A (potential) car incident

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Hi mumsnetters,

I'm in a situation and I just don't know what to think about it (not trying to be defensive) and don't know how to handle this situation.

A person has rang up my kids school saying someone has hit their car and if this is not sorted then they will escalate this further.

I was contacted today by the school to say is this your car reg and it was. My car has been caught on cctv (apparently) hitting a car and 'running off'.

Now, I am not aware of hitting a car, well not that I know of. I was given the persons contact details which I was happy to take so I could discuss this further with them. I rang them and they were extremely defensive saying that I am a bad person and who would do such a thing etc. I asked have you personally seen this cctv footage and also if you could send me pictures of the damage done to your car. They also mentioned that there was an eyewitness who left a note with tier number saying that it was a hit and run.

I am not a hit and run type of person so this person has gotten the wrong end of the stick.

I have asked the person to also send me the cctv footage so I can review it too. They have refused to do so. I don't know why. They have said you can contact the school and obtain this your self.
I will be looking to get this done and check out the whole footage.

But what do you think I should do? A part of me is like maybe I did hit a car but unaware. The photos of the damage are scratched as if bumper to bumper scrape kind of thing.

Any advice please.

By the way, I am the only driver of the car and it was at the time that I would've been around at the school.

As others have said, check that the school rang you. Also go to your insurance company as I also smell a rat..as it may be THEY hit you.. and they are trying to bully you into a quick (free for them) fix. Suspicious also of their insistence at choosing the repairer.

@pikkumyy77 No need for that. She was clearly uncomfortable about the whole weird episode and is checking it out.

the school definitely shouldn’t be giving out cctv unless police or insurance company have requested it.. does this person maybe work at the school? I can’t see why else the head would be tracking you down..

I think sometimes if you haven’t noticed a scratch or something on your car it’s easy to blame the person parked next to you!

definitely let your insurance know that there may be a claim coming their way

Yes that sounds well dodgy. Just tell them that if they want this settled they have to go through the insurers. Then contact your insurer and say that you think this person is trying to scam you as you have no knowledge of hitting her car. Then leave it to the insurers to sort out.

In which case it can't have been you.

And I would guess the witness is one of their friends?

I'd view the CCTV before doing anything. If it does show you hitting the car then go ONLY through your insurance.

This is the only mark I can see from my car. I've got nothing from my back so it can't be reversing issue.

Doesn’t look like you hit the car then from their picture.
the only way it would be possible that I can think of is if your drove into the parking space next to their car and hit it on the way in.

is that where you parked the car when picking up your children?

although if that was the case you didn’t drive off as you would have been parking.

I also think this is a scam.

I can't have left that much damage on another car????

I was expecting your car to be white, and that to be paint on the other car.

Is it passenger side front of yours and drivers side rear of theirs it could be possible the two cars touched as they were parked and you pulling out.

To be honest though I can’t see the damage on yours.

I wouldn't have anything to do with them directly - ask them to do everything through their insurance and not contact you again. I had a similar situation a few years ago (I was at fault) and the insurance companies dealt with it all.

It looks like their car was in contact with white/silver paint. Your car is the wrong colour. Whose CCTV is it? If it is the school's then surely you have just as much right to view it as the other party.

Phone your insurance company and tell them someone is trying to say you’ve been in an accident but you haven’t. Get it on record.

I had this happen. Came out of a shop and a bloke said I had reversed into him when o was parking and wanted £200 then and there I refused and said no take my reg and get your insurance company to contact mine. Funny enough he didn’t put in a claim.

Its a very common scam - your insurance company will advise you but you must report it asap

Dear OP

Lots of advice in this thread

I wonder if Mrs has pranged it and wants to deflect the blame for damaging Mr's pride and joy?

So go back through the thread get all the information and away you go.

BTW although the paint on the damaged vehicle looked white it could be undercoat

Is that white paint on her car? So was damaged by a car with white paint or trim ?

This IS A SCAM.

Just tell them to go through insurance and they'll soon go away.

Please

Right your insurers and pass on all their details. Explain your position that you didn't notice anything and you are not sure they're telling the truth. Ask them to handle it.
Then tell the person you've passed it on to the insurers, give them the reference number and ask them not to contact you directly and block their number.

If this isn't a scam, i suspect the issue is that they don't have insurance and are about to be caught breaking the law.

They are scamming you.

Contact your insurers then message them giving your insurance details and tell them to progress through them.

I bet they back down.

If you haven't hit anything, then there is no issue. You would know if you had, as you would have felt the impact at the time. I had a similar situation, where I was accused on a public Facebook group of hitting another car. It turned out that someone had seen my car parked very close to another one, they had subsequently found damage, and assumed it was me when it wasn't.

Sounds dodgy. You would know if you've clipped a car when parking.

OP - you’ve been told a million times to contact your insurance company. There really is nothing more anyone can tell you

I would think it's very usual to hit another car and not notice.

I'd respond to them that you have absolutely no knowledge or recollection of hitting their car. If they are able to provide you with the CCTV footage which they are relying on which shows you hitting their car you will of course arrange for their car to be fixed. If they are not forthcoming with the footage you will assume that none exists.

If they provide you with the footage, ask that they take the car to a garage for a quote for the works (some people advise getting three quotes but that's quite onerous!)

Once you have a quote from a garage, you can decide if you'd rather pay upfront or go through insurance.

It could but it normally has a more of a definite edge if it’s undercoat. That looked feathered on top, which is why I thought it was paint from the other car, also I’d have expected more obvious damage here if it had scratched another down to the base.It’s so hard to tell from a photo though.
I’m no expert but DH loves a visit to a car auction so I’ve seen a lot of damaged cars.

If someone doesn't want you to tell your insurers that's a massive red flag. Don't engage with this person any further.
Always tell your insurers if there's a claim against you, even if it's false. They are the experts at negotiation and will ensure everything is done correctly. Also if it turned out you really had been involved in an accident you are obliged to tell your insurance company. They can refuse cover if you don't declare an accident.

It's likely that if you say "you'll have to speak to my insurer via yours, here's their number" and stop talking to them, that will be the end of it.

Stop overthinking (easier said than done)

Do not panic

You know you didn’t hit anyone

Tell your insurers everything you’ve told us, sounds like a scam

Let them deal with it and move on