Accidentally scratched a car - help?

[Idkw2d]

Hi Mumsnetters and a Merry Christmas to you all,

I am a new driver and have got myself in a situation.

As I was leaving an Asda car park this morning with my child, I managed to reverse too far back and scraped the side of someone’s very big car. I say big because it didn’t look like a scruffy runaround car, it was a big shiny car.

I am usually incredibly careful and slow, especially as I only passed my test in January this year. I am insured as an additional driver on my husband’s car and it’s just a small scruffy car that is easy to drive.

I have managed perfectly fine in this car park for years but due to a number of factors, I was somewhat caught off guard and managed to reverse too far (a driver was zooming up onto my right while another came right up to my backside). The car I scratched was sticking out of its parking slot by a fair margin, which is why I didn’t expect or realise what I’d done until it was too late :(

The bottom of the back of the car had visible marks where some black paint had come off and there was one very very very tiny scratch on the body. A few bystanders said “it doesn’t look too bad at all” and I took photos.

I waited for the owners to show up, told them what happened and gave my name, number, reg and home address. They said they would get a quote and get back to me, but if I didn’t want to pay then we could go through insurance. They said it could be around £200-300 to “paint over the panel”. said as it was my fault I was more than happy to compensate them. They haven’t gotten in touch yet so I’m still waiting.

Anyway, this is my first experience of anything like this and I have been a mess. I’m embarrassed to say I have cried over this multiple times today. I feel stupid for getting into a situation like this but even more stupid for now having to fork up what could be potentially a few hundred pounds.

Long story short, I had some questions:

1. If they ask me to pay, say, £300 and I agree, can they turn around and claim through insurance as well? I am a ‘new’ driver and worried about how this could affect my status.

2. Should insurance be informed regardless? I’ve heard conflicting info and don’t want to get in trouble.

3. Did I deal with this right? Some people have said I shouldn’t have given my home address.

4. Any advice or words of support? I feel so disappointed in myself today and am worried the owners will take advantage of the situation and charge me extra. I’ve heard and seen so many scams where people are forced to fork out exaggerated amounts for minor damage.

5. I’m also annoyed because they were parked in a Child & Parent spot when they clearly didn’t have any with them! Just makes it sting a little more lol.

I am a named driver on the policy but as an ‘additional’ driver rather than the main driver if that makes sense?

This.

I would always go through insurance.

Exactly. I didn't see any barbed jibes. It's human nature to look at what factors contributed to a mistake being made, even if it is ultimately our own fault. What matters is what we learn from it.

Are you sure this is true?
I was told without the drivers name then they cannot process the claim (if this was a scenario where both cars were driven).

My husband owns a mobile repair company and he deals with this kind of thing all time time. Some customers he goes to several times a year so don't worry about it.

I would ask the driver to get a quote (or 2 or 3 if they are willing) and then you play the company direct for the work.

I myself did a same thing in few months ago and as he went and fixed the other car for me it didn't even cross my mind to contact my insurance company.

A lot of these small scuffs are just a big excuse for different companies to make lots of money, far more than the small scratch warrants, from the insurance company to the overpriced garage which works in conjunction with the insurance company

Anyone with any sense does not inform their insurance if they don’t make a claim

You say that you've managed perfectly fine in the car park for years but you only passed your test in January and consider yourself a new driver. Both very odd statements

A lot of scaremongering going on here by people who have no idea about the car repair business.
Basically if it’s a cheap fix and there was no one in the vehicle, who can later claim injuries, just pay for it yourself and don’t bother informing your insurance. If it’s a more expensive fix, or there was anyone likely to claim for injury at some point in the future, go through your insurance and it’ll cost you your excess and whatever they put your insurance up by next year.

If you are going through your insurance company the reg number is fine. It’s the insurance company’s job to work out who was driving if it’s an issue, but as it is undoubtedly the OPs fault it doesn’t matter who the driver of the other car was anyway as which insurance company is paying is not in question.

Long story short, I had some questions:

1. If they ask me to pay, say, £300 and I agree, can they turn around and claim through insurance as well? I am a ‘new’ driver and worried about how this could affect my status.

It would be incorrect of them to have you pay then try to get it sorted through insurance. It would not be in their interests to do this as it would make their instance premiums go up, even if classed as ‘non-fault’ for them (ie your fault)

1. Should insurance be informed regardless? I’ve heard conflicting info and don’t want to get in trouble.

The insurance company would say yes, however many people sort out damage without informing the insurance company because telling them will make your premiums go up. In this case, I can’t see how they’d find out. Personally, I would not inform insurance about minor damage.

1. Did I deal with this right? Some people have said I shouldn’t have given my home address.

Yeh you did the right thing exchanging details. Name and number and/or email address would probably be sufficient for future incidents.

1. Any advice or words of support? I feel so disappointed in myself today and am worried the owners will take advantage of the situation and charge me extra. I’ve heard and seen so many scams where people are forced to fork out exaggerated amounts for minor damage.

It happens! Bumps happen every day. It’s really frustrating and expensive but life goes on. Price to repair sounds reasonable, to be honest. You could ask around if you want to be sure. You could approach your own garage to ask if they would do the job. You could also say to them that you’ll give £250 max, call their bluff.

1. I’m also annoyed because they were parked in a Child & Parent spot when they clearly didn’t have any with them! Just makes it sting a little more lol.

So annoying. But even if they had been parked diagonally across three disabled parking bays you are in the wrong if you reverse into them. Sorry!

You’ll only pay the excess if claiming for damage to your own vehicle

@Isitsmeeyourelookingfor You could also say to them that you’ll give £250 max, call their bluff.

If someone who drove into me took this stance, I wouldn't hesitate to contact my insurers and start the claims process. In which case their insurance company certainly would find out.

They benefit financially from keeping it from the insurers too. Negotiations are pretty common in these circumstances. But you’re right, some people would cut off their nose to spite their face.

If you don’t claim it won’t affect your no-claims. Not where I work anyhow. I actually informed them of a guy driving into my side whilst I was stationary which was settled outside of insurance but still was awarded that year as no claims.

I think they have already done the back and forth on the stats on another thread so I will leave it at that!

‘I’ll give you £250 max’ isn’t a negotiation, it’s an ultimatum and a very arrogant one at that.

I answered this previously :)

So who is the main driver then?

My partner’s car and insurance policy, i am insured as an additional driver

I see
Well if they're the policy holder they need to be the one to deal with the insurance co. Hope it all gets sorted x

Policy holder needs to deal with the insurance claim. It is also the policy holder that will lose their no claims bonus on the policy, unless it is a specific policy where each driver builds a no claims discount separately.

But it will still be claim on their policy record that they will need to declare for the next few years of insurance.

Quotation marks indicate you are reporting someone’s speech and I didn’t say that. I was suggesting a course of action, quite common in these circumstances. I understand you disagree with it, as is your prerogative. Sorry if it upset you, not my intention.