Advice needed please - recycle crew damaged car

[salmanorguk]

MODS - Please move if in wrong section - thank you

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Hello everyone - after a bit of advice please regarding on how to proceed.

Incident background
I currently have to street park my car outside the house. Last Friday after the school run everything looked normal. Around 10am the recycle crew came and went.

Around 10.30am I had to use the car and noticed scratches on the front wing, the laquer peeling and what looked like an attempt to "rub" the damage off. I was not in the car at the time. I also noticed material "flakes" that were the same blue colour as the recycle boxes.

Heres the damage (about 15-20cm in width and 5cm height):



I am fairly certain what happened is after empyting the box the crewman, an normal, let it drop to the ground but it caught the car.

I could not find details of the recycle crew (subcontracted by the council) so emailed my local councillor (copying in the council complaints department) about the issue.

Replies recieved
These are the (I think unrelated) replies I received today from the councillor and a case worker:





Questions I need help on
As this is my first ever incident potentially involving insurance companies, I am unsure how to proceed.

My questions are:

• Having read the replies, do I speak to the operations manager at the recycle company, their insurance, or get my councillor to pursue?
• Do I let my insurance company know?
• If I do will I need to pay the excess (currently £500) and will my premium go up? I'm wary the claim wont reach the excess limit
• If this goes through insurance will it create a mark against my car?
• Alternatively if anyone knows the cost of repair at a bodyshop (near West London) please let me know?

I apologise for the basic questions but hope for a little latitude and help as its the first time its ever happened to me.

[mmm-five]

Unfortunately it sounds like you currently have no proof that the recycling crew caused the damage...so unless the council provide CCTV from the vehicle that's validates your assumptions then you may not get anywhere with their insurer.

However, from the picture the damage doesn't look terrible and may simply polish out.

You don't have to tell your insurer if you get it repaired locally, and it may well cost less than your excess.

[Pica-Pica]

mmm-five said:

Unfortunately it sounds like you currently have no proof that the recycling crew caused the damage...so unless the council provide CCTV from the vehicle that's validates your assumptions then you may not get anywhere with their insurer.

However, from the picture the damage doesn't look terrible and may simply polish out.

You don't have to tell your insurer if you get it repaired locally, and it may well cost less than your excess.

I agree, without proof or witnesses, it may be difficult. Do you have a quote? I would say paint plus labour, £200 - £300 for a decent job?, assuming no dents.

[Chubbyross]

It looks like most of that will polish out, although the bigger scratches possibly mean a respray of the panel.

[carl_w]

Seems clear to me. They've raised it with their insurer. They recommend you talk to your own insurer (who will no doubt contact their insurer), but if you don't want to you can contact their insurer directly.

[Panamax]

salmanorguk said:

Hello everyone - after a bit of advice please regarding on how to proceed.

Correct touch-up paint from the dealership,
Tiniest available paint brush from your local model shop,
Good quality car polish/polishing cloth,
Job done.

I certainly wouldn't waste time or effort on anything else and I certainly wouldn't get into an insurance claim.

[mmm-five]

carl_w said:

Seems clear to me. They've raised it with their insurer. They recommend you talk to your own insurer (who will no doubt contact their insurer), but if you don't want to you can contact their insurer directly.

What proof have you seen that we haven't.

If you complain about damage to most councils, they will immediately direct you to their insurer who will then instantly refuse your claim due to lack of proof!

[salmanorguk]

Thanks to everyone who has replied to far - very helpful and appreciate it.

To clarify, I don’t have proof as annoyingly the damage happens outside of cctv view, and although houses on other side could see it, the truck is sandwiched in between!

The councillor has said he will ask them to check the trucks cctv - although this again depends on it being seen and their willingness to come clean.

It seems to me the best solution is to get touch up paint or a panel re spray.

Could I please get advice on:

- whether a touch up will be obvious (I’m guessing close up it will be, but what about 3 feet say)?
- would a respray require work on bonnet and door to blend it in? (If this is the case it might make more sense to go through insurance?)
- if anyone can recommend a shop near Heathrow?

If it helps it’s happened to a 1997 840ci.

[anonymous-user]

salmanorguk said:

It seems to me the best solution is to get touch up paint or a panel re spray.

Could I please get advice on:

- whether a touch up will be obvious (I’m guessing close up it will be, but what about 3 feet say)?
- would a respray require work on bonnet and door to blend it in? (If this is the case it might make more sense to go through insurance?)
- if anyone can recommend a shop near Heathrow?

If it helps it’s happened to a 1997 840ci.

In my experience touch-up paint rarely looks good and especially on the age of your car. All colours fade/oxidise over time and 24 years is a long time. My two recent experiences, two different cars and two different manufacturer of paints, the colours were way out. The solution was to take it to a paint shop where they mixed the paint to the colour of the car as it is today rather than the manufacturers spec all those years ago.

[Chrisgr31]

A neighbour had his car hit by the dustcart. He called the company and the transport guy said "Christ you're the 6th today"! His car was hit so hard by the lorry reversing it was a write off but the whole process was easy apparently. No attempt to deny responsibilty.

So just call their insurer.

[salmanorguk]

Chrisgr31 said:

A neighbour had his car hit by the dustcart. He called the company and the transport guy said "Christ you're the 6th today"! His car was hit so hard by the lorry reversing it was a write off but the whole process was easy apparently. No attempt to deny responsibilty.

So just call their insurer.

Thank you for the reply.
Would you know if in a case like this/your neighbours I would need to pay my excess or my premium would rise? Thanks

[Grrbang]

Sorry to hear about the damage.

You are likely obliged to report any incidents to your insurer, even if no claim was made. This may be advisable since another insurance company knows about it.

I would do that, then get repair quotes and decide what to do next.

My renewal rose a bit after a no fault incident, but I saved money anyway by price comparing insurers.

[konark]

Recycle crew= dustbin men.

[GC8]

Yeah, no it doesn't.