Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There should be a compromise here. Unless you suspect shoddy work by her body shop or it would require added inconvenience on your part, why not let her find somewhere more affordable? I can understand if she is asking you to add 30 miles driving to get to a specific shop, but otherwise you just seem to want to soak her rather than just trying to make yourself whole.

NP. I don't even begin to understand this thinking. If OP ran her car into a wall herself, she would pick the body shop. I don't see any reason why she shouldn't pick the body shop based on whatever criteria she would typically use. It's not her job in any way to make this more convenient or cheaper for the other driver, colleague or not. The colleague caused her harm, not the other way around.

A bit of decency. If your friend spilled wine on your shirt by accident and she bought the same exact shirt on sale at one store, would you insist that she buy it full price elsewhere?

No, but I would expect she buy the one with the same thread count, not the one from the outlet that might be lower quality, not a used one that someone might have shrunk, etc. I do not think this is the same as that. And, anyway, I would probably tell someone not to worry about a shirt. Choosing your own shop is not about the price. It's about getting a repair that you can trust. I have had multiple experiences at body shops from terrible (forgot a crucial part that another shop found later when I was there for something else) to amazing with attention to all details. All were paid for by insurance so by definition none of the prices were outrageous. But there there's a huge range of quality and trustworthiness, and I want to go somewhere I trust for my car and I don't believe that is indecent.

Anonymous wrote:There should be a compromise here. Unless you suspect shoddy work by her body shop or it would require added inconvenience on your part, why not let her find somewhere more affordable? I can understand if she is asking you to add 30 miles driving to get to a specific shop, but otherwise you just seem to want to soak her rather than just trying to make yourself whole.

Not reporting to insurance is the compromise.

It’s going to be more expensive than she thinks, and you will end up going through insurance anyway. This just happened to my son - his car was parked and an acquaintance backed into it. Repairs and rental were almost $3,000. I’m sure they initially thought it would be much less.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, her way is better. Even though she's at fault, your premium might still increase (depends on the circumstances, your driving history, lots of factors).

OP here:
my car was parked. I was not in the car at the time when she hit my car.
why should the premium increase in this case?

Going through insurance if you have a nice car will put an accident on the car fax.

True story women claimed my kids tapped her car. Fancy new car. My daughter is new driver she wants $200 cash. My daughter not knowing any better reports in to her insurance. Adjuster goes is your car dented, she says not at all. He asks for picture. Then says do you have photos from so called accident. Daughter says no. Daughter then honestly says I have no recall touching that car.

Women gets a call my insurance file a claim your company. Which she responds I have a $500 deductible and don’t want accident on my car fax. Never hear again

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There should be a compromise here. Unless you suspect shoddy work by her body shop or it would require added inconvenience on your part, why not let her find somewhere more affordable? I can understand if she is asking you to add 30 miles driving to get to a specific shop, but otherwise you just seem to want to soak her rather than just trying to make yourself whole.

NP. I don't even begin to understand this thinking. If OP ran her car into a wall herself, she would pick the body shop. I don't see any reason why she shouldn't pick the body shop based on whatever criteria she would typically use. It's not her job in any way to make this more convenient or cheaper for the other driver, colleague or not. The colleague caused her harm, not the other way around.

A bit of decency. If your friend spilled wine on your shirt by accident and she bought the same exact shirt on sale at one store, would you insist that she buy it full price elsewhere?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There should be a compromise here. Unless you suspect shoddy work by her body shop or it would require added inconvenience on your part, why not let her find somewhere more affordable? I can understand if she is asking you to add 30 miles driving to get to a specific shop, but otherwise you just seem to want to soak her rather than just trying to make yourself whole.

NP. I don't even begin to understand this thinking. If OP ran her car into a wall herself, she would pick the body shop. I don't see any reason why she shouldn't pick the body shop based on whatever criteria she would typically use. It's not her job in any way to make this more convenient or cheaper for the other driver, colleague or not. The colleague caused her harm, not the other way around.

+1. How is OP looking to "soak her"? She just wants to get her car repaired reliably. She's not making any money and, in fact, will be losing personal time and car value in dealing with this. Co-worker is the one who has motivation to choose a low quality place. The co-worker is the one at fault and she is totally looking out for herself first.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get an estimate from a body shop you choose. If she insists on a different body shop or balks at the cost, let he know that you’d just as soon let your insurance handle it.

Dont forget to figure in car rental fee while your car is in the shop.

This. I had a lady navk into me. It looked like a scrape, but the entire bumper had to be painted and a few plastic pieces had to be replaced. I think the work part was $700, but ghe rental car was almost $509 because her insurance took so long to approve the work.

Anonymous wrote:Contact your insurance, provide the details, the photos, including her license plate. If you want your car fixed right, DO NOT do what she wants you to do.

they will try to fix it cheaply and they will report it to car fax and your premium may increase. Find a non carfax participating shop and have them do it and have co-worker pay

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, her way is better. Even though she's at fault, your premium might still increase (depends on the circumstances, your driving history, lots of factors).

OP here:
my car was parked. I was not in the car at the time when she hit my car.
why should the premium increase in this case?

Mits just the way insurance works. I would take the car to a body shop, not a mechanic. Get an estimate and give it to her. Once they get the car in there, they will be able to tell if there is more damage, and there probably will be if she hit your bumper.

When my friend backed into my parked car we tried to avoid using insurance, but in the end, he couldn't afford the repairs and had to use his insurance anyway.

Anonymous wrote:I would get an estimate from her body shop and yours. It would be different it not was someone on the street, but...it’s your co-worker. Please at least try it her way first.

Why is it different if it was someone on the street? Why not expect the colleague to try OP's way instead? What is OP supposed to do if her shop comes back a few hundred higher that the colleague's and she trusts her shop more?

Anonymous wrote:There should be a compromise here. Unless you suspect shoddy work by her body shop or it would require added inconvenience on your part, why not let her find somewhere more affordable? I can understand if she is asking you to add 30 miles driving to get to a specific shop, but otherwise you just seem to want to soak her rather than just trying to make yourself whole.

NP. I don't even begin to understand this thinking. If OP ran her car into a wall herself, she would pick the body shop. I don't see any reason why she shouldn't pick the body shop based on whatever criteria she would typically use. It's not her job in any way to make this more convenient or cheaper for the other driver, colleague or not. The colleague caused her harm, not the other way around.

Pick your own shop/mechanic. Keep all communication in writing (text), just in case she does not like to pay for the damage (high estimate).

You're nice enough to not reporting to insurance. You should pick your own bodyshop.

I would get an estimate from her body shop and yours. It would be different it not was someone on the street, but...it’s your co-worker. Please at least try it her way first.

There should be a compromise here. Unless you suspect shoddy work by her body shop or it would require added inconvenience on your part, why not let her find somewhere more affordable? I can understand if she is asking you to add 30 miles driving to get to a specific shop, but otherwise you just seem to want to soak her rather than just trying to make yourself whole.