Supermarket Car Park 'Touch' - Am I Being Stitched Up?

kevin0410

i wouldn't have even entertained the thought of calling him and the note would have blown off the windscreen...

robredz

We had one the other week regarding an alleged incident causing damage by our community minibus, a letter from an insurance company alleging the minibus driver was at fault. As the minibus was parked up in a compound at the alleged date/time, the letter was passed on to the police, who said that this sort of thing is becoming more common. I would be inclined to ask them to prove it, and if they can't, tell them to whistle Dixie.

jammin_2

It's a scam, pure and simple, which should be safely ignored. Unless, of course, you get a letter from the insurance company about it. In which case, you deny it. Without proof of it happening, it didn't happen.

datostar

jammin wrote: »

It's a scam, pure and simple, which should be safely ignored. Unless, of course, you get a letter from the insurance company about it. In which case, you deny it. Without proof of it happening, it didn't happen.

I've spoken to my insurers who've told me that I won't have to pay excess (no damage to my car at all ) or lose any NCB & likely no effect on premium, so I've nothing to lose really. Other fellow didn't want to involve his own insurer but while I was on the phone to mine they looked up the database & got his details straight away and will write to them as a first step. Hope he's complied with conditions and advised them himself of the claim before they hear from my lot.

jammin_2

datostar wrote: »

I've spoken to my insurers who've told me that I won't have to pay excess (no damage to my car at all ) or lose any NCB & likely no effect on premium, so I've nothing to lose really. Other fellow didn't want to involve his own insurer but while I was on the phone to mine they looked up the database & got his details straight away and will write to them as a first step. Hope he's complied with conditions and advised them himself of the claim before they hear from my lot.

datostar - did you bump this guy's car, yes or no?

Flearoy

Isn't it the done thing for the person doing the damage to leave a note, not the other way round? If some swine had caused £200 of damage to my car, I'd be waiting for them, or asking the supermarket to put a call out. As such, I believe the complainant is a chancer. Wait for legal action. Which most likely will never happen.

Cool_Username

I'm sorry but regardless of whether you will incur any financial loss as a result of this - assuming you did not in fact damage this person's car - I'd be damned if I'd let my insurers pay out on a claim upon which the only 'evidence' is a scribbled note stuck to my windscreen.

No offence Datostar but what's to stop me (hypothetically) sticking a note to your windscreen next week saying that you've damaged my car - would you honestly ring your insurers and be okay with them paying me out?

catflea

I was accused of hitting someone in a car park, the only details the guy has was my numberplate and the make/model & colour of the car. Suffice to say I didn't do it and there was no damage to my car at all (Certainly nothing that justified a £1500 repair and a £900 car hire bill!) he dropped the claim 3 days before the court date.

Stick to your guns, if you didn't do it then dont admit any liability. :beer:

verybigchris

Has the OP had a word with the police?

There was a scam a while ago where someone was causing accidents by braking suddenly at a roundabout so innocent drivers would run into the back of him. This happened time and time again, and the insurers kept paying out as they had no system in place to spot the pattern. The guy was only caught because somebody working nearby noticed how many accidents there'd been, thought it seemed a bit odd and told the police.

I'll bet you're not the first person in your area to get one of these notes, and if the insurers pay up then you certainly won't be the last.

Cool_Username

verybigchris wrote: »

Has the OP had a word with the police?

There was a scam a while ago where someone was causing accidents by braking suddenly at a roundabout so innocent drivers would run into the back of him. This happened time and time again, and the insurers kept paying out as they had no system in place to spot the pattern. The guy was only caught because somebody working nearby noticed how many accidents there'd been, thought it seemed a bit odd and told the police.

I'll bet you're not the first person in your area to get one of these notes, and if the insurers pay up then you certainly won't be the last.

Interesting one though isn't it? How does one go about avoiding paying up when you've run your car into the back of someone - even if said person has deliberately done an emergency stop for no reason?

In theory you're responsible for keeping a safe distance from the car in front.