Had a v minor accident the other day when someone rear-ended me in a traffic jam. Initially looked like no damage at all, but on closer inspection the bumper is slightly split and one of the parking lights is broken, so we will need to get it repaired. I've got a couple of quotes, the cheapest of which is £500, as the whole bumper needs to be replaced. The guy who ran into me was very nice and admitted liability straight away. I've already been contacted by his insurance company to say that they will get the car repaired for me and have the bill sent straight to them, provide a courtesy car etc etc.
Now, my understanding is that I have a responsibility to declare the accident to my insurer, even if I don't claim through them, otherwise it will invalidate my insurance if they find out. Which is very galling, as my premium is bound to go up. But when I said this to the other guy's insurance company, they said 'you don't want to do that, it will only end up costing you money'. And the two garages I went to for quotes basically laughed at me for even suggesting telling my insurance company.
The trouble is, everyone has vested interests. The garages presumably want it to be an insurance job that doesn't cost me anything, so they can charge more, whereas the other insurance company wants to arrange the repair themselves so they can do it through a cheaper garage (I imagine). Meanwhile, my car is still under warranty, so I'd rather have it repaired through a manufacturer-approved repairer.
I am generally a very honest person (often to my own cost!) and I wouldn't normally dream of being dishonest. But everyone I've spoken to is making me feel like a total dupe for even considering talking to my insurers. WWYD?