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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to tell this woman to claim on HER insurance if shes so bothered!!!

124 replies

Longsleepneeded · 02/08/2017 13:19

Basically I opened the car door to put baby in, wind caught door and i went to grab it before it hit the car next to me, thought it was ok. Next thing i know woman jumps out of the car and peers at it then says'' you hit my car what are you going to do about it?''
I answered ''no I think its ok''
She pointed to a tiny mark size of a babys little finger nail and says ''there, what are you going to do about that?''
I rubbed it off with my finger, nothing left to see, she still wasn't happy.
Long silly conversation later we swopped numbers, me trying to stay calm. I have just had a text saying shes taken it to a garage for assessment and they will keep it all day next monday and she will let me know how much I owe them!!
I am not into aggro for the sake of it but this is a bit much I dont really know how to respond! Should i just tell her to claim herself if shes that upset about it?

OP posts:
sooperdooper · 02/08/2017 13:25

Did you take a photo? Could you speak to the garage to confirm what they're fixing? She's totally trying it on!

Seniorcitizen1 · 02/08/2017 13:27

You will have to pay - you were negligent

londonrach · 02/08/2017 13:30

Did you take photo. Just go through insurance. You damaged her car even if its stratch

wowfudge · 02/08/2017 13:30

Ring your insurers and tell them you think she is going to make a claim for something you didn't do. Always best to take photos if possible. Don't ring the garage and get embroiled in that - this is one of the reasons you pay for insurance. Make it very clear that although there was contact between your door and her car, there was no, or incredibly minor, damage.

ButchyRestingFace · 02/08/2017 13:33

Did your door impact her car or not?

Sounds like she'd going to try and hit you with a big bill.

Taylor22 · 02/08/2017 13:35

If you didn't take pictures then you may be screwed.

catsbeensickagain · 02/08/2017 13:36

Ring your insurance company if she does come back with a stupid bill they can use the lack of damage to your car to counter the claim.

VladmirsPoutine · 02/08/2017 13:38

You should have taken pictures because say it does go to the garage and you inform your insurance then it really is a case of her word against yours but she has 'proof' that something needed repairing.
You might end up actually having to pay out because of this.

FannyFifer · 02/08/2017 13:40

If you didn't take a pic, you've no proof you didn't cause damage.

PickleSarnie · 02/08/2017 13:45

Even if it was just the tiniest scratch/dent, I'd want you to pay. My car is leased, I'll have to pay the dealer for all scratches when I hand the car back at the end of the three years (or pay someone to do it before handing it back).

So no, she shouldn't have to "claim it herself if she's that bothered about it" - that statement implies that there IS actually something for her to be bothered about. If there is, you did it, you need to pay for it.

Obviously if she comes back with a bill for thousands for an entire respray then, yes, she's taking the piss. But she hasn't given you a figure yet so you can't say.

BewareOfDragons · 02/08/2017 13:46

Cameras have phones ... please tell me you used yours!

vanillacandllle · 02/08/2017 13:46

You will have to pay - you were negligent

Pay for what?

The no longer existent mark on the door that rubbed off?

Lima1 · 02/08/2017 13:46

A similar thing happened to me. I was parked beside a car and the elderly woman in the passenger seat opened her car door, the wind caught it and it hit my door. The female driver got out and said nothing despite the loud bang it made. I pointed it out to her and she rubbed at the mark. It was about 2 inches long and sort of a graze mark. She gave me her details and I took pics of the cars and her insurance details.
My DH works in a body shop and he said the only way to get rid of the mark properly would be to paint the door and blend it into the wing and rear door at a cost of €1,000. Alternatively he said he would buff and polish it as much as possible so the mark wouldn't be as obvious but would still be there - cost €100.
I went with the buff and polish as it was an accident and I couldn't do it to the woman. Not that she was grateful, she still complained about the €100 cost and I can still see the mark - but I figured karma would reward me!!!

Laiste · 02/08/2017 13:47

What would be the benefit for her to claim a massive bill though Confused Surely the most she can claim off OP for a door bang is a bit of filler and a respray. The money will go to the garage.

Why would you give your car to the garage for a week for that if there was no need? Plus don't you have to get 3 proper estimates before work is agreed by OPs insurance? So 3 garages will have to look and say 'yep, it's a ding, it'll need x, y z'. Therefore pretty likely that there IS a small dent.

Laiste · 02/08/2017 13:49

Essentially i'm agreeing with lima.

Loungepants · 02/08/2017 13:49

If the way you are describing it is accurate, the woman sounds a bit OTT in her manner. However, YABVU and entitled. You damaged her car, you should accept responsibility and be prepared to pay for it to be buffed out. Did you even apologise?

Original poster
Longsleepneeded · 02/08/2017 13:51

Thanks for replies. She has sent me the garage number but I don't want to get into anything with them. I will ring my insurance company.

OP posts:
RhiWrites · 02/08/2017 13:51

But OP didn't think she hit the other car and when she looked again there was a tiny fleck of paint that rubbed off. What's VU about that?

Lima1 · 02/08/2017 13:53

Text her back and say you need to see the quote before the work is carried out so you know the cost and what work she is getting done. If you see she is getting a full spray paint job for example tell her you are not authorising it. Did she get your insurance details?

Laiste · 02/08/2017 13:55

Your insurance will deal with what the quot is for and if it's reasonable. As i say, don't the other party have to provide more than one professional quote for the work to be ok'd?

Lima1 · 02/08/2017 13:55

Just ring the garage and ask them to send you the quote, you don't have to say anything else but you will know what she is planning on getting done. If its a major job ring your insurance company then. The garage should take pictures of the damage before the work is carried out so also ask to see them.

KatharinaRosalie · 02/08/2017 13:56

If you damaged her car, why would she have to claim on her insurance?

Something similar happened to us, a kid was getting out of their car and banged the door against ours. Parent also said there wasn't a mark on it and what are we complaining about. We disagreed, there was quite a noticeable dent. Luckily their insurance agreed with us.

CherryChasingDotMuncher · 02/08/2017 13:59

You'd be surprised how small damages can still cost a lot! YABU, it was an accident but you damaged her car and don't seem very sorry about it

Seenoevil · 02/08/2017 13:59

You hit her car, so why would she claim on her insurance ... she would claim on yours. Ask for her address and go and take some pictures!

Lima1 · 02/08/2017 13:59

Laiste my Dh deals with this all the time and (in Ireland anyway) he will send a quote along with pics to the insurance company and if they agree with the price/repairs being done they authorise it. He wont carry out the repair without the authorisation and he takes before and after pics. Sometimes if there is a dispute they send out an assessor. They don't ask the car owner to get 3 quotes but they might insist they go to one of their authorised repair garages that they know they can trust.

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