UGH!! Scratched a car in a parking lot today

[pilotwife_02]

So we were starting to get a bad storm and the wind was horrible. As I was getting my son strapped into his car seat a strong gust of wind blew my car door open more (I had propped open with my leg which was fine at the time since the wind wasn't bad at first) and hit the car next to me. I thought I had the car door positioned well, it's an SUV so the bottom of the door is high enough that I had my knee under the door "holding" it from going further (I know that's probably hard to picture), or so I thought.

It was in a mall parking lot and waited a while for the owner to show, but he/she didn't so I left a note with my phone number on it so they can call me.

I feel so bad, this has never happened to me before (which I guess I should consider myself lucky since I've been driving for 16 years).

So my question is how do I make sure I don't get ripped off? Like they try to blame me for more than the scrach I caused? I did take a couple pictures on my cell phone of the scratch to help prove that I only caused that one scratch, but what else?

I'm planning on asking them for 2 estimates. DH said it shouldn't cost more than a couple hundred dollars so I'm not planning on going through my insurance company, but if it costs more than my deductible will it be worth filing through my insurance company; I wonder if it will make my rates go up?

 

[daisyduck123]

I don't know the answers to your questions, but wanted to congratulate you for being such an honest person.

 

[ziggystardust]

yes, thank you for being honest.

this happened to me when my car was only 6months old. It either happened at my work place or target, and you guessed it, no note. I got an estimate and it ran somewhere around $700, so needless to say I never got it fixed. Still makes me mad when I see those dents on my first new car.

(mine was so much b/c there were 2 dents and scratches, on a non-flat part of the car that would have to be reshaped...i think)

 

[pilotwife_02]

I don't know the answers to your questions, but wanted to congratulate you for being such an honest person.

yes, thank you for being honest.

this happened to me when my car was only 6months old. It either happened at my work place or target, and you guessed it, no note. I got an estimate and it ran somewhere around $700, so needless to say I never got it fixed. Still makes me mad when I see those dents on my first new car.

(mine was so much b/c there were 2 dents and scratches, on a non-flat part of the car that would have to be reshaped...i think)

Thanks. I figured if it were my car I'd be so mad that someone did that to me. I have had my share of surface scratches that could be buffed out, but I know what it's like to have a new car and find something like a ding or scrach on it. And it did look look a fairly new car and I couldn't live with myself if I wasn't honest.

I just hope this person will be as honest as I have been and try not to rip me off. Can you tell I work in the legal field and assume the worst in people ?(Yes I know that's a bad trait but after seeing people want and try to scam others for all they can I'm a little put off by people in general.)

 

[Handbag Lady]

Thank you again for being honest.

My husband's car was three months old when TWO giant scratches showed up. They were more like gashes and the paint was gone in two spots and each spot had a dent.

We're 90% sure it was caused by the lady who parks next to him as her door lines up just perfectly. We had to get it fixed for fear of rust appearing as it was raining that weekend.

It cost him $600 out of pocket. Our deductible is $500, but we were told it was going to be less and didn't want to bother with it in the end for $100.

You might get lucky. Someone dinged my mom's car and left a note. My mom called them back and said it was their lucky day as she wasn't going to ask them to pay since she had parked crooked and assumed it was her fault.

 

[christineann]

The same thing happened to my son when he was in college. He waited for about 30 minutes for the owner to come out of the store, and he paid for it to be fixed. She got him two estimates and chose the less expensive one.

The problem that could arise if you leave a note is that the owner could claim more damage than actually happened. I would try to get another person (possibly a cop) to look at the damage you caused and make sure you don't get accused of more damage than that if you have to leave a note. A man tried to scam a friend of my son's (they were in high school) for a similar incident, and my son got a police officer to accompany his friend to the meeting requested by the other driver, who was claiming all kinds of other damage on his car. The young man gave the other driver $100 to pay for a very small dent, and the officer told him in front of the other driver to call the police if he got harassed further.

 

[LynnTH]

This happend to me also. It was a windy day and the car door got away from my son and hit the new red car next to us.

I left a note on the windshield to have them call and I would then give them our insurance info. The lady called back a day or so later and thanked us for writing them a note and then said that her husband was able to buff out the scratches, so no need to do anything. So, there are really nice people like this out there also...

 

[pilotwife_02]

Well no phone call yet. I've been anxious all day.

Guess I just keep waiting.

 

[KAMLEM]

Hopefully the person you hit will be as honest as you and not try to rip you off. I backed into a car once when I was driving DH's truck. The woman came out right after it happened and she was so nice. Her husband fixed the damage himself and I only had to pay what it cost them for parts (I think it needed a new bumper or something).

My mother was sitting in her car last week and she heard a bang. When she looked out her side window she saw that a little old lady had bumped into her car with a shopping cart and she proceeded to drag it along the side of the car until she got to the mirror and saw my mother sitting in the car! She scraped the entire side of the car and when my mother got out of the car she completely denied it! She said that the scrape was already there and she didn't touch the car. My mother just let her go, she said there was no reasoning with her and she was starting to get nasty. This is just an old car that they leave up here for when they come back from FL and they aren't that concerned about the scrape. I don't think I would have been so forgiving.

 

[MickeySP]

That is why cell phones have cameras.

I advise anyone who gets in an accident to take pics with cell if you have no other camera available. Try to get one with a picture of the other driver to provide a timeline and prevent claims for other damage you didn't do. Also their license plate, I have seen instances when "victim" has 2 similair vehicles and claims the other to get different damage on 2nd vehicle covered.

I always keep a disposable camera in my glove comp. or center console.

 

[happygirl]

I would have called the cops, that way you have a record of damage.

 

[BellvilleDad]

I don't know the answers to your questions, but wanted to congratulate you for being such an honest person.

This.
QFT

 

[pilotwife_02]

I would have called the cops, that way you have a record of damage.

I don't think they would have shown up. It was private property and they usually don't show up for non-injury related accidents. The only reason why I know this is that someone hit me in a parking lot (she was playing on her cell phone and didn't see me and hit the passenger side of my car) and when I called the cops they said they wouldn't come unless someone was injured since it was private property.

And I do have pics of the car, up close and further away. I wish I had thought to take a pic of the license plate...now I'm kicking myself for that.

Still waiting for this person to call. I thought they would have called by now.

 

[I*heart*MickeyMouse]

If I were the owner, unless it was in danger of rust, I wouldn't have you do anything.

 

[DebbieB]

For damage to another person's car, it would be under liability coverage and there is no deductible (double check your policy to be sure). Any damage to your car would have a deductible (collision coverage).

 

[kimblebee]

Maybe the wind blew your info off the windshield


If it was just a small ding, I don't think I'd call the person either.

 

[tvguy]

I would have called the cops, that way you have a record of damage.

In many states police will not respond to accidents on private property, they consider that a civil matter.

 

[tvguy]

For damage to another person's car, it would be under liability coverage and there is no deductible (double check your policy to be sure). Any damage to your car would have a deductible (collision coverage).

Yes, check your coverage. I have $1,000 deductable on my liablity coverage. It may vary from state to state, but I sure haven't seen liability insurance with no deductable. Usually there is at least a $100 deductable. Of course, the higher the deductable you have, the cheaper your insurance bill.

 

[NHdisneylover]

In the (fairly unlikely) event that the person really is dishonest and tries to swap cars or get covered for other damage--it is possible that the store you were hat as cameras in the parking lot and may have some kind of record that can show which car it is (zoom in on plates--you may be able to get at least a portion of the plate from your photo when you zoom in as well) and show that it was only a door ding and not running into the car while driving, etc.
You could call the store and ask them if they have parking lot security cameras and if so, how long is dated stored before being erased.

 

[The Moonk's Mom]

My son opened his door into a fairly new SUV last spring at soccer practice...the repair only cost about $200 (no too bad) which I paid out of pocket and now I also have a new friend. The girl we hit is now a friend because of what happened...we may have never met any other way but started talking while all of this was going on.