There was nothing Bruce White could do to save his white 2019 Hyundai Tucson SUV from hail damage when a severe hailstorm struck Maroochydore in May this year.
“It was quite bad,” Bruce remembered. “A strip of houses at Maroochydore are still doing repairs (five months later).”
Bruce didn’t realise the severity of the weather event initially.
“We were home when the storm came through, but we didn’t realise there was hail until it started coming through the awning out the back, breaking all the see-through panels on the roof. The only place where I could take my car for cover was at Sunshine Plaza but the hail was finished in about five to ten minutes.”
Bruce had bought his SUV on sale as a hail-damaged demonstrator model but says the hail damage was that minor, that you couldn’t see it. The problems caused by this latest hailstorm told a very different story.
“It was virtually the whole car,” he said. “The roof and bonnet were extensively damaged and with dents in the side panels as well.”
The previous hail damage complicated matters for Bruce. His insurance company was reluctant to authorise the repairs given his car had had previous hail damage. After reconsideration and taking into account the extent of the new damage, and his 40-year custom, they allowed the repair work to go ahead nearly three months later, through Platinum Hail Management Solutions (PHMS).
PHMS had set up a dedicated Emergency Hail Catastrophe Repair Centre – a special purpose-leased warehouse – nearby Kunda Park to help with all repairs relating to the Maroochydore storm.
Bruce’s car bonnet and roof were replaced, and PHMS’s state-of-the-art Paintless Dent Removal (PDR) process – gently massaging the damage from the inside using specialised hand tools and techniques – did the rest.
“The blokes at PHMS organised everything. They fixed all the damage,” Bruce said.
“I dropped it in on August 9 and they said it would be three to four weeks and I picked it up on August 26 – so it was only in two-and-a-half weeks. I was particularly impressed with the way they kept me informed. Each week they’d give me a text to say how the repairs were going and an updated completion date, which is very helpful when you’re planning things.”
He is grateful to the PHMS “storm chasers” for their efficient repair service, and friendly, smooth and easy process that even extended to organising a free taxi for him to pick up the car.
He was moved to comment: “Great service. Kept me informed on a regular basis as to how repairs were progressing. Vehicle was detailed prior to return. Very impressed with quality of repairs and service.”