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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ask this woman if I can get another quote for the damage I did to her car?

71 replies

headfairy · 21/09/2012 11:35

I accidentally bumped cars with someone this morning. She's been to a garage for a quote and for a scratch on her bumper she's been quoted £250 which includes 6 hours labour. Would it be really bad of me to ask if I can arrange another quote at another garage. I guess that would mean her taking the car out to another garage, which might be an inconvenience to her. But I feel a bit silly accepting the first quote she throws at me, especially as it sounds a lot.

OP posts:
DesperatelySeekingPomBears · 21/09/2012 11:39

Well to be fair she's already done you a favour by not involving any insurance companies. Most garages will offer the same quote - its the usual insurance excess so people are paying what they would have had to pay anyway and keeping their no claims.

Of course, you can ask, but don't be surprised, upset or offended if she refuses.

SoleSource · 21/09/2012 11:39

Mobile scratch repair companies could have a look at it whilst sitting in tne drivewsy at her home. Think you might need her permission. She may know the garage owner and is pulling a fast ine. Wad it a Rolls Royce? Does seem high for a scratch?

Original poster
headfairy · 21/09/2012 11:43

Not a Roller, a Beetle. I hadn't thought of mobile scratch repair companies...

I assume not going through an insurance company will be beneficial to her as it will get fixed quickly. I have protected no claims - so long as I don't claim in the next two years I won't lose my no claims bonus.

OP posts:
DeWe · 21/09/2012 11:46

I had a low grade prang just before the summer holidays. Traffic lights not working, I stopped, car behind went into me at slow speed. Slight bump on back door, and bumper knocked down-the clips holding it on had bust.

We've got an old, but reasonable car, worth around £1500, so I was slightly surprised when the first garage I went to wrote it off...

Because this sounded high, I asked her to recommend somewhere and I asked aound and found someone else to quote. The one she recommended was around £1000, the one I eventually found was £500. That was for bumper reclipping, bump pushing out and repainting.

So I don't think £250 sounds too dreadful. Several people said that if you looking at body works repair then you start at £500.

OhSoSimple · 21/09/2012 11:47

Hmmm once a man reversed into me. Looked like simply a cracked number plate. It was not. The cost was much more than £250. Luckily it was a company car.

If you are not going through insurance companies to benefit yourself I would pay it. However, If you think it is too much suggest going through insurance company.

If you reversed into her and are willing to repair the damage I think it's a bit cheeky to expect her to have go around fetching quotes.

Make sure you have a copy of the quote and ring round yourself.

Original poster
headfairy · 21/09/2012 12:01

It's not really body works, it's a scuffed bumper. I've had a mobile quote for about £150. I might see if she'd be willing to have them come and have a look at it for me. I wouldn't expect her to take the car to lots of different garages.

I'll ask her to send me a copy of the quote she was given.

OP posts:
OhSoSimple · 21/09/2012 12:05

If you are making arrangements for them to come out and it's that much of a difference then YANBU but if it was my car I suppose I would wonder if a mobile company could do as good a job as the garage ..... I wouldn't mind if it was your car though Wink

Hope it all gets sorted, sounds like you are both being reasonable!

Original poster
headfairy · 21/09/2012 12:08

She wasn't that reasonable to me this morning, called me a stupid bitch and reduced me to tears on a very stressful morning. But I'm rising above it and want to get it sorted quickly and happily for everyone.

This mobile company I've found is a nationwide one, I'm assuming if you're not happy with the repairs they'll rectify it. I haven't actually had a chance to chat with them yet because I'm at work,.

OP posts:
OhSoSimple · 21/09/2012 12:11

Well if she'd said that to me and my excess was around £250 I would tell her to go through insurance company. Yours will probably say she drove into you and she will end up paying something

OhSoSimple · 21/09/2012 12:12

Aaah that was meant to be strikethrough!

MonkeyRisotto · 21/09/2012 12:16

Most garages will treat something like this as a partial respray, and by the time you've bought the paint, loaded the sprayer, sprayed it, cleaned out the sprayer, and cured the paint (and most modern cars also have a clear top coat, like a varnish), and labour charges, you're over £200 easily.

You may get away with a SMART repair (Small to Medium Area Repair Technique), like ChipsAway do, where they just spray in the actual scrape, but it may not be completely invisible.

MontBlanc · 21/09/2012 12:16

She is doing you a favour headfairy not the other way round. As you were at fault it will be on your insurance record and you will lose your no claims. I'd just pay up otherwise she's in her rights to say ok I'll just go through the insurance companies.

Sorry this has happened and she was rude to you though, is a right PITA Sad

Jins · 21/09/2012 12:16

Someone reversed into me last year. You could barely see a mark but it turned out it has displaced the bumper which needs to be replaced. Quotes ranged from £300 -£450

I got a few quotes to make sure there wasn't a rip off going on but really it wasn't my problem. I had a witness to confirm I wasn't moving and it would have been the easiest thing in the world to have gone through the insurance. Why should my car be devalued because someone's driven into me?

blueraincoat · 21/09/2012 12:17

That is a reasonable quote, body work is unfortunately very expensive as it is a specialist skill.

I hope it all gets sorted, it is quite frightening even when it is a little bump. Hope you are ok.

Original poster
headfairy · 21/09/2012 12:26

I won't lose my no claims going through the insurance company montBlanc I have protected no claims, but my premiums may be higher next year.

I guess I'll have to see what her quote is for, whether the bumper is displaced or if it's just the scuff repair.

I agree her car shouldnt' be devalued by my actions, but I'm just wondering if it would be foolish to blithely accept her quote. Whilst I may be at fault do I have to throw myself at her mercy?

OP posts:
OhSoSimple · 21/09/2012 12:28

Morally yes I suppose you do.....however if it went to insurance companies I doubt yours would advise you to take responsibility being as they are.

It is normal I believe to get 3 quotes.

Jins · 21/09/2012 12:31

I don't think it's unreasonable to get a few quotes and if you'd hit me I would have done. £250 isn't unreasonable if it's being done in a proper body shop.

hellhasnofurylikeahungrywoman · 21/09/2012 12:32

£250 sounds like a fair price to be honest.

Original poster
headfairy · 21/09/2012 12:57

Oh God, I've got four missed calls from her. I'm at work and really can't answer the phone yet. She's going to be furious with me and never going to accept me getting another quote is she?

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 21/09/2012 13:01

Cant you send a text apologising and say you'll ring when you are not t work?

IPredictADiet · 21/09/2012 13:02

i think you need to go with it - she needs to find a garage that's reasonably convenient for her to get to in terms of location and opening hours etc. and bumper repairs are ££££. I had a few scratched repaired on the body of my car after a gatepost jumped out at me a few weeks back, but was told that you can't easily fix scratched plastic bumpers. They need to be replaced. So I didn;t bother.

KazzaRazza · 21/09/2012 13:03

I drive a Beetle and it has metallic paint. When I had a 'ding' in it last year there was a big old paint job involved as you can't just spray/repair the damaged bit as it won't merge in with the current paint work.

They ended up having to spray the bumper and across the front wing hence they had the car for quite a few days.

Original poster
headfairy · 21/09/2012 13:08

soup I've only got her home phone number so I can't text her.

Bloody coloured bumpers, the old plastic ones were much better for bumping :o
Ditto wing mirrors.

It's all just a conspiracy by the car manufacturers to get us to shell out for repairs.

Kazza I was hoping she'd be happier with the mobile repairs as it means she won't have to go anywhere, but of course I have no idea if they're as good. I've never used them.

OP posts:
WineGoggles · 21/09/2012 13:08

£250 sounds about right to me. I recently got a scuff repaired by a mobile repair man and he quoted between £150 (if he could buff it out) and £250 (if he had to paint it. In the end I paid £200 because he did need to paint it. I was pleased because I'd been quoted £350 (not including VAT), by 3 other places and he did a brilliant job.

Suzietastic · 21/09/2012 13:10

I did something similar 9 years ago (so quotes might sound low) Reversed in to a very old ford mondeo. I caused a light scuff on the front bumper. The mondeo already had an actual hole in the rear bumper & a small dent to the side. The woman's husband rang me that night saying it would cost £500 to fix. I was shocked so I rang ford & asked how much an entire front bumper would cost. They quoted £250 + VAT. She had clearly asked the garage to do some other work while it was in, thinking I would just pay up. I told her to stick it, we went through the insurance company, her bill came to £250 and my premium went up by about £10.

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