Accidentally Backed Into Someone’s Car (No Insurance)

Hey everyone.

I was parked at the shopping centre and I wanted to leave. Someone was waiting behind me wanting to take the parking spot, so in a rush, I reversed my car too much and hit a car.

I went out of my car and assessed the damage. There was only a scratch. Because I wanted to be honest, I left a note with an apology and my phone number. 10 minutes later I receive a kind phone call thanking me for the note and the car owner just wanted my plate number, licence number, car make and name to file through a claim.

I’ve never been in a situation like this. I don’t have insurance apart from CTP. What should I do? Can I ask to have it repaired without going through insurance? What do you recommend? I’m currently a student taking care of my disability pension sister so I can barely get by. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks everyone. I apologise if there are any typos or any mistakes. :)

——————————————————————————————

EDIT: Thank you so much for your comments, everyone! The issue has been solved and the sweet man only took $100 and decided not to take the case any further. He was so appreciative of the note and said a few things that still resonate with me like “you get what you give - so be kind in life” and “good things happen to those that are honest”.

Thank God it went the way it did, because it has now reached a point where I do not regret what happened (apart from obviously inconveniencing the gentleman) due to the lessons I have learnt. Your nice comments, well wishes and genuine advice were the best an 18 year old can get.

Thanks again Ozbargainers, and may you all have a wonderful day :)

Comments

  • How significant was the damage to the other vehicle? Did you take any pictures of the damage on their car?

    • The damage was just a small scratch and no I didn’t. I regret not taking a photo but what’s done is done I guess.

      EDIT: the guy said that his car has 2 coats of paint and the scratch only went through the first coat.

      • Modern cars have an outer clear coat and a base coat of paint, the clear coat is exactly that. If it only scratched the clear coat then any detailer can fix it for fairly cheap, it just needs to be cut and polished basically and in that case its better for both of you if they dont put it through insurance, as the cost would be under their premium and such.

        Perhaps say that? Take it to a detailer, get a quote and you'll pay them direct?

  • +9

    Be honest and pay for the damage.

    • +15

      Yeah, ofcourse I will. I believe in honesty which is why I left a note :)

      I just wanted advice to see if I should ask to pay cash or let him go through with the insurance claim.

      Thanks

      • +4

        Not up to you.

      • +5

        Be Honest. Say you have no insurance but are happy to pay for the repair in cash. Most smash repairers will do the jobs MUCH cheaper for private cash in hand than an insurance job.

  • +11

    You can ask, but they have the right to choose to go through their insurance.

    If their insurer sends you a bill they may let you pay it off on a payment plan if you demonstrate you can't pay in one go.

    Here is a good guide
    https://www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au/publications/factsheets-and-…

    Perhaps go to a community legal centre if you need more specific advice.

    • Thanks so much. Will look into it :)

    • +52

      No, there’s no need to. The reason I left the note is because I wanted to be honest.

      If it were my car that received the damage I would want the person to leave a note as well.

    • +1

      i lol'd

    • +2

      Sorry :(

      I won’t deny that I am ignorant or stupid though.

  • +24

    FFS, if you can't afford third party property insurance then you can't afford a car.

    • +3

      I actually am looking into getting insurance. The only reason I mentioned the student bit was because I am afraid that his insurance company might hike the price of the damage. I wasn’t aware that we could do monthly payments.

      Apologies for my ignorance.

      • -2

        Even if you get insurance, the policy won't cover a past incident. Seeing as you are at fault, and you want to avoid similar situations, you would be getting comprehensive insurance which covers your liability even if you are at fault of the accident.

        Just to let you know, mechanic's usually pad up the quote if it is an insurance claim (because the insurance will pay for anything). So ideally you would have to negotiate with the insurer as to what is the reasonable amount that should be covered. Eg if you caused the small scratch, you shouldn't be footing the bill for the entire broken front bumper.

        EDIT: if you believe the insurance bill is too high, make sure you take photos of your car now, so you can use this as a point of negotiation "the impact left this on my car, it couldn't have caused that much damage etc"

        • Thanks so much for your input!

          But thankfully there’s no need for that anymore! The situation is settled :)

        • +8

          That's not what comprehensive is.
          Comprehensive insurance will cover both parties of you're at fault.

          Third party will only cover the other party if you're found at fault (or gives you someone to chase money for you if in an accident and the other party at fault has no insurance). Sometimes this is the better option, depending on how confident you are in your driving and avoiding accidents, and usually the deciding factor, the value of your car.

          I drove for 4 years as a student with only third party insurance, and in that time the difference between what I was paying to what comprehensive would have cost would have paid for my car 3 times over. And I never had an accident.

      • Surprisingly the insurance companies actually charge a fair price. Had a company driver side swipe a mirror, we don't bother lodging a claim till the opposing party insurance sends a bill. It was less then $500 for an entire side mirror for a ford focus. Considering our excesses are over $700 we just foot the bill most of the time.

        You did the right thing though. A lot of the time, including myself a few months ago, had someone rear end a company ute whilst I was waiting at the lights. Just a dint and a few scratches on the tray, bent the number plate back to position - told him not to worry about it as he was being genuinely apologetic about it.

        Lesson is - be good to each other - don't be that prick that kicks up a fuss about spilt milk.

      • +1

        Ctp is a must. Don't take a risk that you cannot afford. When I bought a used car, I used this nice ladies laptop to buy an insurance for me before driving the car away.

        • +4

          CTP is a condition of rego. TPP is a must, unless your bank balance is VERY large.

    • +12

      The reason of the whole post was just to get advice/insight on what to do. I’m clearly ignorant on the matter and I just need some information so I know what to do.

      I’m not complaining about leaving the note. I never did. It was the right thing to do and I would definitely want someone to leave a note if something was to happen to my car. I wanted to be honest.

      I completely understand that I am in the wrong because of a stupid mistake, which is why I left a note and I am willing to pay for the damage. I just needed to know if I should maybe offer to pay him cash instead of letting it escalate to the insurance company or whatnot. I know I mentioned the part “I’m a student”, but that is honestly because I thought the insurance company would hike the price and I would have to pay the amount all in one go. I wasn’t aware we could do installments. I am absolutely ignorant in this matter like previously stated.

      My apologies for any misunderstanding. :)

        • +9

          And where’s the good in that?

          The situation is actually settled now, and I actually feel good knowing that there’s still a glimmer of hope in the world with the way that he approached the whole situation.

          What goes around comes back around, so I did my fair share :)

          (Hope it makes sense).

        • +5

          @Zee: I'm so happy for you! It's already paying off! Well-done. Take care :)

        • +1

          @mbck: Aw thank you so much mbck! Your genuine kindness is so remarkable.

          I wish you nothing but the best in life! Thanks a million :))

  • +7

    SIGH…

    THIS IS WHY YOU NEED TO GET COMPREHENSIVE CAR INSURANCE!!!

    • +20

      Or third party property damage at the very least

      • some peoples cars . cost 1500+ as well as an excess.

        If it is a tiny scratch and it's the first in a long time..then they are financially better off.
        Granted this theory doesn't hold up if you reverse into a Ferrari lol

        • +9

          But that's what third party property damage is for,

        • @WatchNerd:

          3rd party is still $600 plus excess. SO if the scratch can be fixed for less than say $1000 the op is in front.

          Should be compulsory like NSW greenslip, but while it isn't everyone has the choice.

        • +1

          @Lv80: Crazy paying those costs!

          Go Bingle - I'm paying about $900/year for comprehensive for my BMW… If you're paying $600 for TPP - find a new insurer!

        • +3

          @geoffs87:

          Driver age and area dependent. TPP is close ~$500 for my old Falcon and comprehensive $1k.

          fyi also with Bingle and they were already the cheapest

        • +1

          @thetrain: That's likely with fire and theft, you can get just third party property for somewhere around $200/year depending on your driving history (and age and gender).

        • @smalltime0:

          Nope third party property only (I just re-checked!). I wish I could get TPP for $200!!

          Being an under 30 male driver in metro Sydney doesn't make things cheap

        • @thetrain:

          Ive got TPP + F&T for $350 in Canberra 24 yo

        • @thetrain: Got the quote when I was 23

    • It hasn’t been long since the second hand car was purchased but I completely agree with you.

      I was looking for quotes but kept delaying the whole process :(

      • +2

        Ring, tell them your comparing right now but you would like a cover note, they will cover you for 2 weeks from that date at no cost, if you go with them the cover is back dated to the time of your note.

        There is only one reason not to have cover, you stole the car.

        • From the time of purchase?

          Thanks heaps for your reply! I am definitely looking into it!

        • +2

          @Zee: you shouldn't be driving it without insurance. I know of a guy that bought a 40k Holden and before he got home crashed it being a tool. He didn't have cover either, suffice to say he drove his new crumpled car for 9 months ROFL…

        • +1

          @Slippery Fish: I searched about cover notes on google and it says that Australian Insurers no longer provide them. :/

          Thanks heaps for your suggestion though! :)

        • It is not worth obtaining a cover note and then playing around with dates to claim.

          Going by the OP's situation (young age,student etc), it seems like he/she has never had insurance hence if a policy is created, an excess of at least $500 - $1000 will be enforced which will be approx the same cost of the repair.

          Cheers

        • @Zee: I got one 3 months ago from racq.

        • +2

          @vinni9284: this time. What if op side swiped a $80000 investment car. Insurance would be good then.

        • @Slippery Fish:

          This will be obtaining a policy after the accident as discussed right?

          Then you have to lie (let's cut the crap) about fabricating back-dates of the $80K accident to claim after obtaining a covernote/Cert of Currency.
          Furthermore, the recipient of the accident has to stick with the date to claim. Depending on their conscience.

          You start a policy and then 2 weeks later (say the plan is 2 weeks) you make a $80K claim.
          The insurance is going to question it and it is up to policy holder and the recipient to "stick" to the dates without squealing.

          I am a full comp insurance holder and if I was hit with a person that had no insurance and I had to risk giving false information so the at fault driver can claim then I would say … let my insurance handle it as the at fault driver should of had insurance.

          If one slips, then get ready be charged with fraud on top of further costs as they will deny the claim.

          So the moral of the story is, get Full comp insurance from the start and sleep well at night :-)

        • @Zee: I got a cover note like two months ago

        • +1

          @vinni9284: Agreed. Get caught with insurance fraud and good luck getting insurance for ANYTHING. Not worth it for a few bucks saving.

  • -4

    Do you drive a red Toyota Yaris with the number plate beginning with CNY by any chance? If so, North Shore LAC and my friend would love to have a chat with you.

    • I drive a white car lol

    • +1

      CNY

      Rich fortunate rooster?

      • Or a Centenary plate from 2001 to celebrate 100 years of Federation in Australia

  • +20

    Just give them a call, tell them the situation, and see what they say. No need for all the judgemental holier than thou comments you've received. Kudos on leaving the note, plenty in your position wouldn't

    • +16

      Thanks for your reply. I’ll definitely give that a go. The guy was honestly so sweet and thanked me profusely for leaving the note. He even admitted that there are “no dents or major damage” and just a scratch. He said his car has 2 coats of paint and my paint got through the first coat only.

      I’ll speak to him tomorrow and see where we go from there.

      Thanks again :)

      • I am not sure what's all the fuss is about. If the damage was just a minor scratch as the guy said, then the cost of repainting the whole bumper or door would be less than $500. You just ask him to kindly get two quotes for a comparison. One could be from his own insurance repairer, and another from a reputable smash repairer then you can pick the cheaper one to pay for the repair. As someone has mentioned in another post, the cost of the repair through the insurance company could be inflated due to the overhead and other reasons.

        • +7

          There’s no need for that now! :)

          The man agreed on a mere $100!!! He was so genuine and didn’t take the case any further because of the note.

          I honestly didn’t expect to get a reaction like that. It was my obligation to leave a note but I guess he appreciated the honesty which is why he handled it so nicely.

          Thanks for your input :)

        • +7

          @Zee: Good to see honesty being rewarded, and not taken advantage of. Cheers

        • @Zee: That's awesome. Sounds like he's probably not going to bother with repairs and the $100 is just a nice "convenience fee" for him (IE, easy money) which is always heaps better than the alternatives! Glad to hear it's worked out. Just make sure you have it in writing

  • Edit Double post - removed

  • +3

    Have you taken a photo of the damage to keep as a record?

    I would also offer to drop them off and pick them up from the panel beaters if they decide to go for the repair.
    Usually Insurance offers a taxi & hire-car service (depending on the Insurer and policy type) so suggesting this will place the other driver at ease.
    Ensure that you take care of this immediately which shows the driver that you are willing to sort this asap.

    The worse thing is that the driver thinks he/she will be really inconvenienced and will decide to let the insurance handle it, which will cost you way more.

    Or otherwise, if the other driver decides not to repair (due to a superficial scratch) and is happy that you pay for the quote, just pay him/her and get the receipt.

    If you settle with a payment I would suggest that you draft a document stating the incident and payment has been made in full and there will be no further action and both sign.

    Good luck

    Cheers

    • +4

      Such great advice! When my car got doored by a delivery guy who threw his door open on a really narrow one way street, I ended up going through insurance because the guy kept saying he'd just throw a couple hundred dollars my way and it's be right. (my mirror and casing was completely smashed off my car and had left deep scratches on my side window - and unfortunately for him my mirror had the inbuilt indicators, electric anti-fog and electric adjusters - so I couldn't exactly just go grab any old mirror from Supercheap Auto as would have been his preference).

      Had he been a bit more amicable about it I would have been happy to let him deal with it privately, but it ended up being over $1K worth of damage in the end and he had already told me on the scene it would be $200 tops and not to worry about - didn't want to give me his licence, just gave me a random business card with no way of verifying it was even his card. But I insisted on seeing the licence (although legally I'm not sure he has to???).

      Anyway, its so great that you were honest and I'm sure if you're willing to be helpful they might not go with insurance, but even if they do - I know my insurance company made me get a few quotes (I even got one from my trusted mechanic that ended up being the highest of the lot!), and they ended up going with the cheapest guy (he still had good reviews) and apparently even talked him down a bit on the price, even though ultimately they wouldn't have to pay for it as they would be getting the money from the at fault driver. So in my experience I don't think insurance is necessarily more expensive (they told me all the at fault driver would be paying was the actual cost of the repairs, no admin fees or anything on top of that) and it won't go on your record as a claim anyway.

      Good luck and all the best :)

      • +1

        Thank you!

        I pay rediculous amount of money for Insurance every year and being doing so for many years …
        If I was in this situation (sorry OP) I would go through my insurance regardless of damage.
        I am paying for my piece on mind so let my Insurance do the talking for me.
        I have no time jumping over hurdles (although an insurance claim still has inconveniences however minimal compared to a private settlement) for some complete stranger that has no insurance … or doesn't want to pay for insurance (or has but not want to pay for excess etc) but most likely they have money for other things such as to pay for a $1000 iPhone or have a $5000+ car etc LOL (Generalising here)

        Cheers

        • +1

          No need to be sorry at all.

          Yes I agree with you to be honest, he has every right to do as he pleases. Either way, I would have complied.

          There’s no use of having insurance and not using it when needed.

          Hopefully nothing like this happens again and I definitely won’t make a “I don’t have insurance” post again ahaha.

      • +2

        Thank you so much!

        I’m glad your issue has been fixed! Yes, he didn’t make a claim with insurance! It was his way of showing how appreciative he was (although he didn’t have to).

        I’m glad you insisted on seeing his licence, otherwise you probably would’ve gotten a headache trying to sort it out!

        Thanks again :)

        • Aw you are so sweet! I’m glad you could sort it out just between you too! I’m sure you already made a great impression on him by leaving a note! Good on you :)

          Don’t beat yourself up too much about not having third party. It’s so hard when you’re young and broke, and a car is expensive as it is! Hopefully you can find a cheap third party policy that lets you pay in installments for some peace of mind in case you have another little dint in the future. It’s bound to happen to everyone - “when” is the question! Have an awesome day Zee!

      • (although legally I'm not sure he has to???)

        In VIC, in the event of a smash, you have the legal right to request his/her ID. If they do not produce it, call the police and they will ensure it is handed over

        • VicRoads says:

          If you are involved in a crash you must:

          • stop immediately
          • give help to any injured person
          • provide your name, address, registration number, and vehicle owner’s name to others involved in the crash, or their representative, and to the police (if they are there)
          • if anyone is injured and the police are not at the crash, you must report the crash to the nearest open police station
          • if there is any property damage and the owner (or Police) is not there, you must report the crash to the nearest open police station.

          Also on RACQ’s website, they say you need to tell the other party your name, address, vehicle registration number and description but:

          “You’re not obligated to give your insurance or licence details to any other party, but you are required to give your licence details to the police if they request them.”

          I’ve read in a few places that legally you do not need to show your licence, which is why I was so nervous the guy wouldn’t. It doesn’t make sense, like how else are we supposed to know they are telling the truth about their name and address?

    • +1

      Thanks for the great advice!

      He doesn’t want to take the case any further and just took $100. I guess I read your comment a little too late because I didn’t draft a document. However, I honestly don’t think there would be any need for it because of the way he approached the situation.

      We have a few text exchanges that I guess can count for proof that the issue has been resolved.

      But thanks again, will definitely take the advice on board if God forbid I make another mistake.

  • +3

    I once slammed into a car in front of me. My excess was too high and the damage to both our cars would cost me less to repair on my own than through my insurance company. I gave her the name of my panel beater and she took her car there and I paid for it. I didn't even fix my car because the damage on it wasn't worth fixing anyway, just a small dent at the front so I saved a hell of a lot of money and she got her car fixed in a timely manner.

    • Sounds like the best solution! I’m glad the situation was rectified so easily and quickly.

      Good on you for not doing a runner ahaha :)

  • +14

    Can I just say, your honesty is such a breathe of fresh air. Here's hoping all the good karma/luck go your way :)

    • +1

      Aw thank you so much. If all I get out of this situation is this type of comment, then I am one happy person :)

      Thanks again!

  • +7

    I don't understand people who choose not to have insurance then come on here asking 'what now'.

    I don't mind if you don't have insurance, its a gamble and every year I don't have an issue I lose, and you win.

    But when something does happen, its simple, use the money you have set aside from the premiums savings and PAY.

    • Totally agree!

    • +1

      The car was purchased fairly recently but I was searching around for quotes. I know I should have been more prompt about it, but I guess everything happens for a reason.

      I don’t regret not having insurance at the time by one bit. The sweet comments I received, and the way the issue was solved has certainly given me a new meaning to honesty and life in general.

      But thanks for you input :)

      • +5

        "The car was purchased fairly recently but I was searching around for quotes."

        Zee….you will find most people don't leave the yard without insurance.

    • I'd be pretty shocked if the majority of people without insurance put away money specifically to self-insure. While not wise, it's a perfectly normal human trait to focus on the short term (I'm saving money/time not getting insurance) at the expense of the long term (I may crash - how can I pay for it?).

  • +1

    Honestly you can get third party so cheap these days …. There's really no excuse not to have it.

    • 100% agree. I slacked off but no excuses now :)

      • +2

        Have to admire your positivity though.

  • I would suggest calling the person and ask if they would accept getting repairs without going through insurance and you paying for the repairs. Explain your situation to them. They might let you because you were being honest. If it gets handed to insurance it will probably be more expansive than going straight to repairers. If they did hand them to insurance then contact the insurer and ask if you can pay in smaller portions over a period of time. I had this experience. It sucks. I don't even touch my car if I don't have insurance now. Consider it as a valuable lesson. Hope everything goes ok.

    • +1

      It was one hell of a valuable lesson. Thanks so much for your comment!

      The guy just took $100 and called it a day. He understood that it was a mistake and he appreciated the gesture so the issue was rectified very easily.

      I’m so sorry you had to experience that, but I hope all is good now :)

      Thanks again!

  • OP best you nego directly with other party. I had someone reverse into me. got their rego took photos and got their name and address but they gave me an incorrect number only 9 digits. always ask for a mobile and call it before you leave the scene and do a test call. i would have been happy with just a private cash pay out for such a minor dent as its just inconvenient for me to go and get it repaired. now i have to take time of work to get it assessed and other party will have to pay my excess and theirs plus two inflated repair quotes and i loose 2 days work of income. ps i would never give them my drivers license number out just show it to prove who you are as other party could take out credit in your name etc. if they refuse call police tell them you think the other person is unlicensed they will came quickly.

    • We negotiated on only $100 :) the issue has been solved.

      Thanks for you comment and I am extremely sorry for the inconvenience you had to go through.

    • Why do they have to pay your excess? My understanding they're not privy to what you've negotiated with your insurance company nor the insurance cover. Considering if they're are at fault (Their loss if they accepted fault) but they aren't legally required to cover your insurance excess only the damages caused and inconvenience's such as a hire a car until you're vehicle is repaired.

  • +10

    Thank you for leaving a note for the person. Someone recently backed into my car causing $1200 worth of damage and didn't leave a note.
    It's nice to see there are still some honest people out there. I'm sure the person you hit appreciated your honesty and will work with you on the resolution.

      • +6

        Hey, that’s not nice. Man up to your mistake.

        I’d hate to see the look on your face when someone damages your property and you can’t “pursue the case any further” because of their “connections”.

        • +2

          @Atazoth616: What are you talking about!? Is this English!?

        • +12

          @Atazoth616: You could have just posted that you're an arsehole and saved yourself time typing out your dribble.

    • Oh I’m so sorry. Was there any cctv cameras or witnesses?

      Yes, the beautiful soul agreed on just $100 dollars and showed his appreciation by his kind words :)

      I hope your issue get resolved asap!

      Thanks :)

  • +5

    Bless your pure soul.

    • +2

      Bless yours too :)

  • +4

    Restored my faith in humanity. Wish the world was a little more honest ;)

    • +4

      Aw, ahaha it was nothing. It was my obligation to leave the note. I made the mistake, I fix the mistake. (Or at least try to).

      Thanks for your kind words :)

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