Bump in the car. AIBU to query a cash request.

[Pulluptothebumper]

Posting for advice please.

My husband had a small bump in his car in a car park and caused a slight graze to the bumper of another vehicle (a colour-coded BMW bumper though!).

He left a note and the owner contacted him. The owner said he didn’t want to go through the insurance. He said he is selling the car and the garage that is taking the car in part-exchange said they would fix the damage for £250 (they estimated that an insurance loss adjuster would cost the job at £1000).

He’s had the job done and now wants my husband to pay him the £250 in cash. We don’t really have that spare cash. It would have been better for us to go through the insurance as it wouldn’t have affected our policy premium too adversely.

Has anyone got any advice as to where we stand with this situation. My husband accepts it was his fault but the owner’s course of action is going to leave us very much out of pocket. Isn’t this why we pay insurance?
Thank you

[LunasSpectreSpecs]

We were on the other end of this recently - someone went into the back of DH at a roundabout, causing minimal damage. Rather than involve insurance companies, the other driver said to get quotes for repair and he would pay. We got Chips Away out to fix the damage and I think the total was about £160 - less than the other driver's excess. We paid for the car to be fixed and emailed him a copy of hte invoice, he paid it right away.

Not everyone's out to scam you. But I would in your DH's position be asking for some sort of paper trail.

[Karatema]

I haven't read all the posts but I work in the insurance industry.

Report the incident to your insurer and let them deal with it. Some areas of the country are renowned for this type of fraud.

Remember if you decide to pay up personally then obtain a receipt detailing this is as a final and full payment which both parties should sign. This is no guarantee they won't then report to your insurer but it will be evidence.

Any correspondence should be passed to your insurer unanswered. Let them deal with it.

If the third party is genuine then he may back down once he knows you are going through insurers as he will have difficulty selling his car with an insurance claim hanging over it!

[Tinselistacky]

I went bumper to bumper with a range rover at the school gates. Literally I could have rubbed the scuff off with a magic sponge (have done in the past and worked a treat) ott dw of the dh who's car it was sent me a quote for £90 for the repairs. I posted them a cheque which was cashed. Scuff is still there.
Wouldn't be parting with any money op.

[unreasonablesmells]

CeciliaBartolli I actually went on comparison websites when I saw my premium was going up but it was same everywhere. When I asked my insurance they said if you’ve been in one accident your statisically more likely to be in another.

[RestingGrinchFace]

He most likely doesn't want to loose his no clains discount/experience a hike in insurance as a result of involvement in an accident. Quite frankly it's a bit unfair of you considering that he wasn't at all at fault but you are within your rights to go through insurance although he may prefer to not to get any money from you at all thanbto go through his insurance.

[safariboot]

Like Killerfiller said, I wouldn't give cash because of the common scam where the other driver takes the cash and claims on insurance anyway.

The terms and conditions of your insurance almost surely state you must inform them of any incidents whether or not you want to claim. Not doing so could be regarded as insurance fraud. If the insurers find out they can use it as an excuse to deny you a payout for a future incident, and then put you on a "fraudster blacklist" that means your premiums will be doubled at best for the rest of your life.

[19lottie82]

In small incidents like this it’s always easier and cheaper to sort it out between yourselves IMO.

If you go through your insurance you will have to pay your excess and your premiums will be increased for the next 5 years.

OK you may technically be breaking the terms of your insurance, but it’s a scuff! How are they even going to find out?

[Roussette]

Exactly. So if I reverse into the post holding the gates on our drive, I have to tell my insurance? Sod that for a game of soldiers! I know a brilliant car bodyworker who would sort it cheaply.

Yes of course the insurance companies want us to tell them about any minor scratch! They then have free licence to put up your premium even if you don't claim. My gate post ain't tellin' !!