Apparently I scratched someone's car. Advice please?

[minxthemanx]

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?

This happened to a friend of mine. Luckily he got into a conversation with a customer at work, the same lady was trying to get money out of them as well. What a con.

Should I mention that they're checking cCTV? Or will that cause problems?

No, don't tell her - just communicate via your insurance

Ok thanks. Need all this like a hole in the head. Apt at Gt Ormond St tomorrow with my son, and a tube strike..... I'll let the insurance company take over now.

Sorry, last question and I do know how pathetic I sound - when I contact my insurers, do I tell the truth and say I don't know whether I caused the damage? I can't honestly say I didn't, as my car has a mark on it, but I had no idea of any impact. Or do I say that I didn't do it?

I would simply say that you didn't feel a bump and the supermarket are checking cctv. Keep it simple and factual!

Hope you get to your appointment ok tomorrow and it goes ok

Thanks so much for all the advice, you've been so helpful.

This happened to me, well similar. I refused to pay the extortionate costs they asked for, went to the insurers. The insurers refused the claim and then I saw them get the tiny, tiny scratch on their car (not at the right level for me to have caused it, hence the insurance refusal) get repaired for less than a quarter of what they'd wanted. Pretty popular scam so stick to your guns.

Have to say it is possible. Years ago I parked my cR Nd walked past Dh's car which had a moderate scrape on the paintwork. Id parallel parked opposite him. I came in and told him he had a scrape on his car.

He went out steaming mad as he was adament it hadn't been there 30 mins earlier. He found a corresponding scrape on my car. I never felt a thing.

As others have said keep it factual. I saw a car leaving the space next to mine in the office car park. I was convinced they'd hit my car. Made a big thing of writing down their plate, checking with office security etc. so I could find who the car belonged too etc. Drove home and DH said the dent had happened at his mum's. Oops. We all make mistakes.

She said she'd rubbed and cleaned at the scratch on her car, and that it had contained red paint (from my car)

It had contained red paint?? So how come she was so quick to remove it (not that it would have been easy to remove if her car had been hit hard) ... why wouldn't she have left it to point out to you, or at least taken a photo while the "red paint" was still there??

Sorry, I'm calling con ...

Well after some hassle today, it's now being dealt with by insurance company. The fact that she's happy to do it thru insurance makes me think she's genuine and I must have hit her! But a friend looked at the photo of the scratch and said how come there's no dent if you hit it hard enough to cause deep scratch? So I don't know. Am now leaving it to insurers. Thanks for all the advice.

Or perhaps she feels like she's got nothing to lose by going through the insurance? Are they still sending out an engineer to confirm that you did hit it, as opposed to simply paying out?

Yes, my insurers aren't doing anything until we hear whether Sainsburys have the cars on CCTV. If they don't, engineer will come out to inspect both vehicles as I'm nit admitting liability without some evidence.

That's good - with such a suspicious story you need to be as sure as possible

I don't blame them for being careful about it as this kind of thing happens all the time

Isn't it the case, though, that where blame is unclear they sometimes split the payout and both policyholders risk losing their NCD?? Frankly, unless clear proof turns up, I doubt you'll hear any more from her ...

This is why I always park away in the midst of empty spaces away from everyone else - and nine times out of ten I'll come back and find someone parked right next to me even when they have the entire car park to choose from. One time I came back and the someone was in the middle of scraping the wing of her car along my car's back bumper - result was a scratch on my bumper and a bloody enormous dent and scrape in her wing.

Cheeky xxxxxxxx mare!!! CCTV shows that my car was parked there first, bay next to me was empty. No way did I cause damage. Either she hit me as she parked, or it was pre-existing. Cannot believe the fricking nerve of some people - I've been really stressed out by this. Thank you SO much to the person on here who told me to check CCTV. Am fuming!!

What a douche! Well done for not paying anything.

I see the update, but I cant believe no one has pointed out there is a third option other than you did or shes conning you. Obviously she may genuinely believe you did it, even though you didnt. The fact that she was happy to go through insurance suggests this may be the case.
Why is everyone so quick to assume malice?

Cheeky woman, nice try at insurance fraud!

What a bloody nerve - and well done you.

As for 'assuming malice' - she knew that the OP's car was already in the spot when she parked next to it. She chanced her luck and she got caught. Serves her right.

I'm really glad you've got evidence to back you up. Make sure the insurance company are aware and then leave them to deal with it. I'm in the midst of an insurance claim myself atm and I know that angry feeling you get when you know the other person is lying, but she's painted herself into a corner now.

If the ops car was already there when she parked, how in hell can the chancer not be a lying arse?