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The Dogmother

My poor van (sorry, it's a long rant)

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What a disastrous start to Sunday! I got up about 7.45 and went down to let the chooks out and make some tea; I was just pottering around in my PJs when there was a massive ringing and banging at the door. Phil's neighbour Mick shoved me a piece of paper with a car registration on and said that someone had sped up the road, rammed my van then driven off!!!! I grapped a sweatshirt over my PJs and ran up the street after him with my mobile in my hand ready to call the police, as I left, I yelled up at Phil to get down here and told Rosie to stay in the house.

 

The bloke concerned had drived off round the corner but not got much further because his wheel had come off and his car was undriveable. Mick and I sprinted off round there (me still in PJs and orange crocs). This lad had been staying at a house further down the road, left to go to work and 'not paid attention' and rammed into my van... how on earth he couldn't have seen a bright emerald green shed is beyond me!!! Anyway, he admitted liability and I got his details, called the mobile number that he gave me to check it was right. His mate turned up and they were worrying about how to sort his car out. personally I think that he was on his phone calling into work - he'd already admitted that he was late! My van has a damaged rear offside wheel, back/corner bumper, rear quarter light, offside rear panel and was shunted 1 metre along the road, nearly hitting the car parked in front.

 

I came back home because by now I was freezing and wanted my breakfast. I called the police out to breathalise him as he'd smelled of drink (it might have been a case of 'morning after the night before', and the test turned out to be negative), ran my insurance company with the police URN and to report it to them and let them know that I'd be making a claim against his insurance. Called his insurance company to let them know that he'd be making a claim and to give them my details.

 

Just had a call from the insurers of the berk who shunted my van yesterday... they called to arrange collection of my vehicle for repairs and the covering courtesy car. Young-fella-me-lad on the other end blithely informed me that I'd have to pay a £100 deposit for the courtesy car out of my own pocket!!!!! I told him that I simply don't have £100 that I can spare now or at any other time - he just couldn't grap the fact that I just don't have that kind of money to spare; i don't use my credit card at all so that's not an option, but said that I am prepared to leave them a copy of my drivers' licence and my bank details, but that i can't spare that amount of money... heck - it's 2 weeks food bills!

 

I've left him to speak to the hire car company and sort it out - I simply don't see why I should spend my time on the phone wrangling over it and end up out of pocket for the time that I have the hire car. All because some eeejit has smashed into my van! I'll see what happens when the hire car company calls me, but otherwise, I'll call the eejit what smacked my car and ask him to pay it.

 

 

Fuming now.... :roll:

 

 

Anyone got any experience or advice on this...?

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Sorry, I didn't explain it very well; his insurance company are picking up the bill for the courtesy car, but they expect me to pay the £100 deposit for the car out of my own pocket... I just don't have that amount to spare.

 

The deposit is in case you total the hire car or return it mucky - they instantly take keep the deposit and will take more off you if necessary. A friend left her credit card details with a hire/courtesy car company as surety recently and they charged all sorts of money to it (fraud) :shock:

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What a horrible start to a day,& isn't it just as well you wear pyjamas? :wink::lol:

 

Funnily enough I picture you in a nice little red Spitfire or something,not a green van,but hey ho 8)

 

I do hope you get it sorted out.I don't see why you should pitch up £100 either,& I would certainly query that myself.

Do keep us up to speed on this one,won't you?

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Clare, I'm really sorry to read about this. What a terrible start to your day. And getting your car fixed always takes more time than it should on paper, horrible, horrible. Good thing you don't use it for work too!

 

The police should 'do' the lad for leaving the scene without leaving his details. That's criminal damage isn't it? Certainly not legal to drive off, I'm sure. I'm so glad his wheel fell off! :lol:

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Clare, what a nightmare :shock: . I hope you manage to sort out the deposi thing with the hire car company. I can see why they have a deposit scheme, but it sounds entirely wrong that you should be expected to find that money :shock::shock:

 

Thank goodness you got him though, it certainly sounds as if he was trying to beat a hasty retreat :x , and fortunate that no-one was hurt :D

 

My bright green thing (car :shock: ) usually driven by hubby got badly damaged yesterday when the great twerp decided to be clever and manoeuvre his way out of a packed car park at a local football ground. Managed to sustain a nasty collision with a bollard and higher than expected kerb :roll::evil:

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more or less the same thing happened to me, if i recall correctly my insurance company made the claim via her insurance company but while i waited for the settlement, i had to pay the £100 excess for the repairs so i ended up out of pocket for ages.

 

so sorry you're going thru this, especially at this time of year. Good to be able to vent it somewher although scant consilation I know :(

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Funnily enough I also read this on your blog Clare! :lol: Sorry, it's not really funny - what a c****y start to the day for you :evil:

 

When a securicor van totalled our car, we were provided with a another people carrier, didn't have to pay any deposit for that. Good job too - the whole experience left us severely out of pocket, despite insurance payments. At least that was one less worry :roll:

 

If they insist, I'd give them a post dated cheque, to be handed back to you to tear up at the end. Hope it gets sorted quickly for you Hon ((hugs))

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Only just read this, what a nightmare! Just to clarify, he is legally required to stop and take all reasonable steps to locate the owner of the vehicle he's collided with then exchange details of the owner and driver of the vehicle plus the insurance. If he can't find the owner of the car (ie; you) he has to report the accident to a police station as soon as practicable or in any case within 24 hours. (mind you, can't think he'd be able to say he couldn't find you in your PJ's, Crocs and legging it after him brandishing a mobile phone!!)) Good on you!

 

Hope they take the post dated cheque thing, honestly, insurance companies are so quick to take money off you but so slow to return it or do anything to help when it#s needed! :evil:

 

Mrs Bertie

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When and if the car hire company gets round to calling me, I will suggest the post-dated cheque thing and see what they say, otherwise, I will call said eejit who pranged me and suggest that he pay it.

 

Not wanting to cast nasturtiums here (thanks for the advice Mrs B), I doubt that he'd have stopped if his wheel hadn't fallen off! One consolation is that the van is driveable at the moment, although I'll take it carefully - it was shunted 1 metre after all. And his car came off far worse than mine!

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So sorry to hear your lovely green berlingo got smashed up. I hope you'll get it sorted soon and that it doesn't cause you too much hassle. On a brighter note at least he had insurance, last year this guy left his uninsured car on the road and we could have easily been crashed into once or twice.

 

Also at least it wasn't your fault either, my sister has a nice dent in her lovely blue skoda fabia as she drove into a skip, as her landlord hadn't told her that he was getting it in that day... :roll:

 

Anyway, hope it gets sorted, Liz

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