Paint damage caused by neighbour - settling privately

Wang Computer · 29 Aug 2015 at 12:09

I'm sure this has been asked before but...

My neighbour just knocked on my door to inform me that he'd driven in to my car and damaged the paint on the bumper. He's offered to pay for it privately because he was using some sort of hire van at the time and he doesn't know if he can claim for third party damage. This is due to there being no damage on the van itself. This seems quite odd to me.

Has anyone had any experience in this sort of scenario? Am I being silly by considering his offer to settle unofficially? Him and his wife seem like reasonable people and I've already started the process of getting quotes for the repair.

I'm interested in people's opinions. Cheers.

lordrobs · 29 Aug 2015 at 12:10

Normally I'd always go the insurance route but as it was your neighbour I'd take him up on his offer.

andicole0 · 29 Aug 2015 at 12:12

If the damage on your car is 'light' I'd accept his offer. He did come to you after all, a lot of people wouldn't.

Andi.

Clarkey · 29 Aug 2015 at 12:13

Never go insurance if you can get away with it, you will end up paying for it yourself through increased premiums over the next 5 years regardless of it being non-fault and the car not even being driven at the time.

Quartz · 29 Aug 2015 at 12:13

You still have to advise your insurer - just tell them that you won't be making a claim but reserve the right to do so.

koolpc · 29 Aug 2015 at 12:14

Take up his offer

teenwolf · 29 Aug 2015 at 12:14

Quartz said:
You still have to advise your insurer - just tell them that you won't be making a claim but reserve the right to do so.

yeh right.

don't do that.

Clarkey · 29 Aug 2015 at 12:14

Quartz said:
You still have to advise your insurer - just tell them that you won't be making a claim but reserve the right to do so.

No no no no no

Wang Computer · 29 Aug 2015 at 12:39

Ok, thanks, guys... Well I will wait for some quotes to come back. I won't inform my insurers yet...

mushtafa · 29 Aug 2015 at 12:53

I would stay away from insurers in this scenario, they've admitted it was their fault and offered to pay for it.

Quartz · 29 Aug 2015 at 13:02

Clarkey said:
No no no no no

You absolutely have to. It'll be in the small print of your insurance contract. But because you're not making a claim it won't affect your insurance premium.

Clarkey · 29 Aug 2015 at 13:07

Quartz said:
You absolutely have to. It'll be in the small print of your insurance contract. But because you're not making a claim it won't affect your insurance premium.

What the hell has it got to do with them if you're not making a claim? Anyway, it will go on record and you would then have to declare it for 3 or 5 years to come and they WILL load your premium for the privilege, ask me how I know!

geekman · 29 Aug 2015 at 13:08

Quartz said:
You absolutely have to. It'll be in the small print of your insurance contract. But because you're not making a claim it won't affect your insurance premium.

You're also not meant to go over 70MPH on the motorway, but a lot of people do

Kenai · 29 Aug 2015 at 13:09

The terms of the insurance you signed up to will almost certainly stipulate you are obliged to tell them regardless of intent to claim for it or settle privately yourself. Whether you actually want to do that is up to your own perceived risk balance of them loading your premium regardless vs never finding out.

I'm pretty sure most people wouldn't mention it.

Clarkey · 29 Aug 2015 at 13:11

If you're going to tell them then you might as well make a claim, the whole idea is stupid.

Kenai · 29 Aug 2015 at 13:14

Stupid it may be but I'd be surprised if anyone here has a policy where the small print they agreed to doesn't have that sort of clause in it.

pugheaven · 29 Aug 2015 at 13:57

andicole0 said:
If the damage on your car is 'light' I'd accept his offer. He did come to you after all, a lot of people wouldn't.

Andi.

This

AshD93 · 29 Aug 2015 at 14:33

Kenai said:
Stupid it may be but I'd be surprised if anyone here has a policy where the small print they agreed to doesn't have that sort of clause in it.

That may be but you would be mad to tell them.

Quartz · 29 Aug 2015 at 14:37

AshD93 said:
That may be but you would be mad to tell them.

Why? You're not making a claim.

Skyboat · 29 Aug 2015 at 14:50

Quartz said:
Why? You're not making a claim.

If it's anything like my last insurer (Hastings) they'll log it on the CUE database and subsequently bump up your premium come renewal time. Stupid I know, but it's as per their terms and I would assume most other insurance companies T&Cs are the same too.