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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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:

Thankgodforcaffeine · 09/02/2012 20:06

Oops...

... They NOTICE your bumper, it could invalidate your policy.

Just thought you might want to know :)

Original poster

Ouluckyduck · 09/02/2012 20:46

but but but...

I won't claim! Why do they need to know!

OP posts:

topknob · 09/02/2012 20:51

You can claim for the damage to the other vehicle, or the other driver can but you can say your vehicle is fine...dh reversed into a car on NYE and the woman got a quote for £200 so we decided to go through the insurance still not heard anything !

topknob · 09/02/2012 20:53

Just read this is for your car...your choice then...I would at least get a 2nd opinion and NOT from a main dealer known to take the piss

Strawbezza · 09/02/2012 20:57

OP how old is your car, and is it still under any warranty scheme?

Boomerwang · 09/02/2012 20:57

I don't know, why do they need to know? Is it because it involved another car? I had to pay £500 for a painted wing and bumper on my first car because it was clipped by someone and I didn't involve my insurance company. Should I have done?

Original poster

Ouluckyduck · 09/02/2012 20:59

It is six years old, so no warranty any more.

OP posts:

FabbyChic · 09/02/2012 21:00

Always ask for three quotes not one

Strawbezza · 09/02/2012 21:03

Seeing as there is no warranty, I'd take the advice of the garage around the corner.

No point in involving insurance, because even if you have £2K's worth of work done, it won't add £2K to the value of your car, and it will give you zero no-claims bonus, therefore higher premiums from now on.

Strawbezza · 09/02/2012 21:04

And you don't have to tell your insurance company if you have work done (or decide not to have work done) as a result of an accident you don't claim for.

Original poster

Ouluckyduck · 09/02/2012 21:22

According to the aa website you do have to tell the insurance company. Does anybody know how quickly I have to tell them?

OP posts:

Glittertwins · 09/02/2012 21:39

If you have protected no claims bonus, I would go through insurance as you might get clobbered by the other person's insurance anyway. If you'd hit my car, I would definitely be going through insurance in case there was unseen damage to my car.

Glittertwins · 09/02/2012 21:44

Actually Topknob (that sounds odd!) is right, you could let the other person claim for their damage and say your car is okay.
But, my experience has been that it doesn't matter if you claim for yours or not, a claim would be made against you therefore premium would go up anyway. We've had to do 3 lots of damage on one car, only once DH's fault and 2 on another car plus it then being written off. We had a crap time with those two cars!

Original poster

Ouluckyduck · 09/02/2012 21:53

I am pretty sure I won't hear any more from the other party - she gave me back the piece of paper on which I had written my details.

We do have protected no claims bonus, but also had an accident a year ago which we claimed for, how many accidents can you have until that protection goes?

Would be easiest if I could just ask the insurance company but I darent ring them!

OP posts:

Glittertwins · 09/02/2012 22:21

Two claims within a 12 month insurance period I think. More fool the other woman then, just sort your own out at the best price then.

tumble8 · 09/02/2012 22:38

completly agree with you re insurance, dont tell them. Yiour renewal will go up massively .

I think garages quote sometimes on the basis it is or an insurer and therefore do the maximum amount at the max cost.

Also they may be swinging the lead, re the amount of work needing done

def get another couple of quotes.

Original poster

Ouluckyduck · 10/02/2012 11:11

Good news! Had another opinion by a garage which was recommended to me - theybsaid condenser a bit bent but no ned to do anything.

OP posts:

Pendeen · 10/02/2012 13:39

You do have to inform your insurance company even if you do not intend to make a claim.

As has been said above, there is nothing to stop the other driver claiming and if they do so your insurer would be quite entitled to refuse to pay.

The AA have some sound advice.

Boomerwang · 10/02/2012 14:51

But if they gave back the OP's details without copying them first, how can they make a claim against her? Ouluckyduck did you see the other driver or occupants write anything down?

Original poster

Ouluckyduck · 10/02/2012 16:06

They gave me the piece of paper back the next day so might have copied it.

Re the insurance - surely that is outrageous? So I don't get themto pay for the damage, but still I have to tell them so that thy can up my premium??

OP posts:

PosiePumblechook · 10/02/2012 16:08

You have to tell.

And the insurance is about risk.

However the driver is having you on, you could ask for three quotes which is pretty standard.

Original poster

Ouluckyduck · 10/02/2012 16:25

It is for my car that I got two dont bother quotes and one very high. So am hapoy now to leave mine. Other car, the damage was minimal, I gave the other party the money to fix it in cash and in return she gave me the piece of paper with my details on. So all fine - only question left is do I risk not telling the insurance company.

OP posts:

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