came back to my car to find a note accusing me of damage

[jayfish]

...to the car parked in front of me.

I took my son out for a spot of mountain biking to a local popular spot; busy car park, not many spaces left, there was a nice E class spaced hole between a Defender (to rear) and a (PH shame, don't know what it was, possibly SEAT or equivalent) VAG, C segment car in front.
I reverse parked into the gap, which was tight but large enough to let me get two bikes out of the boot without touching the LR behind.
Had a lovely day with jr jayfish but got back to find a note under my wipers accusing me of damaging the car infront whilst parking. I am 100% certain I entered the space without touching anything.
I called the number left on the note to explain my position and my certainty that I did not contact anything on the way in to the parking space, to be met with 'I have your plate and a paint sample and I'm calling the police' to which my response was 'Fine go ahead, I'm 100% happy I didn't touch you, maybe it was the car that vacated the spot I parked in'
Thing is there is a red scuff on my driver side bumper (VAG in front was red) but I know it came from me hitting a municipal bin and can even show which one it was.

Just want to know how far I can push my defence if it comes to a claim, Forensic evidence can show the scuff I have is 100% not from the car in front, but will the insurance companies listen, or can they be made to?

thanks in advance

[Tunku]

I'd be worried where they got their paint sample from...

[streaky]

jayfish said:

...to the car parked in front of me.

I took my son out for a spot of mountain biking to a local popular spot; busy car park, not many spaces left, there was a nice E class spaced hole between a Defender (to rear) and a (PH shame, don't know what it was, possibly SEAT or equivalent) VAG, C segment car in front.
I reverse parked into the gap, which was tight but large enough to let me get two bikes out of the boot without touching the LR behind.
Had a lovely day with jr jayfish but got back to find a note under my wipers accusing me of damaging the car infront whilst parking. I am 100% certain I entered the space without touching anything.
I called the number left on the note to explain my position and my certainty that I did not contact anything on the way in to the parking space, to be met with 'I have your plate and a paint sample and I'm calling the police' to which my response was 'Fine go ahead, I'm 100% happy I didn't touch you, maybe it was the car that vacated the spot I parked in'
Thing is there is a red scuff on my driver side bumper (VAG in front was red) but I know it came from me hitting a municipal bin and can even show which one it was.

Just want to know how far I can push my defence if it comes to a claim, Forensic evidence can show the scuff I have is 100% not from the car in front, but will the insurance companies listen, or can they be made to?

thanks in advance

The insurers will be very unlikely to want to bother with the costs of forensic examination of the paints.

However, one route would be to measure the height of the damage on both vehicles. If there is a sufficient separation (allowing for extremes of loading of the vehicles) this might deflect the claim. However, if there is commonality, this could count against you. Next is the position of the damage to each vehicle relative to the other and the parking manoeuvre - i.e. is it possible (or not) that your vehicle could have impacted the other vehicle to cause the damage/paint transfer at those respective points? Not a particularly easy one to determine post-facto. Then there is the amount of damage - i.e. is it possible that a very low-speed contact could have caused that much damage to the other vehicle? Again, not easy after the fact.

If the above tests fail, in the absence of witnesses it's probable that 50/50 will be proposed. Of course, the other party might be able to find a witness. So might you. It depends on your honesty and that of the witnesses. Bear in mind though that: "I saw vehicle A hit vehicle B" is stronger than: "I didn't see any contact between the vehicles"

[Doubtless, one of our insurance industry contributors will be along shortly to correct me.]

You say you are 100% certain you didn't hit the other vehicle. Was your car radio on, was Jnr Jayfish nattering excitedly? These could have masked the faint sound of a light brush ... enough to just transfer paint.

Streaky

[jkh112]

A few years ago I returned to my car to find a large dent in my car door. The dent and the paint matched the door edge of the car which had parked next to my car. The car owner denied it was him, and both police and insurers would do nothing without a witness.

[saaby93]

Anyone remember the time when cars had bumpers to prevent issues like this

[Gwagon111]

This sounds like a pie key scam. They have a dent / scrape from a previous incident. A car with a similar colour, arrives by chance, near to where they're parked, with a conveniently coloured mark on it. Bingo, the 20 "unrelated", "independent", witnesses saw you do it. You're in deep st, they're laughing their perma-tanned arses off.

[jayfish]

Thanks for the replies all,

To address a couple of things raised,

I'm absolutely certain there was no contact, it was a simple reverse park.

If my insurance want to go 50/50 I am prepared to fight it all the way, the comment about scuff heights is a good call, I can even go photo and measure the bin responsible for the scuff.

@Hora, Bedgebury just off the A21, lovely environs to pedal around in, jr jay isn't quite ready for the single track red route yet though.

[Scraggles]

guess the best thing is if you see a damaged car give it a wide berth, or if you made contact find another parking space

[blindmaninchains]

jkh112 said:

A few years ago I returned to my car to find a large dent in my car door. The dent and the paint matched the door edge of the car which had parked next to my car. The car owner denied it was him, and both police and insurers would do nothing without a witness.

This.

I had a guy approach me saying he'd hit and dented my car while it was parked up. He gave me his phone number and and I thanked him for his honesty.

I called my insurance company and gave them his number. They rang me back the next day, saying he denied hitting my car and that as they couldn't prove it, there was nothing more they could do. I ended up claiming for £765 worth of damage.

[streaky]

jayfish said:

... the comment about scuff heights is a good call, I can even go photo and measure the bin responsible for the scuff.

Which will go some way towards "reasonable doubt", but is in no way conclusive. What you need is the height and location of the damge to the other vehicle.

Streaky

[scottyr]

I've had a strange insurance incident recently.

Small shunt into the back of car in front on the motorway (traffic queued, she broke heavily for no reason).

Anyways, couldn't see any damage to either car (wasn't the best of light), gave her my details and told her to give me a call if the daylight showed any damage and I'd pay for it myself.

Got a letter a few weeks later saying a woman had claimed off my insurance and if I would like to know further details as far as the cost of the claim was, then write a letter.

I wasn't even informed of this claim, could have been anyone claiming for no reason. Can only presume it was a very small claim.

[Efbe]

swerni said:

What's to say he didn't reverse in to you?

Tell him to feck off

i would not have phoned in the first place,

but if I did, then I would claim he reversed into me.

[Tyre Tread]

scottyr said:

she broke heavily for no reason).

What did she break? Or was it that she braked heavily?

[Efbe]

Tyre Tread said:

scottyr said:

she broke heavily for no reason).

What did she break? Or was it that she braked heavily?

no, her arm fell off ;/

[109er]

Had something along these lines years ago when I was a bus driver.

Got stopped by the police for a visual check as a resident in the road the route
went down claimed one of the busses had hit his parked car. Whilst the policeman
was checking the bus, I looked at the car - yes there was a definite red dent/scrape
down the side of the car BUT, as I pointed out to the policeman that our busses were
painted blue and white. As our company was the only bus route down this road, I
suggested he had another word with the car owner.

Reported to the bus depot just in case, never heard any more.

[anonymous-user]

Cool Story Bro.

WTF is it with people digging up megaboring old threads to add their own mega boring tales to them?

"Once, years ago, fk all happened. Now let me tell you about it". Your life sounds pretty rock and roll, I must say.

[northwest monkey]

Breadvan72 said:

Cool Story Bro.

WTF is it with people digging up megaboring old threads to add their own mega boring tales to them?

"Once, years ago, fk all happened. Now let me tell you about it". Your life sounds pretty rock and roll, I must say.

Don't sit on the fence - why not say how you feel

[the_lone_wolf]

saaby93 said:

Anyone remember the time when cars had bumpers to prevent issues like this

Some still do...

[Rude-boy]

the_lone_wolf said:

Some still do...

In Paris, and most of France outside the proper car parks, it is irrelevant if you do or do not have extra plastic. The front, back and sometimes sides, are all regarded as bumpers. You know when to stop reversing when you feel the bump...

[br d]

Breadvan72 said:

Cool Story Bro.

WTF is it with people digging up megaboring old threads to add their own mega boring tales to them?

"Once, years ago, fk all happened. Now let me tell you about it". Your life sounds pretty rock and roll, I must say.

Would have taken a lot less effort for you to just ignore it altogether wouldn't it?
Never miss a chance to talk down to someone eh?