Door Dent

Rekusu

What ho one and all,

Yet another door dent thread!

Took two elderly neighbours to visit another neighbour in hospital; let them off in the drop-off zone. Within a few seconds, a parked car had reversed into my rear door while I was stationary. Damaged door but he only has a small dent in his plastic bumper.

We started to exchange details and the parking wardens asked me to move to a better location a few meters away. When I had done so the other driver had gone. Police don't want to know as we started to exchange details. I have his name, e-mail, reg and taxi reg number. Likewise he has my name and e-mail.

I have managed to find his address via the electoral list. Three e-mails (the e-mail address address IS correct) and a registered letter have all been ignored. The taxi licensing dept have passed my e-mail to him, but still nothing.

I have spoken with my insurance company but don't want to o that route because my car, although in very good condition, runs well and passed the MOT two weeks ago, is 15 year old and will almost certainly be written off, which I don't want. I look after it and like it.

I have quotes in the £500-£700 range but don't know what to do next.

I can see him refusing those prices, but if he says 'go the insurance route' (assuming he contacts me) then the ball is in his court and I assume his insurance company can force me to write off the car. I know I can keep it, but the payout is likely to be considerably less than the repair cost.

I have post incident photos and am hopeful of getting hospital CCTV to prove that I was stationary.

If it is repair at my cost, then I will go to the small claims court to reclaim but don't want the court to suggest that I did not make efforts to reach an agreement.

Should I write again with estimates? Having already tried and been ignored, just get the door repaired and send him the bill?

Grateful for any suggestions or advice,

Thanks and toodle pip

Rex

Arklight

Why don't you let your insurance company handle it? it's what you pay them for.

sheramber

Contact his insurance company direct

http://stayinsured.askmid.com/roadside.html

neilmcl

Have you looked at Paintless Dent Removal. A PDR job on your door, if possible, will be a fraction of the cost.

fred246

You have to be careful. There is a lot of stuff in a door. If a garage puts a new one on they have to rip all that out. Your door will never be the same again. Just get the smallest possible job done by pulling the metal out again. I would avoid a new door at all costs.

fred246

I had a supermarket trolley hit my car. The supermarket agreed to pay. I got quotes of £700 which the supermarket agreed to pay. They were pleasantly surprised when I eventually got a dent repair for £80 that was absolutely perfect.

Arklight

fred246 wrote: »

I had a supermarket trolley hit my car. The supermarket agreed to pay. I got quotes of £700 which the supermarket agreed to pay. They were pleasantly surprised when I eventually got a dent repair for £80 that was absolutely perfect.

I hope they gave you some frozen fishfingers and free bottles of cola to say thankyou.

fred246

Arklight wrote: »

I hope they gave you some frozen fishfingers and free bottles of cola to say thankyou.

I'll have to go back and ask them. I was a bit surprised that they agreed to pay so easily in the first place. It's just that some people seem to think that expensive is better. I don't think it is with a door dent. I am assuming the door isn't totally bent and won't shut etc.

Rekusu

Have had a few dent removal guys come and have a look and they all say the same, too big for a dent removal.

The dent is only a dent but either side of the middle structural bar inside the door. All but one said go to a bodyshop; the one said he could 'fix' it but would probably only be around an 80% perfect job.

I have talked with my insurance company and they do know his insurance company (I don't!) but they have said that as far as they are concerned, if the repair cost is greater than 60% the book value of the car, then the other insurance company will write off my car; I will still be able to keep it, but the insurance payout will not cover the cost of repairing the door and I will be out of pocket. And the car will be classed for insurance purposes as 'a write off.' I don't understand why his insurance company can 'write off' my car, when there is absolutely nothing wrong (apart for the door dent) with it.

And it will hit my future premiums, even though I am not at fault.

DUTR

Rekusu wrote: »

Have had a few dent removal guys come and have a look and they all say the same, too big for a dent removal.

The dent is only a dent but either side of the middle structural bar inside the door. All but one said go to a bodyshop; the one said he could 'fix' it but would probably only be around an 80% perfect job.

I have talked with my insurance company and they do know his insurance company (I don't!) but they have said that as far as they are concerned, if the repair cost is greater than 60% the book value of the car, then the other insurance company will write off my car; I will still be able to keep it, but the insurance payout will not cover the cost of repairing the door and I will be out of pocket. And the car will be classed for insurance purposes as 'a write off.' I don't understand why his insurance company can 'write off' my car, when there is absolutely nothing wrong (apart for the door dent) with it.

And it will hit my future premiums, even though I am not at fault.

Because it is beyond economical repair at the level they set.
If they recover the full amount from the 3rd party then the claim won't affect your premium (it would have probably risen anyway).

AdrianC

Rekusu wrote: »

I have his name, e-mail, reg and taxi reg number.

So you have more than enough to go through insurance.

I have spoken with my insurance company but don't want to o that route because my car, although in very good condition, runs well and passed the MOT two weeks ago, is 15 year old and will almost certainly be written off, which I don't want. I look after it and like it.

Such are the risks of running a low-value car.

I can see him refusing those prices, but if he says 'go the insurance route' (assuming he contacts me) then the ball is in his court and I assume his insurance company can force me to write off the car. I know I can keep it, but the payout is likely to be considerably less than the repair cost.

Only if the car is worth "considerably less" than your £500-750 quotes. Or you could negotiate a payout in lieu of repair - they simply give you cash to go away, you do with it as you wish, the car is not flagged as CatN write-off.



Or just buy a replacement used door in the right colour. Probably change from £100.