Uninsured driver hit my parked car. What to do?

Eggs For Dinner

Deleted User wrote: »

Maybe it's a new thing, and I don't think I'm the only one that has been asked it... 'regardless of blame'.

You're missing the point. When you seeking compensation from someone who has caused you a loss. YOU are not claiming, the 3rd party is. He is claiming under his policy to give you compensation

In short:
Have you had a claim, regardless of blame?....NO
Have you had an accident, regardless of blame?... YES

Calibos

I was watching the car most of the time the half hour before and after appointed time waiting for her guy to arrive to inspect my car. Had left a note on the Dash to call over to the house. Around the appointed time I saw I guy in what looked like a mechanics jacket Looking confused on the corner near the car and I went out thinking it might be him. By the time I got out he was back in his car and gone. No one else turned up while I waited before work. Figured I was mistaken about the other guy, he wouldn't have ignored my note would he? Well he may have because i got a text from the mother saying that he had sent me the quote via email and she reassured me that she’d be happy to go with whomever I chose as promised. Perhaps it wasnt him I saw and he just did a quote based on the photos of the damage too?

Anyway, the quote was Via Audotex for €3947 IIRC which is €700 less than ACE’s but close enough, which I imagine is reassurance enough for her that neither me nor Ace were taking the piss and thus she’ll forward the payment without quibble. I’m sticking with ACE obviously enough as I trust them having gotten quality work done by them in the past, they are convenient/walking distance for me, so I get my €60 Printed estimate deposit back....and because I hung around for Shane for an hour who either didn't come and personally inspect the car after all or did but ignored my note to call to the house.

So things seem like they are back on track for a satisfactory resolution.

Calibos

Lets get this thread to 20 pages lads!! LOL.

The car hasn’t been written off and I haven’t written off this thread yet either! LOL.

...joking aside, once again I’ll repeat what I’ve said a few times now. Thank you all so much to everyone who has posted, advised and contributed to the thread. It kept my stress levels to a minimum.

Eggs For Dinner

Calibos wrote: »

Lets get this thread to 20 pages lads!! LOL.

.

I'll help

Blah, blah, blah, Cartel.....😆

Guy:Incognito

Calibos wrote: »

Lets get this thread to 20 pages lads!! LOL.

.

You've a long way to go. With proper settings, I'm only on page 7.

Calibos

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

You've a long way to go. With proper settings, I'm only on page 7.

What? 15 posts per page ain’t good enough for ya?!?! I’ll have you know I got that beat on Reddit with RES installed for INFINITE scrolling? HowJaLike dem apples!!

ldy4mxonucwsq6

Nala Substantial Dustpan wrote: »

There is no such thing as a “no fault claim”. If it’s the other persons fault then it’s them that claim not you. If your no claims bonus is fully intact then you are 100% truthful in answering no, I had no claims in the last 5 years.

Have a look at some insurance websites, they typically put it as 'have you had any claims or been involved in any incidents regardless of liability in the past 5 years?'

So yes you would have to answer yes to this even if you weren't present at the time of your car being wrecked.

JustAThought

I dont think I’d be prepared to take that hit for their profits if I wasn’t even in it when it was hit and it was parked legally and inside an unbroken white line in daylight.

OP glad to see you are going with your guy - some bloke turning up and scratching his head at the side of the road - sounds very unprofessional. How dis he inspect under the bonnet/ suspension and know his mechanical assesment was inclusive and correct? Sounds like ge was just undercutting the original - maybe she gave him a copy?

BTW in it what was the expert opinion fee of e100 for? Sounded like a tip being thrown in. There was another iffy e100 I thought looked a bit vague at the end of it too...

Get her to bring down the handbag of fifties and visa card and pay upfront before the work starts - you dint want her to do a runner or get ****y after the work is done when the garage will then keep your car as payment security collateral...

Eggs For Dinner

Alejandra Ashy Riffraff wrote: »

Have a look at some insurance websites, they typically put it as 'have you had any claims or been involved in any incidents regardless of liability in the past 5 years?'

So yes you would have to answer yes to this even if you weren't present at the time of your car being wrecked.

If they are separate questions, you answer no to the former and yes to the latter

earlytobed

earlytobed wrote: »

Conspiracy Theory alert!!

You’d swear half of you were on the payroll.

Eggs For Dinner

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

You’d swear half of you were on the payroll.

I can only speak for myself, but my opinions and morals are bought and paid for by the cartel. Hence the reason I continue to post here, not to give advice based on my experience, but to spout the party line

Still waters

Eggs For Dinner wrote: »

If they are separate questions, you answer no to the former and yes to the latter

They never are from my experience and if on the phone they word it all as the one question, you may try to explain it wasn't your fault but they're not interested in the circumstances just confirmation you were involved in a collision

Eggs For Dinner

Eggs For Dinner wrote: »

I can only speak for myself, but my opinions and morals are bought and paid for by the cartel. Hence the reason I continue to post here, not to give advice based on my experience, but to spout the party line

Thanks for your honesty.

Eggs For Dinner

Deleted User wrote: »

Thanks for your honesty.

Given my career, if I'm being honest, I must be doing it wrong......

Calibos

Eggs For Dinner wrote: »

Given my career, if I'm being honest, I must be doing it wrong......

Is a liar lying when he says he always lies?

I think that means we can trust him guys!

;)

Calibos

If the mother is with AIB, I might have the full amount Of the Ace Estimate in my bank account today. Arranged for her to pay me via Bank Transfer last night and gave her my IBAN and she said she'd transfer the money this morning. If she is another AIB account holder the AIB website said it should appear in my account instantly whereas if she's with another bank it might take a business day so would likely be Monday at some point.

Other than her jumping the gun a little bit yesterday and her saying 'great we can get it towed and repaired 'tomorrow'' by her guy and I had to respond with, 'To be clear, I agreed for your guy to inspect my car, not tow and repair it', all other contact with her has been amiable, clearly understood, understanding and accepting of my decision to stick with Ace, quick to agree to payment on my terms etc. As it should be given the circumstances of course, but its always a worry you might have to play hard-ball with people which can be a stressful prospect if its not in your make up and takes you out of your comfort zone.

I'd say that kid is less worried about the law and more worried about what his dad will do and say when he gets back from work abroad and see's his joint account balance with up to €10,000 gone on my repairs and the repairs to his own car.

EDIT Money already in my account as the mum was with AIB too. Woohoo!! Now its time to get onto ACE and book the TT in.

JustAThought

Eggs For Dinner wrote: »

I can only speak for myself, but my opinions and morals are bought and paid for by the cartel. Hence the reason I continue to post here, not to give advice based on my experience, but to spout the party line

wouldnt be surprised in half the forums. Always worth checking someones back-history.

endacl

Delighted you’re sorted Calibos.

advertsfox

Excellent news, now for the before / after pics we are all truly craving.

Calibos

Its kind of ironic when you think about it. If my car was to be hit and suffer this level of damage, I was Lucky I was hit by an uninsured driver with parents wanting, willing and able to pay for this without going near insurance. With the way things played out I got the full required €4750 (Tow and repair) paid by the at fault party. However, if my car had been hit in the same way by an insured driver in his own car after sliding on wet leaves or ice or whatever and who did want to go through insurance because he had protected NCB and didn't want to be handing out nearly 5 grand in cash, then that hypothetical similar accident would have ended up costing me money for the reasons we've discussed earlier in the thread. ie. €4750 repair cost puts this 13 year old TT (albeit only 40,000km/26,000miles on the clock) into Cat D economic write-off territory as far as Insurance companies are concerned. They'd value the car about 5 grand. I'd have to pay maybe 1-2 grand to buy it back from them as salvage in order to repair it myself leaving me with a 3-4 grand cash settlement and leaving me with a €700-€1700 shortfall to make up out of my own pocket to cover the €4750 repair bill. Absolutely worth paying in order to keep my barely run in 13 year old TT but very frustrating to have an accident that wasn't ones fault and which involved an insurance settlement yet could still end up costing you money.

Jeff2

You got to remember that the €4750 is an estimated cost so is not necessary what the end bill will be.

wally79

It’s all going a bit too smoothly

Calibos

Jeff2 wrote: »

You got to remember that the €4750 is an estimated cost so is not necessary what the end bill will be.

I’m hoping that it’ll balance out. For example, the rear wheel took the main hit and was pushed forwards and is what took a 6 inch section out of his Alloy rim. Yet the photos of the suspension doesn't look like catastrophic damage but the estimate includes new everything down there. If the suspension components weren't made a mess of I think its reasonable to assume the aluminium chassis wasn't damaged Is it not? Side looks like all panel damage and side pillar doesn't look deformed. New door is in the estimate. I’m hoping that an extra unexpected cost in one area will be counter balanced by less than expected cost in another area like the suspension for example.

Of course there is a chance that you are right and there might be an extra cost that isn't balanced out and I have to make up the shortfall, but its a potentiality....whereas through insurance having to come up with a shortfall was a guarantee due to the economic write-off equation.

bmwfan

Great thread ive followed since the start @Calibos you seem like a sound guy great to see you getting sorted

TheW1zard

With the rear suspension hope your getting new stuff on both sides not just the side that got hit?

Jeff2

I'm not up to date on cars and I hope it's comes out costing less and as good as new.

It's possible the back left suspension got damaged too as the wheel was pushed into the footpath by the force the damaged the right one.

Be sure to have it checked, I don't think there is anything about that side in the estimate.

Neilw

Calibos wrote: »

I’m hoping that it’ll balance out. For example, the rear wheel took the main hit and was pushed forwards and is what took a 6 inch section out of his Alloy rim. Yet the photos of the suspension doesn't look like catastrophic damage but the estimate includes new everything down there. If the suspension components weren't made a mess of I think its reasonable to assume the aluminium chassis wasn't damaged Is it not? Side looks like all panel damage and side pillar doesn't look deformed. New door is in the estimate. I’m hoping that an extra unexpected cost in one area will be counter balanced by less than expected cost in another area like the suspension for example.

Of course there is a chance that you are right and there might be an extra cost that isn't balanced out and I have to make up the shortfall, but its a potentiality....whereas through insurance having to come up with a shortfall was a guarantee due to the economic write-off equation.

You could easily get suspension components used from eBay, same with door and wheel. Save yourself some money.

greasepalm

Used suspension parts i would pass on that as new components will have less wear and make car safer on road.

Calibos

Booking the car in today.

Remember it was a glancing blow and its the rear wheel that took the main glancing hit, so I’m pretty confident that there wont be much if any unexpected extra major expenditure. Fingers crossed.

TheW1zard

If your putting new bits in like bushings its always good to do both sides. Not sure to what extent but id consider whats being replaced, you want it to be tidy!