235i - rear 3/4 Car park ding on lease car

[272BHP]

So I got hit in a supermarket carpark. The other car had tried to park alongside and scraped their front bumper along the left 3/4 of my car. Small dent on the crease just above the rear qtr and a few scrapes as well. Annoyingly, they tried to walk away and hope I wouldn't notice - I had to go and fetch them back.

Thing is its a lease car so I am not sure of the best way to proceed. Just go through insurance? or just smart repair and send them the bill?

[Smuler]

272BHP said:

So I got hit in a supermarket carpark. The other car had tried to park alongside and scraped their front bumper along the left 3/4 of my car. Small dent on the crease just above the rear qtr and a few scrapes as well. Annoyingly, they tried to walk away and hope I wouldn't notice - I had to go and fetch them back.

Thing is its a lease car so I am not sure of the best way to proceed. Just go through insurance? or just smart repair and send them the bill?

If they tried to walk away, which is a criminal offence, do you really think they're trustworthy enough to pay you back, if you shell out yourself?

Have you checked they're insured?

If it's your insurance policy, why does it matter that you're leasing the car?

[272BHP]

I am getting conflicting advice off line.

I have been told as its a lease and I don't own the car then I have to go through the leasing company initially who will probably insist it is fixed properly through insurance - which of course will impact on future insurance costs as it will be recorded.

Others disagree and say that as its quite minor a good smart fix will be much cheaper all round and hopefully when i hand it back they won't notice it.

[Smuler]

If you'd been hit by someone trustworthy , I can see the attraction of doing it more informally ; but I just wonder will they ever pay, will they dodge paying and then finally decide they want their insurance to pay and you are playing catch up.
Neighbour's daughter had similar car park situation and the offender is now claiming it was her fault!
He actually rang the insurance first, despite saying to her that he will pay up. Please don't ring insurance, he said!
Sometimes procedures are better followed.

Or you go with them to the smart repairer and they pay up front. But I'm not sure how likely that is.

[Phil Dicky]

272BHP said:

I am getting conflicting advice off line.

I have been told as its a lease and I don't own the car then I have to go through the leasing company initially who will probably insist it is fixed properly through insurance - which of course will impact on future insurance costs as it will be recorded.

Others disagree and say that as its quite minor a good smart fix will be much cheaper all round and hopefully when i hand it back they won't notice it.

You be very unlucky for them to pick up on a smart repair...just get it fixed yourself.

[4rephill]

Smuler said:

If they tried to walk away, which is a criminal offence.....

No it's not!

(From: https://www.essex.police.uk/contact-us/road-collis... ) :

I have been involved in a road collision do I have to report it?

This will depend on whether injury has been caused to any person and/or whether you have provided the required details at the scene of the incident. The Road Traffic Act 1988 (section 170) explains this fully.

If your (motorised) vehicle is involved in an accident you need to take the following steps to ensure you do not break the law.

Your duties are to stop, to give information, in some cases to produce your insurance certificate and in some cases to report the accident to the police.

Further Detail

If, as a driver, you are involved in a road-traffic accident and one or more of the following occurs:

A person, other than yourself, is injured.
Damage is caused to another vehicle or to someone else’s property.
An animal has been killed or injured, except in your own vehicle or trailer (an ‘animal’ is defined as ‘any horse, cattle, ass, mule, sheep, pig, goat or dog’)

You must:

Stop and remain at the scene for a reasonable period.
Give your vehicle registration number, your name and address, and that of the vehicle owner (if different), to anyone with reasonable grounds for asking for those details.

If you do not exchange those details at the scene, you must report the accident at a police station or to a police constable as soon as you can, and in any case within 24 hours.




You can leave the scene of an accident after a reasonable period (How long is reasonable though? - that's open to interpretation!), but if you fail to report the accident and your details to the Police within 24 hours, then you commit an offence.

[Andy70]

If you managed to get his attention and no doubt his details, surely he is traceable and also isn't there any CCTV in the car park to prove he is at fault? (and is reg number?)

[HoHoHo]

Regardless of who ends up paying the lease company simply look forward to having your car back in good condition.

If a smart repair does the job that's fine, if the damage needs a body shop then that's also fine and that's your call.

The are likely to go over the car with a fine tooth comb so I would simply go do n the route of best repair.

They won't give a monkeys who did what to who or how provided it's in good nick

[272BHP]

Andy70 said:

If you managed to get his attention and no doubt his details, surely he is traceable and also isn't there any CCTV in the car park to prove he is at fault? (and is reg number?)

I suspect there was paint from their car all over my car and they had clearly wiped it all off as there was swirl marks from a cloth (my car was quite dirty) I had surprised them by opening the boot while they were checking out the front of their car that was when they walked off. Alarm bells started ringing and that was when I checked out my car.

Once I pointed it out to them they knew they were rumbled and admitted everything. We exchanged details and they agreed to go along with my wishes.

Going through insurance seems such a ball ache though doesn't it?

[Andy70]

272BHP said:

I suspect there was paint from their car all over my car and they had clearly wiped it all off as there was swirl marks from a cloth (my car was quite dirty) I had surprised them by opening the boot while they were checking out the front of their car that was when they walked off. Alarm bells started ringing and that was when I checked out my car.

Once I pointed it out to them they knew they were rumbled and admitted everything. We exchanged details and they agreed to go along with my wishes.

Going through insurance seems such a ball ache though doesn't it?

yes I agree, id always try to settle it cash if possible, but all I'm saying is you have to fall back for proof if they try to wriggle out of it, worth checking the CCTV for your piece of mind and asking the store to save it maybe?