Help needed. settled claim outside insurance

fenners81

Hi

I recently reversed into somebody's car and accepted liability. The person I drove into came back with a huge quote which they had obtained from the official car dealer. I rang around and found a much lower quote. I wanted to settle without using insurance to keep my no claims and avoid the excess payment. Anyway, they agreed and it was fixed at a body shop. After a month the person has come back saying that they are not happy with a small part of the work that was carried out. I asked them to go back to the bodyshop which they did. They have now come back and said that they're still not happy with the work and want to get it re-done through the original dealer at my expense. I'm starting to wish i'd gone through the insurance, especially as someone has just told me that an excess isn't payable in a third party claim. Am I liable for the cost of her car being fixed again or does she need to sort this out with the body shop who fixed it?

Any advice would be appreciated.

InsideInsurance

Who selected the garage? Sounds like you did? Who paid the garage, you or them?

If you have selected the garage and settled it then you've created a rod for your own back. You are responsible for fixing the damage you caused, if your chosen garage hasn't sorted it properly then you haven't fulfilled your obligations - if it is the garage or you that foots the bill is between you and your garage.

fenners81

Thanks for the reply. What I don't understand is why she can't go back to the garage and get it sorted under warranty. It seems unfair that she can accept that the work would be done at this garage, then say she's not satisfied and have it done somewhere else resulting in me paying for it twice. Will I be able to claim the money back from the garage?

spacey2012

What is the timescale on this ?
next day, next week, next month, next year since the repair and the car was taken away.
Also if the other party has not informed their insurance, they will be in for a shock if they get wind of it, a very expensive shock.
So that may be a stick to your advantage and a bluffing point to make them drop the hand.

fenners81

That could help. Won't I also be in for an expensive shock too if my insurer finds out? It happened about 3 months ago.

Quentin

You won't have any excess to pay but will lose 2 years ncd.

Do some dummy quotes online to see what difference this makes to your premium.

But act fast as they may just go ahead and involve your insurer without waiting any more.

InsideInsurance

fenners81 wrote: »

Thanks for the reply. What I don't understand is why she can't go back to the garage and get it sorted under warranty. It seems unfair that she can accept that the work would be done at this garage, then say she's not satisfied and have it done somewhere else resulting in me paying for it twice. Will I be able to claim the money back from the garage?

You say that they've had two attempts at fixing it and have failed both times. Realistically how many attempts would you give a garage to fix your car especially when it isnt a garage that you would have chosen in the first place?

You may be able to recover costs from the first garage as long as you are the one who instructed the work and the rectifications but you would have to prove they are liable for defective workmanship and its not a case of it being work that you didnt instruct, that the work was up to standard etc