Non fault accident - received strange call from 3rd party's insurers

Cmdr_Bond

Once again I'm helping a friend, and information is spotty due to not being there at the time of the call and English not being their first language.

From what I've been told, this is what I understand the situation to be...

They were involved in a non fault accident - stationary, hit by a moving vehicle (in front of police as well).

I believe the 3rd party admitted liability at the scene, details were exchanged, and my friend passed these details onto their insurer (Churchill).

Today, that received a phone call from, they believe, the 3rd party's insurer (claiming to be Hastings)

It's alleged that the woman on the end of the phone was trying to get my friend to use their (Hastings) recovery/garage etc instead of going through their own insurance (Churchill), and offered some cash as well (£200).

They tried telling my friend that if they used their own (Churchill) insurance, their premiums would rise significantly next year, but if they used them (Hastings), they wouldn't.

This all sounds very dodgy to me.  Any advice?

Bigphil1474

Could well be genuine. It's usually cheaper for the at fault driver's insurance to pay for everything as they have an interest in keeping costs down, whereas the non-fault driver's insurers won't be as worried about as that as they aren't paying.

From what I understand, if your friend claims through their own insurer, they have a right to complain through an ombudsman if they aren't happy with the outcome but will have excess deducted. There is no recourse to the ombudsman if they claim through the 3rd party insurer but no excess to pay. 

Android07

From my limited knowledge, if your friend claims, he has to declare it for the next 5 years and his premium will go up. BUT, if he notifies, this will not happen and he will not have to pay any excess either.

DullGreyGuy

It won't make any long term difference on which policy the claim initially goes to however in the interim any open claim is normally treated as fault and so claiming off your own insurance if you are within a few months of renewal could impact you at renewal because its not finalised. The other matter is paying your excess but some insurers will waive that and it's recoverable if they don't. 

One note of caution, if you do claim directly from the third party insurer then you have no rights to go to the Ombudsman if anything goes wrong with the claim. 

facade

Android07 said:

From my limited knowledge, if your friend claims, he has to declare it for the next 5 years and his premium will go up. BUT, if he notifies, this will not happen and he will not have to pay any excess either.

Sorry, that is incorrect.

Whether he claims or not, he has had an accident.

Whoever he claims off he will have made a claim.

If he doesn't claim at all he will have suffered a loss.

Insurers ask if there have been any accidents, claims or losses (in respect of a motor vehicle) in the last 5 years. (and usually use a "yes" as a reason to raise premiums.)

If he claims direct from the third party (and only notifies his own insurer about the accident without making a claim on his own policy) he will not have to pay any excess and his no-claims discount on his own policy will be maintained as he hasn't claimed on the policy with the discount. (but he will still have to answer "yes" if asked about making a claim in the last 5 years)

Jenni_D

It's almost certainly a genuine call from the TP insurer. When I was hit by a TP whilst driving my (then) company car, their insurer contacted me to acknowledge liability and try to work things directly. If it had been my own car I might have been tempted, but as it was a company car then I had no choice but to go through the company's process.

caprikid1

"They tried telling my friend that if they used their own (Churchill) insurance, their premiums would rise significantly next year, but if they used them (Hastings), they wouldn't."

Typical lies and blackmail from the large UK insurance companies.

Bigwheels1111

Had 2 claims like this 15 odd years ago.
The first a woman reversed into a yellow box, god knows why.
As I was driving through it, into a station.
Sorry my fault etc.
First thing 08.01am the next day her insurance called.
Sorry let us sort it all.
Two hours later a private hire plated car arrived, looked all round noted any damage etc and just signed car was ok.
He drove off in mine.
A week later my car was back and repaired perfectly, even replacing lights, number plate and a few more bits that I did not see were damaged. Plus a full tank of diesel.
Took old car away, all I signed was hire cars condition again.
Never told insurance as I never made a claim.
Not sure if that was the right thing to do.

Second one was a civil servant in London rear ended me, again sorry etc. 
One hour later, our client hit you, we can deal with it.
Same thing plated car arrived and mine driven away.
Never claimed again.
Nor mentioned it.

DullGreyGuy

Bigwheels1111 said:

Had 2 claims like this 15 odd years ago.
The first a woman reversed into a yellow box, god knows why.
As I was driving through it, into a station.
Sorry my fault etc.
First thing 08.01am the next day her insurance called.
Sorry let us sort it all.
Two hours later a private hire plated car arrived, looked all round noted any damage etc and just signed car was ok.
He drove off in mine.
A week later my car was back and repaired perfectly, even replacing lights, number plate and a few more bits that I did not see were damaged. Plus a full tank of diesel.
Took old car away, all I signed was hire cars condition again.
Never told insurance as I never made a claim.
Not sure if that was the right thing to do.

Second one was a civil servant in London rear ended me, again sorry etc. 
One hour later, our client hit you, we can deal with it.
Same thing plated car arrived and mine driven away.
Never claimed again.
Nor mentioned it.

So you were asked the question "have you been involved in any accidents or suffered any losses irrespective if you claimed for them or not" and you answered "No" do you really need to ask if that was "the right thing to do"?

It's fraud, thankfully for you you got away with it those times. Databases and data sharing are getting better these days though.