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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Do insurance brokers really do this?

24 replies

hazell42 · 19/09/2019 13:48

When I returned to my car a few weeks ago, there was a man standing next to it who claimed I had scraped his car

My car was white, as was his, but the mark on his car were black. There was no damage to my car.

He was polite enough, and although I said I didn't think it was my fault, I gave him my phone number and insurer. He has contacted me about a dozen times so far.

It looked to me as if the damage was very minor, though I know that can be deceptive, and if he had charged me anything under 100 quid I would probably have paid it out of politeness and on the off chance it was me that caused the damage without realising We are talking about a couple of scuff marks not a great big dent

Anyhoo, after a couple of guesstimates, he sent me a quote for 300 pounds. The quote appears to be legit. At that point I said, please contact my insurer.

Today, I have had a vaguely threatening letter from his insurance broker which mentions a witness (never mentioned before) and asking whether I intended o settle this myself or go through the insurance.

Do insurance brokers really do ths? Surely of you contact your insurer they dont offer to contact the person you are claiming against and enquire whether they would like to settle it off the books?

Thoughts would be appreciated

OP posts:
goose1964 · 19/09/2019 13:53

This shouts scam to me. There is no reason for a broker to do this. If you go to the FCA website they'll have a list of brokers a their phone number. If the details match ring them to see if it is them or someone pretend. I used to work for the FSA and it was rarely the company themselves but a clone

Original poster
hazell42 · 19/09/2019 14:02

Thanks
I was a bit naive I think at first. I gave him my insurers details email and phone number. I cant understand why he doesnt just claim on the insurance.
All this 'one last chance business' seems awfully strange

OP posts:
familycourtq · 19/09/2019 14:06

I used to work for a broker and we used to offer this as a service to customers. The mention of dealing with it yourself is really meant to encourage third parties to report an incident to their insurer and get them to deal with it, although occasionally people did deal with claims themselves. The objective was to help our customers to recover losses. Probably best to pass on the brokers letter to your insurers.

araiwa · 19/09/2019 14:09

Why the fuck did you give him your details and your insurance details?

He already knows youre a sap so of course hes gonna try take advantage of you

KUGA · 19/09/2019 14:11

Ignore anything he sends etc.
SCAM.

Original poster
hazell42 · 19/09/2019 14:16

I looked them up and the website and have just called them. Seems they are a legit company, though a small one.
I spoke to the woman who emailed me and said I was just checking that it wasn't a scam. She said, 'leave it with me and we will decide what to do'
I'm hoping that means that they decide to do nothing. I thought I was pretty much obliged to give them my insurance details if asked.
You live and learn. Will be a little more careful in future

OP posts:
shearwater · 19/09/2019 14:36

Tell him to stop contacting you, and if he tries again you will pass the messages on to the police. Fucking scam artist.

shearwater · 19/09/2019 14:38

You said you "Didn't think it was your fault?"

Did you scrape his car or not? Surely you know one way or another?

getoutofthatgarden202 · 19/09/2019 14:43

Just block his number and throw the letters away - this is a scam!

Insurers don't offer the option to sort it out yourself!

total scammer

pigsDOfly · 19/09/2019 14:47

If a complete stranger walks up to you in the street and demands your name and address and any other details the sensible thing to do is to tell them to get lost. Why on earth would you get into a conversation with them in which you give them your insurance details.

You'd know if you scraped someone's car. It's highly unlikely that you wouldn't be aware of even the smallest impact.

This has scam written all over it. Probably a variation of someone causing you to hit their car from behind and then claiming for all sorts of injuries.

Chloemol · 19/09/2019 15:01

I would contact your insurance company, explain to them what’s happened and you are sure it’s a scam on the other car owners part as you did not touch his car

weeblueberry · 19/09/2019 15:03

You'd know if you scraped his car surely? Like......how would you miss that?

Tell them to talk to your insurers and not directly through you. It's what you pay them for.

Ferretyone · 19/09/2019 15:11

@hazell42

The "danger" is that for that "small" amount of money your insurance company will simply "pay up". Brokers have nothing to do with it.

I would strongly suggest that you write a letter [yes a letter] to your insurance company and deny that you scratched the car [black/white etc] and instructing them not to deal with the claimant.

It is too easy just to leave it all to the insurance companies. The true legal situation is that the claimant contends that you owe a debt to him ["for scratching his car"]. No debt in UK is enforceable unless it goes to court. If he contends that it was you then he needs to take you to [Small Claims] Court to get the money.

The way forward then is for the claimant

familycourtq · 19/09/2019 15:24

I would contact your insurance company, explain to them what’s happened and you are sure you did not touch his car
^This

Just block his number and throw the letters away - this is a scam!

Insurers don't offer the option to sort it out yourself!

As the OP has found out, brokers do offer this - I used to do it. It's not a scam on the brokers part - brokers act on the instructions of their customers.

Although it's tempting to ignore it the possible result of that might be a payout from the OP's insurers - better for OP to put their version of events (nothing happened) to their insurer.

familycourtq · 19/09/2019 15:25

Brokers have nothing to do with it.
Brokers sometimes help their customers with claims and may offer to help them persue any uninsured losses such as excesses etc.

Topseyt · 19/09/2019 15:45

You didn't scuff his car. This is a scam.

Never just give your details away to random strangers who approach you in public like that.

The correct response if it happens again is to tell them that you did not bump their car, there is no corresponding damage to your own car so to bugger off.

For now, you should report to your insurers that you suspect you have been taken in bus scam and explain exactly what happened. Report it to the police too on 101. It is possible that there is a known group operating in your area and evidence is being gathered.

ElizaDee · 19/09/2019 15:49

Respond once and then ignore/block. Tell him where he can buy some t-cut and not to contact you again.

Hereward1332 · 19/09/2019 16:02

I think some posters are confusing an insurance broker with an insurer.

As PPs say, a broker may offer this as an incentive to buy insurance through (not from) them.

Anyone saying OP shouldn't have given her details - if damage is caused, it's a legal requirement to give your insurance details to anyone with reasonable grounds for requiring them. In this instance, you could argue that there was no accident, but I don't think you would get far.

Topseyt · 19/09/2019 16:49

My car was white, as was his, but the mark on his car were black. There was no damage to my car

I think that the above sentence from the OP strongly suggests that there was no accident involving her and her vehicle. Also, her car is undamaged and is white, whereas the marks on the other car are black.

She was under no obligation to give her details and should report it as a scam to both her insurers and to the police.

Original poster
hazell42 · 19/09/2019 17:21

Thank you.
I'm pretty darned sure I didn't hit his car. I had been parked there several hours. But at the time, you do doubt yourself and honestly it was very small scuff, I thought it just possible that I could have done it. Very unlikely but possible.
The paintwork that came off was black but my car was white, as was his.
I will contact my insurer and ket them know that I do not accept this at all.
Thank you all

OP posts:
littlemeitslyn · 19/09/2019 20:06

Araiwa how incredibly helpful ☹️

familycourtq · 19/09/2019 20:09

I think some posters are confusing an insurance broker with an insurer.

Indeed.

sleepyhead · 19/09/2019 20:18

I scuffed someone's car a couple of months ago. The very slightest scuff - any less and it would have wiped off but unfortunately required a respray.

I absolutely felt it. No way did you do damage and not realise.

HeadintheiClouds · 19/09/2019 20:19

Why did you think you were obliged to give your insurance details to anyone who asked, op?! That is flabbergasting Shock
And you‘d have paid him directly if it was under £100, just to be polite, even though you didn’t think you'd actually done it Confused.
Why?

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