Help... someone did a hit and run on my car :(

[aquazi]

I have been on holiday and then abroad for work for the past month.. uncovered my car today as it lovely and sunny... parked up in an end bay with loads of space on the open side... come back after 10 minutes and see a huge scratch across half my car... looks like someone trying to park next to me clipped my car No CCTV camera's or car with visible damage in the car park (only has space for 10 cars)

The door is marked.. but can polish out.. however its dented all the way along it.... and my rear skirt is scratched down the plastic and now loose, and my wheel marked... so i think i will need to get an alignment check done

So before i call my insurance company will this be cheaper to fix without going through them? i have £750 voluntary excess + £250 compulsory... maybe upgrade to aero skirts while i am at it?

Covered my car up again as it depresses me

Some sad pictures.

Parking bay gap

 

[pvr]

Unfortunately, whether you get it fixed yourself or by the insurance company, the requirement to notify the insurance company is there so therefore your premium will go up, no matter whether you claim or no.

The damage looks more then 1k to me, but before you do anything, get an idea of what the costs are likely to be.

 

[sp3ctre]

Sorry to see that. With that excess I would say keep the insurance out of it... overall you'll be better off paying yourself I think. Bastards!

 

[andymezza]

Sorry but if I was to repair this myself, I wouldn't tell the insurance diddly squat under these circumstances. I have repaired numerous dings caused by idiots that are unable to park correctly over the years and haven't felt the need to lose my no claims on each occasion.

 

[pvr]

Fully agreed, I was only referring to the legal requirement, especially when posting on an open forum ...

 

[andymezza]

Fully agreed, I was only referring to the legal requirement, especially when posting on an open forum ...

Aha, gotcha

Truth be told I do reckon it will come to over a grand but then at that sort of excess I'm not sure how much over that it would have to be for me to go through the insurance.

 

[Owl wood]

Sorry to see that, mate. There are some real shits out there...

 

[aquazi]

Cheers guys... i was thinking about costs in terms of just my excess alone.... no doubt my insurance would go up "regardless of fault" as they so elegantly put it :x

I dont have time to see any bodyshops until end of Oct would there be any implications if i later go down the insurance route then and not notifying them within 24 hours?

I am guessing i could get a new pair of aero skirts painted in for £600... so then its the cost getting a new door skin or respraying the old one.. blending it in..... the marks on my wheel are minor and i could fix that myself when i put on my winter wheels.

 

[tomscott]

It really makes me mad when i see things like this! The fact people have no respect to leave a note with details, and how the hell they do it in the first place! If i did something like this I would be pretty upset, and want to sort it out as quickly as possible! Shame that people have no decency these days! All I can say is that sorry it happened to you and yur great looking Z. I would just get it repaired and not worry about the insurance company especially with the excess. Good look with it.

Tom Scott

 

[IvanDobskey]

Sorry to see this mate So many utter utter cretins and miscreants out there it makes my blood boil :headbang: If I ever caught someone doing this to my car and trying to leave the scene I dread to think what i'd be tempted to do :evil:

Really hope you get it sorted to a good standard and for minimal cost.

 

[sars]

Fully agreed, I was only referring to the legal requirement, especially when posting on an open forum ...

The legal requirement is to be truthful, have you made a claim or had an accident in the last 5 years, if he makes a claim then the insurance company will record and distribute that fact.

However, you must be physically driving the car to have been involved in an accident, at the very least sitting in the drivers seat.

Anyway aquazi, sorry for your troubles, there are some real s#\€s out there and it never happens when your walking to the car.

 

[SpikedJuice]

I'm really sorry to see this, aquazi. I had the privilege of seeing your car in person in the North Wales run. So sad to see this, but really hope the repair work restores it to the original condition.

 

[doofus4000]

really gutted for you mate. this is the worst nightmare and I genuinly feel for you.

personally I would fix it myself - take it to a good bodyshop and see what method they think you should use for repairing it..and go for the aero skirt upgrade while you are doing it if you can afford.

there wasnt any cctv coverage of your car parked?

I would in no way inform my insurance company unless you are claiming off them!!!

 

[pvr]

Fully agreed, I was only referring to the legal requirement, especially when posting on an open forum ...

The legal requirement is to be truthful, have you made a claim or had an accident in the last 5 years, if he makes a claim then the insurance company will record and distribute that fact.

However, you must be physically driving the car to have been involved in an accident, at the very least sitting in the drivers seat.

No, that is not correct - the wording is "have you made any claims or had any losses, regardless of fault" - so losses include stuff that you fixed yourself.

I am only quoting the insurance requirements here, not stating what is reasonable or what you should do / or should declare.

 

[doofus4000]

I think of the stone chips on my car as losses and one day I will have to get the front end resprayed due to stone chips and that will be a big loss. where does the buck stop really!

 

[pvr]

I know, it is only in the UK where this is the case. Other countries insurance are only interested in "claims", not in "losses".

In theory, if I drop a suitcase on my car by accident and don't fix it, my premium would go up. Madness.

All I am saying here, as it is posted on a public forum, that there is always a risk involved with not declaring it. I don't think I would post it at all ...

 

[doofus4000]

but that would be no fun pvr what would you do without the z4-forum!

 

[paddy wright]

bastards plain and simple- gutted for u! May I suggest as a forum we all somehow send £2 to aquazi- nowt to us but if all the main forum members chip in it will make a big difference?
Seems like a great 'insurance' scheme to me. Couple of quid now and again to help a forumite and secure in the knowedge tjat we will all do the same for eachother?

 

[2alpsade]

Bad news :x If it was ours, we'd pay up to around £1500 before we even contemplated an insurance claim....and that's gonna be less IMO. One claim can quickly turn to two etc etc and your protected NCB is gone, too :evil:

 

[aquazi]

Thanks again guys.... I am no lawyer but I personally think that insurance companies will do anything they can to screw you over... So follow PVR's view.... So I'll mention it come renewal time to cover my own back.

When I get my Inspection next Friday I'll find out which garage they use as their body shop... And get a quote from them....'looks like a new door skin though as its a dirty dent all they way across.

Some aero skirts are £360 unpainted but a few weeks on back order.... But be madness to replace it with a stock skirt now.

bastards plain and simple- gutted for u! May I suggest as a forum we all somehow send £2 to aquazi- nowt to us but if all the main forum members chip in it will make a big difference?
Seems like a great 'insurance' scheme to me. Couple of quid now and again to help a forumite and secure in the knowedge tjat we will all do the same for eachother?

Thanks mate... I've covered it's wounds for now.... After all it's only a car... Was pretty mad most of the afternoon.... Thank god I have a decent gym to vent my anger.... But
:ilz4f:
:ilz4f: