Need advice on small bumper damage I caused...

[Samckitt]

The scenario, I backed into a parking spot & after putting my 1500HD Silverado into park it rolled backwards a small amount & the Hitch receiver make a couple small dents & scratched a little bit of paint off the bumper of the car behind me. Well the guy called the police, they came out, but he didn't write an accident report but wanted my information, including insurance info to give to the guy. I said I would pay for it without involving my insurance. This was a month ago. I can't remember what kind of car it was, except that it was NOT something like a BMW, Lexus, Mercedes, etc. So he calls tonight & says he has 2 estimates. One is $563 to remove the bumper, put some filler in the two tiny dents & repaint, the other was almost $1000 to replace the bumper because he didn't think filler would stick on the plastic part. I had a complete hood painted top & bottom & had a couple spots fixed where it needed a little filler for about half of his $563 estimate. So I asked him to take his car to the place that did my hood. But he didn't want to, too far of a drive, it is maybe 20 miles tops.

I feel like he is bending me over & sticking me. What do you think?

[SatisTraction]

actually it sounds resonable to me.

[lunchmeat]

Sounds within reason at the $563, I do it to get it behind me.

[MrQuick]

try to call a few mobile spot repair guys. Maybe he can come out to where the guy works.


The one we use is great. He'll come out and fix it where ever the car is. He did a freinds car with similar damage on his Lexus bumper, charged him $75 and did it in his driveway. Spot repair and paint.

Chances are that you give him the cash it will never get fixed.
Vince

[LateNight72]

Bondo does not like to stick to plastic (especially what bumpers are made of today). It takes a bit more work and extra steps but it's not "impossible". Those prices are not too far out of line, but definitely aren't "great" prices.

How "little" is a dent?




Chances are that you give him the cash it will never get fixed.
:1st: :1st: :1st:

Pretty much exactly that...

[mikedc]

Tell him you'll pay the lower estimate amount.

Tell him you want to keep a xerox copy of the estimate you're paying, and that you will be keeping paperwork proving that you paid him that money.



After that, it really doesn't matter whether he fixes the dent or not. You should be off the hook.

.

[Samckitt]

Bondo does not like to stick to plastic (especially what bumpers are made of today). It takes a bit more work and extra steps but it's not "impossible". Those prices are not too far out of line, but definitely aren't "great" prices.

How "little" is a dent?




:1st: :1st: :1st:

Pretty much exactly that...

The dent is little enough that I didn't even see it the day it happened, all I saw was the little area whee the paint got scratched off.

[jilge71]

just to paint a bumper is normally 400 + and when repairing take 3-4 hrs at $44 hr it doesnt take that long to get over the 563. the price sounds right inline and if it does need replaced it can get close to 1000 but i wouldnt think over that unless its a lexus or mercedes or something.

[John Wright]

Offer the guy the $563 in cash and let him take it to whomever he wants to have it fixed....and be done with it. Chances are he will take the cash, spend it and never fix the car, but that's his choice.......

[fbody_mike]

Just make sure you have him sign something that says that you are no longer respsonsible and that this is the final payment and make sure you both sign and date it and the bottom. And keep it for atleast 5 years.

[67rstbkt]

I lady rear ended my wife a few years back and paid the body shop out of pocket. The damage was very minor, basically she left a few scratches and two small indents from the screws on her license plate. It ended up coming in at around $900 for the repair.

[dadto2jays]

The touch up company I use here in the dealership I run charges us $125.00 to repair and paint a bumber cover.
All the toyota bumpers are plastic so it seems a bit high to me at least.

[ErikLS2]

The touch up company I use here in the dealership I run charges us $125.00 to repair and paint a bumber cover.
All the toyota bumpers are plastic so it seems a bit high to me at least.

Our group of dealerships use this type of service with great success as well. Sometimes little dents or dings in the plastic bumpers will come out with a little heat from a heat gun applied to them.

I would bet you the $563 he never gets it fixed also. If it were me I would call some of your local dealerships and find one of these touch up guys and then tell the guy with the car that's what you'll pay.
It will be a quality repair and reasonably priced as stated above.

[ManwithNoName]

I'm an insurance appraiser & I write estimates like those every day. The prices seem perfectly legit to me. The average bumper repair for a urethane bumper cover usually runs in the $450 to $650 range & a replacement usually $650 to $1000. As long as there are no tears the filler should not be a problem. I write these repairs all the time, it's a 2 day job. I wouldn't haggle too much as he could still contact his insurance company & they would contact yours & then it's completly out of you hands.

[NOPANTS-68]

Pay the $500 estimate an be done with it. If you are accepting responsibility then it's your dime that has to put the car back to pre-accident condtion. I have never seen a parking lot "spot paint" guy ever peform a cheapo bumper repair that looked acceptable and more importantly would even last. It doesn't matter what they do with the cash- if you take ownership of the damage it's your deal. Sucks, but look at it this way- they could just call your ins. company and create a claim making it even more complex. Any shop worth it's salt is gonna charge 500-600 for a repair and paint and around a grand for a new cover.

[SatisTraction]

Any shop worth it's salt is gonna charge 500-600 for a repair and paint and around a grand for a new cover.

thats right and it does not matter if it a honda or a lexus. the paint and labor cost the same.

[go-fish]

Have you tried meeting the high and low estimate in the middle?

[ManwithNoName]

I just wanted to throw this out there for you to consider.....IMHO, you should just report the accident to your insurance carrier & let them handle it. It's very doubtful that a minor accident of under $1000 is going to affect your rates but if your insurance carrier finds out that you had an accident that you did not report to them I can gaurentee you that your premiums will go through the roof or they will drop your coverage & you'll find yourself considered a high risk insured. If you read your policy you will see that it requires you to report any accident & Insurance Companies don't take too well to customers trying to settle claims themselves. Even if you pay this kid & later on he's not happy with the repair, he can still file a claim & then you're busted. I just don't think it's worth the risk.

[Bill Howell]

I just wanted to throw this out there for you to consider.....IMHO, you should just report the accident to your insurance carrier & let them handle it. It's very doubtful that a minor accident of under $1000 is going to affect your rates but if your insurance carrier finds out that you had an accident that you did not report to them I can gaurentee you that your premiums will go through the roof or they will drop your coverage & you'll find yourself considered a high risk insured. If you read your policy you will see that it requires you to report any accident & Insurance Companies don't take too well to customers trying to settle claims themselves. Even if you pay this kid & later on he's not happy with the repair, he can still file a claim & then you're busted. I just don't think it's worth the risk.

I agree 100% At the very least, make him sign something saying that your payment of $xxx.00 clears you of any other liability from the accident.

However, this is why you pay insurance, let them handle it and don't worry about it. The grief and stress isn't worth it.

[fordsbyjay]

I don't know about you guys but my deductible is $1000 and there is no way I would ever make a claim for $500 even if my deductible is less. You insurance will either go up and you will pay it out the ass for the next few years and if it doesn't why would you want to use your feebie accident on a $500 claim. That is not smart thinking. I would quickly pay the $560 and get him to sign off on it. Who cares if he takes the cash at least you are clear of it.

[Samckitt]

I just wanted to throw this out there for you to consider.....IMHO, you should just report the accident to your insurance carrier & let them handle it. It's very doubtful that a minor accident of under $1000 is going to affect your rates but if your insurance carrier finds out that you had an accident that you did not report to them I can gaurentee you that your premiums will go through the roof or they will drop your coverage & you'll find yourself considered a high risk insured. If you read your policy you will see that it requires you to report any accident & Insurance Companies don't take too well to customers trying to settle claims themselves. Even if you pay this kid & later on he's not happy with the repair, he can still file a claim & then you're busted. I just don't think it's worth the risk.

I would rather not involve my insurance company if possible. I am less than a year away from getting wife's speeding ticket off our records & then switch insurance to get lower rates.

[Tony_SS]

I like the part where you asked him to drive 20 miles to use your shop for an estimate. LOL - good one!

[Samckitt]

I like the part where you asked him to drive 20 miles to use your shop for an estimate. LOL - good one!

It's 14 miles. What is wrong with asking him to go somewhere else?

[elitecustombody]

just pay $ 560 and move on, the shop that wants $1000 either lazy or really has no idea that there is a flexible plastic repair adhesive available to repair just that,flexible plastic bumpers and it has been on the market for decades

[Tony_SS]

It's 14 miles. What is wrong with asking him to go somewhere else?

Not trying to be rude but if some guy hit my car and told me to drive 14 miles to get an estimate I'd tell him to stuff it and turn it into his insurance co.

He's already doing you the favor of not going to your ins company. Its not your choice in the matter.

[ErikLS2]

If it's a lease they'll charge him for the damage if he turns it in that way.

[parsonsj]

Pay the man, and be happy you kept it away from insurance.

Edit: And be happier that you don't have to provide a rental car while his car is being repaired.

jp

[claytonisbob]

You have to take into consideration that this guy now has to go out of his way to get it fixed. If it's a lease then yeah, he isn't probably too heartbroken over the damage, but he has to turn that car back to the dealership and he'll have to pay the price for the damage if it was repaired in a shoddy nature. Plus, he has time wasted because of this. He may not be making a profit on getting the repair, but time is money.