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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder if he is having me on? (please read if you know about cars)

72 replies

Ouluckyduck · 08/02/2012 22:54

I drove into somebody at a roundabout. I had stopped to see if any cars were coming from the right and wrongly presumed the car in front of me had gone. As it was from standing I was not going very fast at all. Minimal damage in the other car - just the lights that illuminate the numbeplate. On my car - all you can see is a crack on the bumper. Dh wanted to know if there was anything else and the garage has quoted £2000 !! Including new bumper, bumper brackets, bumper support, grille, air conditioning condenser...plus labour, paint etc. Can a low impact crash realky cuse this much damage??

OP posts:
Snowbeetle · 08/02/2012 23:06

I had a similar incident once and the car was designed in such a way that one tiny crack in bumper meant entire bumper replacement which was a few hundred by the time labour and paint were added. That said I was using someone I know and trust. You're air-con + grille etc etc does seem a bit excessive so I would be seeking second and third opinions myself as that is my policy for hiring anyone like that and often saves tons of cash and hassle. hth. :)

alarkaspree · 08/02/2012 23:11

Do you have fully comp insurance? If so the insurance company will probably want to approve the work beforehand. If not, does the garage know that you are paying yourself? If they're assuming the insurance is paying they may be quoting for some nice-to-haves that you may think you can do without.

It does seem like a lot and I would be getting some other quotes too.

Original poster
Ouluckyduck · 08/02/2012 23:15

I do have fully comp but was hoping to keep the insurance out of it.

OP posts:
troisgarcons · 08/02/2012 23:15

Did you take photos ?

Original poster
Ouluckyduck · 08/02/2012 23:15

No why?

OP posts:
workshy · 08/02/2012 23:22

the condenser could possibly need doing (if it's a vauxhall it probably will) but it's not essential to the safe running of the car so doesn't have to be done

my condenser went on my Zafira and it was going to be £700 to sort so I didn't bother

cars are designed to crumple in certain areas to minimise injury so it's not impossible but sounds unlikely -why not take it to a another garage for a second opinion?

aldiwhore · 08/02/2012 23:34

Damage can happen at low speed, I know this well after I slowly reversed into a concrete pillar in DH's truck (it wasn't there before I reversed I SWEAR) the impact not only cracked the back light slightly (unsurprising) but on opening the boot found it have cracked the casing in the boot too... I've been told this is GOOD.

I'm not allowed to drive his truck anymore (thank fuck).

No idea if the quote is right, you'll need to shop around I think, but itsperfectly possible the damage is preportionate to the impact.

troisgarcons · 08/02/2012 23:38

Well, call me completely fuckwitted but I take photos of accidents .... not that I have thousands Grin but before mobile phone cameras I always kept a disposable in the glove compartment.

that comes from the time I was totally smashed in to and had to justify every scrape - 2 years to sort out.

Whatmeworry · 08/02/2012 23:38

I was parking once, a guy bumped into me from behind as I had stopped to grab a place. His fault. Minimal damage

He than claimed that:

(i) I had reversed
(ii) He had incurred about £1000 worth of damage on his (crappy) car.

I told the insurance company that no way was I paying and he was lying, but they settled its as a half/half (ie contested) and up went the insurance.

squeakytoy · 08/02/2012 23:40

Depends what car it was that you drove into.

But yes, it is possible if you have damaged the trim, and it is colour coded.

VelmaDaphne · 08/02/2012 23:41

Call his bluff. Say that if it's going to cost that much you'll have to go through insurance instead, and see what happens.

Strawbezza · 08/02/2012 23:42

Definitely get more quotes. Did you tell the garage what had happened? They may well have thought "ooh, good chance to make some dosh here".

How old is your car? You could take it for an MOT. See what it fails on. That will tell you what damage really needs repairing.

Whatmeworry · 08/02/2012 23:47

Call his bluff. Say that if it's going to cost that much you'll have to go through insurance instead, and see what happens.

I agree - £2k is way above excess, and way above what policy increase might be over the next few years.

McHappyPants2012 · 08/02/2012 23:52

What car is it

ValarMorghulis · 08/02/2012 23:55

Unless it was a Maclaren F1 there is no way its £2k worth of damage.

tell him to get 3 quotes, you will chose from the 3. Or better still ring around and chose your own garage.

Strawbezza · 09/02/2012 00:00

I think it's the OP's car that has the damage, the other car just needed number plate lights replacing. So she is hoping to sort that out without going to insurance. OP is that right?

squeakytoy · 09/02/2012 00:01

Unless it was a Maclaren F1 there is no way its £2k worth of damage

That is not true. If someone was to smack into the back of one of our cars, the chances are that repairs would easily go above £2k.

squeakytoy · 09/02/2012 00:04

Ah, you are right there straw, but my point still stands, if there was a crack in the bumper it can still be extremely costly to repair if the bodywork is all colour coded and needs to be sprayed.

ValarMorghulis · 09/02/2012 00:05

squeaky - "smack into" yes. Go from static to a maximum of what? 3mph? no chance.

squeakytoy · 09/02/2012 00:14

If it was enough to crack the bumper, it was still a whack. It is still the full weight of the vehicle hitting the vehicle in front.

LilBlondePessimist · 09/02/2012 00:19

I did exactly the same in my vauxhsll zafira in 1998 and the damage was £1800 worth (to my car). That was going through my insurance and it was a land rover I ran into. My aircon unit was knackered amongst other things. Hth.

Strawbezza · 09/02/2012 00:25

There is a difference between repairing the car to 100% perfection (insurance route), and patching it up so it's legal (which I think is what the OP wants). Having aircon is not a legal requirement. Neither is having a flawless paint finish.

LilBlondePessimist · 09/02/2012 00:29

True, but just letting the op know that this amount of damage was perfectly feasible in this situation. Has the ops oh told the garage that all he wants is a 'patch up' or has he asked for a quote to repair it?

Strawbezza · 09/02/2012 00:37

Exactly LilBlonde I think if the OP was to ask for the minimum work to make it legal, she'd get quoted a very much lower figure.

keepingupwiththejoneses · 09/02/2012 00:37

Easiest way to find out if he is having you on is to take the car to get a second opinion, easy!