was damaged while at the shop.  Anyone else have a more technical explaination?  Signaling @Exflyboy @Dicey

First photo- My photo at drop off - undamaged awning.

Second photo - Photo of damage

[NinjaSue]

Photos of lift from Ram

[Exflyboy]

Ugh that's a bummer!

Your photos are a little hard to see for some reason but whether the cross bars are covered in from or not, the are still capable of pushing in a dent of they make contact.. They just probably wouldn't remove any paint.

The trouble of course is that you didn't notice the damage while at the dealership, so while its highly likely this cause caused by pushing the vehicle into some overhead structure while on the lift, the problem is proving it.

I'm not sure what they mean by 9 inches wide?.. Do they mean 9 inches wider than the van?.. Either way the damage is on the top (at least I assume it is as your pics don't open very well) so I don't see why this is relevant?

If its obvious where the damage came from you might drive the van down there and look at the lift and see how the damage as caused.. I.e what it hit while being lifted.

You might be able to persuade the manager to step up if it obvious perhaps.

[Exflyboy]

Another thought.. looking more closely at the pic, the "thing" that hit the awning is 5 inches wide (you can see two creases 5 inches apart. I bet the cross beam on the lift exactly matches the width between the creases.

If the van would have been on the lift such the top beam would have more or less lined up with the dent and it is 5 inches wide.. Well then its pretty obvious what caused it.

I suspect the deeper dent was caused by the foam covered conduit, but that flexed upwards as the awning pushed it.. the the smaller crease was from the back edge of the 5" wide beam.

So yeah I'd go back down there and point this out. If  the cross beam is not 5 inches wide then it wasn't caused by the lift... I'm sure the manager would be eager to prove their innocence..:)

[sonofsven]

I would go there in person with the vehicle so they can see it, and you can see it on the lift; retrace your steps, as it were.
I would think they would be pretty hesitant to admit to any negligence in writing without having looked at it first.
Look for paint transfer on the dent, too.

[Boll weevil]

By stopper, does the dealer mean a fixed bumper or do they mean it’s somehow wired to stop the lift when contact is made? If it’s the latter, I’d probably lean toward them not causing the damage.

If you do go to check the lift at the shop, keep an eye out for other lifts that may have been used. The shop’s procedures may say that a particular lift was supposed to be used and that’s the one you got pictures of, but I could see a mechanic using another (perhaps even undersized) lift if the designated lift is occupied and they’re trying to move work through as quickly as possible.

[cpa cat]

If they stonewall you, tell them you want the information for their insurance company so you can make an insurance claim against them for the damage.

Chances are, you're going to get a manager call just for asking. If you still get no resolution, you can actually make the claim and see if you can convince an insurance adjuster. You can use the suggestions in this post in your claim.

[NinjaSue]

Thanks everyone. I did have a difficult time uploading the photos. Good suggestions- I hadn't considered contacting their insurance but will try the in person route first. So I just called over there to make an appointment with the general manager. Monday at 2 p.m.  He was familiar with the situation - said the service manager I had been speaking with kept him in the loop.  He said there was only 3 lifts there that could have been used and the rail on top on all 3 is 9" wide they can't understand how the damage would be 5" wide.   

Is it possible that the vehicle isn't exactly level when lifted and it hit only a portion of the top rail?  I know with 100% certainty it wasn't damaged when I dropped it off!
 

[Boll weevil]

Maybe it’s the perspective of the shot, but your second photo makes it look like the awning is flush with the solar panels, in which case how’d they crunch the awning without hitting the panels on a horizontal bar.

On the other hand, notice in the shop’s 2nd picture that there’s a hose reel hanging from the ceiling… is that mounted in a way where it could possibly hit the van?

Also, did they run it through a car wash afterwards? The dealership where I get my car serviced includes a free wash and more than once it dislodged part of a roof seal on my car.

Edit: another thing you may want to ask about/pay attention to is the location of security cameras and whether they’d have footage during or after the service.

[Exflyboy]

Oh that's where the 9" wide came from.. Hmm it wasn't the top rail that caused that damage then.

[Dicey]

Mr. Dicey says to have the dealer pull up their security cameras. They should show the condition of the van when you brought it in. Alternately, if you have security cameras at home, you could do the same thing. Act fast, as they typically don't keep the films long.

He instantly said the damage looked like it was from a lift.

Sorry this happened to you, but stay strong. You know you're in the right. Consider calling the local equivalent of ABC's "Seven on your Side" for additional assistance if the dealer balks. Let them know you're going to do it. And document the shit out of everything.

[Dicey]

Sorry if you mentioned this, but have you checked each solar panel? Asking for a friend.