Your thoughts on this please guys

[hodge911]

Just had a call off my niece down I Kent . 

Three weeks ago she was in a very low speed bump in a nose to tail jam .. she at approximately 5-10 mph max bumped the car in front of her (yea we know it's her fault ) .

There's no damage to her car or even a mark . The woman in the car in front of her got out checked her car and apart from a small scratch that she claimed was due to the bump but said " it's ok there's nothing there really " .

They didn't exchange details as no one hurt and no damage but my niece gave her phone number .

F/F 3 weeks today my niece got a text saying not good news my car needs a new rear bumper and it's going to be £1000 .

I've told her to call her bluff and ask for her insurance details as she'll have to go through insurance .

And if needs be go through insurance.... But to absolutely contest the damage claim and tell the insurance exactly what happened then and now .

My only concern is that the other party has had another bump and caused more damage . 

Unlucky my niece didn't take any pictures of the other car at the time 

[Rob85]

Talking through her ringpiece in my opinion, either go through the insurance or involve the police i say to get statements

[bigroomboy]

Could be either way. There may have been damage that want obvious. Mate of mine was in a similar but probably slightly worse shunt. Let it go on the roadside not seeing any damage but found out when he got to work his boot wouldn't open properly. Best to do it through insurance so any funny business is likely to be shaken out.

[GingerCat]

About 2 Christmases ago, maybe 3 we were in stationary traffic. A chap reversed out of a car park onto the main road and hit our car. Details were exchanged and the damage appeared minor. I went through the insurance as there was damage and I didn't want to pay for it. A bit of a dent and maybe a clip I thought. 970 quid later it was repaired and did involve a new bumper that they had to spray and a hire car for 2 days whilst they did it. It's not cheep these days. 

I took photos of everything and advise others to do the same. 

[hodge911]

The others party car is a 15 plate C4 grand picasso they have " Self repairing bumpers" stupid sounding I know but they are Flexi  plastic bumpers with a polymer inner that can absorb slow speed bumps without distortion to the main frame / body ... Like I say there isn't even a mark on my niece's car ... I think the other person is trying to pull a fast one .. it doesn't take 3 weeks to get a car looked at in a accident claim estimate .

I've worked for many years in the motor trade ( mot tester / mechanic ) retired now to look after Mrs H 

[GingerCat]

Mine was a 60 plate suzuki splash. Hardly a pricy car. 

[WalkedUp]

Some one rear ended my Range Rover. I was on my way to a meeting so checked she was ok, exchanged details and made sure her husband knew where she was to come and collect her. There was almost no damage to my car but hers looked written off. By the time I finished my meeting her insurance had been in contact, arranged everything for my car and was on route with a hire car. It probably cost them £3-5k in total, if they hadn’t have been proactive I would have just forgotten about it but was amazed how quickly the costs mount up. 

Edited October 11, 2021 by WalkedUp

[enfieldspares]

Oops! I'd advise you that failing to inform your insurers that you've had an accident (even if both sides agree to take it no further) can lead to them voiding your policy. If you ever do that then get a picture of BOTH cars involved and sign and have signed two "declarations" on a piece of paper with the other driver that you have decided to take the matter no further. You keep one. They keep the other. BOTH should be identical and should state time, date and car registration numbers. Especially as it may also before May this year have led to claims for "whiplash" and etc., etc.. It still can but as many that "tried it on" now find out the law changed on 31 May. Which is your daughter's benefit. My own gut feeling is that the other driver has had so busy body friend or family member tell them that they could have gotten £XXX.

[Longbower]

£1000  for Christmas, nice . Call her bluff, tell your insurance.

[ditchman]

i was on the way with a mate off PW going pigeonshooting and i was in the L/R 90 with a stonking great heavy duty tow hitch array...came to a cross road and a new little vauxhall ran into the back of me...........sickening crunch....short story...she was wearing very dark sunglasses and on the phone at the time....as she was hung up on my rear end i pulled forward and pulled the front  of her car off including the radiator.......pushed her to the side of the road...and she muttered "my husband is going to kill me"...i asked why as it was only and accident....she said "it was the 2nd time this month this had happened"..........

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Call her bluff and get a dashcam fitted!

[Rossco89]

Report it to the police, as no injury they will take details and give a reference number. 
 

Go through insurance company, inform the other party of the reference number and her insurance company and ask all enquiries go through them. Even though she was at fault it may not effect no claims ect. Insurance company will be understanding that no damage at the time hence delay in report. Unfortunately when it comes to bumpers most of the time it’s a replacement job even when through insurance, as no one seems to want to just do the old fashioned repair work. 
 

The other option is to ask the other party for proof of quote for the work and then request the vehicle is assessed at a place of her choice and see if there is a difference in quote. 

[Rewulf]

I work in the car body repair sector.

The problem with A. Low speed bumps, and B. No visible damage, 'Dont worry about it' scenarios, is that sometimes the damage isnt immediately visible.
In this case that is probably not the case , so you also have a situation where they get talking to their 'mates' .....

'You do realise  you could put a claim in for that dont you ?' type of thing.
Ive had many situations where a customer has minor bumped someone, and Ive gone round to see a scratch on the other parties car, to find a virtual rear end right off, with a hostile party (who originally agreed to a non insurance repair) intent on whiplash claims.

They are, as many suggest, just trying it on , they may or may not have 'enhanced' the damage, and without proof to the contrary , IE, photos , dash cam footage, your insurance company will cave in very quickly.
Its an unfortunate situation, but one thing that shouldnt be done is to give them money, because that in itself admits some kind of guilt, and would definitely not stop further personal injury claims.

My advice , bluff , tell them you have already informem the insurance company and police, say you have photos/dash cam of the damage , as you have been scammed like this before.

 

[hodge911]

🤔🤔🤔 well my niece sent the other party a message telling her that her parents have advised that she goes through the insurance and she needs the other parties insurance details and up to now 3 days later she has not had any reply .....

I've checked via the internet and the other party registration number comes back as insured / taxed & mot,d 

[Dougy]

Call her bluff and add into the reply about your dash-cam footage and the inertia/bump sensor not recording anything but has recorded the speed and footage of the bump. Also your photo evidence of both bumpers undamaged. 

 

Then be prepared for the obligatory whiplash claim coming your way for 5k. 

 

I would have always been upfront and honest, but after having a bump in a similar situation and the waster of a chap claimed 5k for having his car written off and whiplash, i wish id have hit him at 60 not 3mph.