To claim on insurance or not??

wijcc

wijcc

wijcc

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Joined
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London
My partner parked her car in a council car park and someone scrapped past her car scratching it. They left without leaving their details. My partner contacted the council to ask/see if they have it (the car that did the damage) on their CCTV, as it was a council run car park but they refused to disclose it and would only allow the police or insurance company to see the footage if there was any due to data protection. Her insurance excess is £250 and she has 6 NCB which is not protected. Should she claim it on her insurance or just get it repaired out of her own pocket without going through the insurance?
Thanks in advance

See photos of the damage here
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Get a quote from a body shop first? If there’s no dent and the damage is restricted to one panel it might be cheaper than you think.

Looking at the pictures it probably have a go with a hot air gun and see if it cleans up.
 
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That is what i suggested, I have asked her to look at the damage more carefully to see and feel if the bodywork is dented or pushed in anywhere and also how deep the scratches are. We don't live together and there is a bit of distance between, so I have not been able to see the damage in person. It happened on sunday, she probably won't be able to take it to any body shops for several days or even next week due to work, kids and then being away on a girls weekend.

Hot air gun... would a hair dryer also work??
 
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wijcc said:
That is what i suggested, I have asked her to look at the damage more carefully to see and feel if the bodywork is dented or pushed in anywhere and also how deep the scratches are. We don't live together and there is a bit of distance between, so I have not been able to see the damage in person. It happened on sunday, she probably won't be able to take it to any body shops for several days or even next week due to work, kids and then being away on a girls weekend.

Hot air gun... would a hair dryer also work??
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On it's hottest setting it might, yes. make sure to keep the dryer/gun moving though, you only want to warm the plastic until it melts a little bit, not starts running down the bumper.
 
Sounds risky... might do more damage than help - if I do it. What is it meant to do/achieve?

From the pics she sent me it looks like both the bumper and the panel above the wheel have scratches.
 
Is the car on a PCP or anything where there maybe more obligation to repair it professionally
panel beneath petrol cap looks as though it is creased - no ? so, a non-trivial repair.
 
I have asked her to send better pics.. I think the reflections of the overhead lighting in the car park is making it hard to see/tell. I have told her to feel as well as look to see if there is any dents or alike tomorrow
 
jpaul said:
Is the car on a PCP or anything where there maybe more obligation to repair it professionally
panel beneath petrol cap looks as though it is creased - no ? so, a non-trivial repair.
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These were my thoughts. If it’s on finance I’d probably go through insurance to avoid surprises later on. Also it looks like it’s dented as you say so might not be so straightforward.
 
For that sort of damage, it will definitely be more than £250 to have it sorted at a bodyshop.

Typically if you were to make a claim, you'd lose 2 years no claims (makes a smaller difference past the first couple of years), as well as needing to declare the claim for the next 3 years (which doesn't make much difference for a single claim).


If the car isn't PCP/Financed and you aren't bothered about it looking "immaculate", assuming it hasn't got any significant dents, then it would be worth giving it a go with something like:
www.halfords.com

Farecla G3 Pro Scratch Remover Paste 150ml | Halfords UK

Shop the latest Farecla G3 Pro Scratch Remover Paste 150ml Paste will help remove surface scratches and scuff marks. at Halfords UK
www.halfords.com www.halfords.com

which will help remove any paint transferred from the other vehicle, remove any light scratching, and help reduce the appearance of any deeper scratches. Follow up with some Autoglym Super Resin Polish or similar and then wax, and then it will be as good as you can do without professional help.
 
wijcc said:
She is too busy with work to take it to a bodyshop this week to get a quote. Here are some better/close pics. There is a dent on the wheel arch. So would that make it better/more sense to go through the insurance?

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If the wheel arch is dented then I'd say yes, it is. It could end up being £1k or more.
 
Body shop quotes will be the only way to know whether it’s worth claiming or not. Sounds like you need to convenience of the insurance, although you may have to take it to one of their approved body shops for assessment anyway.
 
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