Help - I reversed into someone
Discussion
Hi all, need a bit of help/advice please!
A couple of days ago I was driving down a narrow road, had to reverse & move out of the way as a car was coming the other way. I didn't look behind me properly (in a high up 4x4) and didn't see a fiesta behind me. Reversed into it at no more than a few mph resulting in a small dent to the bonnet and a crack to the bumper around the numberplate.
I stopped, exchanged details with the lady. She said her husband works in accident repair and would probably be happy to deal with it outside of the insurance companies - up to me which I choose.
Had a call from the husband today asking for £1,300 for bonnet repair/respray, front bumper, plastic moulding/clips for radiator, front crash pad pushed back 4-5" and possibly new air-con rad.
Question I have now, is how much is this likely to bump up my insurance (Admiral multi car, Isuzu Trooper / Nissan 370z, 26yrs old, 6yrs non-protected NCB) if I go that route? I'm assuming i'll lose all of my NCB?
A couple of days ago I was driving down a narrow road, had to reverse & move out of the way as a car was coming the other way. I didn't look behind me properly (in a high up 4x4) and didn't see a fiesta behind me. Reversed into it at no more than a few mph resulting in a small dent to the bonnet and a crack to the bumper around the numberplate.
I stopped, exchanged details with the lady. She said her husband works in accident repair and would probably be happy to deal with it outside of the insurance companies - up to me which I choose.
Had a call from the husband today asking for £1,300 for bonnet repair/respray, front bumper, plastic moulding/clips for radiator, front crash pad pushed back 4-5" and possibly new air-con rad.
Question I have now, is how much is this likely to bump up my insurance (Admiral multi car, Isuzu Trooper / Nissan 370z, 26yrs old, 6yrs non-protected NCB) if I go that route? I'm assuming i'll lose all of my NCB?
fatjon said:
They are trying to shaft you. You will be very glad you took that photo of the very minor and superficial damage. CAll you insurance and send them a copy of it and let them deal with these scammers. I would expect to pay circa £200 to repair that damage.
you would expect to pay £200 to repair and spray a bonnet, buy and spray a new front bumper, new numberplate, and take off refit them all?where's your bodyshop?
johnvthe2nd said:
you would expect to pay £200 to repair and spray a bonnet, buy and spray a new front bumper, new numberplate, and take off refit them all?
where's your bodyshop?
I would not expect all of that work for £200 - but I don't think it needs a respray from the (admittedly poor quality) phone picture.where's your bodyshop?
johnvthe2nd said:
you would expect to pay £200 to repair and spray a bonnet, buy and spray a new front bumper, new numberplate, and take off refit them all?
where's your bodyshop?
It belongs to the woman's husband!where's your bodyshop?
They are basically shafting the OP:
"Put an extra £1000 in our pockets, or go through the insurance and lose out anyway."
If I were the OP, I would get a couple of quotes from the photo taken, and use that as a baseline for the next course of action. If the quotes come back as £300, then it is clear to all involved that there is no illusion that the other driver has been deliberately over quoted.
I'd be inclined to do that, then make them an offer based on the other quotes, discuss it with them, and put a cheque in the post in full and final settlement.
Then, should the other party for whatever reason not be happy with being fully recompensed for whatever reason, they will have to take it up with their insurance company, with the knowledge that by doing so, firstly that both insurance companies would be flummoxed why they have not taken the cash, and secondly by reporting the accident *their own* insurance would go up.
IMHO they are trying it on, and a little 'pushing back' and politely showing that the OP can smell the p*** taken from him would be enough.
fatjon said:
They are trying to shaft you. You will be very glad you took that photo of the very minor and superficial damage. CAll you insurance and send them a copy of it and let them deal with these scammers. I would expect to pay circa £200 to repair that damage.
What?!Young girl ran into me a few months back. Put a dent between the rear wheel and the door (about the same size as that one above). No plastic involved - no radiators, just a panel beating job and a spray - blending it over a wide area. That was £600 at an ordinary body shop (insurance approved) but this wasn't through insurance. I'd say £1300 seems about right.
well, the same thing happened to me (funnily enough, a 4x4 reversed into me because he 'couldn't see me'), and the claim was for about £1500, through the insurance, and my bonnet was ok, it was just the plastic front that was damaged. If I read the picture correctly, a bodyshop would fit that with a new front bumper, and probably a new bonnet. There's you £1350.
After a fault claim mine went up a few hundred quid. How much is your excess? Mine luckily wasn't too bad. You may not even have a compulsory one at your age.
Other advise is solid, get a few quotes, and go back to them. If they come down in price sufficiently it's probably worth doing it that way, otherwise go through insurance.
As said though, it's surprising how much bodywork can cost, new parts aren't cheap.
Other advise is solid, get a few quotes, and go back to them. If they come down in price sufficiently it's probably worth doing it that way, otherwise go through insurance.
As said though, it's surprising how much bodywork can cost, new parts aren't cheap.
wow there are some people on this thread who've been bent over in the past!
what a f**king waste of money to suggest that needs a new bumper.
new numberplates : £35
Mark the dent man : £80
poss only need mop and polish after that but assume a bit of paint £80
skim and paint bumper: £80
Total: £250
(and that would be ME t*king the wee a bit if we did it)
double it for what I cant see.
£1300 is f**king ridiculous. Its a fiesta and the bonnet will only get stone-chipped like all of em anyway....totally taking advantage
what a f**king waste of money to suggest that needs a new bumper.
new numberplates : £35
Mark the dent man : £80
poss only need mop and polish after that but assume a bit of paint £80
skim and paint bumper: £80
Total: £250
(and that would be ME t*king the wee a bit if we did it)
double it for what I cant see.
£1300 is f**king ridiculous. Its a fiesta and the bonnet will only get stone-chipped like all of em anyway....totally taking advantage
Seems completely academic what option the OP goes for really since if it goes through insurance you can bet the woman will elect to use her approved bodyshop which coincidentally just happens to be her husband's firm.
Go through insurance and forget about it. You're not going to be able to convince the injured party that they "should be happy with £x settlement" - for starters it's not your place to dictate what state of repair they should be happy with, or how much it should cost.
If you're going outside of insurance then you basically just have to hope that it serves your interests which obviously in this case it does not. You don't have a leg to stand on in terms of debating with them how much it should cost to repair, or even that they actually spend the £1,300 you give them on fixing the car at all.
Just go through insurance, based on the £1,300 quote you'll probably save money this way anyway.
edit: Regarding the possibility that it might not be properly insured anyway if you wanted to be an arse you could start talking about how you think she drove into you, how it'll be knock-for-knock, etc. Maybe they'll reconsider their quote. Then again you are ultimately in the wrong, which you've admitted to, and have posted a photo with a reg plate which is clearly identifiable, so perhaps that isn't such a great suggestion.
Go through insurance and forget about it. You're not going to be able to convince the injured party that they "should be happy with £x settlement" - for starters it's not your place to dictate what state of repair they should be happy with, or how much it should cost.
If you're going outside of insurance then you basically just have to hope that it serves your interests which obviously in this case it does not. You don't have a leg to stand on in terms of debating with them how much it should cost to repair, or even that they actually spend the £1,300 you give them on fixing the car at all.
Just go through insurance, based on the £1,300 quote you'll probably save money this way anyway.
edit: Regarding the possibility that it might not be properly insured anyway if you wanted to be an arse you could start talking about how you think she drove into you, how it'll be knock-for-knock, etc. Maybe they'll reconsider their quote. Then again you are ultimately in the wrong, which you've admitted to, and have posted a photo with a reg plate which is clearly identifiable, so perhaps that isn't such a great suggestion.
Edited by Durzel on Wednesday 24th August 14:06
Given you haven't had the letter from the lawyers about her whiplash, or that her bodyshop husband will earn £500 referring his other half to a hire company for a few days hire whilst they book the car in on a thursday, get it inspected on the monday, order the parts on the tuesday and complete the work late on friday, theres 10 days credit hire at least at £37 a day +cdw + vat, and then he aarns £500 referring her to a solicitor, theres plenty more grief to come.
This is how a £500 repair becomes £5000.......
This is how a £500 repair becomes £5000.......
Being in a 'high up 4X4: Are you actually sure you damaged the bumper AND the bonnet without damaging anything in between the two?
Just seems a bit strange to me that there's a dent on the front edge of the bonnet, not a mark on the grill or top of the front bumper and damage to the number plate ........................
Might be worth looking at the back end of yours to see if it is actually possible to damage the Fiesta in that way
BB
Just seems a bit strange to me that there's a dent on the front edge of the bonnet, not a mark on the grill or top of the front bumper and damage to the number plate ........................
Might be worth looking at the back end of yours to see if it is actually possible to damage the Fiesta in that way
BB
BigBob said:
Being in a 'high up 4X4: Are you actually sure you damaged the bumper AND the bonnet without damaging anything in between the two?
Just seems a bit strange to me that there's a dent on the front edge of the bonnet, not a mark on the grill or top of the front bumper and damage to the number plate ........................
Might be worth looking at the back end of yours to see if it is actually possible to damage the Fiesta in that way
BB
Spare wheel (bonnet bump) & the back of the car on the number plate?Just seems a bit strange to me that there's a dent on the front edge of the bonnet, not a mark on the grill or top of the front bumper and damage to the number plate ........................
Might be worth looking at the back end of yours to see if it is actually possible to damage the Fiesta in that way
BB
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