Minor Accident - Me at Fault

Terrysdelight

Hello

Not actually me at fault it's my OH but my insurance policy.

This is what happened - we were parked against the kirb - another car behind us. OH forgot we had a newly fitted two bar and reversed into parked car.

We got out - got the owner out of the shop - swapped details and took photo's. The damage was incredibly minimal and it was a real old banger of a car. Damage was a 'chip' to the front number plate and a broken plastic grill. It was so minor we agreed not to go through insurance company.

We went home and looked up the cost of the grill which is £17 and about £10 for a front number plate. So £27 plus labour.

The owner of the car contacts us and tells us she has quotes for £150 which is silly. Told her the costs we have obtained but she is adamant she wants the car repaired through her garage at this cost. We offered her £100 to which she said no.

We have now had a letter from our insurance company saying they have been contacted by a 'third' party insurer and asking me to confirm details of the accident.

Obviously with this minor incident, the cost is less than my excess.

Do I have to go ahead with the claim through my insurance company or can I insist on settling out.

This person is a total opportunist. In reality - you wouldn't even change the number plate - it is a tiny tiny nick in the plastic and the grill is only £17 and just clips in.

Grateful is someone can tell me where I stand on this?

Many thanks
T

twig1_2

Your excess is immaterial if you are not making a claim for damage to your car. Now the insurance company knows you will have to declare the accident for 3-5 years and your premiums will be effected as you will be seen as more likely to have an accident so there really is no point in not letting them settle it. Your no claims will be effected as well. On the bright side the other party will have to declare the accident and will suffer some premium increase as well which will probably be a lot more than the shortfall from what you offered them .
Ridiculous isn't it?

dacouch

You should have bitten their hand off for the £100 offer of settlement.

How were you expecting them to have the parts fitted?

Terrysdelight

dacouch wrote: »

You should have bitten their hand off for the £100 offer of settlement.

How were you expecting them to have the parts fitted?

They did not offer £100. They asked for £150.

I have not acknowledged the accident to my insurance company. Can I go back to this person and offer to accept her offer of £150?

dacouch

You can although it may well be considerably more than that now, garages often have a "cash" price and a more expensive one for Insurers.

Idiophreak

Think you were a little naive in expecting them to take the £100, to be honest. Putting myself in their position, I wouldn't be going out of my way to make it cheap for you - I'd go to whatever garage was most convenient and ask for a quote. Regardless of how much you think it should cost, I think £150 sounds about right...I've never had anything done by a garage that cost much less - and that's shopping around, not just going to the first place I come to.

If I had my quote and presented it to you and you said "no, that's too much..I can get X part for £17 and Y part for £10" I really wouldn't care too much, I'd say "oh, OK, if it's going to be hassle, we'll go through insurance...and that's not me being mean, holding you to ransom or trying to do you out of money, it's just me doing whatever's easiest for me, basically - which, you being the one that hit my car, is all you could expect me to do, really.

If they present you with a legitimate quote from an actual garage, I'd just pay it to protect my excess.

ACG

I disagree, someone bumped into me. I took it to my local garage who did my MOT.
They offered me a price. I took it to the bloke who bumped into me and said if you can get it cheaper plus car hire let me know and i will take it there.

He couldnt so went ahead with it.

If someone told me they could get the job for the price the OP has said then i would do that and keep the £70.

But as things stand, i would deny all knowledge, tell them their insurance will go up if they make a claim and try to find some evidence to back it up and offer the £100 again if that fails tell them you want to sign something to say no further claims will be made and you will pay them the £150 - try and settle away from the insurers.

Terrysdelight

I'd love to deny it but that would make me as bad as the low life opportunist.

We do have evidence - we took photographs and there is litterally a tiny incy wincy chip in the number plate and a crack in a plastic grill. No other damage whatsoever - yet all of a sudden - it needed a new bumper!!

Without looking up the car - we think the book value of the car would be just a few hundred pounds. It was a blooming old banger.

Well, seeing as she's had these 'repairs' done - at least I know it will have affected her insurance too.

vaio

ACG wrote: »

.........But as things stand, i would deny all knowledge, tell them their insurance will go up if they make a claim and try to find some evidence to back it up and offer the £100 again if that fails tell them you want to sign something to say no further claims will be made and you will pay them the £150 - try and settle away from the insurers.

If someone hit my car and then treated (or rather tried to treat) me like you are suggesting I'd probably go out of my way to make it as expensive as possible. Start with a hire car whilst mine is being repaired and work up from there.

OP, now insurers are involved you aren't going to come out cheaply, best bet might be to let the insurers sort it out and repay your insurers costs afterwards to get your NCB back. You could try and settle at the £150 offer but if you've got their backs up (as I suspect you have) then that might not be possible anymore

Terrysdelight

vaio wrote: »

OP, now insurers are involved you aren't going to come out cheaply, best bet might be to let the insurers sort it out and repay your insurers costs afterwards to get your NCB back. You could try and settle at the £150 offer but if you've got their backs up (as I suspect you have) then that might not be possible anymore

No, I've contacted the woman and I offered to go and meet her now with the £150 but she said she already had the work done. I asked how much the garage cost and she said she didn't know as when the garage had a closer look it needed a new bumper.

What a load of rubbish. My other half has a terrible habit of letting things drift on and on. I don't think he has heard of the phrase a stitch in time saves 9!

I am so peeeeeeed !

Live and learn :-(

vaio

just give all your evidence to your insurer and let them sort it out, once the dust has settled and depending on the figures it might be worth repaying your insurer whatever they have paid out to recover your NCB

Hopefully it won't be too expensive a lesson