Disputing Repair Cost

Beaner1

Had a fairly small collision recently, slightly misjudged the space i had to get into a slip lane. Very minor superficial damage to the rear wing of a Kia Picanto. Not sure what year it was but I would say before 2010. I wasn't too concerned, I was going to pay out or get my insurance. I've attached a picture of the damage. It looked to be paint scratches and the bodywork did not look deformed.

They went to some repair garage which quoted them e1000 including vat. I'm waiting on an itemised quote so I can study it.
That seems extremely excessive for the type of car involved and the damage. I recently had to claim on someones insurance for much worse bodywork damage on a decen A6 and it was comparable.
What options do I have? It looks like I could pick up replacement bumpers for a fraction of that cost. How should I best approach this so that they get their repair and I pay a fair price. It seems the only winner in this will be the garage they went to. I nearly want to bring my insurer in at this stage.


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visual

If you ran in to me with that attitude your insurance company would be paying me car rental while I'm waiting on my car to be repaired by professionals. Also I wouldn't be too concerned what you thought and definitely wouldn't be looking for your approval on any aspect of the repair.

djimi

Beaner1 wrote: »

What options do I have?

Pay the quote they gave you or let your insurance sort it out. If you go privately then you pay the quote that they give you from the garage of their choosing. If you dont want to pay this then the only other option is insurance.

How much were you expecting it to cost, out of interest? They are not going to be picking up replacement parts cheap from anywhere; if anything needs replacing then they are perfectly within their rights to expect the parts to come direct from Kia.

Beaner1

I'm 95% certain the panels do not need to be replaced.

djimi

You could ask them to get a second opinion, but they are under no obligation to do so.

Beaner1

A claims adjuster won't just accept some sky high quote like that without a fight. I'll do the sums as it might not work out that much different to claim with my insurance. It will make life much more awkard for them for sure.

bazz26

Not really if they start claiming for things like daily car rental while their car is off the road for repairs.

amandaf675

while i do agree that price does seem high for the damage shown in the picture, if you dont want to go through insurance (which could work out more costly as they could claim for rental car and your premium going up) you just have to pay the quoted price

GrumpyMe

Beaner1 wrote: »

A claims adjuster won't just accept some sky high quote like that without a fight. I'll do the sums as it might not work out that much different to claim with my insurance. It will make life much more awkard for them for sure.

You make a mistake and run into someones pristine pre 2010 (see photo) pride and joy and you now want to "make life much more awkard for them for sure"...:eek:
Have to say it appears that more than your spatial judgement while driving is questionable!:rolleyes:

Pay the claim or pay your insurer more by way of excess and loss of NCB.

blondeonblonde

I don't think that the quote is outlandish for the damage done. I had a similar incident last year where someone damaged the front wing of my car & the quote was in the same region as that. The repair cost takes into account the price of the panel but also the cost of spraying the new panel plus the adjacent panels need to be sprayed so as to match the colour.

Incidentally, the damaged panel could probably be beaten out & filled for a much more reasonable price but in fairness, the person is entitled to have the panel replaced given they had no part in the accident.

Like others have said I'm afraid it's either pay up or let your insurance sort it.

ShaunieVW

Last week someone reversed into me at low speed and di €1800 of damage. €1K is cheap for a rear 1/4 panel. You made a mistake and damaged someones car. Youre in the wrong here.

biko

Beaner1 wrote: »

I nearly want to bring my insurer in at this stage.

Do, after all it's what you pay them for.

CiniO

Beaner1 wrote: »

I'm 95% certain the panels do not need to be replaced.

Well person who you did damage to is entitled to have panels replaces, even if they can be repaired. They had untouched panel before the accident, so why do you expect them to have one repaired after?

eqwjewoiujqorj

Is it possible the op could put it through his insurance and pay them the cost and keep his ncb?

Might work out cheaper but it might even be more expensive if the other driver gets car rental.

Mech1

I would be checking the rear wheel alignment on that, could well be needing a new back axle:D

Pay up and be happy no one was injured by your misjudgement.

JustAddWater

CiniO wrote: »

They had untouched panel before the accident, so why do you expect them to have one repaired after?

This! Plus the resale value of a car involved in a crash is much lower. Something most people aren't even thinking of in the aftermath of an accident.

Too right I'd be looking for the car back the way it was with nothing less than genuine parts from the dealer

You've made life akward enough for the other driver as it is. You want to drag your heels over something you caused? Jesus wept. Count yourself lucky nobody was hurt and do the right thing

Your attitude stinks and you get no sympathy from me

djimi

eqwjewoiujqorj wrote: »

Is it possible the op could put it through his insurance and pay them the cost and keep his ncb?

Might work out cheaper but it might even be more expensive if the other driver gets car rental.

It should be possible, but if the OP doesnt like the quote that the other party gave them then they definitely will not like paying back with the insurer has paid out...!

Westernyelp

A grand seems reasonable for that damage

Beaner1

eqwjewoiujqorj wrote: »

Is it possible the op could put it through his insurance and pay them the cost and keep his ncb?

Might work out cheaper but it might even be more expensive if the other driver gets car rental.

Wow, one single piece of genuine advice. A good idea but I doubt they would go along with it. The other party or their repairman are taking the piss. The car is worth 5K max and has a small bit of scratched bodywork. Sure they might as well look for 4K off me.

AltAccount

Beaner1 wrote: »

Wow, one single piece of genuine advice. A good idea but I doubt they would go along with it. The other party or their repairman are taking the piss. The car is worth 5K max and has a small bit of scratched bodywork. Sure they might as well look for 4K off me.

You damaged two panels, and I'd think one of them needs beating as well as painting.

Post the itemised quote when you get it.

Where would you draw the line for the quote being reasonable? €600? €700? €800?

If someone were to drive into you, through no fault of your own, and damage your car, would you be happy to get it "fixed" taking into context the age and brand or would you want it repaired to the extent that you'd never know it happened and your car is in the same condition as it was before it was crashed into?

CiniO

Beaner1 wrote: »

Wow, one single piece of genuine advice. A good idea but I doubt they would go along with it. The other party or their repairman are taking the piss. The car is worth 5K max and has a small bit of scratched bodywork. Sure they might as well look for 4K off me.

Who are you not sure would go along with it?
Insurer or other driver?

Other driver would surely go for it, as he would get properly compensated by your insurer.
Your insurer would also go for it, as they will be happy to accept cash for the claim they paid out, in exchange to keep NCB. Insurers are generally happy to do it from what I heard.

However only person which probably not fancy going for it, would be you, as it would most likely cost you more.

Fact that other car is worth only 5k, doesn't change a thing, because cost of properly fixing this scratch would probably really cost about as much as you said your OP. If the car was only worth 1.5k it would still make no difference, and cost would still be 5k.
Why do you think cost of fixing damage would be lower on car worth less?

Beaner1

CiniO wrote: »

Who are you not sure would go along with it?
Insurer or other driver?

Other driver would surely go for it, as he would get properly compensated by your insurer.
Your insurer would also go for it, as they will be happy to accept cash for the claim they paid out, in exchange to keep NCB. Insurers are generally happy to do it from what I heard.

However only person which probably not fancy going for it, would be you, as it would most likely cost you more.

Fact that other car is worth only 5k, doesn't change a thing, because cost of properly fixing this scratch would probably really cost about as much as you said your OP. If the car was only worth 1.5k it would still make no difference, and cost would still be 5k.
Why do you think cost of fixing damage would be lower on car worth less?

Because its a KIA that cost F all new. I can get a new bumper for 80 quid online. I can take a bit of rounding and garage inflation but 1k seems way out.
I think it was 2-3K for a last gen A6 which needed a door and wing panel and had much greater damage. That included rental for a few days.

JohnBoy26

The repair cost is seems very excessive, most of the damage looks to be rubbed on paint from the other car involved. A soft cloth and petrol will remove most of that. There will still probably be a need for some painting but not 1k's worth imo, even the way it is I can't see it being that much.

However you have no real grounds to complain, the other party can choose wherever they want and at whatever cost, it's up to them at the end of the day.

EazyD

Beaner1 wrote: »

Because its a KIA that cost F all new. I can get a new bumper for 80 quid online. I can take a bit of rounding and garage inflation but 1k seems way out.
I think it was 2-3K for a last gen A6 which needed a door and wing panel and had much greater damage. That included rental for a few days.

Doesn't matter if it's a Kia or Audi,it will still cost a fair bit to put right. €80 might get you an aftermarket copy of the factory bumper but that wouldn't exactly be fair or right to the other party, would it? You wouldn't except less than you originally had right?

Up to 80% of that cost will no doubt be for labour, paint prep etc so it's actually quite reasonable when you factor everything in.

AltAccount

Beaner1 wrote: »

I recently had to claim on someones insurance for much worse bodywork damage on a decen A6 and it was comparable.

Question: was the A6 yours? Did someone else run in to you?

kona

Beaner1 wrote: »

Because its a KIA that cost F all new. I can get a new bumper for 80 quid online. I can take a bit of rounding and garage inflation but 1k seems way out.
I think it was 2-3K for a last gen A6 which needed a door and wing panel and had much greater damage. That included rental for a few days.

I'd say the quote is over by about 300. However your in a bad position to be negotiating. In fairness Kia or not, the car looks well cared for.

Esel

Beaner1 wrote: »

Had a fairly small collision recently, slightly misjudged the space i had to get into a slip lane.

I'm a bit puzzled. How did you hit someone on the left rear while you were entering a slip lane?

kona

Esel wrote: »

I'm a bit puzzled. How did you hit someone on the left rear while you were entering a slip lane?

Probably turning left and the Kia was blocking the entrance to just under a6 size

darragh o meara

Ive done up some insurance quotations in the past for a previous employer and the one thing that you need to keep in mind is that the quotation that you received from the garage is usually a worst case scenario. The reason for this is that, in modern cars or cars in general, manufacturers have numerous clips and brackets located on their panels. Some of these can't be seen until they are removed and as a result its easier to put in a quote for a whole replacement panel than a repair to a panel because its not easy to get more money out of a person or insurance company once they think they have the claim sorted.

In your case, my best advice would be to get an assessor or a loss adjuster to look at the car. You'll probably be better off getting one yourself though as from past experience in my job and a personal experience a few months ago, Insurance assessors don't usually bother coming out to look at minor damage like this, they just contact the owner and ask them to send a few pics and then sign off on the quotation.

JIdontknow

There's still a bit of work to fix that, the bumper if metal will need to be removed, reworked, sprayed, and refitted and making sure it aligns and the clearance is equal all around. Secondly the quarter panel will need to be removed to be reworked, then filled refitted sanded primed and painted, the paint looks in very good condition on the car from the picture and the reflection so they will expect it repaired to a high standard.

If I done it to my own car with nobody else involved I'd get cheap parts or just get a panel beater to fill it and sand prime and paint and buff the bumper but if someone done it to me I'd expect it to be repaired to a high standard.

The approved panel beaters aren't going to go online to find the cheapest panels just for you, they will get approved official parts which are costly unfortunately but if they went and got a second hand panel and then fitted it and it didn't work out right then they would have to go buy another new one, so they often just get official parts to avoid this.

I agree it seems steep but as someone said with the clips etc involved and trying to match the panel colours etc takes time, unfortunately the make or year of the car doesn't matter once the cost is less than value of car. It's frustrating I'm sure to look and say feck it it's only a few scratches but unfortunately you'll either need to haggle down when you see the itemised bill or get insurance involved, just be weary that they don't turn around down the line and say their neck is sore or body is sore from seatbelt etc, that's the problem will settling out of insurance.

Hidden Cyclone

Beaner1 wrote: »

A claims adjuster won't just accept some sky high quote like that without a fight

Some companies won't even challenge low value claims as it costs more to do so than any potential saving

djimi

Beaner1 wrote: »

Because its a KIA that cost F all new. I can get a new bumper for 80 quid online. I can take a bit of rounding and garage inflation but 1k seems way out.
I think it was 2-3K for a last gen A6 which needed a door and wing panel and had much greater damage. That included rental for a few days.

You need to grow up here a bit and face reality. You hit their car, you are at fault. You either pay what they want to get it fixed to the standard that they are asking, or you let your insurance deal with it. They are your options. No point saying you can get parts cheaper; you cannot get a new bumper for €80 and they should not be expected to accept whatever rubbish you have found online for that price.

If you think that €1000 is an unfair price for repairs then turn it over to your insurance. If this is how you are dealing with them also then Id be very surprised if they dont take the decision out of your hands; they dont have to accept you looking to settle it privatetly at all.

clogher71

EazyD wrote: »

Doesn't matter if it's a Kia or Audi,it will still cost a fair bit to put right. €80 might get you an aftermarket copy of the factory bumper but that wouldn't exactly be fair or right to the other party, would it? You wouldn't except less than you originally had right?

Up to 80% of that cost will no doubt be for labour, paint prep etc so it's actually quite reasonable when you factor everything in.

I agree, I would not accept a spurious bumper if it was my car...

bazz26

If it was my car you hit whether it was a Kia or a Bentley, and you carried on like this then the conversation about who pays for repairing it would be well over. I'd only be dealing with your insurance company directly from that point on and not dicking around about where you can get it fixed cheaper to suit your pocket.

mickdw

Is not really a grands worth of damage whatever way you look at it. Nobody in their right mind would put a quarter panel on that and being realistic, given the type of car, It's going to be devalued f all by a good repair.
I know the kia owner didn't ask for any of this but I'd offer politely 700 and let the insurance deal with it if not accepted.

beanie10

op you are entitled to get quote of your own. or just contact the garage and haggle with them.

knifey_spoonie

visual

beanie10 wrote: »

op you are entitled to get quote of your own. or just contact the garage and haggle with them.

Op is entitled to nothing and if he does start haggling it be taken out of his hands and insurance company will settle it.

Voodoomelon

mickdw wrote: »

Is not really a grands worth of damage whatever way you look at it. Nobody in their right mind would put a quarter panel on that and being realistic, given the type of car, It's going to be devalued f all by a good repair.
I know the kia owner didn't ask for any of this but I'd offer politely 700 and let the insurance deal with it if not accepted.

I'd agree, had €600-700 in my head from the start for removing any dents and spraying bumper and panel.

George Dalton

To echo what the other posters have already said. That's a €600 job. But you haven't a leg to stand on here really.

So you either take your medicine and pay up. Or you turn it over to the insurers. I would go with the latter. That's what they are there for. And the insurance assessors won't pay out on an excessive estimate by the garage. They will negotiate with them until a fair figure is agreed.

goz83

On two occasions, i have had people smash my car from behind and try settle with low ball figures. It's actually pathetic, because if situations were reversed, these people would accept nothing less than a comprehensive repair, which might mean replacing parts. Pay up OP and pay attention next time.

dingding

Looks like a well maintained motor. The paint looks well cared for. If I was the owner I would be looking for proper materials and a good paint job to bring the car back the way it was.

L1011

George Dalton wrote: »

And the insurance assessors won't pay out on an excessive estimate by the garage. They will negotiate with them until a fair figure is agreed.

For 1k? They'll accept the first estimate they're given realistically.

George Dalton

MYOB wrote: »

For 1k? They'll accept the first estimate they're given realistically.

Speaking from experience. They won't. A few years ago they probably wouldn't have even sent out an assessor. These days they will.

edburg

I was on other end of similar incident 2 years ago OP, from that experience you have 3 options

1. Pay and get on with life with your ncb untouched
2. Go through Insurance lose what ever you lose (NCB, Premiun increase etc)
3. complain, moan ignore the person you hit and hope they don't get there insurance to take you/your insurance to court and risk the possibilty of being refused insurance in future or paying super excessive premiums for a good few years.


Unfortunately I had to go by option 3 as man was doing same as you complaining about cost of repair and trying to get me to go to a 'slap some filler on it cowboy' and saying he wont pay to get my car back to the way it was and he has rights to choose who fix's car. I phoned my insurance they contacted his insurer, along with pics of his car and scene of accident with damage to cars and of him in his car. Within about 2 week's his insurer had an assesor at my house and writing a cheque to my chosen bodywork man.


Personally if I cause a crash for what ever reason or have 1, I just contact insurance and let them sort it, they are paid to do running around etc etc

Beaner1

Got the repair quote. Panels aren't even being replaced. €600 of the cost is going on painting the two panels. They're probably going to get it fixed for 200 quid at a normal crash repairs and pocket the rest.

ShaunieVW

Beaner1 wrote: »

Got the repair quote. Panels aren't even being replaced. €600 of the cost is going on painting the two panels. They're probably going to get it fixed for 200 quid at a normal crash repairs and pocket the rest.

You clearly dont understand the work involved. Paint alone is very expensive these days as its waterbased. You hit someone else and caused damage to their car. They will lose their car for a couple of days. I hope your paying for car hire and 10% compensation to allow for depreciation and all. The insc company have just agreed to pay €1800 to replace a wing, a bumper and spray into surrounding panels on my own car. The guy that hit me wasn't being an asshole like yourself. Grow up and realise that your driving was the problem and move on.

my3cents

Beaner1 wrote: »

Got the repair quote. Panels aren't even being replaced. €600 of the cost is going on painting the two panels. They're probably going to get it fixed for 200 quid at a normal crash repairs and pocket the rest.

You seem to be trying to make it sound like the driver you hit was a knacker driving around looking to cause an accident. It sounds far more likely you were driving without any insurance.

djimi

Beaner1 wrote: »

Got the repair quote. Panels aren't even being replaced. €600 of the cost is going on painting the two panels. They're probably going to get it fixed for 200 quid at a normal crash repairs and pocket the rest.

Id love to see the repair job you think they are going to get done for €200...

JustAddWater

djimi wrote: »

Id love to see the repair job you think they are going to get done for €200...

probably something like this.... Fr ted beating the panel with a tap hammer

db

Based on a recent crash I had with similar damage where I was at fault I would say this is an excessive price. In my case I put it through the insurance because I had damage to my own car and it was worth it to me to get both fixed as I have NCB protection. The cost of the repair on the other car plus car hire and assessor costs was around €700 at an insurance approved workshop. I saw the car afterwards and it was perfect, the other party was happy with the outcome and an assessor checked it out.

I would think about putting it through insurance and paying them back if it's not worth losing your NCB over.