car accident - any advice?

[Claw75]

A few weeks ago I reversed into my neighbour's passenger door (old S reg renault worth about £500) whilst getting out of a tight parking spot and left a dent. I popped a note on their windscreen fessing up, and said to them that as the damage was minor if they wanted to get it repaired I'd pay the bill.  Seemed like the best way of dealing with it, rather than losing my no-claims.

Anyway, last week they turned up on the doorstep and said that the car was off being repaired, and was going to cost £400.  This was obviously a bit of a shock as they hadn't come back to us after getting quotes or anything, and obviously would have gone through the insurers if I'd known they were going to try to sting me for that kind of money, which I simply don't have at the moment.

Anyway, Matt went to see them and asked them to ask the garage not to go ahead pending getting some more quotes. They said it was too late, work had started. We were also told that the work was getting done cheaply as he'd put it through his mate's garage to keep the costs down.  We said that given the money involved we'd expect to see a full breakdown, and a VAT receipt.  Neighbour just come back round with a barely legible hand scrawled note saying saying something like 'renault door fixed, £400 paid cash'.  Apparently neighbour feeling guilty as he now realises we can't afford it and has said that it was keeping him up and night and he's prepared to absorb £150 if we pay £250.  Says he also not happy that we are considering contacting insurance company to see if we can get it sorted that way as he 'would have taken it to an expensive garage and got it fixed properly' if that were the case.

I'm pretty sure I'm being done over here. Have I just left myself up shit creek and need to find the money to cough up? I presume the insurance company won't touch it with a barge poll now. Any other recourse?

[bolt pp]

when they knock on the door say: "fuck off, take us to court".

Also please dont leave notes on peoples cars after you've hit them if they dont know about it.

failing that i'll come round for a drink then knock on the door

[Claw75]

when they knock on the door say: "fuck off, take us to court".

Also please dont leave notes on peoples cars after you've hit them if they dont know about it.

failing that i'll come round for a drink then knock on the door

yeah I know I'm too fecking honest for my own good some times.  I'd still leave a note if I did it again (although maybe not if it was that particular car)

[AndrewT]

Women drivers, eh?

How much does it actually cost to undent a car door?

[Dewi_cool]

Women drivers, eh?

How much does it actually cost to undent a car door?

£400

[GreekStein]

Leave note every time, tell them to GTFO with their £400. Not payin £150 either once they've tried to shaft me.

[Rookie (Rodney)]

Just don't reverse into cars.

Simples.

Failing that, just pay up or go round to see your neighbours about it and sort it with them rather than telling them to sort it and let me know.

[StuartHopkin]

Too lates now.
Insurance company wont take that receipt.

All depends on the dent and how they had it fixed.

[ItsMrAlex2u]

Fair play for leaving the note but you prob should have said that they should speak to you before doing anything.

If you can see that work has actually been done and the dent is gone then the £250 deal is probably ok IMO. If no work has been done or its obviously a quick botch job then i would tell em to do one for the rip off attempt

How much were you expecting to pay when you left the note? No car repair is going to be much less than that.

[byronkincaid]

time to negotiate is when you did it not now. pay the £250, it's not horrendous at all.

[Claw75]

I don't know what I was expecting to be honest, but not much more than £150. I guess I've just left myself up shit creek with my own naivety, I did the neighbourly thing by letting them know I'd done the damage, and I would have expected them to show the same courtesy in return if they got a quote that was for a lot more than to be expected to fix a small dent in a door. I'll know better in future.

I think you're right and I'm just going to have to pay up. It might not seem like much, but that's pretty much a months' income to me just now.

[Rookie (Rodney)]

Make sure you get a receipt of some kind from your neighbours when you do pay up!

[bolt pp]

so no one else is for chucking a brick through someones window?

[bolt pp]

smash their car up then knock on the door and give them £250

[Geo the Sarge]

I don't know what I was expecting to be honest, but not much more than £150. I guess I've just left myself up shit creek with my own naivety, I did the neighbourly thing by letting them know I'd done the damage, and I would have expected them to show the same courtesy in return if they got a quote that was for a lot more than to be expected to fix a small dent in a door. I'll know better in future.

I think you're right and I'm just going to have to pay up. It might not seem like much, but that's pretty much a months' income to me just now.

And so you should Claire.

Ask for copy of the "bill", if it's not got an address on it ask for one and explain that you will visit the garage to check the bill was genuine and had went through the books.

As they are umming and erring..........offer £150

Geo