Insurance Claim on Dent in Car Door

Zaxxon on 18/01/2019 - 16:17
Last edited 18/01/2019 - 21:50 by 1 other user

Does anyone know the process involved when you accidentally dent a car door in say a car park?

Long story short, this has happened to us where a wind gust blew our open door onto theirs (and all our fruit and vegetables down the road). The owner was there at the time and wasn't happy. We played fair and swapped details admitting fault.

Just got off the phone with their insurance company and apparently it has already been fixed (to the tune of $360). I was expecting to be shown a few quotes before I agreed to pay anything. The dent/scratch is tiny so I reckon $360 is steep.

Should I go back to them asking for proof of additional quotes or just pay it and get on with my life? BTW we don't have third party property insurance. (which I know I should have - forgot to renew - but that is sorted now).

Thanks for your advice…

Automotive Car Insurance Insurance

Comments

  • HighAndDry on 18/01/2019 - 16:23
    +2

    You can ask for the invoice/receipt for the amount they're claiming. You can even get a few quotes yourself and try to contest the amount.

    But… eh. It doesn't take a lot to get car repairs to a few hundred dollars, especially if it's actually professionally repaired (so respray the panel or part of the panel, not using touch up paint).

    • JimmyF on 18/01/2019 - 16:43
      +3

      You can even get a few quotes yourself

      Bit hard now the door is fixed!

      and try to contest the amount.

      and you'll just be wasting everyones time over a $360 bill, that you might get down to what? $200. WOW a saving of $160. Not worth the hassle.

      • HighAndDry on 18/01/2019 - 16:44

        Oh yeah I wouldn't recommend OP do that - but they can. Just giving them options is all. Having said that,

        WOW a saving of $160. Not worth the hassle.

        Have you been to this site called OzBargain? The people on it man…

        • JimmyF on 18/01/2019 - 16:46
          +3

          Have you been to this site called OzBargain? The people on it man…

          Yeah, they'll all whingers trying to save a single dollar and happy to spend 10 hours of their time doing it.

  • zonra on 18/01/2019 - 16:28
    +3

    pay it and get on with my life

    Think of it as a cheap reminder for your third party insurance renewal (instead of say, rear ending a Merc).
    I doubt the other party’s insurance have to show you anything before hand, they don’t work for you, their job is to fix their client’s car and recover the cost from you.
    In all fairness, $360 is still cheaper than your average excess anyway, pay it and move on.

  • thatonethere on 18/01/2019 - 16:30
    +4

    You got off lightly. I had that happen to my car - and it was $1200. I told the person who did it at the time (thinking it was an $80 dent) don't worry about it :(

    Didn't bother doing insurance as $500 was excess and then my premiums would go up for years later.

  • p1 ama on 18/01/2019 - 16:40
    +4

    To be honest, it sounds to me like $360 is a pretty fair price given quotes I've gotten for similar sorts of repairs. You're just unlucky this time, be glad it's not something more major where you have to make a claim and see your premium go up next year.

  • JimmyF on 18/01/2019 - 16:41
    +7

    The owner was there at the time and wasn't happy. We played fair and swapped details admitting fault

    Played fair? Well your car did cause the damage… Nothing about playing fair, its about right/wrong. If THEIR car door blew into yours, would you expect any different?

    Sounds like if the owner wasn't there, you would have just ignored the issue and left the scene.

    Just got off the phone with their insurance company and apparently it has already been fixed (to the tune of $360).

    Sounds pretty cheap, lucky their door didn't need a respray or it would be in the 4 figure range.

    I was expecting to be shown a few quotes before I agreed to pay anything

    You caused the damage, you don't get to control how/who fixes it or the process. As you're dealing with the insurance company, its THEM who controls the process. You're just going along for the ride.

    BTW we don't have third party property insurance.

    Well then count yourself lucky this claim is only $360 and you didn't rear end a high end European car and looking at a $20k bill instead.

    Stop being stupid and get insurance, and pay the $360 and move on.

    • HighAndDry on 18/01/2019 - 16:45
      -3

      Played fair? Well your car did cause the damage… Nothing about playing fair, its about right/wrong. If THEIR car door blew into yours, would you expect any different?

      Not to over-complicate things, but there might be an argument for Act of God here somewhere…..

      • JimmyF on 18/01/2019 - 16:49
        +1

        Act of God here somewhere

        No such clause anymore, Even insurance companies woke up GOD isn't real!

        But the OP sounds as if it was reversed they would want THEIR door fixed.

        Plus there is a duty of care, which the OP failed to do.

        • HighAndDry on 18/01/2019 - 17:03

          Again, not an argument I'd use - but it's an interesting thought experiment.

    • Zaxxon on 18/01/2019 - 17:24

      Sounds like if the owner wasn't there, you would have just ignored the issue and left the scene

      No. I'm as honest as they come. By 'play fair' I meant I didn't argue the point at all. It was our fault and we owned up. But thanks for the lesson in ethics anyway JimmyF. You sound awesome! From now on I'll stop being stupid like you have advised.

      • JimmyF on 18/01/2019 - 17:49

        By 'play fair' I meant I didn't argue the point at all.

        Excellent then

        From now on I'll stop being stupid like you have advised.

        Yes, Get insurance, its not worth not having it.

  • 87percent on 18/01/2019 - 16:42
    +8

    You sure it wasn't in a kindergarten??

  • SydStrand on 18/01/2019 - 17:06
    +3

    I was expecting to be shown a few quotes before I agreed to pay anything.

    It's not up to you. It's their car, they're not obligated to go through the effort of shopping around to save you some money. FYI, $360 sounds quite reasonable.

    The dent/scratch is tiny so I reckon $360 is steep.

    Do you own a body shop? I'm curious where your sudden expertise in auto repair comes from.

    • Zaxxon on 18/01/2019 - 17:28
      -3

      Do you own a body shop

      No. Just my logic since when they offer you to fix any dent for $50 under a new car protection plan, which is say $600-ish for 2 years worth…and a bit of google. But consensus says it's fair price so lesson learnt.

      • JimmyF on 18/01/2019 - 17:51

        when they offer you to fix any dent for $50 under a new car protection plan

        Its a $50 excess…. Just saying. new car protection plan is just an insurance policy

  • Reggie74 on 18/01/2019 - 17:09

    Our next door neighbour was whipper snipping & flicked a rock which left a small dent in our car which was only 3 weeks old at the time in our driveway. He refused to pay for the damage or even go halves. It cost $360 to repair so I think what you were quoted is reasonable

  • djkelly69 on 18/01/2019 - 17:11
    +1

    Just pay the $360. But also make sure you get/sign something which says it is in full and final settlement of the claim, etc.

  • Zaxxon on 18/01/2019 - 17:20
    +1

    Thanks for all the comments, …even the ones that are a tad harsh.
    Consensus says $360 is a fair price so I'll just pay it and move on. Thanks folks.

    • whooah1979 on 18/01/2019 - 20:29

      You should request a copy of the tax invoice from the other party before you settle their claim.

  • [Deactivated] on 18/01/2019 - 17:21

    $360 is realistic. Labour is the killer.

  • Ocker on 18/01/2019 - 17:38
    -3

    $360 it OTT for a "tiny dent/scratch". $100 is closer to the mark - you can get a whole panel spray painted for $600!!

    • Baysew on 18/01/2019 - 21:59

      May have included car hire.

  • GangGang on 18/01/2019 - 17:46

    How quick did they fix it? I wonder if they just said it's fixed but just patched it up themselves.

    • Zaxxon on 18/01/2019 - 20:12

      pretty quick but it was done legit through the insurance company.

  • Worf on 18/01/2019 - 17:51
    +1

    These car insurance posts get me every fricken time… I swear this is click bait…

    • JimmyF on 18/01/2019 - 17:52
      +1

      and the OP didn't have insurance either…. They all tick the same boxes ;)

      • Worf on 18/01/2019 - 17:56
        +1

        What’s the process for getting someone to pay if they are at fault, don’t have insurance and they can’t afford the repair bill?

        it’s all these “I have no insurance posts” which makes me feel like I need comprehensive insurance so that I can get my car repaired even if i’m not the at fault driver.

        • JimmyF on 18/01/2019 - 18:17
          +1

          What’s the process for getting someone to pay if they are at fault, don’t have insurance and they can’t afford the repair bill?

          Insurance company takes them to court, there is no sorry 'I can't afford to pay' option. You'll be forced to enter into a payment plan for many many years if the bill is large.

          I need comprehensive insurance so that I can get my car repaired even if i’m not the at fault driver.

          You can't count on the other party having insurance, so cover yourself and get full comp. If the other party doesn't have insurance and cause the accident, its then your insurance company job to chase/sort out payment from them, not yours.

          No one plans to have a accident or be in one. Its always wise to cover yourself just incase.

          • chumlee on 18/01/2019 - 22:04

            @JimmyF: Depends really. If you have no assets and not paid much & there's not much prospect of the insurance company getting anything from you, they most likely will not bother with legal action

            • JimmyF on 18/01/2019 - 23:20

              @chumlee: They get their money, even people with no money or assets as you say, still get government payments, it just takes then decades to pay it back

              • chumlee on 19/01/2019 - 07:11

                @JimmyF: If they have no money and no assets they just declare bankruptcy and the debt is gone, which is why insurerance companies dont bother

    • 87percent on 18/01/2019 - 18:48
      +1

      Car accidents and traffic infringement are my favourite topic in this forum

  • Seraphin7 on 18/01/2019 - 18:06
    +2

    $360 is cheap. Also remember that you'll be dealing with their insurance company (not the other driver). You're not going to get any change from that $360. Pay it and move on.

  • [Deactivated] on 18/01/2019 - 18:50

    You are lucky with that quote, most insurance companies will try and get over $1000 for these sort of dents.
    You could ask for receipts with what they fixed, and they will most likely be happy to provided the details.

  • Randxyz123 on 18/01/2019 - 19:11

    I was expecting to be shown a few quotes before I agreed to pay anything.

    No, you don't need to be shown a few quotes. Think about it. Why would the car owner drive around to 3 different repairers to get the cheapest quote? They have full insurance so they have used what they pay for.

    • chumlee on 18/01/2019 - 22:07

      Other party doesn't need to provide quotes, but insurance company can provide an breakdown of the $350 in costs.

      If OP decided not to pay, for $350 I doubt insurance company will take legal action, probably just send a letter of demand then sent it to debt collection if no response

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join