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?

a similar car was there when she parked, that then left, perhaps? Op didnt notice who was there when she parked, why assume other women did?

Phoned insurance company immediately and they are requesting the CCTV. Have assured me no impact on my policy/no claims as not my fault. Maybe I should pursue her for the mark on my car but I really can't be bothered. Hope to God she never texts me again as I am fuming.

And the rubbing of the paint?

Well she could have not noticed the OP's car when she first parked and then came back from the shop before the OP, saw a scratch and assumed it must have been caused by the OP I suppose.

But the fact that she says she wiped off evidence, is very much against her.

I'm glad the CCTV evidence vindicated you OP and tbh I hope the insurance company passes this information about this woman on to the police, to see if there is a case for fraud - it might discourage some people from going in for this sort of thing if they thought the police might be involved.

She'd be unlikely to be prosecuted, because she does have a good defence - she honestly thought it was the OP's car, she made a mistake - but it might discourage her from trying it on with anyone else, particularly if it's on file that she's done this.

Winter, my car was there when she parked. I parked first, bay next to me empty. She then parked. How can she claim that a car that was already there hit her? Anyway, thank God for CCTV and mumsnet.xx

Makes you want to take a photo every time you park, doesn't it? Just to prove that the space next to you was empty! :D

oops. FB smiley there instead of MN one.

she saw a scratch and rubbed at it see it properly, thats normal enough. Maybe shes confused, maybe shes a liar, point being you have no earthly idea which and assuming the worst is unnecessary and a little weird. Never attribute to malice what can be explained by stupidity, there is a lot more of the latter than the former.

What a salutary tale. Sorry you had to go through all that angst, OP. Shows the power of Mumsnet, yet again.

It's just awful that scammers do this to people, with no knowledge of what else we may be dealing with at the time.

Interesting Op that your total unawareness of the situation is easily explainable in a positive light whereas the other women is a conning bitch who should be prosecuted? you had no idea what cars were there when you parked, you thought you might well have hit her car as you were distracted and driving erratically by your own admission. If the other women was anything like you, its easy to explain the confusion all round.

Report her to the police. She sounds like a scam artist.

I think all the stuff about NOT doing it through insurance is evidence of scamming.

Winter I take your point and I nearly paid up thinking it must have been my fault. However there's no way the damage to her car could have been made without feeling the impact , which was my argument all along. So either she hit me, felt it and decided to blame me, or it was pre existing damage. Either way, the "I've cleaned all the red/black paint off" plus "I'll take £150 cash as I've got some other jobs I want the garage to do" were odd. Whether she was trying it on, which most people think I'd likely, or whether she genuinely had never noticed a large deep scratch down get car, or the impact of causing it, thankfully I'm not going to have to pay for something I didn't do.

I love a happy ending

Exactly OP.

Winter - she had accused someone of something and was trying to get them to pay up. Most decent people would have made sure they had proof before they did that, or at least sought expert opinion. She did neither.

Oh, and I would definitely let the police know, just in case she's trying this on with other people.

Delighted it's all worked out for you, OP

FWIW I agree with Winter that we all make mistakes, but the rubbed-off paint? the parking second? the quick demand for cash? Sorry but taken together it really doesn't look good and I agree that tipping off the police could be worthwhile; if it really was a mistake then no harm done, but if it wasn't you could save quite a few people from the same

Well I assume that you can now claim off her for damaging your car?

So glad you've got proof it wasn't you!

Excellent outcome, OP.

Sounds like it could well be a con, stick with insurance and don't admit anything after all your just not sure. Tell her they are checking CCTV if she is a genuine person she will be happy with this, if not you may not have any further contact from her. The problem is she did not witness the damage so how car she prove it!
Whilst I hate getting my car damaged in car parks far too many are using this scam to get cash out of people.

It would be interesting to know how long it was after she parked that she confronted you with her claim. If it was only a few minutes then surely she was trying it on, as she'll have known that she parked there after you.

Would love to see her reaction she you tell her

I had similar incident yesterday at Sainsbury's supermarket. There was a car pulling out of the bay so I waited until the spot was empty and then parked my car. I returned to my car in the supermarket car park, to find a guy standing next to it, studying the bumper, and the side of their car. When he saw me he told me I'd hit her car and his partner was very aggressive and they were dictating and how we should talk(Very rude!). There was a scratch along the side of their (dark grey) car numper backside, but I had no knowledge of having hit it. My wife, in-law and kids were sitting in the car and even they acknowledge the same. My car colour is silver colour. Since the time I brought my car I had lot of scratches. But other party was very adamant said I did it. So we've exchanged the insurer details. I've called my insurance company and reported it as I knew I'm not at fault. I've attached pictures and you can clearly see and make it out it these scratches were done hit the call or edge and not by my car. Any thoughts please ?

Contact the store and ask them to review the CCTV.