WWYD, Partners Partner Hit My Car

[WithManyTot]

This is a WWYD

My car is 8 years old, and has done almost 100,000 miles, so on paper you might think I shouldn't be precious about it anymore. However it was quite expensive when it was new, I've never scratched it, the manufacturer doesn't make a direct replacement any more, this sort of car should easily do 200,000 miles and at least another 8 years.

This evening DP has returned home to report that their senior business partner swiped it in the car park and has scratched the wing and gouged bumper a bit.

If I'd done the damaged, I chalk it down to 'life' and get all my crafting gear out and do an invisible mend, but it would take weeks. They apparently didn't seem keen to go via insurance on an 'old car', and seem not to have opened with "I'm very sorry, I'd do whatever it takes to rectify this..." I also suspect they might deny the incident if I inform our insurance and then it will be an uninsured loss.
I'm also looking at the loss of the car while it is repaired...
There is also the uncomfortableness of claiming against DP's snr partner.

So WWYD, should I report it to our insurance, or just suck it up and live with it?

Wtf. Absolutely report. Worst case it'll get written off as a Cat N and you'll get a wedge of money but can still keep the car, and repair it more cheaply yourself. win win. What a twat this partner sounds like and your husband sounds like a wet lettuce.

I'd just get a cost for the repair from a local guy and let him know the cost, ask if he's happy to settle directly with the repairer

Of course you go through insurance. I shouldn’t matter who hit it - it’s their fault so why should you be out of pocket?

You are being unreasonable if you DON’T go via insurance, same as any accident. Why should this person get a pass on swiping a parked car because they are a big cheese at work? You know who caused the damage as they have admitted it. Treat as business as usual.

So because it's a senior partner they just get away with it? Fuck that. Report it through the insurance or get a price for repair for him to pay for-along with the use of a courtesy car. Why should you be inconvenienced??

what Solution has the guy offered
tbh from what you say I’d settle for a few £100

I’d avoid insurance as they write it off you’d wouldn’t be able to replace it for what you got the hassle of sourcing a new car

no guarantee they would let you buy it back
also cat n would have to be declared for your insurance you’d struggle to sell it and if anyone run into and you had to claim they’d give u a low value due to being cat n

Thanks for you replies, looks like you'd all claim on insurance.

The car is still worth in the region of 10-15K, so seems unlikely it will be written off for some minor damage. Also, everyone in the story is female, no wet husbands or big cheese snr partners I'm afraid,

I managed to swipe someone's car a few years back. It looked quite minor so I asked them to get a quote, which they did, but it was huge, so I went to the insurance from there. I was very apologetic and there was no question of me asking them to accept a less than perfect repair. It's called being a decent human being.

It's really low to try to get out of responsibility for this, especially when you're in a position of power. If they won't take responsibility I think your partner needs to be looking for a different job.

OP dont claim on insurance, get a quote for the work first, if they will just pay it surely thats so much better all round.

If you claim on insurance, regardless of fault it will alter your premiums, trust me been there done that!

Obviously if they are completely being asses and refusing to pay way up if its worth still claiming or just payung to get it repaired.

All else fails then claim!!!

Claim on insurance- much easier and keeps things right.

I'd make sympathetic noises and say, 'Sorry, I'll need to inform my insurance company I'm afraid'.

If you think they will deny it - how do they expect your DP to keep working for them? Or do they think your DP will just quietly forget about it?

You have to inform your insurer even if you don't formally claim through them. Once your car has been damaged once you're statistically more likely to have it damaged again - even if you weren't driving it and it wasn't your fault. You need to inform the insurer so they can adjust your premium.

I would get a quote from a garage and ask for the money. If it doesn’t appear, then I’d claim. I wouldn’t claim in the first instance to avoid my insurance going up. Also presumably a senior partner will be able to afford it so no harm in sending on the garage quote.

I would suggest the above too. We've done this 3 times over the years (twice the other driver's fault, once my fault, all v minor bumps in old ish cars). Person at fault paid the garage directly.

They need to pay one way or another, so you can either just go through the insurance (assuming you have their reg) and they can sort it, or ask them if they would prefer another route. Insurance will be cheapest though.

Maybe check to see if the car park has footage of them swiping your car first, so there's no deniability from them though.

Absolutely claim against the man who did the damage - if possible without involving your DH. He must be a terrible driver if he cannot park properly. Ask how he did it and why. He doesn't have the right to ask you not to go to insurance. If necessary point out the car is very good for another 8 years or more and not really that ''old'' and we are supposed to not be a society that disposes of stuff to dump on the environment - like a car. I have 2 cars that lasted for 20+ years each. He has the wrong attitude.

My car recently got hit by an elderly lady who drove in a busy street at the speed of light knocking my wing mirror RIGHT OFF and chipping all my paint from where it bounced off.

This was right before Christmas and I had rang multiple garages who could not take it until after the Christmas period. Couldn't drive the car as the electric wing mirror was too heavy and tape would not have held it on for 2 weeks. They told me it was not road worthy.

I realised a hire car would be £100 per day for 2 weeks, plus wing mirror and paint repair. It was coming in almost £3000 for repairs which I doubted the lady would have paid and I was not about to be out of pocket.

I went through insurance. Definitely dont regret it either. It wasnt my fault, I wasn't about to be inconvenienced or out of pocket for somebody else's carelessness.

Hopefully she learnt a lesson in the process.

Woman.

It'll affect your insurance premium as well as his. Just get a quote from a garage like most normal people do.

Once you put a claim in to the insurance company, this will affect your insurance, whether the company has to pay up or not. I notified my insurance company of a bump but it went no further. I didn't claim and neither did the 3rd party. There was also a no fault claim. I wouldn't claim again unless it was unavoidable. My insurance this year has trebled!

Outstanding amounts of misogyny and misandry are impacting your comprehension skills

I'm also looking at the loss of the car while it is repaired...

Get a quote from one of the mobile repair companies. They will fix it on your driveway in less than a day.

There is also the uncomfortableness of claiming against DP's snr partner.

They have offered to rectify it so it shouldn't be too uncomfortable.

Your sexism is showing!

@SoupDragon where did the OP write that the woman has offered to rectify it?

I’d just go with what your partner wants to do to be honest. If it’s only cosmetic I wouldn’t want their work life to suffer.