Note left on windscreen

Alanstrainor

Hey lads, looking for some advice on how to best cover myself here. Well this was my GF rather than me. She parks at the dart every morning, and yesterday on her return at 6pm found a note on her windscreen saying:

Hi, you crashed into my bumper, I have taken pictures of the damage. Please call me to resolve:
087xxxxxxx

Needless to say my GF did not crash into this car. I told her not to engage or contact this person. It all seems very scammy. But what's to stop this person logging a claim with their insurance and my GF losing out for something that never happened? Should she contact her insurance? The gards? Any thoughts appreciated!

Voodoomelon

Gardai will have zero interest. Even if she actually had hit them, they still wouldn't have any interest after the fact. Frankly, there is nothing at all stopping anyone from taking anyone's details from your windscreen. I'd ring your insurance company, tell them you found a bogus note on your windscreen and you refute any claims, about all you can do.

neris

sounds like a scam and a chancer, go to local gardai just to make them aware and maybe yourself or herself have a gawk around the carpark and see if notes are left on any other cars over the next while

mrsbeebee

She should contact her insurer and tell them that she wants it noted for record purposes only. Chances are this person took her details from her disc and will contact her insurer themselves. If there is no evidence (cctv, independent witnesses) it's just one word against the other. It might be an idea to get her to call into the local Garda station too.

Tazio

^^^ +1

also photo your girlfriends car - highlighting lack of damage.

honda boi

Check your missus car and see if there's damage.
F**kers may have hit her and now trying to put the blame on her.

Alanstrainor

Cheers lads. She'll call the insurance company at lunch. Didn't check for damage last night, but I'll do so this evening and take pictures.

Tazio

best of luck.. .not a nice thing to happen.

amcalester

Can you contact the Dart station, or whoever operates the car park, and ask if there is CCTV?

ION08

Just a though but how about ringing the number and just see how the conversation develops first? ...then go from there.

colm_mcm

Don’t show your number if taking this approach though.
I wouldn’t give out any details like reg number. Ask them for your reg. they may be pulling. This with other people too.

There may well be damage from a car that was there before you as well. Person might think they’re in the right.

ION08

ION08 wrote: »

Just a though but how about ringing the number and just see how the conversation develops first? ...then go from there.

Ask them what times they were parked there first then no matter what they say,say you were there before that time.
Obviously you will be there before that time if she didnt do it,
the train ticket will confirm this.

Alanstrainor

I mean there's a possibility that this person is in some way genuine and thinks our car hit hers. But there's nothing to say that someone else didn't hit this car and pull out of the space and move elsewhere before my GF parked correctly.

Raging I never put a camera in the car. I had said it for months... just bought one now.

I don't think it's wise to engage with this person. I don't expect they'll just say "oh you didn't hit us, that's fair enough".

Alanstrainor

Right. A note was left on her file, and no action will be taken. If any claim is put forward they will contact us. What a hassle. Hopefully nothing comes of it.

ION08

Id still ring them and see what their story is.

Homer

ION08 wrote: »

Id still ring them and see what their story is.

I'd be curious too.. withhold your number if calling so they cant call back!

colm_mcm

On the other hand if you don’t engage at all they may see this as practically an admission of guilt

granturismo

One possibility is the note was left on another car, that driver took it off their windscreen and put it on your GF's?

Isambard

I'd ignore it . Should they claim form your insurance company, they will have to provide proof that you damaged their car, I can't see how they could do that.

CiniO

Hopefully nothing will come out of this, but I would probably ring her insurer and mention that you got message like that but you didn't hit anyone.
And also report it to garda station.
It doesn't matter that they won't do anything about it - at least they'll have it on their books.

Cases like that makes me think that having insurance disc with policy number on a windscreen is probably not the best idea.

Alanstrainor

granturismo wrote: »

One possibility is the note was left on another car, that driver took it off their windscreen and put it on your GF's?

Hadn't thought of that one! I mean there's lots of possibilities. Insurance has it logged now, my mate knew a gard and gave him a call, he said they wouldn't be able to do anything it's a civil dispute. His advice was the same as everyone here, to notify the insurer.

I don't see how not contacting this random, unknown person would be seen as an admission of guilt. I'll take pictures of the car this evening and see if there's any marks of note.

biko

So someone who was present put a note on a car with no-one present in, saying "you drove into me"...

You'd think that if your GFs car crashed into another car then GF would actually have been in the car... and no need for a note would be needed.

Pac1Man

They have zero proof op. Unless your GF parked in the middle of the road at a weird angle, any photograph they have will show your clearly parked car alongside the 'victim's' car.

So many holes in this! They obviously lack basic intelligence.

Don't ring them back whatever you do. That number could link directly to a foreign country which could cost you a few bob. I'd say getting you to ring is the motivation behind this.

Riskymove

biko wrote: »

So someone who was present put a note on a car with no-one present in, saying "you drove into me"...

You'd think that if your GFs car crashed into another car then GF would actually have been in the car... and no need for a note would be needed.

well it is possible that the person was not there when it happened and returned to their car to find the OP car in contact with theirs and took a picture...and the left the note and went off home

asteroids over berlin

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Cheers lads. She'll call the insurance company at lunch. Didn't check for damage last night, but I'll do so this evening and take pictures.

It's the first logical thing to do (check for damage), you are strange!

the_pen_turner

Google and face book search the no. I always do that before ringing a strange no.
Go from there.
I would ring them from a garda station. Then the guard can witness any claims and have it on file.
Surely if you are reporting a potential fraud case the guards will have to log it and give you a pulse no

The Muppet

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Hadn't thought of that one! I mean there's lots of possibilities. Insurance has it logged now, my mate knew a gard and gave him a call, he said they wouldn't be able to do anything it's a civil dispute. His advice was the same as everyone here, to notify the insurer.

I don't see how not contacting this random, unknown person would be seen as an admission of guilt. I'll take pictures of the car this evening and see if there's any marks of note.

Slightly different Scenario but it might be useful to op. Last year I got a call from a Garda saying he had a gentleman in front of him claiming he had parked his car in car park and when he returned it was damaged and there was note on the window claiming responsibility with my name and number on it. I told the Guard I had never been in that car park which I hadn,t and that was the end of it, I never heard another word.

Mycroft H

Put their number on donedeal for a car going cheap or something. Or a load of hay bales going cheap. They'd have no end of lads ringing them to annoy them.

neris

Mycroft H wrote: »

Put their number on donedeal for a car going cheap or something. Or a load of hay bales going cheap. They'd have no end of lads ringing them to annoy them.

Sure just put it up here and we,'ll all give em a call

E36Ross

Has been said, But search the number on FB. It'll come back with a profile if connected.

enricoh

Just scum chancing their arm, hoping to get an oul dear that'd be worried sick and get handy e1000 cash out of her.
I'd ring them anyway asking about the eg tractor for sale on donedeal just to post here who u we're dealing with

DaveyDave

I'm sure the station has CCTV but it probably can't see both cars in question. Outside of CCTV, they didn't actually see anything and it's very, very possible someone else damaged the car. So no witness to the alleged damage, just quick to point the finger.

Any marks on the GF's car at all?

Tenigate

I'd say the person who answers will have a quare accent.

jimmycrackcorm

I wonder how someone thought that your gf crashed into their car if she wasn't actually there at the time.

Without any proof there nothing that can be done.

kingtut

Have you checked the name of the person the phone belongs to? Might be a common thing they do... very strange anyway. <snip, not legal stuff removed>

ace_irl

One think that just doesn't add up to me is if someone did hit into someone elses car and cause damage, they would hardly park their car near them. Sounds like a scam to get someone to cough up money. I'd say it to the whoever operates the carpark itself and see if this has happened before.

Alanstrainor

Just went out to check the car in the snow. No new marks on the car (07 nissan note with plenty of marks to begin with). I have pictures from 2 years back of most of the car and the existing marks are the same.

This is the note:

I woould appreciate a call around hitting my bumper and marking it with your car, I have taken photo's

So I think I have done all I can do at this point.

antodeco

Do what I did before. Have a full conversation. Then depending on how it goes, tell them there is 360 degree camera in the car and you'll have a look at the footage!

kirving

antodeco wrote: »

Do what I did before. Have a full conversation. Then depending on how it goes, tell them there is 360 degree camera in the car and you'll have a look at the footage!

No help to the OP unfortunately, but OEM 360° Surround View systems will record in the near future whenever movement is detected.

antodeco

Kevin Irving wrote: »

No help to the OP unfortunately, but OEM 360° Surround View systems will record in the near future whenever movement is detected.

The person on the phone doesn't know there's no 360 camera

Gumbo

I would deffo call them from a private line tomsuss them out.
But I’d ask them first what kind of car they put the note on incase it was indeed moved.

Sam Quentin

Gardaí would be very interested in that note.
So I suggest you bring it ASAP to your local station.
You or the member assigned to your 'query' will then make that call.
Gardaí don't just deal in murders.......

josip

If it's not a scammer and the note writer for whatever reason genuinely thinks your gf hit their car, then she might consider parking in a different part of it for a while in case they decide to 'even things up'.

Alanstrainor

Our insurance company have advised us to report this to the gardai, which we will do this evening. Just for record purposes. The insurance company have said they will not entertain any claims coming in for this issue. Although I'm not sure how that would all work...

Cheers for all the advice lads, I really appreciate it. This forum is always great for these situations where you need a second opinion on a strange situation.

mickdw

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Our insurance company have advised us to report this to the gardai, which we will do this evening. Just for record purposes. The insurance company have said they will not entertain any claims coming in for this issue. Although I'm not sure how that would all work...

Cheers for all the advice lads, I really appreciate it. This forum is always great for these situations where you need a second opinion on a strange situation.

Go to gardai and insist that it is recorded. You might get the whole civil issue - sort it yourself but just insist that this is an attempted fraud and dont leave until it is officially noted. Attempted fraud is not a civil issue.
As you mention its a nissan note with a few marks, the scum probably took a gamble on it being an old persons car and were hoping to get some easy cash by frightening the old driver.

GreeBo

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Just went out to check the car in the snow. No new marks on the car (07 nissan note with plenty of marks to begin with). I have pictures from 2 years back of most of the car and the existing marks are the same.

This is the note:



So I think I have done all I can do at this point.

Could it be that they hit you and are not native English speakers?

J.pilkington

If you are calling do not let them know your phone number or disclose your car details / location, chancers like this often have a few scams on the go so start your call with something vague like you are ringing about a note rather than the note you left on x car at x location.

Alanstrainor

mickdw wrote: »

Go to gardai and insist that it is recorded. You might get the whole civil issue - sort it yourself but just insist that this is an attempted fraud and dont leave until it is officially noted. Attempted fraud is not a civil issue.
As you mention its a nissan note with a few marks, the scum probably took a gamble on it being an old persons car and were hoping to get some easy cash by frightening the old driver.

Yes, we bought it off an elderly lady, plenty of marks on it. I have pictures from when I did a detailing job on it last year showing 90% of the marks. I can't see anything new.

horsey63

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsPEX_8typY

As long as they don't have a parking mode dash cam

Alanstrainor

Just another update on this.

We went to Malahide Garda station last night, and were talking to a really sound gard. It was pretty funny really, as we were there to report that nothing had happened. He did listen to us, and he took note of what happened, and also checked pulse to see if there was anything logged/checked against our reg. He said he wouldn't worry about it and didn't think we should call the number either. Hopefully that's the end of it!

jca

Mycroft H wrote: »

Put their number on donedeal for a car going cheap or something. Or a load of hay bales going cheap. They'd have no end of lads ringing them to annoy them.

I was going to suggest that except it was going to be a 08 Hiace and horsebox owner “emigrating” €1500 ono.