Car park Bump

Moley24

I accidently nudged a car in my private office car park today. I did the right thing and told the owner what I had done but he went mad, said it was a lease car and that they estimated the damage to be £3000+. I can't see it could possibly be that much I only nudgde the bumper. I have asked him to get three estimates but he says that as its a lease car it can only be repaired by a main dealer so they would all be the same. Hhe says that I should just claim off my insurance but I know it will put up my premiums and I will lose my no claims bonus. I dont mind paying a fair price for the scrape but I think I am being ripped off. Is there anything that I can do please?

anniecave

Lease companies do tend to be strict about accident damage. Lease cars tend to be under 3 years old, so their value is relatively high, and the lease company will want the repair done properly.

The other cost to be considered will be a hire car, assuming the damage can't be fixed within a day. Even for simple repairs often a repair centre will take the car in, then order in parts, then wait for parts to be delivered, then fix the car.
(The last twice I've had my car repaired, both times it was minor damage, both times I have arranged to visit the repair centre in advance and asked them to order parts in advance - for one claim this reduced the time that the car was in the repair centre from 2 weeks to less than one day)

I would say claiming via your insurance company is probably your best route under these circumstances..

And I'm sure that's not what you want to hear.. .sorry!

Quentin

If the innocent third party wants to claim off your insurance then you can get your NCD reinstated by reimbursing the insurer (if it's cost effective).

Apart from that there's nothing you can do to prevent the third party claiming off your insurer.

Inform them about the incident now, and leave it up to the third party to claim (you cannot claim on his behalf).

luci

Quentin wrote: »

If the innocent third party wants to claim off your insurance then you can get your NCD reinstated by reimbursing the insurer (if it's cost effective).

Apart from that there's nothing you can do to prevent the third party claiming off your insurer.

Inform them about the incident now, and leave it up to the third party to claim (you cannot claim on his behalf).

I thought you only lost your NCD if you claimed for damage to your own vehicle, not for a third party claim against you?

Quentin

luci wrote: »

I thought you only lost your NCD if you claimed for damage to your own vehicle, not for a third party claim against you?

No.

You lose ncd (unless you protect it) in the event your insurer pays out on any claim.

scheming_gypsy

luci wrote: »

I thought you only lost your NCD if you claimed for damage to your own vehicle, not for a third party claim against you?

that's the excess. You only pay the excess when claiming for damage to your own vehicle.