Scratched someone’s car

[Sunflowerlily]

Reversing into a space this morning, think I scratched someone’s car.
Sounds ridiculous but honestly don’t know- the parking sensors were going so knew I was close but wasn’t sure if I actually made contact.
anyway, I briefly inspected our cars and saw nothing on mine but some marks on the car next to me - it was white so showed up. Didn’t notice anything else apart from damage at the back of their car which I’m quite sure was already there.
i was in a bit of a tizz and had my young child with me so quickly wrote a note and left my details and took a few (rubbish) pics.
the person has contacted to say I’ve dented their passenger door- which seems fairly plausible. She’s asked how I want to proceed.
im just totally unaware of what steps im supposed to take. I’d really like to just settle this with cash if possible. Do you have to ring insurance companies?

AIBU to suggest she gets a quote for repair and I pay for it? I know a highly recommended local garage which would do it quickly. How much should I expect the repair of a minor dent on the car door to cost?

im really naive when it comes to driving matters…

You swap insurance details I think

I'd ask her to send you photos of the damage, see if you agree, then ask her to get 3 independent quotes to fix from 3 local garages, you pick the quote that suits, or ask her to include the place you think in the ask to get quotes, assess the quotes and pay the damage.

I'd also suggest some form of acceptance that they can't come back at you later for damage "just discovered", oh I've just realised that the 3 inch gash on the opposite side of the car and it's you're fault type situation.

Swap insurance details and let them deal with it, and move on with your day.

Go through insurance. This is why you have it.

If you pay in cash what's to stop her coming back next month and saying she's found more damage?

I scratched someone 14 year old jeep. Just the plastic bumper and damage the light. It was £7500 on my insurance claim. Far more than her car was worth. And mine.

I'd go through the insurance. I've done it. Is going to a garage or their choice and also through a garage of my choice once but it was an absolute pain in the arse. Ring your insurance and ask them to sort it out

If your parking sensors work...how would you have made contact unless you ignored the solid beep and kept reversing? Was it the passenger door that you saw paint marks on?

Also, what's the back of their car got to do with it? How many times do you think you hit them?! You surely can't have hit both the back of the car and the passenger door?!?

We've had that happen twice, on both occasions the person who caused the damage asked as to get a quote, we then shared it with them and they paid us directly instead of involving insurance. Some garages charge to provide written quotes but I think it's only about £20.

When you swap insurance details what do you mean exactly.

I've had a few accidents in the past and never done this. Just exchange name and address, get the reg and maybe take some pics and then pass that info on to your insurance company and they'll dig out the 3rd party details for you.

How would you have dented her door? Were you parallel parking or reversing into a bay and cocked it up? I also don't get how you can do this when you have parking sensors - they do a solid beep before you make contact and that's your cue to stop...

If they were just going "beep beep beep" you didn't touch it and you may have owned up to someone else's damage.

@Skyrainlight Thanks - this is the road I’m going to try and go down so will see what the owner of the other vehicle says. If they do provide quotes and they are really high then I’ll contact my insurance company

@underused yeah I was reverse parking. It was a very tight space and a car had been right up my bum on the way into the car park so I basically just did a very bad job under pressure! Honestly can’t remember if the sensors were doing a solid beep- I definitely remember hearing an awful lot of beeping. I’ve seen a tiny mark on my car which corresponds with the damage suggested by the other car and had seen a dirty mark on the other car but the carpark was dark, it was a very wet day so everything was a bit muddy and dirty.
anyway, it was a poor manoeuvre , I’ve obviously caused a small dint and now have to sort the repair - that’s all fine. I just hope the other party is decent and doesn’t try to claim i did more than I did!

Go via insurance!!
Body work is very costly Anne by the time you've added the cost of a hire car for the person you hit, I'd be surprised if it less than £1000 for a scratch and a dent; more if it's a mm onto a different panel.

Three quotes? That would take a lot of time. If someone hit my car then wanted me to spend time getting three quotes I’d just go straight through insurance to avoid the inconvenience.

Just go through insurance, I had to claim a few years back and it didn't put my renewal up by much- after 5 years I think it is you don't need to declare any claims either. Let them deal with the other person, the amount of stress and admin you avoid by doing this is worth it imo; it's also what its there for.

Definitely just insurance. You don’t need the admin of sorting it out in person.

You usually have to inform the insurance within a certain length of time or else they can reject your claim. Think lots are 24 hours.

Definitely go through your insurers.

How do you know the person who rang you up is the car owner? Could just be some chancer who took your note and rang you. Easy £400 for someone.

Unless you have a very high excess I would go via insurance.

Same thing happened to me the other week, pulled in to a gap to allow someone to pass and just scratched a parked car. Annoying as hell, but it’s why we all have insurance. £150 excess to pay but my car and their’s will be fixed and hire cars for both of us is all covered. Much cheaper than paying out of pocket myself and I know it’s going to the right person.