Wow. VW pulls advertising from 2GB over Alan Jones behaviour.
Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.
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While they might need to demonstrate this for this particular case, looking online there are many posts about other Polo owners who have accidentally knocked off the fuel cover flap (bumped or walked into when open). If one looks at experience of other owners to see if there is a trend in relation to poor component/part quality, it tends to support VW. If the matter is heard by the local office of fair trade, it is likely that VW will use such information to demonstrate their case that the part was not faulty, and in balance, it is likely to be due to the direct or indirect actions of the owner.
While @Suzique has indicated that she believes that the part is at fault, the following is also relevant…
Is the part fit for purpose, this may be very difficult to prove to the contrary. One would need to demonstrate that a fuel cover flap should be able to withstand forces greater than it was designed for. Should a flap be designed to take someone bumping into it with force? VW could argue that the flap should possibly be weaker than one’s flesh to prevent a injury. Is a failure better than an injury?
While a flap should have some resistance to damage/breaking, one must also consider other parts of a vehicle (or any other product) where failure results from excessive force (or force greater than it was designed for. An example say is a window mounted rear-view mirror. If say one bumps this mirror with their elbow while cleaning the windscreen resulting in it breaking from its mount…should this be covered by the warranty (I have used this example as it is something I have done…and resulted in cursing and self proclaimed stupidity - and incidentally, I didn’t make a warranty claim for the broken mirror).
If @Suzique believes that her case is different and the flap fell off due to no force or misuse over the 2 years/20000km, then she will need to provide enough evidence to be able to dismiss this claim of VW in relation to her own circumstances.
This will be very difficult as it could have been bumped and damaged in anytime over the 2 year period which lead to the flap recently falling off. It could have been damaged by other drivers of the car, by those who may contact the car in say a public car park or even through a full service petrol station attendant. It could be difficult to prove that the failure didn’t result from some event over the 2 year life of the vehicle…I don’t think anyone would be able to prove such.
There are many unknowns which won’t necessary assist or support @Suzique claim in an office of fair trading. As outlined above, the only way to prove it was a part failure is to have a materials expert look at the flap and confirm that the part was defective as a result of its manufacture. This may however not give the answer required to support a claim against VW.
In the end it is up to @Suzique to decide whether to take the matter further, but is may end up in additional costs, loss of one’s valuable personal time and grief (stress, worry and frustrations) which would otherwise not have been the case. It may be better to take the hit, buy a replacement one as cheaply as possible and install this to replace the broken one.
@Suzique is right to warn others that the fuel cover flap can be broken and others should take care to ensure that they don’t do something which may affect its longevity.
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VW’s reply reads like a form letter . Show empathy , we don’t concede , we are serious and its final .
In a form letter there are no details and no explanations as to the exclusion or specific reference to the T& C’s.
I would go to the tribunal suggested with written opinions from a design engineer and a materials engineer/scientist . Since the end of the Aust Car industry there are numerous retired specialists who can offer the necessary expertise as to the design.
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Which is what @Suzique has been doing from the updates on the failure. It is also apparent that @Suzique is aware of the cost of the genuine part and the alternatives for a lower cost repair.
The Community is a good sounding board, what ever her preference.
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Just as another thought if you use FB or some other Social Media site you could also post about your issue there and invite others who have had the same problem to add their evidence and you could give them the advice of how to appeal any decision made by VW. This may give you a lot more proof about the problem, raise awareness of the issue and perhaps make VW review their decision/s. When if you do post just make sure you are factual as VW will obviously have the desire to pursue any comment they consider defamatory.
Please note I used “could” as I don’t want you to think I am in anyway pushing you to make any choice in the matter, this is purely a thought on what is possible.
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Update on repairs…not through VW who wanted to charge $500! I found a local plastic welder. He quoted about $80, wants the car for a couple of hours and said it would be stronger than before. He commented that the original plastic joint was very thin.
I asked about the prevalence of such issues…he said it was most common with Holden Commodores and very common with VW’s.
Figured it best to get if fixed asap…before someone tampers with it! 
It’s been interesting reading the comments and suggestions here. Once it is repaired, I’ll get more photos and follow through some of the channels suggested with my original complaint, that the part is not up to standard/not strong enough to do its job.
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Maybe get the advice from a couple more plastic welder businesses to see if it is a common problem for them as well. In writing is even better. You don’t need to do it before your repair, it is just gathering evidence to help you make a case.
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Noted on our recently hired current model Hyundai the fuel filler plastic cover flap has a much more substantial design when compared to typical VW engineering!
It would be interesting to see how other manufacturers approach the same design feature. Aside from VW who appear to have prioritised weight saving and simplified (low cost) manufacturing.
P.S.
For VW owners, plastic flaps are possibly more than a recent problem? From 2013.
(White Polo MY12.5 GTI). My local VW service centre quoted me $361.50 (Fuel flap: $144.00
Stickers: $15.00, Paint: $120.00, Labour: $82.50).
Numerous hits evident on line for suppliers, EBay, Alibaba, UK sites and GDR all selling replacement plastic fuel filler cap assemblies to suit common VW models. Many appear similar to the pics in this topic. Likely a product in demand?
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While we haven’t bought a new car recently, many cars we have hired or work vehicles have metal flaps and spring mechanisms… .rather than plastic. These could be potentually more durable in the long term than plastic.
You may be right that plastic is used for simplification (moulding rather than fabrication) and for lower weight.
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Wow…that Hyundai is way more impressive! They might be my first stop when looking for a new car!
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I would not make a specific recommendation on a particular manufacturer or model.
We have been regular hirers of cars over many years, mostly for business, now only when away.
Hire cars do give you a less inhibited opportunity to test drive for a day or two and in more typical use a variety of models. Not exhaustive, and subject to availability.
We have recently hired several current model Toyota Corolla and Hyundai i30 models. The Hyundai fit out, features and drivability is subjectively as good as the Toyota, if not better?
Brand badging and styling aside, the imported European cars appear to offer less value and often questionable reliability when compared to the big Korean and Japanese manufacturers.
P.S.
I like the notion styling - beauty in design of a vehicle benefits most those not in the vehicle. While performance is best appreciated in driving style and in the seat of your pants. You can have too much in both? 
VW manufacture rhd Polo models in Spain and South Africa. Not really German at all. Same may be true for many other makes and models.
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Update…I did follow this through with Office of Fair Trading and below is their response from VW Australia…
"Thank you for sending this case to Volkswagen Group Australia for further review.
Please be advised we have reviewed the information you have provided and on this occasion we are unable to financially assist with costs relating to this vehicle.
Through diagnosis, the dealership have advised that the cause of the fault is due to an external influence.
Although the customer states there has been no influence from them, our internal warranty department and technical department have advised that it does take considerable force applied in the wrong direction for the fuel flap to break.
Whilst we really appreciate the effort you and your team have gone to, we are not in a position to offer any assistance moving forward.
Thank you for providing Volkswagen Group Australia the opportunity to review this case."
This was signed by their “Customer Relations Ambassador”.
Their use of words is interesting…“through diagnosis” and the fact that it would take considerable force applied in the wrong direction for the flap to break…if the force was that considerable, surely there would be more evidence, other than just a broken hinge joint?
OFT advise that further action can be taken via QCAT or via independent legal advice.
The most annoying thing I find, is VW can’t backup its statement with facts, it’s all just supposition. I’d like to be invited to an inaugural deliberate breaking of a fuel flap, just to measure those “considerable” forces required.
At least I feel there is now a paper trail, should any other people have to go down this route.
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Thanks for the update, I’m sure it will be helpful for others to see your story.
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They are obviously about as much use as the ACCC or an ashtray on a motorbike.
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Thanks for keeping the forum updated.
Possibly not. Some hard plastic can take some force and once this force exceeds the strength of the plastic, it will permantly deform (under slow and progressive forces) or most likely break (at quick high impact forces) at the weakest location…which for the VW polo flap could be the hinge where it had the failure in your case.
Plastics also can rebound to their original shape after a force is applied. For example, the flap cover may flex and bend under force, but once the force is removed, it springs back to its original shape, a bit like a spring. Such materials are often called ‘having a memory’.
From what I can find, soft plastics are different and can deform under low forces, and will retain the deformation after the force is removed. An exanple would be creasing soft plastic…the crease will remain after the force causing the plastic to permanently crease. Soft plastics deform rather than fracture or fail…the material readily absorbs the energy causing deformation. If the same is tried with thicker hard/more tensile plastic, it is likely to fail (break) than deform or crease.
The outcome reached is possibly not unexpected and appears to reside on the issues I raised in an earlier post. Notwithstanding this, we are fortunate that in Australia one can test their rights like you have some in this case. Well done for persisting, eventhough the outcome was not favourable.
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OT but relevant, with this and many other related posts about VW, the emissions scandal, transmission problems, reported sudden loss of power over the years, and so on, and VW consumer responses of ‘no problem and no worries it is a customer error’, it beggars belief it is still a popular vehicle manufacturer. Seems there is a resemblance to the old saw about Jaguar from the 1960s when a Jag was described as being like a thoroughbred racehorse that breaks its leg every time it ventured out of the barn although this time because of manufacturer/importer support policies not an unreliable product, per se.
The issue that permanently removed anything VW from my consideration has been that they reportedly stonewall problems until they have no other option other than to respond, and never seem to ‘err’ on the side of their customers; they always ‘err’ on the side of their precedent to ‘not support’ and their P/L, not their reputation.
This may or may not be a case of the latter, but. Regardless of the RRP of a fuel cap door the actual cost is fairly low from a manufacturing view (ignoring inventory and related costs). How the hinge broke is a he said she said and some manufacturers would write off a part for relationship, while VW is apparently not interested in that aspect.
@Suzique, on to trying JB Weld?
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