Accident damage - other driver being difficult.

pogofish

Offering to pay is simply a courtesy - You should always give/get the insurance details whatever, then if it does turn out to be higher than they can pay, then you can go straight to the insurer.

IIRC, they are in no position to refuse you insurer details and you can call on the police to confirm them if they are making themselves scarce.

fatpiggy

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions so far. To clear up a few points - I'm a she, but no jokes about women drivers please, some of us have some skills and an advanced drivers test under our belts. Secondly, I sent the other driver the quote as printed out for me by the body shop on their headed paper, fully broken down and detailed down to the last clips for holding the wing on so there is no way it could be "bumped up" or anything like that. They are a BMW specialist. My car is a Toyota. Foreign parts are notoriously expensive, but I can't help that. I can hardly ask them to bung on a Ford Fiesta wing! Pogofish - I always thought that parties have to swap insurance details as well as contact details by law. I gave him mine on a pre-printed card. I can understand he wouldn't want to involve his insurance as this is going to increase his premiums for the next 5 years. He obviously has been surprised by the cost. As an update I did manage to catch him last night and he said he hadn't received the quote (ha, what a surprise) but strangely hadn't thought to contact me to tell me that. I said I'd fax it to him at work but he didn't know the number but if I texted him my mobile number (which I'd already given him at the time of the bump) he'd let me know. Needless to say I haven't heard from him yet today, and have just texted him a reminder. So, as you can see, I'm doing all the running around at my expense and he is doing precisely nothing. If I haven't heard from him by close of play today he will get the quote by recorded delivery with an ultimatum, and if that yields nothing then I'll get on to the insurance. Asbokid, no I haven't let my insurance know yet as I thought we could sort this out politely. Even though I am not at fault insurers will find any excuse to either not pay up or charge more, and my premium could well go up as well. The previous experience I mentioned before meant that when I came to renew my insurance policy some months later, more than one company refused to quote me as a result of it. I've never made a claim in my life! Don't worry though, the car sailed through its MOT last Friday and the service revealed no damage to the drive shaft, shock absorbers, track rod ends or ball joints - I asked my mechanic ( a long time friend) to check very carefully. These cars are incredibly light but bend easily as a result. It is purely cosmetic damage. Thanks for pointing these risks out though!

LinasPilibaitisisbatman

Why on earth would you take a toyota to a BMW garage.

BMW garages of course will be dearer. not a chance I would give you the cash to get a toyota repaired at a BMW garage.

Could you also confirm the model, age and mileage of your car.

dacouch

If you want to find out who the other driver is insured with / if they are insured you can check it for a small fee on this website http://www.askmid.com/

Chippy_Minton_2

pogofish wrote: »

they are in no position to refuse you insurer details

If no one was injured in the collision they are. You only need to provide insurance details in the event of an injury.

fatpiggy

Linas, do learn to read. I've already said that this particular BODYSHOP (not a garage) was considerably cheaper than having Toyota do the repairs with the previous accident. The age, model and mileage have NOTHING whatsoever to do with the cost of the repair. But of course, Asbokid who clearly knows what he is talking about, has also told you that already too.

fatpiggy

Thanks Chippy. As I said, I have no experience of this sort of thing at all. Perhaps I should have done like so many other people and claimed personal injury - you know, the ubiquitous wiplash!!

Mark_Hewitt

I had a similar situation, small bump from behind. Other driver admitted liability but assumed it would be a couple of hundred quid. Turned out to be £1,200 worth of damage, as the rear bumper and entire tailgate needed replacing.

When he learned of this he started saying that I'd reversed into him. Thankfully I'd gotten solicitors and insurance informed right from the off, so I got my car fixed in the end.

He, being a BMW driver didn't think that a few dents in a Fiesta would be quite that much!

LinasPilibaitisisbatman

fatpiggy wrote: »

Linas, do learn to read. I've already said that this particular BODYSHOP (not a garage) was considerably cheaper than having Toyota do the repairs with the previous accident. The age, model and mileage have NOTHING whatsoever to do with the cost of the repair. But of course, Asbokid who clearly knows what he is talking about, has also told you that already too.

1) So what. They may not be cheaper this time. You should have got multiple quotes from Toyota repairers. Times move on and I find it hard to believe a BMW garage is a competitive quote for Toyota repairs.

2) They are entirely relevant as if its an old car then the insurer would write it off and pay market value regardless of repair cost.

So again how old is the car etc and why dont you feel you need to get multiple quotes

fatpiggy

Look, the other driver asked me to let him know how much it would cost. He didn't ask for multiple quotes and I have used a reputable bodyshop which is convenient for me to get to, can give me a courtesy car and I know from past experience are brilliant at customer care. I have also told you I haven't got time to drag it round numerous bodyshops. Some of us have alot of work to do. I could have gone to an under the arches place, bunged them £50 to invent something entirely spurious and made a nice profit. Then BMW place will only have phoned the Toyota suppliers the same as the Toyota dealers would do. Main dealers are always expensive, that is why I usually buy from general second hand dealers. You are paying for the posh forecourt and flags outside. I've already told you my car is a 51 plate - that isn't old. The damage is minor and any insurance company writing it off would sell it to someone who would do the repairs and put it back on the market, probably with clocked mileage. High mileage just means I do alot on the motorway which is the best possible working conditions for the internal combustion engine. Granny's little Mini going to church ever Sunday will have a far more worn engine because the oil doesn't circulate adequately.

As an update to everyone, he didn't come back to me yesterday with his fax number (didn't think he would) so the quote has been sent by special delivery so he can't claim he didn't get it until Friday, with a closing date, offer of a full and final settlement figure and that it will be passed to the insurance next Monday. That has cost me my another £4.95 and my entire lunch break so today will be a one meal in 24 hours day. Oh well, I suppose that is good money-saving.