Customer Vehicle Damage & Incident Reporting Policy

This Policy establishes a structured process for identifying, recording, reporting, investigating and resolving incidents involving customer vehicles while they are at, or under the operational custody of, VahanXpert Services. It is intended to support prompt communication, evidence preservation, fair assessment and appropriate corrective action.

This Policy applies to incidents involving customer vehicles during vehicle intake, parking, servicing, repair, washing, road testing, pickup/drop, movement within the workshop, insurance repair activity, delivery preparation or other authorised workshop operations.

• New visible damage to the vehicle while under workshop custody.
• Damage occurring during internal vehicle movement or road testing.
• Accident, collision or third-party incident involving a customer vehicle.
• Loss or damage to a component, accessory or item specifically recorded as received by the Garage.
• Key loss, suspected theft or other material security incident affecting the vehicle.
• Fire, flood, electrical incident or other event affecting the vehicle.
• Any other material incident that may reasonably affect the condition, safety or custody of the vehicle.

• Protection of people and immediate safety shall take priority over administrative reporting.
• Where necessary, the vehicle should be stopped or moved to a safe location.
• Emergency services, roadside assistance or other appropriate support may be contacted where required.
• Further use of a damaged or unsafe vehicle should be avoided where continued operation may create additional risk.

Any employee or authorised person who becomes aware of a material vehicle incident should report it promptly to the service/workshop manager or other designated management representative. The report should be made as soon as reasonably practicable after the incident is identified.

• Vehicle registration number and job card/invoice reference.
• Date, approximate time and location of incident.
• Description of the incident and circumstances known at the time.
• Person(s) involved or responsible for vehicle movement, where known.
• Photographs or video of the vehicle condition and relevant area, where reasonably practicable.
• Existing intake photographs or condition records for comparison.
• Details of any third party, witness, police report, insurer or roadside assistance involvement, where applicable.

Before attributing responsibility for newly observed damage, VahanXpert Services may compare the vehicle's condition with intake photographs, job-card notes, inspection reports and other available records. The existence of a complaint or newly reported damage alone shall not be treated as conclusive proof of when or how the damage occurred.

• Where a material incident affecting the vehicle is identified, the Customer should be informed within a reasonable operational period after the relevant facts are sufficiently known.
• The initial communication should provide factual information available at that time and should avoid unsupported conclusions about responsibility.
• Further information may be provided after investigation, inspection or insurer assessment.

• Authorised management may review job cards, photographs, CCTV where available, road-test records, key records, staff statements, customer statements and other relevant evidence.
• The relevant technician, driver or service advisor may be asked to provide an incident account.
• Where an insurance or third-party claim is involved, relevant insurer or authority procedures may be followed.
• The investigation should distinguish, where reasonably possible, between pre-existing damage, service-related damage, road incidents, third-party causes and other circumstances.

Where an incident may be covered by an applicable insurance policy or involves a third party, VahanXpert Services may initiate or assist with the relevant claim/reporting process. Any insurer's assessment, policy terms, deductible, exclusions or surveyor findings may affect the available remedy.

• The driver should first take reasonable steps to protect people and comply with applicable legal requirements.
• The incident should be reported to authorised workshop management promptly.
• Relevant vehicle and scene photographs may be collected where lawful and reasonably safe.
• Police, insurer, roadside assistance or other authorities may be contacted where required by the circumstances or applicable law.
• The vehicle should not be repaired or altered in a manner that unnecessarily destroys relevant evidence before an inspection where an insurance or dispute investigation is pending, except where necessary for safety.

Where damage is alleged to have occurred during parking, washing, lifting, servicing, repair or other workshop operations, the Garage may inspect the relevant area, review the vehicle's intake condition and obtain statements from personnel involved. Any corrective action or remedy shall be determined after reasonable review of the facts and applicable terms.

If an item specifically recorded as received by VahanXpert Services is reported missing or damaged, the Garage may investigate the custody record, relevant personnel access and available evidence. Personal belongings that were not recorded as handed over to the Garage remain the Customer's responsibility, subject to applicable law and the actual circumstances.

• Where a service-related issue is established and the Garage is responsible, an appropriate corrective action may be considered in accordance with applicable warranty, service and legal terms.
• Possible corrective action may include inspection, rectification, repair, replacement or another mutually appropriate solution.
• Where the cause is outside the Garage's responsibility, the Customer may be informed of the findings and relevant third-party process.

• Relevant photographs, CCTV records where available, job cards, estimates, invoices, road-test records, communications and incident notes should be preserved where reasonably practicable.
• Records should not be intentionally altered or destroyed after a material incident is reported.
• Access to incident records should be restricted to authorised personnel and legitimate claim/investigation purposes.

• Provide accurate information about the reported incident.
• Make the vehicle available for reasonable inspection.
• Provide relevant documents, photographs or information in the Customer's possession.
• Avoid unauthorised alteration or repair of the disputed area where an inspection is pending, except where immediate safety requires action.

If the Customer disagrees with the incident assessment, the matter may be escalated to authorised management for review. The review may consider all available evidence and, where applicable, the findings of an insurer, manufacturer, supplier, surveyor, police authority or other competent third party.

Reporting or investigating an incident does not by itself constitute an admission of liability by VahanXpert Services. Responsibility shall be considered based on the available evidence, applicable contractual terms, insurance arrangements and applicable law.

Incident records may contain personal, vehicle, insurance, CCTV or other information. Such information shall be used for safety, service, investigation, insurance, dispute resolution and legal/compliance purposes and handled subject to applicable law and VahanXpert Services' privacy practices.

Incident records may be retained with the relevant job card or vehicle record for service history, quality control, insurance, dispute resolution, accounting and legal/compliance purposes for the period considered appropriate under the Garage's record-retention practices and applicable law.

This Policy shall be reviewed periodically and may be updated based on incident experience, insurance requirements, workshop operations, customer feedback, security arrangements or applicable legal requirements.