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Original poster

Apparently I scratched someone's car. Advice please?

77 replies

minxthemanx · 05/07/2015 19:07

Last Saturday, I returned to my car in the supermarket car park, to find a lady standing next to it, studying the bumper, and the side of her car. When she saw me she told me I'd hit her car. There was a scratch along the side of her (black) car, but I had no knowledge of having hit it. Hadn't felt a thing. I said, politely, that I couldn't see how I'd caused that much damage without feeling any impact, but she insisted it must have been me. She said she'd rubbed and cleaned at the scratch on her car, and that it had contained red paint (from my car.) She also said there was a scratch on my bumper, with black paint in it. (There was a small scratch, I thought it had been there a while.) She took lots of photos on her phone, so did I.

I didn't admit to anything, and really couldn't see how I'd scratched a deep mark into her car without feeling any impact. However, I couldn't prove it wasn;t me - and I know my driving wasn't great that morning: I had a lot on my mind, and had taken a corner clumsily in the car park. So I sort of thought that I must have done it!

She phoned me yesterday and said she'd had a quote from a local garage, for £180 to sort out the deep scratch. This garage doesn't deal with insurance. She then said she had other jobs on the car that she wanted this garage to do, and would be happy to accept £150 if that was ok. I said I wanted her to get a second quote for comparison, and that I would probably need to do anything through my insurance company as I don't have spare cash. She seemed happy and said she'd get back to me with a second quote. Not sure what to do. I can't prove it wasn't me, but I can't see how I scratched it like that without knowing. I'm not sure if she's pulling a fast one, or whether to just pay up. Any thoughts?

OP posts:
TensionWheelsCoolHeels · 05/07/2015 20:00

You have a few options - report it to your insurer, tell them you felt nothing & are certain you didn't cause the damage claimed & they'll get an engineer to inspect both cars to determine if you could have caused it or not.

You could simply refuse to pay the damage & leave her to take action i.e. small claims where she'll have to prove you were responsible & the court will decide who they believe. The main issue I think that goes in your favour is that no one witnessed her car being damaged. Also the possibility that the car has other damage (assuming that's what she was referring to) so she can be shown to have ignored other minor damage - Id query why this scratch was suddenly important enough for her to do something about it, if there is other damage which hasn't been. She's alleging you are liable based on her inspection of both vehicles & the photos taken. But, unless she's a motor engineer, she'll struggle to explain the damage consistency, and it would be interesting to see how she explains her case from what you've said.

Or you could just pay the £150 & resolve it that way.

Of the 3 options, I'd go with the 1st in your shoes. I work in insurance & deal with these type of issues a lot (so I'm not a lawyer) & I think an inspection by a motor engineer of both cars is probably the only way to be sure you didn't cause the damage she's claiming for.

Optimist1 · 05/07/2015 20:04

I can't help but feel you would know if you had scratched her car to that extent. Had it just been a kiss between your bumper and hers perhaps not, but a deep scratch along the side of her car - no way!

Do the photos you took show the height of your bumper in relation to the position of the scratch?

Thisismyfirsttime · 05/07/2015 20:06

I think she's trying her luck, she can't prove it was you any more than you can prove it wasn't! Even if she knows it is a new scratch, how does she know another car didn't pull in, hit her and drive off to another bay so as not to be accused? I'd tell her no, you won't be paying and let her go through the insurance if she chooses.

SirChenjin · 05/07/2015 20:07

I wouldn't pay out - no way. Report to your insurance, tell them you are sure it wasn't you, and let them sort it out - that's why you pay your premiums after all.

cathpip · 05/07/2015 20:07

I would tell her that you are going to leave it in the hands of your insurers as that's what they are there for!

DramaAlpaca · 05/07/2015 20:10

She's trying it on. If you'd hit her car, you'd know.

As others have said, report it to your insurers and tell them you are sure you didn't do it.

suitsyousir · 05/07/2015 20:14

I am an insurance investigator, and deal with exactly this kind of thing. Report it your insurer and refuse any further contact with her. Tell your insurer you believe that the damage was not caused by your car. Hopefully they will investigate and send an examiner out, and possibly someone like me to get statements as well. Fingers crossed they will throw out the woman's ridiculous claim, which sounds to me like its most likely nonsense.

Spadequeen · 05/07/2015 20:14

I also think she's trying t on. I lightly scratched a car once and definitely knew I'd done it.

suitsyousir · 05/07/2015 20:16

Oh, and keep the photos you took until it has been dealt with one way or another!

ScooseIsLoose · 05/07/2015 20:25

Sounds like a scam this happened to someone I knows elderly mother. They said she had scratched their car and demanded money from her, they said if she claimed on insurance her premiums would go right up and it would affect her insurance. She ended up going to the cashpoint (they followed) and handing over a few hundred pounds as she was so intimidated. Feel so sorry for her it's really knocked her confidence. Don't pay the money do it properly through your insurance!!

Original poster
minxthemanx · 05/07/2015 20:26

Thanks for your advice. She caught me at a very v stressful time, ds1 is very, very challenging and I'd had a run in with him (long standing issues following a brain injury). I was shopping to leave house organised as I was going away on school trip to France for 4 days, and mind was whirling with all the things I needed to sort for the kids. So I wasn't at my sharpest or most assertive when she spoke to me. There def is a, small mark on my bumper, so I feel bad in case I did damage hers, bit just can't imagine how I wouldn't have felt it. Ds2 was in car with me and didn't feel a bump either. But feel bad in case I did! I will speak to my insurer tomorrow.

OP posts:
Smartiepants79 · 05/07/2015 20:30

I would not pay cash for something I was pretty sure I didn't do.
I would let her do the chasing. put it through the insurers.
It sounds very suspicious to me.

Original poster
minxthemanx · 08/07/2015 17:25

Contacted my insurers who said don't give cash. The lady seems happy to go through insurance which makes me feel bad, as maybe I did damage her car without knowing! But can't believe I'd have caused that bad a scrape without feeling impact. I think she'll be v annoyed when my insurer sends engineer to assess both cars; I think she assumes I'll admit liability. She's quoting £400 thru insurance + vat, £150 cash without insurer. Ho hum.

OP posts:
SirChenjin · 08/07/2015 17:29

And what is she basing this quote on?

MadisonMontgomery · 08/07/2015 17:30

If it was a supermarket car park might it be on CCTV? I had something similar happen to me in Morrisons carpark once - I had bashed my car some weeks before & someone tried to claim I had hit their car that day. When I said I was going to ask security to view CCTV they backed off.

Original poster
minxthemanx · 08/07/2015 17:33

She said this quote is from another garage, that deals with insurance claims. Hadn't thought about CCTV, could ask sainsburys. I know the date and rough time.

OP posts:
Twodogsandahooch · 08/07/2015 17:36

Are you sure she didn't hit your car?!

SirChenjin · 08/07/2015 17:40

£250 plus vat of a difference if you go through the insurance? Seems v fishy. CCTV is a good idea

Original poster
minxthemanx · 08/07/2015 18:08

From the angle I was parked I can't see how she would have hit mine. I wish I'd been more with it at the time and checked height of scratches etc. It may well turn out that they say I caused damage, but how v neither ds2 or I noticed massive scratching sound I don't know.

OP posts:
LovelyFriend · 08/07/2015 18:22

I think this is probably a con.
The reason the amount is under £200 is people are less likely to go via insurance.

She's trying it on. I bet she spends her days in car parks.

There is no way she knows it's you and I can't believe you can make s massive scratch like that without knowing.

Don't give her a penny.

PoshPenny · 08/07/2015 18:44

The price difference probably is not a con. I had an incident in my car earlier this year, I offered the other driver a price to settle for cash of £230 which they refused. The list price for parts plus labour at a fair rate plus VAT worked out at £311.00 They had already admitted liability, so I went through their insurers.. Her insurers sorted out a hire car so I wasn't inconvenienced, specified I wanted my own mechanic to do the repairs as you're entitled to - all of which agreed and accepted without question by her insurance company. Her insurance assessor came out and agreed my £311 estimate without question, it was exactly the same amount he had estimated, so a cheque was authorised and sent. The whole process took 4 weeks, I had a 4x4 pickup as my hire car, I reckon my part of the claim would have cost her insurance company about £1500 plus anything they might add for fees and services. My mechanic charged me £50 for cash and the parts cost me £85 in the end. There is a huge difference between List Price and the actual price if you shop around in the motor trade. A long way of saying it might not be a scam.

OP I think you should get hold of the CCTV footage if you can, and DO NOT ACCEPT LIABILITY. It does rather sound like she is trying it on in this instance, and getting your insurers to deal with it sounds a very good idea.

SirChenjin · 08/07/2015 19:02

That's true - although I wonder if she has shopped arpund or simply decided on a figure. Definitely don't pay and agree, don't accept liability.

3mum · 08/07/2015 19:42

This is a con. I had someone try something similar. The difference is I was absolutely sure I had not done it. I rang my insurers and told them it was a fraudulent claim and not to pay. They didn't. The claimant mysteriously evaporated.

Original poster
minxthemanx · 08/07/2015 19:43

Thanks, the supermarket manager was really kind and started looking through the CCTV footage when I popped in tonight. I may have got the time a bit wrong, as he couldn't see my car in the hour time frame I gave him, so he's getting security to look further tomorrow. He won't be able to tell me what he can see, due to data protection, but will be able to confirm if the cars are on tape. I'm now convinced I did hit the poor woman! She was very convincing. If I could post the photos, I'd let you decide! I'm about to text her with my insurance details - am in two minds whether to let her know they're checking CCTV.

OP posts:
Original poster
minxthemanx · 08/07/2015 19:46

Thanks, the supermarket manager was really kind and started looking through the CCTV footage when I popped in tonight. I may have got the time a bit wrong, as he couldn't see my car in the hour time frame I gave him, so he's getting security to look further tomorrow. He won't be able to tell me what he can see, due to data protection, but will be able to confirm if the cars are on tape. I'm now convinced I did hit the poor woman! She was very convincing. If I could post the photos, I'd let you decide! I'm about to text her with my insurance details - am in two minds whether to let her know they're checking CCTV.

OP posts: