Advice on my new scratch/dent (hit & run)

Magic_x_uk · 24 Jul 2012 at 17:16

Hi,

Just come back to my car, was parked on a normal road. Noticed that someone had hit my car. Not left a note or anything.

Only noticed as I went to open the passenger side door and it caught on the wing. Had a look and eventually found what you can see in the photo.

Not made a claim in years. I have protected no claims etc, just wondered what happens in these cases as there is no one to 'claim' from etc.

Is it just a matter of me having to pay the excess and getting the work done.

Looking at it, it seems to be damage to wing, front bumper and also passenger door as the wing was pushed up slightly to the door so chipped some of the paint when the door opens.

No idea how they did this or what type of vehicle did it.

Slightly annoyed!

The_Baron · 24 Jul 2012 at 17:21

Any CCTV around? Get a quote then decide if you take the hit on your wallet or make a claim after reading the small print on your insurance.

p1RATE · 24 Jul 2012 at 17:22

Protected no claims or not. they will record the incident and it will increase your premiums. (infact even if you just ring and tell them about it without claiming it will increase your premium)

you would be able to have that fixed for sub £200 so i would just do it out of your own pocket, once you have paid the excess and added premium for 3 years it will likely work out cheaper.

it really sucks when that happens - i had some one drive into the back of my merc when it was parked up doing a lot of damage and there was nothing i could do

Magic_x_uk · 24 Jul 2012 at 17:27

p1RATE said:
Protected no claims or not. they will record the incident and it will increase your premiums. (infact even if you just ring and tell them about it without claiming it will increase your premium)

you would be able to have that fixed for sub £200 so i would just do it out of your own pocket, once you have paid the excess and added premium for 3 years it will likely work out cheaper.

it really sucks when that happens - i had some one drive into the back of my merc when it was parked up doing a lot of damage and there was nothing i could do

Sub £200? id be impressed if it was a good job for that sort of money. I would have thought a lot more. Like I said, there is a chip on the passenger door now from the wing being pushed back, a bit of bent 'wing' near the headlamp and then the scratches.

Does annoy me. Really does.

Do not know if to report if to the police or insurance company at this stage.

Also no cctv around.

Beta · 24 Jul 2012 at 17:42

Same happened to me yesterday.

You're supposed to report it to insurance regardless but your choice. I had to go through transport police to get them to release the cctv, so had no option but to report to insurance. Unfortunately for me, the cameras were in the wrong place.

Will get some quotes and will decide whether to claim or not.

Slumberbox · 24 Jul 2012 at 17:48

Vauxhall vectra?

Magic_x_uk · 24 Jul 2012 at 18:04

Slumberbox said:
Vauxhall vectra?

No Ford Focus.

p1RATE · 24 Jul 2012 at 18:59

Magic_x_uk said:
Sub £200? id be impressed if it was a good job for that sort of money. I would have thought a lot more. Like I said, there is a chip on the passenger door now from the wing being pushed back, a bit of bent 'wing' near the headlamp and then the scratches.

Does annoy me. Really does.

Do not know if to report if to the police or insurance company at this stage.

Also no cctv around.

that is pretty minimal damage, take it to your local body shop for a quote as it is difficult to tell from behind a keyboard. £150 of that will be paint and the rest will just be reshaped and smoothed with filler.

unless you have a witness or CCTV there is not much the police can do.

Vince · 24 Jul 2012 at 20:03

p1RATE said:
Protected no claims or not. they will record the incident and it will increase your premiums. (infact even if you just ring and tell them about it without claiming it will increase your premium)

I have to say that in my experience this just isn't true, I also have full protected no claims and last year had an accident which caused significant amounts of damage. Net result ended up in no real difference in my premium, in fact if anything walking out of a boxster s and into a 911 actually costs me less with the same insurer.

233 · 24 Jul 2012 at 20:07

certainly worth contacting the police and ask if they can check local cctv, its been a hefty impact and i'd imagine that anything that has left that amount of damage on yours will be sporting some fresh damage as well.

certainly looks a hefty enough knock that anyone would struggle to deny not noticing (unless it was an artic or similar)

personally i'd go insurance route depending on your circumstances age etc tends to be if your older with protected no claims etc you wont see much of an increase, and you have the worry free experience of getting the insurance co to take care of all the repair and hire cars etc

denim mk2 focus i'm guessing?

AndrewNR · 24 Jul 2012 at 20:10

p1RATE said:
that is pretty minimal damage, take it to your local body shop for a quote as it is difficult to tell from behind a keyboard. £150 of that will be paint and the rest will just be reshaped and smoothed with filler.

unless you have a witness or CCTV there is not much the police can do.

It's on two panels so I reckon your looking at about £200ish per panel for a decent job (masked up and whole panel sprayed rather than the local area), so £400 in total.

AndrewNR · 24 Jul 2012 at 20:11

Magic_x_uk said:
Hi,

Just come back to my car, was parked on a normal road. Noticed that someone had hit my car. Not left a note or anything.

Only noticed as I went to open the passenger side door and it caught on the wing. Had a look and eventually found what you can see in the photo.

Not made a claim in years. I have protected no claims etc, just wondered what happens in these cases as there is no one to 'claim' from etc.

Is it just a matter of me having to pay the excess and getting the work done.

Looking at it, it seems to be damage to wing, front bumper and also passenger door as the wing was pushed up slightly to the door so chipped some of the paint when the door opens.

No idea how they did this or what type of vehicle did it.

Slightly annoyed!

I guess the bend in the wing around the light will just hammer back in place?

acemastr · 24 Jul 2012 at 20:11

He needs a new wing, and fillered bumper, not going to be anywhere near £200

AndrewNR · 24 Jul 2012 at 20:16

acemastr said:
He needs a new wing, and fillered bumper, not going to be anywhere near £200

If he does need a new wing that alone is probably £200 unpainted.

Edit: more like £50.

Em3bbs · 24 Jul 2012 at 21:20

p1RATE said:
that is pretty minimal damage, take it to your local body shop for a quote as it is difficult to tell from behind a keyboard. £150 of that will be paint and the rest will just be reshaped and smoothed with filler.

Yeah the paint is the expensive part, you barely need to worry about prep at all, just slap on a load of filler and the paint will cover it.

Magic_x_uk · 24 Jul 2012 at 21:21

I am in my early 40's so insurance should not take too much of a impact if I go that route. Clean license and no claims in 20 odd years.

I know nothing about bodywork and what they are able to do. What annoys me as well is that the wing must have been pushed back ever so slightly as it now catches on the passenger door when you open it. Not a lot. Just a little, but enough to already have chipped the paint where it catches on the passenger door.

they maybe able to bend the tip of the wing back, I have no idea. Just p's me off

it is just a 1.6 Focus '05. So nothing special, but it is mine and I take care of things and I work hard to be able to afford things.

Do I need to let my insurance company know immediately (and the police if I need a reference number)?

AndrewNR · 24 Jul 2012 at 22:03

Magic_x_uk said:
I am in my early 40's so insurance should not take too much of a impact if I go that route. Clean license and no claims in 20 odd years.

I know nothing about bodywork and what they are able to do. What annoys me as well is that the wing must have been pushed back ever so slightly as it now catches on the passenger door when you open it. Not a lot. Just a little, but enough to already have chipped the paint where it catches on the passenger door.

they maybe able to bend the tip of the wing back, I have no idea. Just p's me off

it is just a 1.6 Focus '05. So nothing special, but it is mine and I take care of things and I work hard to be able to afford things.

Do I need to let my insurance company know immediately (and the police if I need a reference number)?

Only let the insurance company know if that's the route you want to take.

Magic_x_uk · 26 Jul 2012 at 16:29

spoke to insurance company, sending a assessor over in next few days to check damage and tell me how long it will be gone for. They pick it up and do the work then return it to me. With a 5 year guarantee.

Just my excess to pay. No courtesy car though with D-line, apparently another box you have to tick these days. Never had to tick no box's years ago. This is what happens when everything goes internet route.

[TW]Fox · 26 Jul 2012 at 16:33

Madness going through insurance for that.

cwhitehead · 26 Jul 2012 at 16:40

[TW]Fox;22428917 said:
Madness going through insurance for that.

This,

£500 max to fix and ive worked in a bodyshop. more than likely will need blending down the door though, possibly bonnet which will be the reason why its expensive.

you will see a silly rise on your insurance a lot more than £500 when spread over the amount of time you declare it.