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AIBU?

To think I should just keep my mouth shut next time?

35 replies

Ishouldntbeallowedtopark · 09/01/2017 21:17

I scraped a car when reversing in a retail car park. I felt awful and had a call put out for the driver. They've just got back to me and it's an insurance job. DH is well and truly annoyed with me - the car park was virtually empty and now we've lost the no claims and premium will stay high. I'm annoyed too, but if I'd got us the insurance there is no way I'd have agreed to £250 voluntary excess... It's just one of those things. I'm starting to wish I'd kept quiet - they wouldn't have noticed the scratch for weeks... Please confirm I'm not the only idiot who does things like this...

OP posts:

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user1483945709 · 09/01/2017 22:22

If it's only a tiny scratch, wouldn't you better off just paying out of the £250 excess?

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Livelovebehappy · 09/01/2017 22:26

Like another poster suggests, if the scratch is so tiny, is it going to cost next to nothing? If so, can't you just pay for it yourselves without claiming on your insurance? That way at least your future insurance premiums shouldn't be affected, and the repairs might be less that your excess too.

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abbsisspartacus · 09/01/2017 22:28

You did the right thing and got stung for it 💐

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Witchend · 09/01/2017 22:51

It's probably not just a scratch. There's probably denting as well. Can easily come to over £250. Do ask them to get a couple of quotes as they first garage I took ours to after someone had done that to wrote it off (£1500) at a distance of 20 yards.
Second (their garage) said £1000, third one did exactly the same job for £500. Was slightly out of the way for me, but we went for #3.

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Wdigin2this · 09/01/2017 22:53

I just had to pay out a stupid amount, because someone reversed into my parked car, and drove away....you did the decent thing!

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seven201 · 09/01/2017 22:56

Can't you just offer to pay for the repairs? Not only will you have to pay the excess but also next years premium will be higher. Did you ask if you could do that? Most people would jump at that or tell you not to bother if it was a small scratch

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FeralBeryl · 09/01/2017 23:46

Oh OP
I've been driving for over 1000 years but that didn't stop me from reversing my tank straight into DH's car that was parked behind me on our driveway. At speed.
I then sulked for hours as he dared to call me a dickhead for it
Thank you for being a responsible road user and doing the right thing

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TheNaze73 · 09/01/2017 23:50

You did the right thing. Your moral compass is pointing in the right direction

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squirtymacsquirtface · 10/01/2017 00:24

I get it.
You can do the right thing, know it is the right thing and still feel bitter about the cost.

I knocked a wing mirror off a parked car in a residential street (crap driving I admit, peeing it down with rain, late for an appt, desperately scanning for somewhere to park etc but it was wholly my fault). The car was old and battered and the wing mirror was fixed so didn't 'snap back' like a modern one.

The owner was nowhere to be seen, no answer at nearest houses so I left a note on the windscreen with my contact detail and an offer to pay.

It took 2weeks for her to contact me and, rather than the 40 quid for a new wing mirror from Halfords I thought it would be, it was hundreds of pounds because the car was so ancient that the part couldn't be sourced.
I really doubt the car was even worth that much.

I said if it was that much I'd need to go through insurance but she hassled me and made me feel guilty about her not having a car for longer.

I felt a bit suspicious about the cost and her attitude and asked to see the garage bill and pay them direct but it was indeed true (unless she is a very sophisticated fraudster with a tame garage)

I may indeed have commented privately to DH that honesty is not always the best policy but I knew that bottom line it was my fault so of course I paid up.

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Liiinoo · 10/01/2017 00:34

You absolutely did the right thing. It would have been much worse if you had driven off and aa concerned bystander or CTV camera had identified you.

I have had some similar incidents in my past (hopefully there will be no more) and one of the reasons I love my DH is that his response (even when I was driving his treasured BMW) has always been 'but are you okay Liiinoo?' He isn't perfect but that attitude makes up for a lot.