Non Insurance Claims

Joe Bass

Joe Bass

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Sitting here waiting for my kid to finish school. Had to come pick him up as buses are canceled. Guy goes to make a 3 point turn and almost backs into me. This gets me thinking: if he had hit me, and we decided to forgo insurance, I'm thinking that not only would I want it repaired, but I would also want another ~$500 on top. Here's my thinking: I would have to bring my car in, I would be without a vehicle for at least a few days, and wtf, just the sheer inconvenience.
If we went through insurance, I have rental car coverage, but seeing as I am doing the guy a "favour " by avoiding the claim, I think the extra cash is warranted.
Thoughts?
Legalities?

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The reason they would want to bypass ins. is to keep it cheap. They want to pay the least they can. So, though warranted, they wouldn't want to give you more than the minimum to fix. Even if it would end up being less than if they pay thru their ins. It's getting so that it's not worth giving someone a break. If you aren't at fault go thru ins.
 
Keep the GoPro on even when parked. Or have the phone handy.

If someone backs into you, make the claim and don't try to negotiate anything off the books. It's not doing either one of you any favours.

Besides, you end up with The at fault driver accusing you of being at fault. There is no honest people anymore Joe. Lol.




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Usually when people do these cash deals, they have no intention of getting their car fixed. They would just rather have the money, and would live with the damage.

Unless it was something really small (for paint transfer I might take a couple hundred), there wouldn't be a scenario where I wouldn't get insurance involved. I'm not too big on giving someone who just hit me a favour.
 
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It's great that you're willing to do the other driver a favor, but it should be a take it or leave it situation.
Ie. "I want this much, or I'm going through insurance"...
Re: "Hmmm, how about..." -
"Okay, I'm going through insurance."

Don't need to be doing favors on a favor you're doing for the other party.
 
This is hypothetical. JB was just musing.

Keep in mind that any insurance record of damage could result in diminished value that will affect trade-in value. Canadian insurers don't have to compensate for diminished value unlike the USA. Unless you drive your car nearly into the ground it could cost you thousands.

Since I drive mine into the ground insurance wouldn't bother me. The problem is I wouldn't know how much to ask for and would likely guess low. If you part company without payment in your hand you might never see any.

Parking lot crashes are treated 50/50 in many cases. Try getting a witness or the insurer to listen.

Crashes suck.
 
Legal shmegal Joe, you need to be made whole. What ever it takes, Joe. No more Mr. Nice Guy, ok Joe?
 
All depends on the situation but I had a guy hit me once, and clearly his fault but no witnesses. Guy backed into me. Got a few quotes of $800 for a bumper repair and he said to 'f*** off you're ripping me off'. I went to the cops, and called him to tell him I'll expect him at the police station...had my $800 15min later...

Cops said: Who would believe that the guy backed into you if you don't have a camera? The fact that he's offering you $1 is shocking. Your front end, his rear bumper, if it goes any further you'll be noted at fault as you probably hit him instead of him backing into you.

Thankfully I was hit by an illegal Polak and he didn't know the laws...whew...

Oh the face on the man when he came out of his car yelling at me in Polish and I responded in kind...
 
I had a guy drive into me while stopped. He agreed to pay repairs plus a rental for the duration as that was what I would get through insurance. His only stipulation was that he pay the shop directly because he thought I was going to get the shop to give me a fake receipt for more money and then make extra cash off him. Well time comes that I get the call to pick up the car. Take the rental back and have them drop me at the body shop. Shop asks me to pay. I say other guy was supposed to pay. They say he never made arrangements. I try to call him and he won't answer. So I pay so I can leave since I no longer have any other vehicle. He doesn't want to pay me now and accuses me of scamming him. I call insurance to make the claim. They tell me no problem they'll pay it all. Next day guy calls me begging me to retract my claim and offers me an extra $50 for the hassle. I make an extra $50. His insurance company had called him and told him his rates were going to double for many years all because he didn't want to pay ~$500. $500 vs $200/month for 5 years is easy math.

The quotes I got to repair my rear bumper ranged from $250 to $1500. I picked the middle quote around $~500 because I'm a reasonable guy and would expect the same.
 
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@unL33T even I'm not that nice! Lol. At that point that $50 better have another zero attached to it or gtfo! Don't mistake my generosity for weakness. Or something like that.
People suck.

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I'd also rather avoid insurance and at the time I thought people were generally nice so I tried to be nice back. I've since learned I was mostly wrong. This was over 10 years ago.
 
I know what you mean @unL33T
I am a victim of my own naiveness. (Yeah. I know it's not a word.)

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Joe Bass said:
I know what you mean @unL33T
I am a victim of my own naiveness. (Yeah. I know it's not a word.)

Sent from the Purple Zone
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The word you're looking for is naivete I believe.

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Iceman said:
The word you're looking for is naivete I believe.

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Thank you.
Never really had to use it before, but in this context I found it to be fitting. Naivete. Noted. ?

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I'd have no problem with someone asking for something for the inconvenience as long as it was reasonable.
I've paid, and been paid for mishaps.
The last time I was rear ended.. I ended up telling the person not to worry about it... Don't care about that truck anyway.
 
So did you end up taking the measly $50 or teach the guy a lesson he's still paying for? I would have added a 0 to retract the claim.
 
Riceburner said:
So did you end up taking the measly $50 or teach the guy a lesson he's still paying for? I would have added a 0 to retract the claim.
Click to expand...

I'm not a lawyer but that sounds a lot like extortion
 
Been there on several occasions
Last time 17yr old kid, hits my wife's car, estimate $1650. I tell the kid that had been licensed for 14days.... $1650. and $180. for three days rental car. His dad got on the phone and accused me of extortion, claiming I'd just take the cash, he wanted to pay the bodyshop directly so I would scam him, wanted me to get three estimates.

I explained junior hit me, I like the shop that gave me one estimate, he can pay me in cash so I know the bodyshop gets paid or I can hand it to insurance and juniors rates can go to the moon. He was argumentative so off to insurance it goes......

Know why its so hard to get anybody to do anybody a favor? because once burnt.......
 
crankcall said:
Been there on several occasions
Last time 17yr old kid, hits my wife's car, estimate $1650. I tell the kid that had been licensed for 14days.... $1650. and $180. for three days rental car. His dad got on the phone and accused me of extortion, claiming I'd just take the cash, he wanted to pay the bodyshop directly so I would scam him, wanted me to get three estimates.

I explained junior hit me, I like the shop that gave me one estimate, he can pay me in cash so I know the bodyshop gets paid or I can hand it to insurance and juniors rates can go to the moon. He was argumentative so off to insurance it goes......

Know why its so hard to get anybody to do anybody a favor? because once burnt.......
Click to expand...
Yeah I always give people the option to pay cash and the last 3 times they screwed me around until I went through insurance anyway. I still offer. I've even just ignored getting minorly rear ended a couple times (once was a garbage car, second time there was already existing damage from a previous collision and there was no major additional damage so I told the lady to forget about it).

I rear ended a lady minorly a few years back and I agreed to pay cash. In the end she thanked me for being so honest because her husband said I was going to rip her off, made sure I wasn't going to be struggling financially by paying her, told my gf she should marry me because I'm such a good guy, and offered to get me a good deal on a wedding ring as she is a professional gemologist that also works in the gold mining industry. I'd rate that experience 10/10, would crash again.
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