Car fun and games #844

[rl4engc]

A week or so ago, Mrs. rl4 accidentally scraped a neighbours car (about 3" on one door) she immediately went round and apologised, and went to get a few quotes. (I have a mechanic friend and he recommended a couple of good body shops who do insurance work, also do repairs for a main dealership.)

These quotes came in at about £300-350, fully guaranteed (spray both doors not just blend in), with one garage even offering to speak to neighbour, and said if he doesn't like it he doesn't have to pay for it! She said if he wants one of those we'll pay him to go and get it done.

In parallel, neighbour got a couple of quotes from the main dealer and another one, these are coming in at about £650. He's now saying he wants £600, or our insurance details.

What are my options? Is he being unreasonable demanding it be taken to the main dealer? As the fact is, even if insurance sort it out, it probably wouldn't go there anyway?

Tempted to just give the insurance details (think you have to by law?) but deny it, as any good will seems to have evaporated now anyway.

[WTFH]

How old is the car, and what brand?

[WalterWhite]

How old is the car, and what brand?

This

If it is a reasonably new car of value, they would be silly not to go to a main dealer, as unoriginal parts can bring the value down and/or impact the warranty

If it is an old banger then they are being a little unreasonable, however they are well within their rights to do so

[PurpleGorilla]

They probably have the car on finance and are desperate not to devalue it. Hence the main dealer. Lob them the £600. You have to live near them!

[northernladuk]

I'd be insisting on main dealer every time so think they are being quite reasonable.

[vetran]

so you dent the door then take over can't imagine why the neighbour is feeling pressured.

[SueEllen]

Don't give your insurance details but give them the £600 via a traceable method e.g. cheque or agree to pay the main dealer directly for the doors only.

The reason not to give your insurance details is the same thing happened to a friend of mine. The neighbour then claimed for extra damage he hadn't done.

So they ended up falling out over the car anyway....

[BrilloPad]

If they go insurance, it will affect their no claims and future insurance.

You could say it was not the car, it was your bike, neighbour got it wrong, covered under house insurance.

Some people are really miserable. When you go on holiday, send me their address so i can post fish heads and maggots through their door one night.....

[BrilloPad]

so you dent the door then take over can't imagine why the neighbour is feeling pressured.

The big mistake was being reasonable and telling them, assuming they would be reasonable too.

I have lived in poor, middle and rich areas. Most neighbours are f**kers. And the richer, the worse it gets. Surrey is the worst....

[rl4engc]

It's a Honda somethingorother, 62 reg, nothing special just a Fiesta sized runabout.

It's not to do with parts, it's literally a 3" scrape in one door.

Can people insist on Main Dealer repairs? I wouldn't have thought so. If it goes via Insurance it's the insurance company that chooses.

@SueEllen that's a very good point I hadn't thought of that. When he was having a look at it he was saying he wanted both doors spraying, I bet there's another scratch on the other door and he wants us to pay for both.