Travelling up the road, cars parked most of the way up on the left hand side, one car parked on the right with barely enough space for 2 cars to pass between. From the end of the row of parked cars on the left appears a Ford Focus. For some strange reason I thought the Focus would pull in behind the parked car on the right, it didn't. Luckily we only clipped wing mirrors and they are both smashed.

I turned the car around and went back to where the Focus had parked up and asked if she was OK. All was pleasant and we exchanged names addresses etc. and I suggested that we pay for our own mirrors and forget about it.

Later today I get a msg from her saying that the mirror would cost £45 to repair and would I pay it.

I sent one back saying that I don't believe that I was at fault and restated that we should buy our own mirrors.

Next message I get is asking for my insurance details!

Turns out that she thinks it's my fault and she's got nothing to loose anyway because she has protected no claims.

Off we go then, chuffin' great.

I stand the chance of losing 2 of my 6yrs no claims because she has nothing to loose.

I could go on ... no really

Edit - I was in my Xantia, not my Locost.

[Edited on 30/8/05 by RoadkillUK]

wouldn't they both be under both of your excess ?? i would have thought insurance wouldn't entertain a broken mirror claim and at best would go "knock for knock" so you'd both pay anyway ??

moral of the story, dont stop next time. Even if you end up not paying for her mirror, it'll cost you more than that in lost time and expenses. Especially if you loose no claims.

I think the best result you would get is an enforced 50/50 settlement (and its possible you would have to be lucky to get that) and either way, you would still lose your NCB.

I hate to say it lee, but the smart money's on coughing up... my pride would probably prevent me though, but its definately not worth losing the NCD over.

Good luck anyway.

I can't bring myself to pay £45 for something that isn't my fault. I know it's probably stupid but I can't. Sorry

I just hope she comes to her senses and realises like Jon says that she will still have to pay her excess which will be more than £45.

No way would i pay up just because i know she would be telling all her mates how good a driver she is. This comes under the same thing as why women allways think they have right of way in tight spots, go anyway then don't even give a thank you wave. I swear one day i will buy an old scrapper and ram one of the b***ards just to see their expression.

She is obviously totally stupid, as Jon says the insurance companies will definitely go knock for knock and protected no claims is irrelevant when she comes to renew or change her insurance and they ask if she has had any claims in the last 3 years!!

Also as already stated it will be less thsan the excess so she probably needs some enlightenment as to how insurance companies work!

Have you got her insurance details??

Rich.

The words OFF and F**K would be my next message to her

Pay for the mirror then kick the bast**d off when its been fitted!

Dont pay mate. She's obviously told her hubby and hes told her to make you pay. Tell her to do one or tell her to pay for yours as it was clearly her fault.

Not worth the insurance.

I had a woman pull out infront of me a while ago. Broke the brackets on my rear bumper and ripped hers off. She didnt want to put it through the insurance which i was happy with. I sent her a bill for 150 quid. She wasnt happy and started on how it was my fault. I sent her a letter stating it was her that pulled out infront of me so no way my fault and that id put it through the insurance and shed have to pay for a rear quarter on my car. She soon backed don and coughed up.

Make sure you tell your insurance company, tell them about the incident, tell them that you were not at fault, and that you do not wish to make a claim at this juncture. If she suddenly starts claiming for whiplash (stranger things have happened!), you will not be personably liable for any lawyers bills, only on a successful claim against you would your NCB be at risk.

As for the Focus driver, she is spinning you one, a Focus mirror is about £100 fitted, tell her to get a main dealer invoice for the work, and then refuse to pay!!


Speaking as an ex bodyshop manager, and now an independant insurance assessor!!

Ive just been screwed by a women driver my insurance on my tin top has now doubled to a £1000 a year for tpf&f on a soddin 406 hdi only 90 bhp yet I can insure an 165+ mph 1000cc bike for £175 a year..

Im now in a position were I have to sell the car and get a bike to go to work on

LOOK YOU LOT....

When will you all realise that the other motorist on the road is Always right, and you will always be in the wrong (in their eyes).

To Simply avoid ALL this hassle, Drive a 20 year old Land Rover, with bashed wings and scratched paintwork, and a double military front bumper, or a home made bullbar (does'nt need to be high or big... just MEAN looking with a NATO Tow hitch on the front.

Then Every thing except Artic lorries and busses will back down FIRST. Everyone will let you into Queues, and let you pull out of side roads into the mainstream traffic.

Its a simple rule of the road that everyone including women understand.

Rule1. If is BIGGER - Give Way. (Women tend to appreciate things that are BIGGER)

The logic behind this is simple...

They love their cars.
Its a Status (or Phallic) Symbol.
Its new (or new ish).
Its valuable to them.
They want to look GOOD in it.
They dont want to damage it.

Whereas the humble Landy Owner see's it differently:

They love their Landy too. (After that startling simmilarity with the above, it changes to your favour)
Its not Phallic - Its the wrong shape.
Its certainly not new, unless you have more money than sense.
Its not that valuable
Damage??? Whats that?. Bashes and scratches ADD character to your landy.
Plus it lets everyone know you really use it for its real purpose, and not for transporting the kids to the local school where you then double or triple park.

Basically you learn to appreciate that Transport is just that. After that, you dont really give a toss. Money / dents / scratches / paintwork cease to be a worry.

Insurance??
I pay £165 for a 12 seater (classed as a Minibus) for Fully Comp with protected no claims. (National Farmers Union Mutual Insurance)

Now I did some Internet quotes a month ago. out of 5 quotes, the lowest was £112, and the highest was £225.
NFU are very good for Landies.

Now I could understand your situation if it was the Locost / Cateringvan / Westie etc.

Drive a tank... and you will never worry about the odd mirror again, as you know you will rarely come off worst in such an altercation!

I've already informed my insurance company of the incident and they said that her insurance would not be too happy to take this on.

I don't have her insurance details as we didn't swap details at the time. When I rang her she said she wasn't at home and wouldn't be until tomorrow, so I'll have to wait until she phones me tomorrow.

I truly hope that when she phones tomorrow she would have had a chance to speak to someone who knows about it and decides to drop it.

If she does, shall I tell her I'd rather it go through insurance and make her sweat?

Tell her to go through her insurance, but get someone to listen to the conversation or tape it, and say that everything you say is 'WITHOUT PREJUDICE' at the begining of the conversation and at the end.

Hole dug, ushered to the hole, falls in, start filling in!

my insurance company (for bike and car) puts out a note that says often protected no claims is a bit of a waste of time. You may still find that your policy goes up the following year 'for inflation'. Also, protected no claims isnt honored by any company you may change to.

The 'excess' bit is the killer - most insurance is at least 100 quid excess, so she would lose no claims and not actually get any money.

BTW - a backshell for a mirror of a laguna, painted and fitted, runs at approx 250 quid - the focus must be cheap at 100 quid!

atb

steve

Looks like the insurance company has told her it's not worth it or she's been talking to a man.

She was supposed to phone me yesterday with her insurance details but she didn't so I phoned her today.

Turns out she's decided not to go through insurance and is paying for it herself. I didn't even ask why, I just said 'OK, bye' and hung up.

All's well etc. just got to find £4.50 for a new mirror now and a little T-Cut to get that plastic off my painted mirror

Land rovers are good, but the best veichle to make other drivers get out of the way I find is a tractor on wide tyres, so that it comes about 3m wide. With exposed wheels that are taller than a car it's like playing chiken with a monster truck.

Tanks smack too much of games like grand theft auto.

[Edited on 1/9/05 by clbarclay]