 | Home > General & Technical (L663) > Front bumper cost |
 
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| markb110 Member Since: 22 May 2010 Location: Guildford Posts: 2539   
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Hate to say it but if she is offering to pay and not go through her insurance then she is committing fraud.
What happens when she decides not to pay, and that telephone number no longer gets answered. What happens when she decides not to pay for any further hidden damage, modern vehicles are made of cheese and designed to deform, even if not obvious at first sight. If you discover additional damage and is then forced to tell your own insurance company they have every right not to support your claim as you have prejudiced their position. Then you will have to pay for it yourself and then pay the additional premium the following year. Just make the claim, if the third party is legit then they can pay and if you have protected no claims then you have nothing to worry about. Unfortunately there are more and more people driving without tax, insurance and a valid MOT. Personally i would say  em, you are not at fault, go through your insurance and start the claims procedure, dont take a chance, you owe them nothing.
PS, i was an account manager for a large insurance company for eight years. Look after number one. Oh and finally, if you have the vehicle on a lease then the vehicle is the property of the credit company and they will want it fixed correctly. |
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8th Jul 2023 10:39pm |
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| Co1 Member Since: 19 Aug 2018 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 3630  
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As per what Mark said, way less hassle for you. Also, if you think she was drunk that’s all the more reason to go down the formal root as next time it could be a kid on a bike, not your defender.
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9th Jul 2023 8:49am |
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| TexasRover Member Since: 24 Nov 2022 Location: Paris Posts: 838  
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Yes and if the insurance gives you trouble start talking whip lash to them. I am against making frivolous claims, but sometimes the insurance companies need a bit of push to keep them on the straight.
I just replaced a rusted bumper on my 110 and it was GBP 49.99 galvanized and all so is not that bad... |
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9th Jul 2023 9:52am |
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| stevemfr Member Since: 18 Sep 2022 Location: Strasbpurg Posts: 104
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Funny. In addition to being an engineer I am a lawyer. And I disagree quite strongly with most of what has been said here except for the fact that it could be easier for you to report the claim and forget about it. I have been in the situation more than once in my life where I paid the damages for an accident I caused (or that was caused on my policy in the case of my daughter) because it ended up saving me a lot of money in the long run. I see no need to be a a$$ho1e. I assume you have all the information you need from this person (including, hopefully, her insurance info) and you can revert to making a claim at any time if she stops communicating, etc. Uninsured drivers are a completely different problem complex, and if there is even the slightest indication that this could be the case, see a lawyer immediately.
As for fraud, really? Do the Brits have some strange law on the books that demands that every case of damages caused by one party to another must be handled through insurance companies? That would be one of the most stupid things I've heard recently. And even if this were the case, how is this fraud? Who is 'defrauding' anybody by paying for damages out-of-pocket? Damages must be made good. How this happens is in the hands of the parties involved. Looking out for number one does not require being a pr1ck. All of that said, where the will to make good on damages out-of-pocket usually fails is in costs. And, though the lady who ran into you may have thought "oh, just a bit of plastic," it's very expensive plastic. Fortunately for her (but unfortunately for calculating damages) the Defender's front bumper/grill assy is quite literally made up of 30+ pieces if you add the sub-structures and air ducts, etc. This means that you can replace only the pieces that are actually damaged. But the entire assy can easily add up to GBP2000+ without adding really expensive pieces such as the camera or the radar module. You will need an estimate from a reputable garage to make sure nothing is overlooked. And if this lady is then still willing to pay directly, why not? 
RRC 2Dr, RRC 4Dr, P38, and 2 L322s, 2 FL1s and a L663 on the way |
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9th Jul 2023 10:43am |
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| 90 Dreamer Member Since: 13 Jul 2019 Location: Oop North Posts: 2063 
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Agree with some not being 'legal' but how exactly is not contributing to the blatant corporate profiteering fraud?? My personal experience of Insurance companies (amd most financial institutions) are that they couldn't give two hoots about you as a customer and are merely interested in maximising thier profit whilst doing the utmost min. They are legally obliged to offer!! |
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9th Jul 2023 10:59am |
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| Birdy Member Since: 07 Oct 2011 Location: Côte d'Azur Posts: 856 
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"Personally i would say you are not at fault, go through your insurance and start the claims procedure"
What and risk losing your NCB? As an example, my neighbour scraped her car reversing out of her garage, reported it to her insurance company but, on discovering that the damage could be repaired for less than the reduction to her NCB, informed the insurance company that she wouldn't submit a claim. Next year her premium was increased due to her "accident". But I do fear that when the cost of this repair is known insurance companies WILL be involved; my daughter's car was reversed into while she was in a queue for fuel (the driver in front "lost it" and rammed his way out of the line of cars by smashing into the vehicles in front and behind him). The respective insurance companies treated it as 50/50! Peter |
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9th Jul 2023 11:05am |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 16987 
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The only issue I could foresee is that if the woman who caused the crash fails to tell her insurer when asked at the time of renewal that she has caused an accident, then there is a problem since to the insurer this is a material fact which could alter the insurer's assessment of risk. If she is, as a result, obtaining insurance cover at a price which is predicated on an accident-free driving record, then I imagine a case could be made along the lines of fraud or obtaining services by deception. The only way that the innocent third party could be in an awkward spot is if their contract with their insurer stipulates that they must inform the insurer of all accidents, whether or not there is blame. In this case it would certainly not be fraudulent not to do so. The fact that insurance companies often behave in ways which are not rational is a disincentive to claiming. I also suspect that the cost of replacing a new Defender bumper will be surprisingly high! Isn't it packed with electronics and stuff like the collision avoidance radar? The part will be expensive, and labour for spraying and fitting a £100+ per hour on top... I suspect several thousand pounds! I think that the careless woman may well be in for a nasty shock and may rethink her decision. |
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9th Jul 2023 11:47am |
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| Co1 Member Since: 19 Aug 2018 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 3630
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I’m failing to see how following an approved insurance process makes someone an Asshat? Yes, it could be done face to face with an agreement with someone you trust, but if I had any concern at all I’d be going down the route that was safest and easiest for me. The fact that the OP thinks the driver may have been drunk is a huge red flag. Last edited by Co1 on 9th Jul 2023 4:54pm. Edited 1 time in total |
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9th Jul 2023 4:22pm |
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| Birdy Member Since: 07 Oct 2011 Location: Côte d'Azur Posts: 856
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"... cover at a price which is predicated on an accident-free driving record"
EXACTLY, and it doesn't matter who causes the accident! My son's Gold Wing was rear-ended and written off, the car driver was on a mobile fine and was due to be charged with dangerous driving on 23rd June (which reminds me, I must find out what happened). After a LONG battle with AXA he finally got paid a reasonable amount for the bike - I doubt they even bothered to contact the French driver's insurance company, they certainly didn't ask us for her details - as for the costs of the destroyed helmet and leathers, missed ferry, hotel and medical costs etc., no help at all ("Find a lawyer and make a civil claim"). Completely innocent, but I shudder to think what the insurance quotes will be for his next big bike! Peter |
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9th Jul 2023 4:29pm |
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| J77 Member Since: 04 Nov 2019 Location: Fife Posts: 3276 
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https://parts.jaguarlandroverclassic.com/p...and-rover/ 24MY 90 D250 HSE, Tasman Blue
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9th Jul 2023 9:05pm |
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| Co1 Member Since: 19 Aug 2018 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 3630
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^^^ Jeez! There are a lot of bits involved!!
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9th Jul 2023 9:29pm |
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| stevemfr Member Since: 18 Sep 2022 Location: Strasbpurg Posts: 104
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Wow. This thread is going off on tangents...
Of course it does. Even in France (which has the most bureaucratic, messed up insurance system of any country I've ever lived in).
They don't have to ask for details, all they need is her registration tag. Done. In France, you can find all sorts of info based on your registration. Ever ordered auto parts recently? You type in yout tag number and the system knows exactly what kind of vehicle, year, motor, etcetc. And if you are an "official" entity such as police or insurance co in the case of an accident, you get all the details you need regarding the other party involved in the accident. And AXA would have been incredibly stupid not go back to the other driver's insurance co as this is where they are indemnified for the money they paid out to your son. I personally think that everyone dealing with their own insurance co rather than making claims directly to the insurance of the company of the party at fault in an accident adds a layer of insulation to the proceedings that can produce some idiotic results, but that's the way the system is here. Suffice to say, the money for your son's motorcycle came from the insurance company of the driver who caused the accident and yes, it realy does matter who is at fault. But this is all way off topic.
Laws provide the guardrails for society. Within those guardrails we can act as we choose. It is definitely within my rights as a lessor to demand the rent from a tenant in one regular payment. But if I insist on exactly that right for no other reason than principle, then IMO I am an a$$ho1e. And please no discussions on how this is the best example of what not to do by all the people who own property. The key was "on principle". What really got my goat was expressions like "look out for number one". On principle. But I am done philosophizing here. Everything else is exactly as I said. A LOT of parts make up that front bumper. And when you add everything up, it will be so expensive that the lady that caused the accident with op's Defender will defer to her insurance. And all these discussions (which the op did not even mention!) will be moot.
RRC 2Dr, RRC 4Dr, P38, and 2 L322s, 2 FL1s and a L663 on the way |
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10th Jul 2023 8:16am |
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| XplusYplusZ Member Since: 16 Aug 2021 Location: UK Posts: 441 |
I would imagine a new bumper is going to cost you £2k, and fitting will probably come in at another £1-2k.. if there are any other complications, I wouldn't be surprised if it came in over £4k.
I would doubt the 3rd party's annual insurance is going to increase by that amount as the result of a claim. Even over the course of 5 years. So I think she'd be better off going down the insurance route. On the other hand, from previous experience, I've noticed that insurance companies now want to know about claims where you were not at fault.. I can only assume these incidents also count against you on your policy renewals.. So, weirdly, going down the insurance route might be better for her and worse for you.. Can anyone correct me here? |
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10th Jul 2023 2:07pm |
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| ben2012 Member Since: 10 Oct 2011 Location: Uk Posts: 63 |
I’ve ended up reporting to the insurance, gone direct to hers though but still informed ours. She’s gone quiet so I’m guessing it’s going to be fun and games getting it sorted! And yes I suspect we will one way or another be penalised for her crashing into us! 🙄😡
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10th Jul 2023 10:41pm |
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