Scratched someones car - wanting me to pay over the odds for it

fivetide

At risk of being shouted down - have you seen the quote?

Ask him to produce a draft invoice. Take a copy, pay him and get him to sign a reciept saying 'full and final settlement'. Then if he does come back he'd need to try to take you to court. some interesting reading here http://www.dwf.co.uk/insight/view-point/cheques-tendered-in-full-and-final-settlement

That would be my thinking at least. Assuming you are going down this route. what sort of car does he have?

missile

fivetide wrote: »

At risk of being shouted down.....

That seems like a good plan, but I would just give him the cash, get a receipt and move on.

Quentin

You need to tie up any lose ends in a watertight manner.

By paying you are open to further claims - eg car hire, extra work when the bumper is taken off which you would be liable for etc!

You already know this guy is slippery so take care you cover yourself as best you can against him coming for more!

sillybilly2011

I am going to draft up a letter, anyone know any templates for what I could say? Do I just explain everything that happened and I will not be liable for anything else after the spraying has been done?

Thanks

fivetide

sillybilly2011 wrote: »

I am going to draft up a letter, anyone know any templates for what I could say? Do I just explain everything that happened and I will not be liable for anything else after the spraying has been done?

Thanks

Appreciate missile's point, I'd still get the invoice off him (draft) and staple the two docs together.

Essentially, words along the lines of "Payment of £XXX to cover cost of repair to vehicle [reg number] as per attached invoice to cover damage incurred [date].

"This is a full and final settlement and the matter is considered closed"

Signed [you [him] date.

Do two and give him a copy.

We know he's moved the goalposts once. what you don't want is to agree the fix and then when it is finished get slapped with a bigger bill because the first 'was only an estimate mate innit?'

Looking at the link earlier, he'd need to take you to court for more money after this. With the signed doc and the invoice I'd have thought his chances of winning would be very slim if he went to the effort of doing it.

working

So you are going to bend over and take it?

Why not get an average of the two figures and pay that instead of giving in?

sillybilly2011

basically what happened was i scratched his car. I went to his door and admitted it. We agreed that he would look at it the following day and make a decision. He agreed following day he wanted it sprayed. No mention of insurance.

I spend all day getting quotes and got a good deal. I got it all organised. I phoned the guy with the number and told him it would be paid by me and all he had to do was phone and arrange a time and he said that was fine. I thought that was the end of it.

7 days later I get a phone call, saying he has just been quoted from another garage which was double the price and wanted the money now and if i didn't do what I was told, I was to give him my insurance details.

I told him that I got a cheaper quote elsewhere for the same job so I didn't understand why I should pay more when they have the same qualifications etc and we agreed to it a week ago and he has now just changed his mind and giving no reason- he kept demanding that I was to do as I was told and pay the guy or again he wants my insurance details or he'll call police etc.

I tried saying I would pay the difference etc, but he was having none of it.

He was really nice the day it happened and the day after when i gave him all the details etc. But when he phoned me, he was a completely different person basically demanding the money. If not insurance or he will phone the police.

His car is more than 10 years old with scratches all over the bumper anyway.

I really can't be bothered with all this hassle so If i pay and get him to sign a letter then I can pray that will be the end of it.

I really do not want to go through the insurance so as I will be paying a higher premium for a scratch. My insurance says (on the document) that I should have and he should reported it with 48 hours to the insurers and within 24 to the police. so i wouldn't know where I would stand with them now that it occurred more than a week ago?

Quentin

Your insurer won't be bothered about the delay.

That advice is generic (not a condition of your cover) eg. the police will not be interested unless injury or a crime is involved.

Quentin

sillybilly2011 wrote: »

.... If i pay and get him to sign a letter then I can pray that will be the end of it. ......

An innocent third party wouldn't normally sign anything until they got their car back repaired to their satisfaction.

(And where bumpers are involved only when they are removed can the garage see if there is any damage to the bumper, its brackets or any shock absorber/crumple zones it has.)

And see if the chosen garage will supply a complimentary courtesy car whilst the car is in for repair, and get the third party to agree to accept it rather than get a like for like hire car (which you will have to pay for too)