Fender bender - estimate

[pjuk]

Just driving home tonight in my 1 month old e-tron and some idiot tries to edge past me in some traffic scratching the edge of the rear bumper. The damage is pretty minor with a few scratches that has taken the paint back to the black (I presume fibre glass) bumper just on edges.

The guy wants to settle outside insurance and all the garages are shut until Monday and TBH I don't have time to faff about getting a quote and he just wants to pay some cash.

I've attached a few pics of the scrape. I think that his paint will just rub off and the rest of the "damage" are just scuff marks. My concern is fixing the scrapes back to the bumper material.

Does anyone have any idea how much something like this will cost to get fixed?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Jassyo06]

That's a full bumper respray,pearl paint? by the looks of it,its plastic not Fibre glass,small body shop £300,Audi body shop double that

 

[pjuk]

Yowzers!! It's just regular metallic paint (Monsoon Grey). I'll speak to them on Monday now

 

[S32B]

I'm afraid it's not a simple touch up as jassyo06 has said, they will strip back a larger area around the damage to repair/sand & then blow the new paint in. Then you have the problem of the paint matching! It's swings and roundabouts, if you do a local paint repair you MAY notice the colour difference on the bumper where they have blended it in. If you go for a full bumper respray you MAY notice the entire bumper looks different to the rest of the car! It all depends on how good they are.

For a quick quote you could send the pictures to a local 'Chips away' and see what they say! Here is a link https://www.chipsaway.co.uk/free-estimate/

Good luck and let us know how you get on

 

[koder]

I had a similar incident, but with a bus squeezing past me. It needed respraying and a new alloy and wheel, I saw the estimate given to my insurance - cost over £2500. It was repaired earlier this week and you wouldn't know it had been damaged, looks perfect now.

 

[RichardT]

I wouldn't accept any money until you have a proper estimate.
And don't forget that, even if the other guy pays for it using his own cash, you both still have to notify your respective insurance companies.
If I were you I would just contact your insurance company and get it done properly and officially. Just because he doesn't want to loose his no claims doesn't mean you have to accept cutting corners.

 

[S32B]

If I were you I would just contact your insurance company and get it done properly and officially. Just because he doesn't want to loose his no claims doesn't mean you have to accept cutting corners.

That's if the other guy has insurance! But I'm with you on this, I'd want it done above board...would he do the same for you if you had hit him?!?! He hands you a few £ and walks away leaving you with all the hassle! Let him lose his no claims, maybe next time he will think twice about pushing through.

 

[pjuk]

Thanks all for the info. Had a few quotes now from 3x Audi garages (between £500-800) and Chipsaway (£250). If the damage was only £100 or so and a few hours in the shop then I'd just go the cash route, but it looks like it will be away for 3 days and I can't do without the car for that amount of time - I doubt a non-insurance job will provide a courtesy car. Guess he'll just have to pony up.

 

[Daveotto]

I would be inclined to go via the insurance but if you wanted to go "non- insurance" you could ask your dealer to provide a cost including a courtesy car. I expect the guy/gal who hit you might baulk at the near £1000 price tag for cash and default to his insurance company

 

[alijnclarke]

I had my bumper resprayed at the audi body shop in manchester, it was £360 including collection and a car (sepang blue). The colour match was absolutely perfect.

 

[pjuk]

London prices

Well I contacted my insurance (for notification purposes only) and they gave me all his insurance details. If he doesn't play ball and doesn't agree to go the VAG repair route where do I stand? The more I think about this I've never had an accident in 15 years, paid my insurance each year so surely I'm entitled to getting this fixed properly - I'm sure if the roles were reversed he'd push for an authorised repair. Maybe I'm just being too nice here. Last thing I want is my insurance premiums to be affected.

 

[S32B]

Maybe I'm just being too nice here. Last thing I want is my insurance premiums to be affected.

Your car is 1 month old...you want it done properly. Sod being nice to the guy that's damaged it! If he says no to a proper repair call the insurance back and tell them he's said no and to claim off HIS insurance.

 

[RichardT]

Your car is 1 month old...you want it done properly. Sod being nice to the guy that's damaged it! If he says no to a proper repair call the insurance back and tell them he's said no and to claim off HIS insurance.

Unfortunately you can't tell your insurance to claim off his. (Assuming you have comprehensive insurance) you make a claim from your insurance and they pay for the repair. They decide who's at fault and if they decide it's worth it, they will claim from the other driver.
Here is the danger. He has to claim and say what happened on his form. This may well have a slant to it!!
One important thing though is that he did agree initially to pay. This is tantamount to admitting liability, so that needs to go on your form.
You will still have to claim your excess from him separately, unless you have that particular cover for legal help.

 

[pjuk]

This is just getting more and more complicated. I'll happily pass this over to insurance companies but don't want to be out of pocket - have to pay excess and be liable for an increase in premiums. Fortunately I had my wife in the back who can witness the accident, furthermore he can't claim that I rolled back as it's an automatic.

I recall that Audi signed me up to the Ensurance - anyone had any dealings with them as one of the garages suggested using them?

 

[dts439]

Unfortunately even "no fault, costs recovered from 3rd party" type incidents can affect your future premiums depending on the insurer. And you have to declare it to any new insurers you use for 3 or so years.

I was hit by a pensioner back in 2009 and it was all sorted out by her insurers (Saga) including hire car etc, but still had to declare this to my insurer Direct Line) . They did not appear to load my policy, but I was pleased when this finally dropped off my "record" 5 years later.

 

[Radman]

I've just been reversed into by a guy and caused some minor damage. He is happy for it to go to Audi for repair, and he will pay for it in cash. Do I really need to tell my insurance company if it is been done by an approved body shop?

 

[Scottyg]

A big no no. It'll still go down as a non-fault accident. Keep hush and get guy to pay for it.

 

[RichardT]

I've just been reversed into by a guy and caused some minor damage. He is happy for it to go to Audi for repair, and he will pay for it in cash. Do I really need to tell my insurance company if it is been done by an approved body shop?

The danger here is that he says he will pay for the "minor" damage when he thinks it will cost £50. When you take it to the high quality Audi bodyshop they estimate it at £500. All of a sudden he's not so keen. He may even decide that you are to blame.

I would get an estimate, and if it's anything other that really cheap, get you insurance conpany involved. Strictly speaking you should anyway.

 

[73pop]

Also insist any monies are paid up in full before any work is done! I made that mistake years ago the guy paid half at £20 a week before he moved house I lost out on a few hundred.
Show him the estimate and take his money first don't let him say will pay once it's done.

If he doesn't want to pay first go through the insurance remember you are doing him a favour.