Accident with Amazon delivery driver - how should I proceed

Just thought I'd like to hear what you guys think of this situation.

So today, an Amazon flex delivery driver did not engage the handbrake resulting in their car rolling and hitting mine. This was all caught on dashcam and I have exchanged details with the at fault driver.

The at fault driver has kindly requested me not to deal with insurance but rather get a quote from my panel beater and he'll pay the cost. This is because he was driving his friend's car and supposedly his friend recently already claimed an accident and doesn't want the premiums to go up. He also thinks this will be cheaper…

However, Amazon customer service contacted me and said I could also file a claim with their insurance covering the driver. I think the company is ARC claims. Amazon was notified of the accident because my neighbour who received the parcel contacted them.

This leaves 3 options:

  1. Contact my insurance (RACV) and give the other drivers details
  2. Get the car fixed privately with my panel beater with the delivery driver paying
  3. Claim on Amazon's insurance

Option 1 leaves a black mark on my name as RACV will record the accident despite not being at fault. The issue with option 2 is that it's going to be quite expensive (European car) and the delivery driver insisted he is an international student who doesn't make much. I've started going forward with option 3 but I don't know much about the process with ARC insurance.

What do you guys think? Has anyone claimed on Amazon flex insurance before?

Comments

  • +27
    1. ms paint diagram?

    2. But you’re not at fault.. how does it black mark your insurance if you raise the claim

    • +5
      1. Gonna be a boring one but will create one tonight
      2. When I called RACV, the guy said it'll be recorded as an accident but other party at fault. I did remember that RACV ask on sign up whether there has been an accident in X years even if you are not at fault
      • +6

        I am pretty sure that regardless of who you claim through the accident is recorded against the VIN of your car which is available to all authorised parties, including insurance companies. I would be surprised if the insurance companies are alerted whenever one of the VIN's of a car the insure is lodged.

        • +2

          Whilst insurer's are generally "independent" and compete with each other, this doesn't mean they can't all use the same service/s to provide them information on who/what they're insuring.

          I would be surprised if there's not a company that provides historical claim information to insurers, whether that be based on name, license number, VIN, etc.

      • Of course it'll be recorded… you think they going to do this all without writing anything down??

      • Claim on the amazon insurance. They're just get their insurance to fix the car and you take your car to their repairer and you'll probably get a hire car for free.

        RACV do somehow count no fault claims regardless as I guess they calculate some people as being unlucky?

    • +79

      Ms paint diagram of what happened

      https://imgur.io/Bm2m5kU?r

      • +18

        Op delivered ✅

        • +37

          And, unfortunately, so did the Amazon delivery driver.

          • +7

            @kiitos: Thanks for not leaving me hanging, I was like boy it’s going to be a shame if no one slam dunks my setup 👏

      • Freaking ay, that is wow. You sir have a hidden talent!

      • -1

        That was underwhelming

      • Well that explains it clearly, door number 3.

    • +10

      I have had insurance go up after not at fault claims. It's a thing now.

    • +6

      But you’re not at fault.. how does it black mark your insurance if you raise the claim

      It's bs but it's true.

      A colleague a couple years ago hit my car in the carpark. Claimed through insurance and there was no issues, other party admitted fault and had insurance.

      However, my renewal was due at that time and they advised me they'll have to send me a new renewal letter as my premium will go up.

      I argued I wasn't at fault and that I was advised I won't affect my no claim rating - but they insisted any claim will impact premiums.

      It's completely unfair because it essentially means minor repairs that you're not at fault for will just come out of your pocket through increased premiums.

  • +21

    I'd go with option 4.

    Claim through RACV and give them Amazon's insurance details (assuming they have admitted liability).

    You then get all the benefits of your RACV policy and if when things go pear shape it's all someone else's problem.

    • +1

      Op worried this will black mark him with his insurer though

    • +2

      I actually did try that option, it would be a win-win, I get my car fixed with RACV and also do a favour for the at fault driver however it would mean that RACV records the accident which I wanted to avoid

      • +24

        It will be recorded as a not at fault, no excess paid claim.

        Insurance companies keep a shared register of claims so RACV will know about it either way.

        You have been paying for a service so use it. eg. If you want a rental car during repairs then RACV will organise it and you will never see a bill. They just invoice the other insurance company.

        Your premium shouldn't go up but if it does it will be minimal and more than cover the hassles of not using RACV.

        and also do a favour for the at fault driver

        The other insurance company may still chase him for damages. They are an insurance company not a charity.

        • +9

          I can confirm that not at fault claims do affect your premium.

          My example is that I received my renewal notice and during time of receipt and actual renewal date I had a not at fault claim. The claim was for one of my other cars which was insured with a different insurer. Did the right thing before renewal and advised insurer of the claim. Low and behold the renewal premium went up. I complained and even went through their dispute resolution process without success. I changed insurers.

          • +5

            @Sterio: Did they say the premium increased because of your reason or just because premiums go up every year anyway?

            • +3

              @Muzeeb: Had nothing to do with annual premium increases. The renewal quoted $x, which would have been inclusive of any annual rate rises. When I went to renew/accept the renewal, you need to answer a few questions, a new higher premium was quoted.

              As mentioned, I pleaded my case but it all fell on deaf ears.

              • -5

                @Sterio: You didnt answer Muzeebs question at all. i very highly doubt not at fault accidents increase your premium (RACV does not increase premiums for not at fault accidents, especially if the excess is completely waived due to Police report/other party admitting liability), since it was not your fault and the insurance recoups the entire cost from the other party. You're just speculating that the premium increased because you had an at fault accident but unless they explicitly stated that in writing or otherwise, you're misunderstanding. if they did increase your premium cos of it and you can objectively prove it, im glad you changed insurers anyway, but your replies above do not indicate they increased your premium just based on not at fault claim alone. A good insurer to go with if not already would be RACV, you actually maintain MAXIMUM rating 1 given its not your fault, so obviously your premium should not increase either "If you hold our maximum Rating 1 for one year with us and you don’t make an at fault claim, you qualify for RACV Premier 1." **Source: RACV Motor Insurance Premium, Excess & Discounts Guide

                • +8

                  @ULT: They do. My insurer specifically told me my premium was going up because of the not at fault claim.

                  • @Harold Halfprice: Yes thats in your case and you stated clearly so I have no reason to doubt, the previous person just dodged the question without actually answering the contention. Definitely would leave any insurance that raised my premium because of a not at fault claim, ESPECIALLY if the claim was driving accident related and they recoup it all back from the other party anyway.

                    • +2

                      @ULT: There are several people on this post saying your premiums go up. It's just how it is despite how unfair it is.

                      Your rating doesn't change, you will still maintain your no claim rating but your premium will go up.

                      Insurers also share databases - they'll all know you've had an accident/claim and it'll affect your premiums.

                  • @Harold Halfprice: Your insurer is not all insurers.

                    How much did your not-at-fault claim increase your premium by? Give us the numbers.

                    • +1

                      @trapper: My insurer isn't all insurers. Correct, wasn't sure that I implied that, but you'll see multiple people on this post saying it does impact the premium.

                      I don't know the numbers and frankly I'm not going to waste my time digging through emails to find quotations from years ago. From memory, it was around a $1-200 increase.

                      Do you have proof to say that it definitively does not impact your premium?

                      And do you really think it's out of character for insurance companies to try a ream their customers for as much as they can?

                      • @Harold Halfprice: I'm genuinely interested, surely you can do a quick email search.

                        You say you got a renewal quote and before and after a not-at-fault claim, and that there was a $100-$200 difference.

                        I've made several not-at-fault claims over the years with multiple insurance companies and never had any kind of unusual premium increase.

                        Certainly not $200, that is ridiculous. Would be a 40% increase lol

                        • @trapper: Okay, I just looked it up because you've gotten me curious too.

                          I received my standard renewal letter, quoted at $1066 for full comp. My claim was approved the day after, and on the phone they advised they will have to send a new renewal letter as my premium will increase due to the claim. I argued my point that I wasn't at fault and was previously advised my max no claim rating wouldn't be impacted - but it fell on deaf ears. They said whilst the no claim rating isn't impacted, the premium will still be impacted. I received a new renewal letter that same day, quoted at $1144.

                          $78 increase (7.3%) in yearly premium specifically because I had a not at fault claim.

                          • @Harold Halfprice: Mine was $41.73 pm in 2017, and then five years later in 2022 it had only increased to $44.13 pm

                            During that time I had two not-at-fault claims. This is with RAC insurance.

                • +1

                  @ULT: ULT
                  Trust me it did. I have been in the insurance game for 40+ years and know exactly what transpired in my case.

                  • @Sterio: apologies mate, among all the other variables with inflation, car values increasing rapidly (higher write off value), general annual charges etc wasnt sure what to believe. im glad you made the move away after they treated you as such, biggest tragedy was they punished you for truth

        • +1

          Premiums go up all the time anyway… Every 12 months I have to go around and make at least three quotes to find something cheaper (sometimes making a new quote using the same company is cheaper than renewing it, so I do just that).
          Fortunately, I haven't been involved in any accident (at fault or not) in ages, but my insurance always goes up even with "good driver" discounts.
          Therefore, I wonder if "not at fault claims do affect your premium" as many suggested, or if premium was supposed to go up anyway.

      • +3

        Yeah I had a not at fault claim last year. Premiums went up by $300 with RACV. Was told some bs about the car model had higher claims than usual and so premiums went up.

        • I have a car insured with RAC.

          Have made a couple of not-at-fault claims and never seen any abnormal premium increase.

          If it happened at all, it certainly wasn't anything noticeable.

  • +7

    I used to think not at fault claims do not affect insurance but google tells me something else

    https://www.club4x4.com.au/truth-not-fault-claims/

    • +8

      club 4x4 are the biggest crooks around, I'm surprised they are still in business

    • My uncle lived in New York and he had various insurance claims from people having damaged his car overnight where it was parked in his allocated spot. Insurance rates not only went up steeply, they refused to insure him after a while. He was a professor there and had to decide to drive uninsured or not at all. It was one of the reasons they left the USA again.

      • +2

        If you can't find the person who caused the damage, that's classed as an at fault claim, as the insurance company takes the hit, and can't pass the cost on to the other party.

        If you had someone who was continually making claims, with no one to pass the cost on to, you would increase your premium as well.

  • -1

    To be honest going with insurance is safest option, But it is also one option which would likely take longest time to resolve with all details changing etc. etc.

    Honestly it may be just better to show your car to some crash repairer, and get the quote, if the driver is happy to pay you that quote amount in cash probably go with that honestly. Will save you time waiting for insurance to pay crash repairer and you getting screwed by time.

    If however driver doesn't pay you in cash, then go with insurance route as firstly thought.

  • +16

    The other driver might not be who he claims, not have a valid licence, or not contracted to Amazon.
    If his friend is the contractor, Amazon insurance might not come through.

    Have you got a quote? If he can pay cash, then great. Don't get caught up in promises. He may say he can't afford and try to haggle.

  • +17

    The at fault driver has kindly requested me not to deal with insurance but rather get a quote from my panel beater and he'll pay the cost.

    Nope, do not do this.

    Just call your insurance give them his details and let them worry about it. You're not at fault so will not need to pay any excess or get any black marks against your name.

    It is up to him if he wants to use insurance on his end or not. He can pay cash if he wants, no problem.

    • +1

      Sadly your premium still goes up even if your aren't at fault

      • +2

        sadlt ur premium still goes up regardless

        • +1

          No, insurance companies specifically take note of the not at fault accident - and they will increase premiums as a result. Your no claim rating bonus won't be impacted, but your premium will go up slightly.

          That will be in addition to normal YOY premium increases. I don't understand why people are so adamant that it doesn't when there's several people here with first hand experience saying that it does.

          Insurance companies use a lot of information in their back end to determine your premium. Theft in your area gets taken into account, accidents in your area get taken into account. Number of claims you've had, regardless if you're at fault, is also used.

          • +1

            @Harold Halfprice: my premium went up by 300 with no claims; Happened last year as well; and the year before had to ditch the insurer and churn to another one..

            • @cauilfield: Yeah, premiums go up for various reasons.

              That doesn't mean it won't increase even more if you have a claim.

  • +12

    insurance always

  • +3

    +1 for the 'go through your insurance' camp

  • +2

    Tell your insurer and let your insurer get cash from him. Why would your insurer say no to cash? Unless your insurer is obliged to tell his insurer so his insurer can add a black mark against him or something. In any case you pay for insurance so you don't need to worry about what goes on behind the scenes.

  • +1

    Get a quote. Give the driver one chance to pay up. If it goes pear shaped use Amazon insurance.

  • +3

    RACV are painless to deal with when you’re not at fault.

    When you pick up your complementary hire car, take the i30 over an MG, the latter is a terrible car.

    • +1

      And your repairs are covered guaranteed by RACV

  • Actually very good points from the community. Thank you all.

    You have been paying for a service so use it. eg. If you want a rental car during repairs then RACV will organise it and you will never see a bill. They just invoice the other insurance company.

    Hadn't thought of the hire car and that's one thing I do need. I guess I am paying for RACV and their service so I should use it when I can

    And thanks USER DC for the comment regarding time.

    After a good deep thought during a run Ive decided that I'm going to get a quote on Monday from my panel beaters and see if he will pay that. If not I then I am going to contact RACV and get them to sort it out. The at fault driver can use his Amazon insurance or pay cash to my insurer if he's concerned about his friend's premiums. I don't trust Amazon's insurance to deal with them myself

    • +10

      Don’t even bother with the quote, the way the driver is acting I’m sure he’ll fob u off with another excuse … or just skip town

      Just go legit and make it their problem

      • +3

        Also if something goes wrong, i.e repair not done properly it could be a hassle leaving you to deal with the panel beater instead of an insurance giant.

        • Not to mention if old mate just fobs off paying the panel beater, they will come back to you and then you could have issues with raising it via insurers if the repairs completed are deemed "unauthorised".

          Read your PDS if you have not recently as you might find it's specific on this point.

          You pay for the service, use it!

  • +2

    Needs a poll, but until then, another +1 for your insurance.

  • +3

    Option 1: Yes, do this. They (the at fault party) don’t have to claim on their insurance and they can deal with RACV on how they want to pay.

    Option 2: Don’t do this. You will get the car fixed and they won’t pay you or will stall and stall and stall on paying. If you use this option, ask them to forward you the money before you book your car in for the repairs.

    Option 3: Same as option 2, forward them the quote and get payment for the work before you start the repairs… otherwise, deal with RACV and give them Amazon’s insurance detail and get RACV to deal with them. After all, that is what you pay your insurance company to do… your legwork.

  • +6

    This is because he was driving his friend's car and supposedly his friend recently already claimed an accident and doesn't want the premiums to go up.

    There's a possibility that the other driver is not even registered with Amazon and driving for his friend (who is registered), like some taxi drivers do. IF that happens to be the the case, Amazon's insurance may not cover him and the personal insurance policy linked to the car may not cover them either because the car was being used for 'business' purposes.

    As others have said, claim through your own insurer, RACV, as to not complicate things for yourself. Keep it simple.

  • Option 1 leaves a black mark on my name as RACV will record the accident despite not being at fault.

    Does this result in your premium going up? If not, is it really a "black mark"?

  • I don't understand enough to tell you which way is better, but what I do know is you shouldn't trust the guy thinking he will definitely pay you.

    If you want to do him a favor, protect yourself first.

    You gotta assume for the worst and see if you still can do the favor.

  • +8

    Go thru your insurance. You never know if he will do a runner after you get quotes.

  • +1

    I can confirm that a not at fault claim does increase your premium (with Budget Direct at least) and that insurance companies don’t share claim’s details (at least Shannons and Budget Direct don’t) but I’m too lazy to type out the details.

    • +1

      You sure the premium is increased not because of inflation and other factors?

      Im sure everyone in this thread will be curious to understand more so, would definitely appreciate some insights.

      • Yes, it's specifically for having claim, despite being not at fault.

        My insurer, ING, told me this specifically because they had already sent me my renewal contract prior to the accident and they informed me my premium will be impacted and they'll need to send a new contract.

  • +5

    You do not owe the other parties any favours.
    They have inconvenienced you and if that has consequences for them that is not yours to worry about.
    Safest most reliable option is your insurer. Even if it does end up costing you a little more.
    If you are still concerned about the other parties, you could always offer to pay their costs, Would that make sense - of course not.

    • -4

      The other driver is Indian.

      • +1

        Lol what's the relevance of saying this?

        • -3

          Sometimes I think the Indian guys don't get a fair go.

  • -1

    Contact my insurance (RACV) and give the other drivers details

    Also option 1…… The other drive can then pay your insurance company directly, give them their insurance details or amazons.

    Option 1 leaves a black mark on my name as RACV will record the accident despite not being at fault

    Insurance companies don't care about not at fault claims like you think, as it wasn't your fault.

    • +7

      What the heck - would the real JimmyF stand up, please??

      When I first looked at the username of the original post, I thought it was you!

      • +1

        LOL

        • LOL

  • Insurer.

  • +3

    Ring Mr. Bezos?

  • +1

    Option 1.

  • +3

    Trade the car in for Amazon credits

  • -1

    Number 3.

    Insurance or Amazon - you weren't at the wrong and covers yourself.

    The story that the Amazon delivery driver says is very shady and worst case scenario is that they cut off all communcations with you after you naively believe that they will pay your costs and do a runner back to india.

    • Not all drivers are Indian.

  • Something is not right here.

    If the driver is insured with Amazon's insurance why on earth is he offering to pay up out of his own pocket? The only reason he would do that is if he thought Amazon was never going to pay up because he is not actually employed by them - he was working a shift for his friend who owns the car. And I agree with others that if you pay it out of your own pocket you will have a lot of trouble getting reimbursed by this guy.

    Me, I'd lodge a claim with my own insurers and let them deal with either Amazon or the ring-in driver, whichever the case may be.

    • I believe he is worried that if I claim via RACV, the owner of the car will be notified and his insurance will go up. However I don't really trust Amazon's insurance because it sounds like one of those complimentary insurance you get where they will try to give out the minimum payout/cheapest fix

  • -2

    Option 1. There is no 'black mark' on your file.

  • insurance, easy.
    Otherwise you could be out of pocket.

  • +2

    What's with all the black mark BS? Even if your insurer increases your premium for not at fault claim, at least you have a guaranteed repair. Once your vehicle is good as new, shop around and change to an insurer that doesn't gouge you.

  • Go through your insurance to submit the claim. You are not at fault if their vehicle hit you and you have the video evidence to back it up. There is no negative impact on you for making a claim. Don't try any private b/s with the at fault driver. That crap never turns out well and will just end up being a headache for you.

  • +2

    I'm insured with NRMA in NSW. Another driver hit my car while I was commuting to work (woman wearing a neck brace changed lanes into the rear right of my car). I got the other driver's details and claimed through NRMA. They said my premium and no claim bonus were unaffected.

    P.S. Best part was when I said her name they replied "ah yes, we know her".

  • +3

    Have you considered that there might be more than panel damage?

    Friends car was hit in the carpark and pushed some distance (while parked), it caused over 30k in damage.

    A panel beaters quote will only look for panel damage, and driving a car after an accident can make your insurance invalid

    • +1

      That's a great point. Seems like general consensus now is to go via insurance rather than private deal which I'll do.

  • I'd go with 1 or 3. Contact Amazon again & find out what the process is for number 3.

    I have never been in a number 2 situation before. Judging by the stories here on Ozbargain. You will only get half the money & it will take a year.

  • Consider things that can go wrong with a private deal it's not worth it. He pays upfront but then more damage is found, he or Panel Beater can hold your car ransom until sorted. An unsatisfactory repair is noticed after the transaction is made. All these things can happen when going through insurance but they are an insurance giant so they can fight things or take the hits instead of yourself.

  • I would take it up with Amazon's insurance. They will want it handled quick and quiet. And it won't affect your insurance either. Amazon is known for throwing money at problems to make it go away.

    Never do it off the books. You never know if there is more damage than just cosmetic and down the line if it becomes a bigger issue you have no cover to fix it. It is like getting hurt at work. Many bosses will try and just pay your bills. But if it leads to long term problems there is no workcover for you as there is no recorded history of an accident.

  • Safer to go through insurance. Might be window to make a claim witih amazon. So he keeps you busy then the window closes and Amazon says sorry thats it and you end up claiming through your own insurance anyway

  • Photo of damage plz.

      • +2

        dats one dirty car,

        But yeah, best go through an insurer, respray across a couple of panels will cost a bit.

        • +3

          yeah, parking in the city leads to a lot of dust accumulation.
          At least ill get most value out of my insurance - free car wash after repairs

  • +3

    Always go through your insurance.

    I've had 2 incidents where people wanted to do it privately. First one after I did all the work getting quotes then they decided to go through their insurance anyway so just wasted my time. Second one changed their tune and said they were getting a lawyer involved so I went through my insurance who took care of everything and I got my excess back because they determined I wasn't at fault. I needed follow up repairs months later and it was all covered.
    Neither of these impacted my premiums as I wasn't at fault.

    Pro tip - have different insurance for your home and car insurance.
    I hit a kangaroo and wrote off my car, insurer paid me out minus the excess (determined that I was at fault) then doubled my premium for my replacement car. My home insurer said since I had been with them for a while I still had 60% no claim bonus even after declaring the at fault claim so now my car is with them for the next 3 years.

    • When I was a student, I reversed into someone's car. Very minor paint damage with no dents on their car and none on mine. My insurance excess was well over $1k (Under 25 driver). Luckily The other driver was ok with sorting it privately. I transferred them some money and a few months later, received back the change from the repair job. I do sympathise with the Amazon driver as he is a student however I didn't agree to privately straight away as the damage is much more extensive than a small scratch

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