Car insurance - Claims repair cost, but wasn't repaired.

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  GnarlyKnuckles on 10/09/2014 - 15:11

  +4

  No, they would not, and neither should you… move on, hombre. As long as the quote was reasonable, it's their choice as to whether they ACTUALLY get the repairs done or not. The car-rental is a bit iffy/grey area.

• 

  timmypete on 10/09/2014 - 17:33

  -1

  From a moral perspective I think it depends on whether they gave you a quote or an invoice.

  If you've damaged their car, they're entitled to seek the losses they incurred (even if they elect not to remedy the damage) but if they've told you they repaired the car then they are veering right into perjury territory.

  I've had a similarly distasteful situation where someone who sustained very minor damage to their car claimed to her insurance agents that I'd done a hit and run. Her insurance company sent in the debt collectors and were understandably nasty with me initially. I pointed out it was false, forwarded them the five emails she and I had exchanged since and the police report with both our details.

  While they did nothing in my case to tackle the lying and perjury, I don't think there is any issue with you dobbing your people (and their repairer) into their insurance company. If they've ripped you off as they may well try to claim it again from others in the future, and it might serve to discourage this sort of behaviour.

  • 

    edfrane on 10/09/2014 - 22:37

    It was an Invoice.

    I understand that he is still entitled to the repair costs. But the car rental was really unnecessary.
    We actually offered to compensate for it (repaired or not) to avoid the insurance, and they agreed to it.
    But instead we got overpriced repairs & car hire invoices.

• 

  lisss on 10/09/2014 - 17:44

  You can always tell your insurance company, but you wouldn't get anything back so not sure if any point. If your insurance company had wanted to check that the repairs were done or want to do so now, that's their prerogative.

  • 

    edfrane on 10/09/2014 - 22:08

    Well I'm not looking for a refund, and I definitely don't expect it.

    I just want it to backfire, so he'll think twice about doing it again.

    • 

      GnarlyKnuckles on 11/09/2014 - 00:06

      +2

      "… I just want it to backfire, so he'll think twice about doing it again."

      I must have misunderstood something here; I thought it was you that instigated the entire situation, by pranging into him? It's really bad form I reckon to cause an accident, then attempt to cause further grief for the person you ran into, because you are unhappy with what they got from your insurance company (not from you; from your insurance company)… I pray you never "run into" me, dude.

• 

  timmypete on 10/09/2014 - 23:02

  We actually offered to compensate for it (repaired or not) to avoid the insurance, and they agreed to it.
  But instead we got overpriced repairs & car hire invoices.

  That sucks, and with the benefit of this extra info, action is certainly warranted from you.

  I've already mentioned the situation I had where I was at fault and the other party lied about me doing a runner (when the coppers kept both of us at the scene for 40+ mins and we exchanged emails 5+ times in the hours after the incident), but I've also spent weeks chasing up someone who was at fault and destroyed a mirror on my car. Most disappointing thing was that this was over a $90 part which I replaced myself after being quoted ~$450 parts & labour via the more official route. Despite doing them a massive favour - it seems they'd made a few claims that year already - they saw it as a chance to avoid responsibility.

  I just want it to backfire, so he'll think twice about doing it again.

  What these experiences on both sides of the equation have taught me is that people suck and can't be trusted on their word in situations like this. In future, get a dashcam and don't even dare try being the nice guy as you'll be taken advantage of.

  For the present, I'm not sure you'd be able to do much more as the police will only usually investigate lies/perjury when it pertains to a more formal case before the courts. All the same, if this person is in a profession where trust is paramount and there is a formal registration process (eg. lawyers), evidence of dishonest practices outside a professional context can have serious ramifications. If you know what they do, getting in touch with the relevant body is possibly going to make them consider their actions in the future.

  • 

    GnarlyKnuckles on 11/09/2014 - 00:23

    -1

    "What these experiences on both sides of the equation have taught me is that people suck and can't be trusted on their word in situations like this."

    This is absolute BS, tplen1. What sucks about this sorry tale is that the dude who caused the accident and had insurance is somehow attempting to cause further grief for the poor dude he already wronged by running into; not because he's unduly out-of-pocket financially, or can get anything back, but just because he doesn't know how insurance claims work; all that, and the fact that he's being encouraged in this quixotic endeavor by you, when actually he caused the entire problem in the first place, and is no more out-of-pocket than he deserves to be (i.e., loses a no-claim-bonus perhaps, because he caused an accident).

    • 

      edfrane on 11/09/2014 - 11:15

      The damage was less than $300. There was no need to have the insurance raise the premiums, if it was below the excess. So yes we are more out of pocket, not only now, but in the long term as well.

      Also I wasn't the driver, a relative was. Nor do I have the choice to do anything about him. Nor will my relative, be pushing it.
      The primary reason created this post, is to know more about this issue. As well as see whether it was legal or not, and what can be done future wise.

    • 

      timmypete on 11/09/2014 - 11:43

      [edit - For context, this was written before OP's reply]

      Settle mate.

      In my first post I highlighted that the claimant was well within their rights to seek compensation for the loss they suffered as a result of the OP's actions even if they choose not to repair the damage. My subsequent comments only came when the OP seemed to indicate it might have been done outside insurance after all ("We actually offered to compensate for it (repaired or not) to avoid the insurance, and they agreed to it."), which does change the situation.

      If this is the case, it appears the other party claimed more than was reasonable, and was being dishonest. If this isn't the case, then my original comments - saying he is at fault and only chase up if they've ripped him off - are actually pretty similar to yours.

      In terms of "absolute BS", I stand by my original point. In these situations people on both sides of the equation are motivated by self interest and can be rather nasty. As I've demonstrated from my own experience, it can even happen when you are the pranged party. Documenting everything, and not approaching things naively is actually a pretty sound course of action.

      I agree that chasing this up if it is a straight up routine case would be quixotic, but some of the further info provided by the OP seems to indicate that things were shadier.