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Original poster

Just been hit by a car in Co-op

108 replies

KeyboardCat · 16/08/2022 19:40

I've just been hit by a car reversing into me in a co-op car park while I wasn't moving, waiting to go into a space that someone was leaving. It's only a small car park (one line of cars) so as I was waiting to reverse into this space a bloke reversed out of his and hit me.

He admitted fault, messaged me his details and said that we shouldn't go through insurance and he'll take care of any costs. He gave me his name and sent me his email address and it looks like he's a partner in a fairly high key professional company. Because of this (and the fact he has a 22 plate car) I'm thinking he's not short of a bob or two and would rather avoid the headache of going through insurance.

The damage isn't huge, a fairly sizeable dent to my back bumper, his car was fine. My DP is knowledgeable about cars and says it shouldn't take much to fix it just cosmetic.

I have never been in any kind of accident before, is it sensible to just send him the quotes and have him pay for it? I have high anxiety and could do without going through all of it too!!

Thank you for any advice.

OP posts:
mattressspring · 17/08/2022 20:19

OP why have you decided to do this random and untrustable stranger a favour?

Oscarsdaddy · 17/08/2022 20:19

You must notify your insurance company as you have been involved in an accident

My suspicion would be aroused by anyone who says they don’t want to go through insurance, why would they do that ?

say, thanks but no thanks

WhackingPhoenix · 17/08/2022 20:25

I’d do it if you have reason to believe he is genuine. I bumped a car once when I was about 20 and was so grateful to the elderly couple who let me pay for the damage without going through insurance as I was a student and newish driver and couldn’t bear to think what my premiums would go up to. They were really pleasant and nice throughout the whole process and sent me a lovely email when it was all finished and fixed wishing me well with my studies and my future Smile

Tanfastic · 17/08/2022 20:31

I'd go through the insurance. Happened to me recently, someone drive into my parked car and drove off. I tracked them down through their reg (which myself and a witness got as he drove off), he ended up contacting me through social media begging me to settle it privately and not go through insurance company, he was a new driver so I can understand why. However he started being a bit arsy and I'd already reported it to my insurance company anyway so I just told him that the wheels were already in motion and also the repairs, including a hire car were likely to be more than his insurance premiums would go up.

I'd be worried that they'd start wavering, pissing you about, querying the amount of damage, refusing to pay for a hire car if you need one...too much hassle op.

Purplekaz08 · 17/08/2022 20:37

I had a no fault accident when my car was parked in a car park and someone hit it, I went through the insurance and even though I wasn’t in my car at the time so obviously not at fault both mine and my partners insurance (on which I’m a named driver) increased due to it and it is on both our records for 5 years as a claim so I would definitely advice to not inform your insurance company if he is willing to pay for the damage.

Flamingosrule · 17/08/2022 20:55

I would go through insurance personally. Someone went into the back of me last year and wanted to pay for it privately - the damage to mine was not that bad (it’s a Volvo and quite high and it was the bumper more than anything - scratched and scuffed and a couple of dings).. as I got home and thought about it, I realised it would be a massive inconvenience to me as I would have to take it and arrange lifts and wouldn’t have a replacement car to use (live in a village with no shop, no bus service etc so I’d have been stranded for however long it took to fix my car).

I ended up going through insurance and I got a courtesy car to use which I didn’t have to pay for - good job I did because it took nearly three weeks to get my car back as there was a part they had to import from Sweden (damage obviously wasn’t as light as it looked)

loveyoumadly · 17/08/2022 21:17

Definitely report to your insurance, this happened to me and the next thing I know the driver who hit me had changed his story and claimed on my insurance saying that it was my fault. Your driver may well change his mind about paying for the damage so cover yourself by reporting.

MissMaple82 · 17/08/2022 21:54

Yes, give him chance to pay it, if it were the other way around you'd appreciate the break too I'm sure. I recently got a big dent in my bumper, cost 150 to get out

MissMaple82 · 17/08/2022 21:57

BertieBotts · 16/08/2022 21:08

Do you have child seats in the car? As they may need to be replaced, if it's made a dent in the bumper.

Bloody hell, hardly necessary to replace car seats for a bump to the bumper for christ sake, why are people so 'extra'!

Spaceshiphaslanded · 17/08/2022 22:01

I hit someone stopped at a red light once. Just a . Little bump on their bumper but managed to scratch their reversing camera. I offered to pay for it. Cost me about £300, think my excess alone would have been that - then the premium of next year’s insurance…was much easier just letting them send me the quote and I paid it.
someone else suggested giving him until x date to pay it, if they don’t then tell
the insurance. Don’t stress about it, don’t sound like a big bit of damage & it’s what bumpers are for!! x

OnTheBoardwalk · 17/08/2022 22:05

Always go through insurance, you are at massive risk for your next claim if you make one and you’ve not informed them of a previous collision, even if not your fault

most insurance companies included replacement child car seats as standard. Why wouldn’t you do this?

Silvers11 · 17/08/2022 22:30

You have a legal obligation to report even a no-fault accident to your Insurance company for starters, so I would NOT consider doing it privately. Happened to us a few years ago when someone stoved in our boot while the car was parked in a supermarket carpark and we weren't even in it. A 17 year old who had just passed her test 2 weeks earlier. Her Father phoned me and tried to get it done without going through the insurance 'as he knew someone who would do it' - and he got very angry when I wouldn't agree.

I told him I needed the courtesy car which my Insurance company provided and no way was it going to be repaired by 'someone he knew' There could have been a lot more damage to the body/chassis of the car which wasn't immediately obvious for all either of us knew

This was 2 weeks before my Insurance was due to renew. Yes, they did have to put up my premium for the following year but they also promised that once the claim was settled and it was accepted as a no-fault claim the premiums would come back down and they did as soon as I sent them confirmation.

Since then the only questions I have been asked when looking for new car Insurance, were simple things like - was it a no fault claim' or 'did you have to pay anything' or similar. I have had no problems ( the accident happened in 2019) and my Car Insurance premiums have been fine.

Maybe some companies increase the premiums regardless, (I've no idea) but there are plenty who don't, I assure you, although you may need to provide proof that your Insurance company at the time accepted it was a no-fault claim and the other person's Insurance paid out all costs of the accident

Flamingosrule · 17/08/2022 22:53

This is spot on! My insurance premium hasn’t been affected at all - in fact it came down this year. I wouldn’t entertain the idea of letting someone ‘sort it’ privately. I did think about it when someone hit me but so glad I went through insurance - I’d have been in a right mess if I’d had to wait for mine to be fixed for three weeks! He certainly wouldn’t have paid for a hire car or been remotely bothered that I’d have been majorly inconvenienced- I was in a queue of traffic just after some traffic lights when he hit me and he said his brakes didn’t work 😱
Don’t risk it. if this guy is a partner in a high profile agency then he can afford a bit extra on his premiums and probably won’t care if you are without your car for weeks .. it might teach him to be a bit more careful in future!

ThisIsAddiction · 17/08/2022 23:12

This happened to my cousin, only she was the one at fault.
she agreed with the other party where his car would be taken and met him at the garage paying up front for the work to his car.
All went very smoothly.

LouBan · 17/08/2022 23:25

Someone reversed into my DH recently. He didn't want to go through insurance and paid for everything himself. We still informed our insurance company. They asked a lot of questions but since it clearly wasn't my DH's fault our policy and costs didn't change.

wentworthinmate · 17/08/2022 23:38

Happened to me. Get a quote from ChipsAway and forward it to him.

girlfriend44 · 18/08/2022 00:25

Same happened here. We reported it through insurance company. Expect premium to go up but will worry about that next year.

justlliloleme · 18/08/2022 03:24

A young girl drove into me as I was waiting to pull out of a junction. It was the typical, she thought I was going to pull out & I didn’t. The damage was really minor.
She was really shaken up but she apologised profusely & said she’d pay for it. We swapped numbers & she text me that night to apologise, check we were all ok & asked me to get a quote to fix the damage.
I got 2 quotes, both £250 plus VAT, then she went quiet & never answered my messages. I gave her 48 hours to reply or I was informing my insurance. So after 48 hours I notified my insurance - this was about 10 days after the actual accident. The insurance we’re great, I even told them I didn’t want to go through the insurance because she was really young & her premiums would be sky high & they agreed & said it would have been better for her just to pay for it.
The total claim ended up about £3,500 once hire cars etc were included.
I’d get a couple of quotes & send them to him & give him to option of giving you the cash or the garage direct. If he’s not forthcoming then tell your insurance. Try & get him to admit fault in writing though.

fluffiny31 · 18/08/2022 09:19

This happened to me. They dealt with the company directly and paid before my car went in. Stopped my insurance changing. I made sure I had all the details of the car just incase

DownNative · 18/08/2022 10:10

loveyoumadly · 17/08/2022 21:17

Definitely report to your insurance, this happened to me and the next thing I know the driver who hit me had changed his story and claimed on my insurance saying that it was my fault. Your driver may well change his mind about paying for the damage so cover yourself by reporting.

Yep, this is more than enough reason for anyone to go straight through their insurance company!

Every time.

And a dash cam is very handy!

ancientgran · 18/08/2022 10:22

Going through insurance isn't always hassle free. DH was on the motorway and there was a pile up, he had left a sensible gap with the car in front but a lorry ploughed into the back of him and pushed him forward but he was able to swerve to the side. Insurance said it was being dealt with as a knock for knock DH refused and said he was no way at fault.

Fortunately the car in front was new, high value and the driver had watched it all in his mirror and was forever grateful that DHs actions had avoided damage to his car so he had given DH his details and was happy to make a statement and go to court if necessary. DH informed the insurers he was going to make a formal complaint to the police about the lorry driver making a false statement and go to the insurance ombudsman if the insurers colluded in this.

It all got sorted but I can't help feeling most people would have ended up with that on their insurance record.

saraclara · 18/08/2022 10:29

I came back to my car once to find a note on it from someone who'd hit it. The damage was reasonably substantial. It turned out that the girl who hit it, had only passed her test a few weeks before. She was distraught and her dad didn't want her to have to face the insurance hike and everything else that would go along with an early accident, so they asked if they (well, he) could just pay. I was fine with that and there was no problem.

The only thing I wouldn't do again is spend so much time driving around to get the best quote that I could for them (I was horrified by the first one). That was way too kind of me, as I live rurally (ha) so I actually spent a chunk of a couple of days doing that.

ThePumpkinPatch · 18/08/2022 13:50

I genuinely don't mean to be rude here, but if you don't know what the right course of action is in this situation, coupled with the levels of Anxiety you describe, then I'm not sure you should be driving at all

ThePumpkinPatch · 18/08/2022 13:55

@BertieBotts @TokenGinger Don't be so utterly dramatic!!!

TokenGinger · 18/08/2022 14:00

ThePumpkinPatch · 18/08/2022 13:55

@BertieBotts @TokenGinger Don't be so utterly dramatic!!!

Lol. Okay. I'd not take that risk with my child's safety, but saying that, plenty of people take risks with their child's safety in cars by forward facing them before their time, so I'm happy to be in the minority of being "dramatic" here, so long as my son is safe.

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