Post: #1

Got into an accident today. Cracked my headlight. Other vehicle sustained some scratches no dents, nothing is chipped.

Other party was driving a rented car. I tried to convince him to let me buff out the scratches at my mechanic he wouldn't take the risk sayin he cannot legally do that

We swapped info took photos etc

Tomorrow I have to go to the car rental company to settle this. And chances are they will overinflate the claim.

I don't know by how much, but loss of rental would be taken into consideration and of course sandblasting repainting and labour.

I have to get my headlight fixed and if that's gonna cost a lot I'll go to my insurance to cover the damage to my car and the other car.

If I have a choice id rather settle this in private rather than go to my insurance.

How would you go about talking to the car rental company if they try to rip you off?

I would tell them that the market rate is x$ and the amount here asking for is ridiculous; and I would like to bring it to a 3rd party surveyor to get another opinion.

Also I have a photo of the Guys lease contract and I know exactly how much he's paying per month for the car.

Post: #2

(07-29-2015 12:41 PM)Agreddor Wrote:  Got into an accident today. Cracked my headlight. Other vehicle sustained some scratches no dents, nothing is chipped.

Other party was driving a rented car. I tried to convince him to let me buff out the scratches at my mechanic he wouldn't take the risk sayin he cannot legally do that

We swapped info took photos etc

Tomorrow I have to go to the car rental company to settle this. And chances are they will overinflate the claim.

I don't know by how much, but loss of rental would be taken into consideration and of course sandblasting repainting and labour.

I have to get my headlight fixed and if that's gonna cost a lot I'll go to my insurance to cover the damage to my car and the other car.

If I have a choice id rather settle this in private rather than go to my insurance.

How would you go about talking to the car rental company if they try to rip you off?

I would tell them that the market rate is x$ and the amount here asking for is ridiculous; and I would like to bring it to a 3rd party surveyor to get another opinion.

Also I have a photo of the Guys lease contract and I know exactly how much he's paying per month for the car.

Playing devil's advocate:

1. Why is the rental company dishonest despite the fact that you haven't even talked to them?

2. If you caused the accident (which is what it sounds like as you're assuming you're going to have to pay), why are you expecting the other driver to do some shady shit like buffing out scratches at your mechanic when there's nothing in his rental agreement that allows him to legally do that? Consider that if the scratches are too deep to buff out he could be opening himself up to liability for attempting a shoddy repair.

3. Why do you assume there's no further damage? Only a qualified inspector can discern the damage accurately. It's highly likely that you contacted the other car in the bumper. Basically all bumpers today are made out of a plastic-type material that can bend significantly and then pop back into shape. Unfortunately the paint is not so resilient and it's often the case that not immediately but because of the stress the paint goes through it begins to crack after the fact. All damage caused by the accident but not immediately viewable to the naked eye immediately after the wreck.

The situation you're in is unfortunate, absolutely. I would focus your energy on handling it the best way possible with the actual rental company/their insurance. Absolutely have your own inspection/estimate done and do everything within your power to pay the least you can to satisfy the repair. I agree with you that it's probably best to deal with it personally versus getting your insurance involved as any rise in premiums plus your deductible can make it a losing proposition otherwise.

This may not be the answer you're looking for, but it should be considered.

Post: #3

It doesn't generally matter, an accident is 1 point. Whether they charge the insurance out the ass doesn't matter, your insurance simply sees it as 1 point against you.

1 point per party, and then an additional point for medical. Honestly, you kind of sound like the dishonest person here

Post: #4

This is going to suck, but you're going to have to go through your insurance. The rental company will most likely charge you for "time lost being unable to use the vehicle."

I had this happen in LA when I was driving a rental. Ran over some road debris on Cuhanga near the 101. They tried to hose my insurance but they wouldn't let them. In the end I was out 500$ for the deductible.

Is it a big company or a mom and pop shop?

Post: #5

Does the guy have a waiver from the rental company in case of these accidents? I rented a van for two days recently from Enterprise and they pushed it on the sale.

Post: #6

I've been in a few accidents, in my experience reputable insurance companies won't fuck you over because they know its cheaper to settle quickly than for everyone to get lawyers involved. Hell once my car got totaled and I was paid above the blue book value because they wanted it over quick. Could I have squeezed more? Maybe, but I don't think I've ever been ripped off.

Post: #7

You should also consider your own insurance and read your agreement carefully. Is there a reporting clause where if you don't report the incident in a certain amount of time insurance may be compromised or waived?

Post: #8

If you've never had bodywork done you might be in for a shock when you see the cost. An ex of mine got into a minor accident and was quoted $2500 to replace basically a headlight, fender, and bumper, I did it for a couple hundred in parts over two days. It wasn't that she was being ripped off. Shop space cost $$. Workers cost $$. Their matching contributions, health, liability, comp, and unemployment insurance cost $$. If you hit a part that's not easily removed like a quarter panel they will have to blend/fade paint which is very tricky (or redo most of the vehicle). You're not getting ripped off, you made an expensive mistake. It happens. Let your insurance company deal with all the headaches, that's why you pay them every month.

Post: #9

My point is this. There were only scratches, no dents. No bodywork needs to be done, no parts need to be replaced.

If his car was not a rental we would have had the matter settled for 500$.

The market rate to buff out scratches with repainting by a professional workshop is around 300$ including labour and costs.

The purpose of me posting this is to ask how I should respond if they give me a trumped up claim to which I disagree with.

By law I have to report this matter to my insurance, which I will later, before going to the car rental company.

I'd much rather settle this privately, but I suppose I'll have to let my insurance deal with this is the prices are too exuberant.