Would You Take Delivery of Your C8 If It was Damaged During Transport?

One of our members found out that their C8 was damaged in transport — and some initial confusion had him thinking it happened during a joyride.

We can’t imagine a C8-related situation much worse than the one happening to one of our members. In a thread posted by Corvette Forum member, docent, the worst-case scenario for any 2020 Corvette buyer is realized.

Unfortunately, he received a chilling phone call from his dealer with two very bad pieces of news. First off, his new Corvette was damaged during shipping on the front and the side. In addition, the caller told him that there were 120 miles on the odometer.

Docent was understandably upset about what should have been a much happier call. He said, “How can this happen? What happened to their quality control inspectors? I’m really bummed out!”

Was docent’s new Corvette joyridden and wrecked by a careless employee? Thankfully, that wasn’t the case at all. The odometer issue was an honest mistake — the caller initially read the “distance to empty” readout on the gauge cluster instead of the actual mileage. That doesn’t address the more pressing issue of the body damage, though.

What’s the Damage?

The damage to the front of the car appears to be rippled paint right in the center of the nose. From the look of things, the Corvette likely bumped something in front of it, and the bumper did its job and mostly retained its shape. The side damage is also thankfully minor, with a small scratch on the intake blade on the driver’s side door.

This placed docent in a bit of a quandary. Does he reject the car, get his money back, and wait for a 2021? Or, does he accept the car after repairs have been made? We live in uncertain times. If he rejects the car, he might be waiting for a very long time for another.

Our members weighed in with their opinions. A senior member, jcapps, said “Me? I would walk. Would not take a car that’s got damage like that.” Bill Dearborn has a different take. “I am pretty confident they will be able to repair it to your satisfaction.” He continues, “If it was me and having waited that long for the car I would let them fix [the Corvette].”

In the end, docent reached an agreement with the dealer to have the damage repaired. He’ll have his car and be able to enjoy one of the first C8 Corvettes now, instead of waiting, potentially, more than a year for a replacement.

Docent’s story has a happy ending. “Like someone here stated – ‘either take it, or leave it!’ I can’t wait that long.” By the time you read this, he might already be enjoying the car.

It’s the best possible outcome, given the situation. Here’s hoping that the repairs go smoothly and that docent can get to the important business of enjoying his Corvette right away.

Photos: General Motors/Corvette Forum members

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