Vehicle Accident with a Taxi - Am I Being Scammed? Damage inconsistent

LViolentunicorn on 06/12/2023 - 14:47
Last edited 06/12/2023 - 16:04 by 1 other user

Hi all,

Rainy Saturday night in Sydney CBD - a taxi driver is claiming I hit him after merging lanes into the left lane. I have no recollection of this happening at all, didn't feel a thing, but it was raining very heavily that night.

I was chased maybe 500m from the spot of the incident after the next left turn until the traffic light. The taxi driver got out of his car to tell me I cut him off and hit him with the back of my car. We pulled over to the side. He was very quick to tell me he had a witness in the taxi (unfortunately I didn't verify)

These are the scratch marks on his car:

https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/143369/108993/40339477…

https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/143369/108991/40340888…

This is where he pointed on my car that I hit him:

https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/143369/108996/40346736…

The kicker is, my sister made these scratches (the scuffs above the wheel and the single white line) on my car YEARS ago. I could not identify any new damage on my car at all from the incident

Come Monday I get text messages from the owner of the taxi (different to the driver) telling me im at fault and pushing for a claim number. My dad was quick to warn me against putting through an insurance claim before verifying that our scratches are consistent, and to arrange a meeting with the taxi owner to compare the damage a bit more closely.

My dad is certain that the white line on our car was pre-existing, and the shape of the hand-sized vertical scratches on the taxi aren't consistent at all with the white line on mine. From the images alone, it looks like the damage on the taxi is above or higher than whatever scratches I already had on my car, but I was hoping to verify this by measuring the actual height of the marks on both vehicles.

Anyway the taxi owner was unwilling to meet, but sent me another photo with more areas of damage, which I am now convinced, could not have happened at the same time.

https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/143369/108994/40339630…

I cannot see how I also caused the dent above the wheel and the additional scratches. Again, my car has no new marks on it, and I don't remember feeling a single thing. Im hoping someone with a keener eye can elaborate whether this type of impact is possible when changing lanes or whether our scratch marks are consistent

I haven't been in an accident before, but I am curious/suspicious as he keeps on insisting on a claim number from me, I thought he could just go through his own insurance process without needing to deal with me? Or is there a chance he does not have comprehensive car insurance? I assume that would be unusual for a taxi

After not replying for a day since he denied my request to meet with the cars, he has now said we can finalize this with a cash settlement or he will go through a 'recovery process'. Is this suspicious at all?

I have been told to go to the police to report this as a potential scam?

Thank you

Automotive Audi A1 Car Taxi Toyota

Comments

  • jonkvh on 07/12/2023 - 13:12
    +1

    Good update. Remember people, always ask anyone around you if they have dashcam footage.

  • Sneeze on 07/12/2023 - 13:50

    If there was contact, looks like he's run his bumper up against one of your rear tyres/wheels during a woeful merge attempt. Hence the black.

  • Nugs on 07/12/2023 - 14:32

    Hey OP, when was the last time you cleaned your wheels?
    .

    • Franc-T on 07/12/2023 - 19:46

      Yeah OP, wash your damn car!

  • infinite on 07/12/2023 - 15:26

    This is 100% a scam, OP.

    Report everything to the Police and take in your phone if need be so they can document everything required.

  • missingkeys on 07/12/2023 - 15:56
    +1

    I am tired of these scams honestly. I would have pulled the UNO reverse card and try to threaten deportation too.
    Something similar happened to me before and I wasn't too quick to pull a retaliation on them, so I just left it.

    • Lunarboogie on 07/12/2023 - 16:09
      -1

      Deportation?! Unless you're the Immigration Minister you have no right to threaten anything.

      • Michael15286 on 07/12/2023 - 16:36
        +1

        A criminal conviction will often void an Australian visa. Too late if the guy is a PR or citizen though

        • twotwotwo on 08/12/2023 - 11:11

          They can strip PR but citizenship is harder. E.g if you apply for a visa on false info and permanent visa is granted then department finds out about this false data then permanent visa can be cancelled.

  • fatpizza on 07/12/2023 - 16:35

    I barely tapped the back of a Taxi once. the damage he pointed to was not where contact would've been made, plus there were plenty of marks on his bumper anyway. Even the passenger in the taxi said so (but I stupidly gave him my number instead of the other way around). My car was fine.
    Anyways after not hearing anything for a few weeks the Taxi driver rang me asking to pay him back for the bumper he decided to fully replace. I asked him for photos of the damage (this was in the early 2000s before smartphones were common) as well as the invoice so I could speak to my insurance.
    He sent me the invoice with no photos, and I refused to pay as I was always adamant I didn't cause any damage (or at least damage that would require replacing anything). He immediately offered half, and I said no again.
    Never heard from him again.

  • coolc on 07/12/2023 - 18:24
    +1

    Im dont even bothered to take taxis anymore as almost all the time taxi drivers are not honest and tryong to get more $ out of you. I would not trust them at all

  • numloxx on 07/12/2023 - 18:40
    1. You were in front of him… You have right of way. He's behind you.
    2. Smells like a scam. It's rainy and they are hoping you'll pay up.
    3. Is there any dashcam footage proving this?
    4. Buy yourself a decent dashcam like BlackVue front and rear.
    5. Asking for cash instead of going through insurance is a sure sign its a scam.
    • Mungulz on 07/12/2023 - 20:23
      +2
      1. OP changed lanes into another car. (accused of - I don't think he did)
        This is terrible advice.
  • numloxx on 07/12/2023 - 18:44

    Oh and report his taxi number to the taxi company claiming the driver had provided no evidence etc and ask the matter be taken to the police.

  • elgrande on 07/12/2023 - 23:15

    Is that your licence in pic 3?

  • No ONE on 08/12/2023 - 05:15

    What proof do they have that accident happened? The Taxi should have dashcam footage to proof that accident happened between them and you.
    How would the witness recognise your car in that heavy rain and it could have been any car.

  • tomoliveri on 08/12/2023 - 11:59
    +1

    Please do make a police report if it turns out you didnt hit them / the marks don't match.

    Hopefully they'll get caught if it does turn out to be a scam and they try to repeat it.

  • Bignudge on 08/12/2023 - 12:59
    -4

    Bloody taxi drivers. Here's my run in with a dog of a person. You can guess the race too…

    It was a rainy Monday night (~11pm) at Darling Harbour. My car battery was over discharged from having my accessories mode on for too long to the point where the car could not crank.

    I needed a jump start. After walking around for awhile, and even calling the local police station… noone could help. (The cops said they'll come if it gets later and we felt unsafe).

    I managed to ask a taxi if he had jumper leads and could help me. Yes he said, but it will be $50. I told him to get (profanity). That shit will take like 3 minutes tops. I'm a car guy myself and would have started the car with a drill battery and 2 spoons if I had one.

    Another taxi saw and stopped by, and asked how much other guy wanted and that he'll charge a lower price.

    Man these guys are the most opportunistic bastards out there. I've made it a rule to never (profanity) let a taxi into my lane or out of a driveway. Taxis can get (profanity).

    Anyway…. to end the story, some car dude in an S13 ended up parking right behind me and had a portable jumper pack.

    Thank the lord for car guys.

    • stringbean402 on 09/12/2023 - 08:36
      +1

      Yeah that’s ridiculous to ask for money, very un-Australian m. Guessing they were your average run if the mill scumbag Indian taxi driver.

  • j0hnd0e on 08/12/2023 - 13:02

    (profanity) taxi drivers. Tell him to (profanity) off and lodge a claim with his insurer if he's so sure you caused the 'damage'. You shouldn't even bother replying his messages.

  • johnfuller on 08/12/2023 - 13:38

    In New South Wales (NSW), Australia, the law requires taxis to have security cameras operating. This is part of the safety regulations set by the state government to ensure the safety of both passengers and drivers. The cameras are intended to record continuously during a trip and are designed to capture clear images of all passengers.

    They don't have to provide you with any footage and is actually against the rules as they could be exposing the privacy of others.

    The police, as part of their investigation, can request the footage from the taxi company. If you are pursuing legal action, your lawyer can also request the footage through legal channels, such as a subpoena.

  • BeoWulf on 08/12/2023 - 14:32

    Sounds like a desperate taxi driver wanting to find easy prey to blame. Most likely the taxi person was driving way too fast and scratched your car by the looks of it.

  • dufflover on 08/12/2023 - 15:05

    Geez this is a pretty high effort scam to try given the effort to randomly follow someone around to make this sort of claim.

    • weee on 08/12/2023 - 23:23

      my thought as well, not hinting its not a scam, just find it's pretty brazen and stupid like something you might have encountered in some third world counties

  • bargainator9 on 08/12/2023 - 17:48

    What a (profanity) of a taxi driver. You did well, OP.

  • raiseyoursteaks on 09/12/2023 - 10:40

    dont worry with the taxi scums. even if they're wrong, they have no insurances and you will need to deal with their lawyers. that's where you get your insurance to get do the talking fro you.

  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 09/12/2023 - 12:15

    Taxi driver is acting that way because it's likely
    1. Owner of the taxi is pressing him to repair it or pay $
    2. Owners of taxis (at least in VIC) generally don't insure their taxis. (This the likely repeatedly requests for your claim number.

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