driver reversed into me - refusing to pay for repairs

Report it to your insurance company. They will claim it back from his insurance and it will go down as non blameworthy on your part so won't affect your insurance premiums. He is taking the mickey and hoping you won't pursue the matter so don't let it drop.

This is what my dad did. I would tell the other driver to pay up or you got through insurance. That might get you somewhere

Get your insurance involved. Tell them the exact story. They will sort it.

Similar happened to me last year, except I was stationary at traffic lights and a woman about my age drove smack into the back of me. She spouted some garbage at the scene about getting her pedals mixed up, but in hindsight, I suspected she was fiddling with her phone or radio.

She wanted to sort it between ourselves. I did consider it, but in the end decided to go through the insurance. In hindsight, I'm glad I did, as it removed the hassle of me having to sort a repair myself, and going through the whole "will she, won't she" in regards to payment.

As it was 100% her fault, I had zero qualms about her premium going up.

Go through the insurance. Your car may get written off but you can buy it back from them and your car will probably not even leave your possession. The cost of buying it back will be very low and they will just deduct it from the payout.

Did the shock of him banging into you hurt you by any chance!

Go through insurance - I got money for the write off plus the car back. I got it repaired and carried on driving it (you have to let DVLA know).

If you go through insurance your premium can still go up even if it’s not your fault. Insurers often see non fault accidents as an indicator of higher future risk and load you accordingly. If possible I would keep the insurance companies out of it unless it’s a very large claim.

No, you are not legally obliged to go through insurance. However, you are contractually obliged to inform them of any accident.

Re car values, insurers use industry guides such as Glass's and look at similar vehicles for sale to determine the market value of the vehicle. What they offer is therefore the average price for that model given its age and mileage. Owners can argue for a higher value if they can show that the insurer has got it wrong or that their car was worth more than the average (e.g. it was in much better condition than you would expect). But many people complaining about insurance payouts for write offs simply had an unrealistic view of the value of their car.

It’s not a “threat” to go through insurance, it’s what you are legally obliged to do.
Also, ime you do get the current market value of the car, there are regulations.

Well done. You will always get more from a private sale than from webuyanycar., but the difference is not usually anything like that much. WBAC typically offer prices that are close to or slightly lower than the trade-in value of the vehicle. Given the information OP has given about her car (nearly 200,000 miles on the clock, ancient and dented), it is unlikely that it is worth more than the cost of repairs. She herself thinks it is only worth a few hundred at most.

Yes, but that’s a webuyanycar quote - bottom trade price. They offered us £200 for an Audi we sold a few weeks later for £2000.

Threaten him with going through the insurers. I maybe wrong but l wonder if it was even his car? The only problem being, if you go through the insurers, your insurance will increase too. Even though it was not your fault, they see you as a risk. Extremely unfair but that's how they operate these days. Also if your car is a write off, you will never get what you think you may get, they rip you off there too.There needs to be legislation about car insurance, because we have to have it, they can do what the hell they like...

We buy any car will offer you the trade price, not the retail price. Your insurer should offer you the retail price of the vehicle (so enough to go and buy it again). Who is your insurer? When we made a claim it was super easy and straightforward.

OP has already got her own quotes to get her car repaired. She wants the other driver to pay the full cost of repairs even though the cheapest quote is more than her car is worth. Regardless of whether she involves insurance, the most she will get is the value of her car. If she insists on getting it repaired, she is going to have to make up the difference herself.

Tbh I don't blame him. I wouldn't spend £1000 to repair a car worth £500. Just claim on your insurance. Your days were numbered with that car anyway.

Always go through insurance

But insurers usually appoint expensive bodyshops. If you buy the car back and get it done yourself it usually costs a fraction of the price.

Tell him you will go through the insurance. If he gets a fault claim on his insurance on a Lamborghini and loses his NCB it will cost him an absolute fortune. You have him by the short and curlies, and he deserves it because he is being a dick. If they do write your car off, buy it back and either drive it with a couple of dents (if it's old, do you really care?), or get a little local garage to fix it. I have bought two back and got them repaired like that, and both times I made a profit. You have nothing to fear except fear itself!

Insurance or small claims court.

Say to him - take it or leave it - or go via the insurance.

You might be pleasantly surprised - three years ago a delivery driver reversed into my parked car (I was in it) and wrecked the driver’s side door handle and dented the door. I was expecting a quick repair, but they said they were writing it off, so I priced up a similar replacement at £1,500, and expected to have to fight for that. They actually offered me £4,300 - I nearly bit their hand off! They did offer me the chance to buy it back, but I wanted to upgrade anyway, so I declined.

When old cars are written off you don’t usually get enough money to buy another. A similar thing happened to me. The quote for repair from the insurance contractors was more than insurance company were willing to pay, so I got a quote myself from another garage, paid it myself then argued that the insurance company were unreasonable to scrap a car for cosmetic damage, when it was in perfect working condition and for its age had very few miles on the clock. I got the money in the end.

I'd go to the police, as his refusal could be an indication he is not insured or perhaps is facing a motoring crime.

I would just go to insurance right away. Its not his decision to make.
My car was written off two years ago. Tell insurance you want tk keep the car. They send you the money and you either pay for repairs or get a nrw car and sell the old one for scrap.
Dont sell it to the insurers. They offered me 5 grand for my car for scrap. I then contacted several breakers and sold it to them myself for ten grand. Took me a bit more time and hassle but I doubked what insurers were offering. Plus i got the vale of the car from insurers write off.