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what happens if someone damages your car?

Hello, this weekend while my car was parked on my street someone has scraped along the side of it with their car. The back corner is very scuffed and there is a thick scratch about 40 cm long up the side of the car which is also indented.
I came out and saw this not long after it happened and the lady was still in the street and apologised and gave me her name and mobile number. She also tried to make out it wasn't that bad and should come out with a bit of T-Cut.
What should happen in this situation as I have never had anything like this happen to me before?
I have taken the car to the garage and they have given me a quote to repair the damage which I have sent a copy of to her. I have texted her and she has replied but hasn't said much. She has now said she will sort it out soon and I haven't heard anything since. What should I do next as I am unsure where I stand in this situation or what I should be asking her to do.
The only info I have on her is her name, mobile number and email address. I forgot to take her car reg at the time.


Many thanks!
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Comments

  • forgotmyname
    forgotmyname Posts: 32,824 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    You can claim directly from her insurance. You can claim from your insurance and pay the excess then claim that back when your insurance get repaid from the other insurer.

    Or if it is minor then get it sorted cheaply.

    Even though it was a no fault claim your premium may increase because your more of a risk now.

    If you claim from their insurance you still need to inform yours of teh incident.

    See how much a smart repair will cost and avoid the insurance?
    Censorship Reigns Supreme in Troll City...

  • Stoke
    Stoke Posts: 3,182 Forumite
    I can't stand these amateur bodywork experts who think a deep graze will 'come out with a bit of T-cut'. It absolutely !!!!ing infuriates me. "Yeah, I just shunted you at 30mph but don't worry, I'll buy you a bottle of T-cut from Halfords". Absolute muppets.

    I would remind her in a day or two that you've got her a quote and that you may need to contact her insurance. There is a place you can obtain her insurance, I think it costs about £1.50. Someone will know it.
  • Stoke
    Stoke Posts: 3,182 Forumite
    Oh, and if you've got her address, you can always pop round and get her reg can't you ;) ?
  • She'll be shocked at the price.

    I had a woman knock my wing mirror off, my partner was just outside the house when it happened and took down details (the lady drove off, but only into the P&D cark park on the street).

    We got 3 quotes, contacted her (£300 in total), she claimed it was too much (we used her preferred garage too!) and her friends had told her not to pay.

    Again everyones an expert and apparently it shouldve been £50 inc labour.

    I just replied thats fine, ill just contact your insurers. Amazing how quickly she paid up.
  • Stoke
    Stoke Posts: 3,182 Forumite
    She'll be shocked at the price.

    I had a woman knock my wing mirror off, my partner was just outside the house when it happened and took down details (the lady drove off, but only into the P&D cark park on the street).

    We got 3 quotes, contacted her (£300 in total), she claimed it was too much (we used her preferred garage too!) and her friends had told her not to pay.

    Again everyones an expert and apparently it shouldve been £50 inc labour.

    I just replied thats fine, ill just contact your insurers. Amazing how quickly she paid up.

    Oh, no doubt she'll be shocked at the price. I bet she's expecting a bit of touch up spray jobs a good'n. £80 on a bad day. Nah, I imagine your 40cm scratch you've been quoted well in the hundreds, perhaps £200, more? These things aren't cheap and there's a reason why.

    Out of curiosity was it an older woman? Not that it matters but I've found older people seem to be even more flippant of serious damage. I once saw an old woman shunt a parked car. She tried to drive off but we stopped her. Her response was "most of that will come out with a bit of polish". I'm pretty sure you can't polish out a smashed rear light...
  • Thanks for your replies everyone. I have been quoted £430 so I imagine she was pretty surprised. I have been super nice up until now and haven't demanded any insurance details from her yet but if she doesn't offer them soon I'm going to have to be a bit more assertive.
    Yes the lady was late 50's/early 60's and certainly trying to downplay the extent of the damage in the hope I would just try and repair it myself.
  • Stoke wrote: »
    Oh, no doubt she'll be shocked at the price. I bet she's expecting a bit of touch up spray jobs a good'n. £80 on a bad day. Nah, I imagine your 40cm scratch you've been quoted well in the hundreds, perhaps £200, more? These things aren't cheap and there's a reason why.

    Out of curiosity was it an older woman? Not that it matters but I've found older people seem to be even more flippant of serious damage. I once saw an old woman shunt a parked car. She tried to drive off but we stopped her. Her response was "most of that will come out with a bit of polish". I'm pretty sure you can't polish out a smashed rear light...

    In my case it was an older woman, at first she said of i thought i'd hit something (yes you have to be pretty close to my car to knock off the wing mirror!), then she said oh is that all it was? (yes the wing mirror that was on my car and my being held by my partner!) and then, are you sure you didnt hit me? (yes fairly sure my car didnt jump into gear, whilst locked, with no-one inside!), before finally saying yes ill pay for it, please dont use my insurers, i just had a claim last year (no surprise!)

    I might have been sympathetic, the road is narrow, but he had a little aygo, and there was no-one in the on coming lane. Classic example of not leaving enough room.

    Her last phrase reminded me of a cyclist who pulled out infront of me, so i braked sharply, obviously he noted this and for whatever reason took offence (maybe i should've carried on..) as he proceeded to swerve every time i went to (safely i might add) pass him, before i decided to stop and let him go on his way, he stopped too. I got out and we exchanged (heated) words. My partner called the police, as although Im not violent, you never know with some people.

    Anyway the officer turned up, the cyclist refused to give his name or address before saying and i quote ' im sick and tired of these car drivers, ive been knocked off 5 times in 6 months ' - and he left. I did joke with the officer that perhaps the reason for that is his manner of cycling (or more likely an insurance scam)
  • Stoke
    Stoke Posts: 3,182 Forumite
    yorke wrote: »
    Thanks for your replies everyone. I have been quoted £430 so I imagine she was pretty surprised. I have been super nice up until now and haven't demanded any insurance details from her yet but if she doesn't offer them soon I'm going to have to be a bit more assertive.
    Yes the lady was late 50's/early 60's and certainly trying to downplay the extent of the damage in the hope I would just try and repair it myself.

    Yep, sounds about right (without trying to sound ageist).

    I would consider putting a deadline on it. Perhaps say if the matter isn't resolved by the end of this week I will go direct to your insurers? If she refuses to give you details that is a crime.
  • yorke wrote: »
    Thanks for your replies everyone. I have been quoted £430 so I imagine she was pretty surprised. I have been super nice up until now and haven't demanded any insurance details from her yet but if she doesn't offer them soon I'm going to have to be a bit more assertive.
    Yes the lady was late 50's/early 60's and certainly trying to downplay the extent of the damage in the hope I would just try and repair it myself.

    dont leave it too long, as you need to , officially anyway, notify your insurer. A few days, maybe a week you could justify as saying, it slipped my mind whilst i was getting prices.

    Longer and it could be an issue, if you then use them to make a claim.

    £430 isnt too bad, but as you say some people dont know the costs at all. I would expect her to ask some friends, who would say thats far too much. Get her insurance details asap, the threat is sometimes enough.
  • Stoke
    Stoke Posts: 3,182 Forumite
    In my case it was an older woman, at first she said of i thought i'd hit something (yes you have to be pretty close to my car to knock off the wing mirror!), then she said oh is that all it was? (yes the wing mirror that was on my car and my being held by my partner!) and then, are you sure you didnt hit me? (yes fairly sure my car didnt jump into gear, whilst locked, with no-one inside!), before finally saying yes ill pay for it, please dont use my insurers, i just had a claim last year (no surprise!)

    I might have been sympathetic, the road is narrow, but he had a little aygo, and there was no-one in the on coming lane. Classic example of not leaving enough room.

    Her last phrase reminded me of a cyclist who pulled out infront of me, so i braked sharply, obviously he noted this and for whatever reason took offence (maybe i should've carried on..) as he proceeded to swerve every time i went to (safely i might add) pass him, before i decided to stop and let him go on his way, he stopped too. I got out and we exchanged (heated) words. My partner called the police, as although Im not violent, you never know with some people.

    Anyway the officer turned up, the cyclist refused to give his name or address before saying and i quote ' im sick and tired of these car drivers, ive been knocked off 5 times in 6 months ' - and he left. I did joke with the officer that perhaps the reason for that is his manner of cycling (or more likely an insurance scam)
    That sounds about right "is that all it was?? Ohh no issues that'll polish out no problem" as your wing mirror sits in pieces in your partners hands.

    It does sound ageist but I genuinely believe there's an element of truth about it. I saw the one with the smashed light and I also saw a hit and run on a car park by an elderly man in quite an old Fiesta. He hit a brand new car, stopped, carefully looked, clearly felt the damage wasn't that serious (a massive dent down the door), got in and drove off. What he didn't know, was I was there and took a photo of his car just before he drove off. Lucky for the driver of the new car really. I left my name and number and he called. I sent him the photos and I believe the police eventually got involved. I imagine it's not nice for an old guy to be asked to resolve something like this, probably unneeded stress, but at the end of the day, when you get in a car, you get in a seriously powerful machine. That car might have been a wall, a dog, a person, various things. He clearly didn't know what was behind him. That was either due to a lack of attention, or potentially due to the fact he isn't physically fit to drive, either way that issue has to be addressed.
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