Hit parked car! | Motoring discussion | Back Room Forum

Tue 7 Jul 2015 00:07

Hit parked car! - Liver Bird

Evening.

Earlier today I gently bumped a parked car outside a friend's house. The owner came out of their place and inspected their vehicle - which we agreed had no damage bar the reg plate which split upon contact. No details were exchanged / requested.

Hours later, my friend texted and said that their neighbour wanted my contact information (They did not request the same earlier).

Minutes later, I received a text from the parked car's owner - who stated that on inspection, their vehicle had in the region of £1200 worth of damage. They asked me to call them and provide my insurance information - which I duly did.

When listing the 'damage', the third party included a couple of items (Paint marks on side panel, dents) which they had earlier openly admitted I had not caused. I put my hands up to a damaged number plate!

In my eyes, the car I bumped already had several exisiting complaints - which I am guessing is why the owner was readily able to rattle off a list over the phone - following a seemingly quick change of heart in a short space of time.

They now have my details and I was happy to leave this in the hands of the insurers, only the third party contacted me again late this evening and suggested we by-passed our insurers and settled the matter ourselves. They seemed sure that the car would be written off (?!) and said that they could not be without a car - so asked for a % payment towards the extensive list of outstanding problems.

I have not responded to their latest text message - as I was hoping that any investigation from insurers might confirm my suspicions.

Am I doing the right thing in this situation?

Edited by Liver Bird on 07/07/2015 at 00:08

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Tue 7 Jul 2015 00:14

Hit parked car! - Galaxy

You should report all these happenings to your own insurance company, including all the evidence of your suspicions that the third party is trying it on!

You are required to notify your insurer of any "incidents" which you are involved in as a condition of your policy, anyway.

You should not respond to any further communications from the third party but pass them on to your insurer. Should he contact you by telephone then tell him that he will need to speak to his own insurance company regarding the matter, then put the phone down.

It rather sounds to me that, after your initial contact with the third party, someone has had a word with him and suggested he try to make some money out of it! I'm not surprised that he's trying to get you to to by-pass the insurance companies; he knows his claim will be investigated and that he'll get found out!

Edited by Galaxy on 07/07/2015 at 00:17

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Tue 7 Jul 2015 00:22

Hit parked car! - Liver Bird

I reported the incident to my insurers earlier, after my details had been requested.

The text from the third party stated that we needed to agree a course of action tonight before the underwriter contacted them tomorrow? (Have no idea if contact has been made by insurers, but doubtful given the timescales).

Thanks for your advice :)

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Tue 7 Jul 2015 00:25

Hit parked car! - brum

Contact your insurance company and tell them the whole story, take photos of your car to demonstrate no or little damage, ask your friend to take photos of the neighbours car broken number plate if possible but without the neighbours knowing....make sure you have full details of the car inc number plate detail of the neighbours vehicle, again use your friend to provide that.

Do not enter into any further communication with the neighbour and if they pester you tell them to contact THEIR insurance company.

They sound scam artists, are they English?

Other nationalities are known to take the opportunity to write their cars off by driving them backward into bollards.

Contacting you the way they have also throws into question whether they have valid insurance etc.

Let your insurance sort it out, and dont stress further.

Edited by brum on 07/07/2015 at 00:30

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Tue 7 Jul 2015 08:03

Hit parked car! - Happy Blue!

If you suspect fraud, go to the police with your evidence.

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Tue 7 Jul 2015 10:07

Hit parked car! - Andrew-T

They sound scam artists, are they English?

Other nationalities are known to take the opportunity to write their cars off by driving them backward into bollards.

This is undoubtedly true, but I don't believe the English haven't thought of it. I am English and wouldn't do it, but I don't think we can make ethnic exclusions here.

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Tue 7 Jul 2015 12:27

Hit parked car! - slkfanboy

Maybe worth recording the conversation. Do not agree anything but ask what they are suggesting.

Also get a 3rd part and speaker phone to confirm what was sad. Dont agrue with the person them to state what the damage is and there expectations.

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Tue 7 Jul 2015 12:45

Hit parked car! - concrete

Of course it is a 'try on'. Having had a chance to think it over they see an opportunity to capitalise on the incident. Unfortunately now your insurance is involved there is little wiggle room, you have to go through process. If you have legal cover on any policy, motor, household etc then it may be worth getting them to write to the insurer and the claimant. To remind the insurer of their duty of care towards you and investigating this claim thoroughly and to inform the claimant that it is not going to be easy to extract money through a falsehood. My guess is a legal letter and the promise of an expert examination of the vehicles will scare them off and they may drop the claim in exchange for a new number plate and a few quid. Important that you photograph both vehicles as soon as possible to eliminate the possibility they may inflict further damage on their own vehicle to strengthen their case. Do it now. Best of luck and keep us informed.

For future reference always photograph everything when involved in an incident.

Cheers Concrete

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Tue 7 Jul 2015 13:38

Hit parked car! - slkfanboy

While you have to inform the insurance company , your at full liberty to settle the claim privately.

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Tue 7 Jul 2015 16:25

Hit parked car! - concrete

While you have to inform the insurance company , your at full liberty to settle the claim privately.

Once the insurance company are involved, I suggest it is better to insist they fight the spurious claim on their clients behalf. If it is settled privately now then the insurance company will still put a black mark on the record against you. The so called claimant has already indicated they wish to write off the vehicle. This could mean a considerable amount of money to settle the claim to their satisfaction. Considering the nature of the claim and the way these people are obviously trying to work the system they should be challenged. Nothing sticks in the craw like seeing some 'toe rag' on the make and muddying the waters in the hope of a nice settlement. Bah humbug!!!

Cheers Concrete

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Tue 7 Jul 2015 20:24

Hit parked car! - Bromptonaut

This is undoubtedly true, but I don't believe the English haven't thought of it. I am English and wouldn't do it, but I don't think we can make ethnic exclusions here.

The English would never dream of such a scam. The Welsh OTOH........

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Tue 7 Jul 2015 22:07

Hit parked car! - oldroverboy.

The English would never dream of such a scam. The Welsh OTOH........

Being of welsh extraction i find your choice of words highly offensive.

This forum has no place for such thoughts.

I sincerely hope you get a word from a moderator!

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Thu 9 Jul 2015 20:10

Hit parked car! - piggy

The English would never dream of such a scam. The Welsh OTOH........

Being of welsh extraction i find your choice of words highly offensive.

This forum has no place for such thoughts.

I sincerely hope you get a word from a moderator!

+1 !!!

Somewhat surprised that one of the most intelligent and usually restrained posters on here would post this. Suggest it gets deleted as being offensive.

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Tue 7 Jul 2015 21:34

Hit parked car! - Smileyman

have you taken any photos ... even mobile phone camera picture will be worthwhile ... photgraphic evidence is (almost) essential these days

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Tue 7 Jul 2015 23:21

Hit parked car! - scot22

Although I suspect/hope the Welsh comment was intended to be humourus, I do not agree with any form of racial prejudice. The first reference to not being English seemed to be a serious suggestion.

I fully agree with orb these type of posts are not acceptable.

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Wed 8 Jul 2015 00:52

Hit parked car! - Avant

I'm sure Bromptonaut merely meant to imply that the Welsh would sing about it.

The British in general have a good sense of humour and harmless jokes are made about people from most parts of the UK. That's a different matter froim comments about the colour of someone's skin (unacceptable) or about their religion (dangerous and likely to be offensive to someone). Either of those rest assured that I would certainly delete.

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Wed 8 Jul 2015 01:21

Hit parked car! - bathtub tom

I'm surprised no-one else has suggested you check to see if it's insured on: ownvehicle.askmid.com/

VED on: www.vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/

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Wed 8 Jul 2015 05:47

Hit parked car! - oldroverboy.

I'm sure Bromptonaut merely meant to imply that the Welsh would sing about it.

"cue laughter"

This is one welshman who cannot sing!

My words were meant lightly before anyone from the socilist republic could get in there.

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Wed 8 Jul 2015 10:00

Hit parked car! - scot22

Thanks Avant - good to know you are watching.

My words were not meant lightly. It is very easy for racialism to grow unnoticed. I am not sure what the reference to socialist republic is about. Something for another forum perhaps ?

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Wed 8 Jul 2015 10:38

Hit parked car! - oldroverboy.

Thanks Avant - good to know you are watching.

My words were not meant lightly. It is very easy for racialism to grow unnoticed. I am not sure what the reference to socialist republic is about. Something for another forum perhaps ?

The welsh assembly is doninated by leftwing parties..

Off subject i know, but the principle qualification for getting any sort of council/gov job is to reply on yr cv that you speak welsh.

On the subject of the hit car, happwned to our neighbours in wales, other people wanted to write car off... Neighours let insurance company deal with it.

Edited by oldroverboy. on 08/07/2015 at 10:41

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Wed 8 Jul 2015 11:26

Hit parked car! - skidpan

The welsh assembly is doninated by leftwing parties

Whats wrong with that. To use your own words (slightly modified) "Being of working class extraction i find your choice of words highly offensive".

We live in a democracy and if that is what the voters want then the left wing parties must be doing something right.

The UK Parliament is right wing, its what the voters wanted but god help them over the next 5 years.

Might end up moving to Wales. Nice looking sheep.

Edited by skidpan on 08/07/2015 at 11:28

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Wed 8 Jul 2015 11:58

Hit parked car! - scot22

I could not agree more skidpan. Perhaps later today I might get something on general discussion, but the majority of people did not express a wish for a right wing government. Unfortunately we all have to endure the outcome.

Until we have proportional representation parliament will not be truly representative.

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Wed 8 Jul 2015 12:50

Hit parked car! - hillman

My wife was scammed in this way by a foreign gentleman. He parked too close to her car in the car-park and said that she'd damaged the trim on his car, which she denied. He suggested that we settle privately but we let the insurance company deal with it. When I found out how much the damage cost to repair I complained to the insurance company, but the clerk said that the other party had witnesses. If her car had done so much damage to his then you'd expect her's to show at least some mark.

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Wed 8 Jul 2015 17:02

Hit parked car! - Andrew-T

Until we have proportional representation parliament will not be truly representative.

And if we did get PR we would usually get a coalition government. There is no system of election which (a) works effectively and (b) satisfies everyone across the voting spectrum. Would a genuinely 'representative' parliament guarantee better government?

And for those claiming to be of working-class 'extraction', does that mean they still think of themselves as working-class, but aren't? Or are, but wish they weren't?

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Thu 9 Jul 2015 09:34

Hit parked car! - Leif

The problem with PR is that it is not representative. With our system if an MP is bad, you vote for someone else. With PR you vote for a party, and the MP is selected from the list, starting at the top. So, rather than having an MP who is at the service of us, you have one who brown noses to his/her party to ensure they are on the official list. Then as said you have all the problems with coalitions, horse trading etc.

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Wed 8 Jul 2015 15:47

Hit parked car! - oldroverboy.

The welsh assembly is doninated by leftwing parties

Whats wrong with that. To use your own words (slightly modified) "Being of working class extraction i find your choice of words highly offensive".

We live in a democracy and if that is what the voters want then the left wing parties must be doing something right.

The UK Parliament is right wing, its what the voters wanted but god help them over the next 5 years.

Might end up moving to Wales. Nice looking sheep.

I too am of working class extraction. My granfather was a miner, and paid for it with his life. I was lucky to go to Grammar school and get an education and eventually a satisfying career. Look at greece.. If wales was free to do as it wished, financially it'd be in the doodoo. I am fed up of the people who claim they are victims while claiming benefits and living better than i do. I am fed up with seeing single mothers get social housing [3 bed house] with 1 kid when working families can't. But hey that's democracy.

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Wed 8 Jul 2015 16:30

Hit parked car! - scot22

I know I have the same feelings about people exploiting a system and I believe the majority do not like the abuse. Therefore it is not democratic.

It is how, demonising a group, a system is maintained that favours the idle rich over the idle poor. Also the vast majority of wealth is in the hands of a small majority.

I believe in people being rewarded fairly for fair work. There should be an entitlement to work. Those who can, but won't, should receive nothing. Those who can't, deserve help.

Apologies its off thread but this is an important issue. I won't transgress again on this thread.

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Wed 8 Jul 2015 16:35

Hit parked car! - oldroverboy.

Scot.. Spot on..

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Wed 8 Jul 2015 17:07

Hit parked car! - Andrew-T

There should be an entitlement to work. Those who can, but won't, should receive nothing. Those who can't, deserve help.

This sounds a bit like Soviet Russia pre-perestroika. In theory everyone had a job, which may have been driving an empty lorry round Moscow. I saw some when I was there.

It's easy to talk about creating jobs, but if they are non-productive, the paid individuals may gain, but those paying (indirectly) don't. A form of socialism I suppose.

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Wed 8 Jul 2015 22:56

Hit parked car! - alan1302

I am fed up with seeing single mothers get social housing [3 bed house] with 1 kid when working families can't. But hey that's democracy.

They don't get that

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Thu 9 Jul 2015 07:25

Hit parked car! - oldroverboy.

I am fed up with seeing single mothers get social housing [3 bed house] with 1 kid when working families can't. But hey that's democracy.

They don't get that

Our old neigbour opposite in wales. For many working people there it is not a joke.

Time for Avant to close this thread perhaps.

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Thu 9 Jul 2015 13:54

Hit parked car! - alan1302

I am fed up with seeing single mothers get social housing [3 bed house] with 1 kid when working families can't. But hey that's democracy.

They don't get that

Our old neigbour opposite in wales. For many working people there it is not a joke.

If she did then there is more to it than you know as a single parent with a single kid won't be given a social housing property unless there is some other reason for them needing the additional bedroom.

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Fri 10 Jul 2015 10:45

Hit parked car! - Ordovices

My words were not meant lightly. It is very easy for racialism to grow unnoticed.

You should really try and get passed this mock political correctness and understand the difference between racism, xenophobia and good old fashioned prejudice.

Since when has being Welsh been a racially defining trait? I for one would have a great deal of difficulty singling out a Welsh person by identifying racial characteristics (even a pure bred Welshman who is not a second, third or nth generation immigrant), unless of course, he was wearing a "Sons of Glyndwr" tee shirt whilst singing Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau.

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Fri 10 Jul 2015 16:01

Hit parked car! - hillman

I think we've lost our way here. Perhaps Liver bird could give us an update ?

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Fri 10 Jul 2015 18:00

Hit parked car! - concrete

Meanwhile, back at the ranch!!!!! The thread was certainly headed off at the pass!!.

Hillmans post underlines the need to take photos whenever an incident occurs that could be later misconstrued. This is definitely a 'try on' and should be resisted. How far have you goteen so far Liver Bird??

Cheers Concrete

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Fri 10 Jul 2015 21:57

Hit parked car! - Avant

Thank you Concrete.

Please, no more political posts on this thread, but by all means start another thread in the General section.

Use this thread if you have anything more to say about the original issue.

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Fri 10 Jul 2015 23:22

Hit parked car! - oldroverboy.

Grovel grovel..

My fault for joking light heartedly when i [tongue firmly in cheek] about my lovely country when i replied to a previous comment/post.

I must say in defence of others that the "banter" has been amusing on various threads.

Evenin' all.

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Sat 11 Jul 2015 12:10

Hit parked car! - FoxyJukebox

My wife scraped the side of a parked K reg(yes!) Golf causing the tiniest of side scratches....cutting a boring communication story short...my insurance company had to find £1500 to satisfy the claimant and of course this was logged as a fault against my wife and my insurance policy. I calculated the Golf was worth buttons-if that. Lucky Golf owner?

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Sat 11 Jul 2015 18:24

Hit parked car! - concrete

My wife scraped the side of a parked K reg(yes!) Golf causing the tiniest of side scratches....cutting a boring communication story short...my insurance company had to find £1500 to satisfy the claimant and of course this was logged as a fault against my wife and my insurance policy. I calculated the Golf was worth buttons-if that. Lucky Golf owner?

The same old classic tale of the insurance company ducking the resposibility for conducting the claim properly. After all why should they? They simply load the financial costs on to us. This where a legal cover in your policy can force them to discharge their duty to the full. Grrrr. Makes me weep. When I am in charge etc etc......

Cheers Concrete

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Sat 11 Jul 2015 20:03

Hit parked car! - oldroverboy.

And a few years ago when some body grazed my car and then 3 young men attempted to claim whiplash, it took months to chase it up. It was only settled when the other party were invited to court to pursue and did nothing followed by me telling my insurance company that if they did not throw out the obvious fraudulent claim I would refuse to testify in court.

Case closed within 2 weeks!

Edited by oldroverboy. on 11/07/2015 at 20:04

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