Cost of bodywork repair

melbury

T.T.D wrote: »

Telling your insurers is purely your own decision.

I’ll be honest, I wouldn’t but thats my own personal choice and liability, 95% of the people in this thread wouldn’t either, their just merely highlighting it.

Thanks, no I definitely wouldn't and I still don't understand the reasoning behind it. If the vehicle is put right at my own expense, why would they want to know.

It was just a very stupid thing that doesn't impact on anybody else and so I will just have to pay the price, learn from it and move on. Never done anything like that before and hopefully never will again:(

roddydogs

"Chips away" aint cheap!

LandyAndy

melbury wrote: »

Thanks, no I definitely wouldn't and I still don't understand the reasoning behind it. If the vehicle is put right at my own expense, why would they want to know.

It was just a very stupid thing that doesn't impact on anybody else and so I will just have to pay the price, learn from it and move on. Never done anything like that before and hopefully never will again:(

Because it gives them a better picture of you as a driver i.e. someone who has started to drive into stationary objects.

melbury

LandyAndy wrote: »

Because it gives them a better picture of you as a driver i.e. someone who has started to drive into stationary objects.

Don't be so cheeky - this was the first and hopefully only time:(

The cost of getting this put right will be in my mind every time I park in a public car park in future.

BTW I have got a quote and it is £400 + VAT.

Aylesbury_Duck

Another reason for letting your insurer know is that it could get discovered at a later date and your insurance cancelled, which would give you a much more expensive headache for the rest of your driving life. Let's say you have a minor bump with another car in the next few weeks, before the damage is fixed, and the pre-existing damage from your car park scrape becomes obvious to your insurer. What are you going to tell them then? It's very unlikely, but not impossible.

I'd put it through insurance. I'd be surprised if you ended up paying more than £500 in future premium increases and it saves any risk from keeping your insurer in the dark.

melbury

Aylesbury_Duck wrote: »

Another reason for letting your insurer know is that it could get discovered at a later date and your insurance cancelled, which would give you a much more expensive headache for the rest of your driving life. Let's say you have a minor bump with another car in the next few weeks, before the damage is fixed, and the pre-existing damage from your car park scrape becomes obvious to your insurer. What are you going to tell them then? It's very unlikely, but not impossible.

I'd put it through insurance. I'd be surprised if you ended up paying more than £500 in future premium increases and it saves any risk from keeping your insurer in the dark.

That is an extremely pessimistic point of view:(

I would simply state that I hit it reversing out of my driveway and hadn't bothered to have it fixed because I can live with it being like that.

When you hear about some of things other people do, this is total trivia in comparison.

longwalks1

melbury wrote: »

I just can't stand the door crunching every time I open it:eek:

Can a friend/local garage not manipulate the part of the door/wing that is catching to stop it crunching everytime, for now? With a large screwdriver or crowbar? Until you get it fixed....

Aylesbury_Duck

melbury wrote: »

That is an extremely pessimistic point of view:(

I would simply state that I hit it reversing out of my driveway and hadn't bothered to have it fixed because I can live with it being like that.

When you hear about some of things other people do, this is total trivia in comparison.

It is, but your (dishonest) explanation is no better than what actually happened and still doesn't address the point. The point is that you've had an accident and you're seemingly prepared to lie when asked the question at every insurance renewal. The chances of being found out are extremely small but the consequence can be very expensive indeed. You can always tell your insurer for information only and get the damage fixed privately.

Personally, given how much the cost will be to have it done privately, I'd just go through insurance, but of course it depends on what your excess is.

custardy

melbury wrote: »

I don't see how I would be lying to them if I paid for it. If I had hit my own gatepost and paid for the repair they wouldn't need to know.

I have been driving for circa 45 years. I have 16+ years protected NCD.

Just claim.
For refernece. My partner @ 40 ish years old,10 year+ NCD wrote of our old Vectra hitting a wall with the rear quarter.
Payout was circa £2k
Insurance went up a couple of hundred in year one and about a hundred in year 2.
Back to normal after 2 years.
So your repair costs dwarf insurance costs in my experience.

melbury

custardy wrote: »

Just claim.
For refernece. My partner @ 40 ish years old,10 year+ NCD wrote of our old Vectra hitting a wall with the rear quarter.
Payout was circa £2k
Insurance went up a couple of hundred in year one and about a hundred in year 2.
Back to normal after 2 years.
So your repair costs dwarf insurance costs in my experience.

Really not worth claiming as I always opt for quite a high excess, so it makes sense for me to just pay this one and learn from it:(