A few weeks ago I backed up into a parked car at a new job.
I’m a new driver and wanted to do the right thing, even though the damage was minor, so I left my details.
I get a text about it and we agree to go without insurance and I’ll pay for the damage.
They get a quote from a garage and give me a copy.
I’m just not sure she is getting the work done, but don’t know if she could then just make an insurance claim anyway.
The invoice for the garage has the address and phone number, but the landline doesn’t work, I can’t find the garage on Google (I can find everything online). I texted the mobile on the invoice to see about making payment with CC rather than bank transfer but they’re not set up for that they said.
So my question is, does it matter if she isn’t getting the work done and pockets the money as I have admitted to her in text liability after all so if I question the legitimacy of the invoice she could just decide to go get a real one and have the work done. Or if it’s fake is that fraud on her part and I don’t need to do anything.
Bare in mind this is close to work too so don’t want drama but also do want to keep the £150.
If I was you I would just pay the 150 pounds.
The invoice looks pretty similar to garages because they tend to just be ran by one or two people and dont have sophisticated invoice generation. Their systems are old school and work off pen and paper, which is what your (or her) invoice was.
Also, you could argue that even if she didnt get the work done, 150 pounds sounds about right for a slight backup/bump into another car. If she wanted to pocket the money, or possibly wait and get the car fixed at a later date, that would possibly be her right too.
If the invoice is inflated (e.g. Its a fake invoice and a higher amount than you damaged) thats a different story. That would be fraud. But I am not sure 150 pounds is inflated. A worry about getting it done outside insurance is people will defraud you and make their mechanic produce a fake invoice, higher than the actual amount. But its hard to see that happened here given its such a small amount.
I am going to do that.
I was all along, pretty much for the reasons you have given. At the end of the day I hit her car and this is the figure. What she does with that is upto her really.
It was more family putting ideas into my head. I’d rather mark this off as done and move on, rather than dragging it out.
Thanks for the response.
No problem.
Given you did hit her car or scratch it or whatever, 150 pounds is about as little as you could have expected to pay. Whether she fixes the car or not doesnt really matter but I do believe she did it would not make sense to fake an invoice for that.
She could still TRY claim off insurance but given you have written confirmation from her that she fixed it already, I doubt that will happen