not going through insurance!

[remus]

Hi,

unfortunately my car door got caught by the wind and glanced off the car parked next to me (B&Q car park)

At first look I could see no damage, and there was no paint exchanged, but the owner pointed out a 2 inch dent, when you stood back and looked from an angle.

I asked if we could sort this, as my excess is £400, and it was agreed, I gave my address and mob number, and took some pictures. They got a quote for £350 + VAT from a garage, I asked for the details to be sent, and they turned up at my home with the quote.

When i said it did not seem to equate to the damage done, they said we could go through the insurance.

I found a company that would do the the work for £85 + VAT, messaged the details across, (not the cost) and they have said they are not prepared to do that and would be going to their insurers.

Have now received a letter, from I assume their insurance company, stating they understand I was involved in an accident and can i call to confirm what happened and who was involved and they would be happy to take the details, and complete an accident report form for me.

This is really stressing me out, as I keep expecting him to turn up at my home, and I have offered to sort it.

Should I ring my insurers?

Help please!!

[Bazooka Boo]

I know it's easier said than done, but worrying about it really doesn't help, after all, it is simply two lumps of metal.

 

It is his choice whether to go through Ins coys unfortunately, and clearly he is attached to his lump of metal and wants it restored to it's previous state.

 

If he was worth his salt then he would have got 3 separate quotes from 3 separate garages instead of one quote from his best mates garage where they can trump up the actual repair bill.

 

You can either ask that he gets another two quotes for the repair as you believe that this first one is incredibly inflated, or go through your Ins coys.

 

Sounds extremely petty to me, but this is the world we live in where individuals value lumps of metal over intelligent rational thinking.

[remus]

Yes they are petty, and the quote is to too take the dent out and prime, match the paint work, (a different garage quoted similar)so they would get a nice new door and I would have to find £400 to pay for it. The one I have asked them to use will take the dent out as if nothing had happened, but they are refusing to use them.

Is it 3 quotes?

[Ganymede]

£85 to take out the dent and respray the door?!

 

Seems incredibly cheap.

[remus]

They would not have to respray the door!

[mmfhater]

The same more or less happened to me except I also had a scratch on the paint and a slight dent at the bottom of the door

I have just got it back and the invoice price is just under £600

[Ganymede]

They would not have to respray the door!

 

How do you know?

[GrumpyToSayTheLeast]

Just had a dent and scratch removed. Just a little trolley dent and it cost me 480+vat.

 

Mine was the smallest of scratches but to repair it fully needed a touch up and colour blend. Not as cheap as it seems. Most people think it takes seconds and its done. They had my car for the whole afternoon.

[goodatresearch]

Agreed. It isn't petty for him to go through his insurance, that's what its for. Plus, this could put his premium up. Happened to us, car damaged and not our fault, didn't go through insurance but premium increased.

 

 

QUOTE=Ganymede;4755774]£85 to take out the dent and respray the door?!

 

Seems incredibly cheap.

[theberengersniper]

In my view anyone who has paid good money for a car has every right to be attached to it and concerned that its condition remain as good as possible.

 

The £85 quote will be from one of these paintless dent removal companies, which is fine, but I'd be surprised if they gave you a quote having not seen the car, more like an estimate. The success of these fellows depends entirely on the severity of the dent and whether there is any cracking to the paint.

 

The other quotes are much higher because the work they propose is very different. When a dent is introduced into a metal panel the metal itself stretches. To repair that your whole door needs dismantled so the repairer can get to the back side of the panel, then it needs metalworked back out, then skim filled, primed and painted. Depending on how close to the edge of the panel the dent is, the paintwork may also need blended into the adjoining panel so you don't see the difference in colour between original and new paint. Given the work involved, £350+VAT actually sounds like a reasonably good price.

[Orangest]

For the record as it hasn't been mentioned, you don't pay your excess for a third party claim, only for repairs to your own vehicle.

 

Though a fault claim will sting when renewal comes around.

[JoeyJoeC]

I can see why the man would be mad I saw a woman smash my car with her door and she didn't give two ****s. I see new dents on my car weekly.

 

Also, I thought you only pay excess on your own claims? If he claimed on your insurance, your insurance company will pay 100% to fix. If he claimed it on his insurance, he would pay out his excess.

[Jaye05]

Yes you don't pay any excess of you don't claim for your own vehicle damage as rightly advised above. I've worked in motor insurance claims for 15 years

[JoeyJoeC]

I bet the guy already knows this, and wants some cash in hand, most likely not even wont be spent on the dent. What car is it?

[MaxxPower]

I bet the guy already knows this, and wants some cash in hand, most likely not even wont be spent on the dent. What car is it?

 

Doubtful. He wont receive the money, the insurance company will just pay the repairer directly.

[Jaye05]

He would only receive the cash if you give him the money!! As above the insurer will pay the repairer direct

[remus]

JoeyJoec,

yes I am a woman, and I was mortified at the time,

there was no actual witness,

but someone sat in the passenger seat and back,

the driver returned whilst I was looking to see what/if damage had been done.

 

 

As I said, I believed I had done no damage, there was a various scratches and marks all over the door,

and they pointed out the dent, after standing back and having to have a good look.

 

I did not mention earlier but the quote he bought to my home, was dated 2 days after he had told me the estimate,

and I asked him to get a quote from a garage I know, and he messaged me the quote which was £50 more.

 

I never received the second quote, and have been wondering what work, exactly he has been asking to be quoted on,

 

 

i called in and asked for a copy, and reading it, it included repair to the drivers door as well.

I then spoke to the person who dealt with it, and he said, there was a few bits of damage,

but they had asked to be quoted for a dent and scratches.

 

As I said, no exchange of paint, I saw no damage.

 

theberengersniper, I sent pictures to the 'dent repair man', who was confident that he could do the job, and comes highly recommended.

[remus]

For the record as it hasn't been mentioned, you don't pay your excess for a third party claim, only for repairs to your own vehicle.

 

Though a fault claim will sting when renewal comes around.

 

Thank you for this advice Orangest, as I have no idea how this all works, which is why i am getting stressed.

 

I am now aware, that it is my insurance that are contacting me about an alleged accident, and want the details. I assumed I would have to find the £400, if we went through the insurance.

Is that not the case.

 

Any advice appreciated, as i am so unsure how this works.

[Ganymede]

For the record as it hasn't been mentioned, you don't pay your excess for a third party claim, only for repairs to your own vehicle.

 

Though a fault claim will sting when renewal comes around.

 

^^^

[Astronaughtwannabe]

Correct, no excess to pay.

[ericsbrother]

you are insured to let them pay to deal with such things. When you exchanged details you admitted that you or your vehicle was involved so now let the insurers decide who is at fault and how much it costs to put things right. Provide an honest statement to them and they will get on with things at a half decent pace.

[Astronaughtwannabe]

JoeyJoec,

 

yes I am a woman, and I was mortified at the time,

 

there was no actual witness,

 

but someone sat in the passenger seat and back,

 

the driver returned whilst I was looking to see what/if damage had been done.

 

 

 

 

 

As I said, I believed I had done no damage, there was a various scratches and marks all over the door,

 

and they pointed out the dent, after standing back and having to have a good look.

 

 

 

I did not mention earlier but the quote he bought to my home, was dated 2 days after he had told me the estimate,

 

and I asked him to get a quote from a garage I know, and he messaged me the quote which was £50 more.

 

 

 

I never received the second quote, and have been wondering what work, exactly he has been asking to be quoted on,

 

 

 

 

 

i called in and asked for a copy, and reading it, it included repair to the drivers door as well.

 

I then spoke to the person who dealt with it, and he said, there was a few bits of damage,

 

but they had asked to be quoted for a dent and scratches.

 

 

 

As I said, no exchange of paint, I saw no damage.

 

 

 

theberengersniper, I sent pictures to the 'dent repair man', who was confident that he could do the job, and comes highly recommended.

 

 

 

 

If somebody dented my car I'd want it repairing to my satisfaction, not the other drivers.