Car Park Damage

[Kace]

Got a nice big scrape on my front bumper the other day when I arrived back at my car in a hotel car park. I noticed it as I walked up to the car. The car was parked beside a large 4x4 in a tight car park and he obviously clipped me when trying to take the turn to get out of his space.

Nice person actually left a note with phone number indicating that they had damaged my car. I haven't phoned them back yet but not sure what approach I will take at this point.

In fairness, there are other scrapes and stone chips on the bumper - the paintwork is not 100% by any means. However this 'new' scrape is a lot larger than anything else I have on the car at present.

It is with heavy heart that I am likely to change the car this year and given prices these days I'm not sure what value it will fetch. So at present I am a little unsure as to how I will proceed with this person. I have the following options :

1. Tell them that I want the damage repaired and that the bumper will need to be resprayed
2. Tell them that there are other scratches on there and that I will probably just seek to have the scratch touched up with matching paint (impossible to find for A34 Silver)
3. Tell them that I won't be repairing and that they can count their lucky stars !

Maybe I am a mug, but my better nature is tending to win out on this one and I am expecting to go for option 2, asking for the person to fund my touch up paint

How would the rest of you feel about your 17 year old car's exterior physical appearance and health in this situation ?

[StewyD32]

I think you came across one in a million there Kace. Not to many people would leave a note.
I'd be inclined to do option 2 as well as this guy was honest and left a note, however if you think your going to match or get a near match on the touch up paint think again.
I'm still spraying my front bumper since November. Thursday will be my last time and will still be off. (but hopefully not that much)

[ottostreet]

I'd go with option 2 as well. He owned up to it, and ya shouldn't go to town on him for making a mistake, as long as he owned up!

[goz_83]

Option 2. Seems fair

[Bernard]

I'd be inclined to be nice too but I wouldn't make up my mind until I spoke to them.
Give them a ring and play it by ear.

Someone once drove into the back of my car (escort) at a roundabout.
When I got out to have a inspect the damage the poor guy looked ready to cry, I'll never forget his face when I told him there was hardly any damage and not to worry about it.
There's no harm in investing in a little karma every now and then.

As for matching the paint, sure you hardly wash it anyway do you?

[colm_mcm]

I think you will seriously compromise your position if you mention the existing scratches, just tell him you'll shop around and that you won't rip them off.

[optical illusion]

Sorry, but even with him being one in a million, I'd still get it resprayed. It'll knock a lot of value off a car that already will have a lot of value knocked off it with the current market.

I got mine resprayed and filled recently, for an absolutely fantastic job and you'd never know - €250. Shouldn't be more than that.

Get an estimate, ring him, if he isn't a w@nker, tell him you don't want to go through his insurance as he was good enough to be honest. Tell him you are selling the car soon and you want it looking good.

If he is, then tell him expect to hear from your insurance company. These things can quite often turn nasty.

[holio]

As someone who's car sits in a shopping centre car park for 50 plus hours a week I feel I'd be somewhat experienced on this matter
The fact they left you a note is decent of them so be decent to them. I know it's very easy to bill them for a respray on the bumper but it would have been even easier for them to drive off leaving you worse off and very angry.
As you said, it's a17 year old car, even though it's in great nick a scratch or two can be forgiven when your selling.
Just my opinion though.

[goz_83]

If you were planning to get the other chips sorted, you could bill the person a small amount, like €50 to help with the cost of the repair you would be getting done anyway. In return, you might send a bottle of wine to say thank you for being honest. Wine = €10. Courier = €40. Everyone is happy

[colm_mcm]

Goz, you just got €50 from the guy only to spend €50 on sending him a bottle of €10 wine

[holio]

ha ha ha

[StewyD32]

classic.

[goz_83]

Might be cheaper to send an empty bottle?

[Gerry]

Think i would agree with Laura,
Ring him up, assess your audience, if hes ok, tell him that you will have to get the front bumper resprayed.
I wouldnt mention anything about the other marks on the bumper.
Tell him that u are willing to avoid insurance company knowing if that suites him and give him a quote of approx 200-300 euro to have it resprayed refitted etc.
200-300 euro may be music to his ears.

Option 2 is very admirable, however ive seen some very bad touchups on this colour and if your going to be selling the car on, i wouldnt be giving potential buyers a stick to beat it with.

[Dave]

I don't see the point in actually selling the car Kace, for what you'll actually get for it!!!

Get some classic car insurance and drive it the odd weekend or use it on the track, classic insurance can be got for next to nothing these days!

As for scrape, if you were going to get the bumper done anyway, I wouldn't bother, just ring them and thank them for their honesty and take maybe €50 or something...

[colm_mcm]

I'm pretty sure you can't get classic insurance on any ftos?

[goz_83]

If anyone has classic on an fto....tell us

[Kace]

I phoned up the person and was initially thinking that it was going to be some buff builder type as there was a large 4x4 beside me when I left the car. To my surprise it was a middle-aged woman driving an Avensis.

I was never ever planning to get the bodywork on this car back to 100% tbh, so I just wouldn't feel right trying to take advantage of the situation by asking to have it sprayed. My other half had a fight with a supermarket pillar about 8 years ago and I never fixed that either - I just couldn't see the value in spending €600 to put it right when it was barely even noticeable.

Anyway I'm going to take €25 for some extra OEM A34 touch up from eBay and I'll leave it at that. She can spend her money fixing up her own damage.

-------

Definitely toying with the idea of keeping the car, however I'm city based so don't have a great place to park it up. Not sure if it's worth it tbh. Probably put it up when I get the new one over the next few months just to see what happens.

[optical illusion]

I'm pretty sure you can't get classic insurance on any ftos?

As am I.

[mcgon1979]

If anyone asked me for more than 75€ to fix a scratch I put on their 17 year old car, I would go through my insurance. I have fully protected no claims etc. Asking someone to pay over 100 to avoid going via insurance only works with people who pay 1000euro for TPFT.
Thats just my opinion I guess.

[goz_83]

If anyone asked me for more than 75€ to fix a scratch I put on their 17 year old car, I would go through my insurance. I have fully protected no claims etc. Asking someone to pay over 100 to avoid going via insurance only works with people who pay 1000euro for TPFT.
Thats just my opinion I guess.

Yes but even with protected NCB, the insurers will screw you in some way withe "have you made any claims" question. This was proven to me whe my car was nicked. I had full NCB and theft doesn't impact on your NCB anyway, but when seeking out new insurance, it was a mystery as to why my 5 years NCB was worth a lot less than before. Took a lot of hard work to get a reasonable quote.

Kace, if you change your car, you'll have to change your signature too

I will be posting a price list soon from the place I am getting work done in South Dublin. Might be of interest to some here. I am only waiting for my new seat trims to arrive before booking the car in.

[optical illusion]

I know it's OT but how does that work?

If your NCB is protected, whats the point if it's going to effect you?

[goz_83]

I know it's OT but how does that work?

If your NCB is protected, whats the point if it's going to effect you?

It's just a way to keep their pay outs and fraud to a minimum. We benefit as long as we don't claim is all. If we claim (even with protection) it has a negative impact. At least that's what a a senior Axa girl I know said when I questioned her about it.

[optical illusion]

So really, there is actually no point whatsoever to having your no claims protected...?

[colm_mcm]

Yeah, it usually doesnt cost much (I have it for free on my Chartis policy) my mother had 2 small prangs in 2 years, and her insurance only went up a tiny bit. Think you pretty much have to stay with the same company for a few years after, as other companies will really load your policy.