You may be able to polish a lot of that out with a dual-orbital polisher, or at least minimize it significantly. Also might consider using touchup paint and Langka. I have had reasonable results from this method.

 

Interesting. Hope that is better than Dr.Colorchip. Not real happy with that. Also Langka doesn't list my color for some reason.

Anyways, What's the latest Simon?

 

Got around to getting estimates from one of the local Jag dealers and an independent body shop. Both said the crease is fixable so no need to replace the cover and almost no chance of any internal damage to anything non-sacrificial. Jag dealer is at $1200 and indy is at $1000, so not too bad, but probably right at the number where it's hard for the kid to decide if he wants to pay out of pocket or get dinged on his next couple of premiums.

 

If I'm that kid, I'm paying you the $1,200 and running very far away...

 

I recall reading/hearing that maybe 40-50% of families don't have more then $400 in emergency funds available. So I guess it all depends on where this kid falls in the ready cash percentage.

 

I had an old woman crease my Jaguar with her car. She was 67. It was just a scrape of paint on a fender (but to fix something like that at an authorized Jaguar craftsman is $3000).
The woman stopped her car, so she knew that our cars had made contact. But when she walked over to me, she calmly said our cars did not touch each other, and that damage on my spotless car must have been there from some other time because her car didn’t touch mine.

When I filed a claim, I found out she has one of the Insurance Companies that writes coverage for people with horrendous driving records who can’t get coverage anywhere else (cab driving agencies, truck delivery companies, etc).

My insurance company laughed and my repairman laughed when I told them who her insurance company was---they all seem to know this company, and knew that they agree to pay NOTHING until another insurance company (like mine) takes them to task in a professional insurance company fight. Only then, will they pay all that’s coming to you.

My point is this: Do NOT give the other driver any break. You do NOT know anything about him by just listening with him or her while your cars lay there bleeding. You also know NOTHING about his insurance company and how fairly or unfairly they treat their customer. And not even his insurance company KNOWS about whether the boy has dinged 30 cars before yours or 2 cars before yours.

In EVERY accident, kindness is not what’s called for. PROCEDURE is what’s called for. (And this advice is intended for everyone out there, even myself).

It’s YOUR car you need to be thinking about, and no one else’s. The time for thinking about the other guy was BEFORE the accident, (which clearly this boy did not do with you, because if he HAD, there would have BEEN no accident).

Think “YOUR car”. Think, “do you value your car personally?”

If the private answer you have inside is that you have strong PERSONAL VALUE for the car, proceed to follow Procedure, report the incident, file on his insurance (he’s the one who caused it), and have your car restored to what a $$$$$$$ Jaguar is supposed to be. If you care personally about the car, its resale value is irrelevant to you. And HIS situation is irrelevant to you.

On the other hand, if you value the SALE of the car, or your driving-standard with the insurance companies, or whether local police with LIE about you on a police report that was written up hastily because the cops WERE NOT on the scene, don’t know jack about what happened, and only want to finish up another dud report about another boring street accident…
…then don’t bother worrying about any of this exchange with the boy. Don’t think that you know anything about him or his insurance company’s style of treating him. Don’t follow procedure. Just say goodbye to him with a courteous handshake, and have a bodyshop conceal your dents.

 

^^^^
+1

 

I hope the kid does just pay the $1,200 out of pocket. Would probably be quicker than going through his insurance (USAA), but like Jagtoes is saying, a lot of people outside of forums like this one would be hard-pressed to just write a check for $1,200. I have tenants in some rental properties who all make pretty good money but still come up short every now and then and need a couple of weeks to pay the full amount. There are a lot of overextended folks out there.

 

USAA is a great insurance company. I have been with them for many many years. So at least if you decide to go the insurance route they will treat you right.

 

+1

 

Do you equally apply this principle to yourself and don't ever expect strangers to be compassionate or helpful when you need it?

 

Unless someone is hurt this is just business. Depending on the potential damage of the claim you might need to have the police write up an accident report but the normal procedure is to exchange information and determine if insurance will be involved. Compassion doesn't come into play if there is no personal injury. I believe most insurance companies and states allow for a 24 hr reporting period . If there is personal injury then a police report needs to be done. The compassion should come from the person who caused the accident.

 

+1

I don't know why this is even a topic. He hit you, you both have insurance, let them do what you both pay them to do, unless the OP has a guilty conscience or we don't have all the facts here.

 

Really?
It matters here in Minnesota and would have an impact on my rates if I were rear ended. No fault State here and this thread is relevant in any no fault State. Even if it isn't a No fault State, report it and it shows up on carfax and may or may not shy future buyers away.

Aside from that, a young drive hits me and wants to resolve it with cash and avoid both scenarios above, I'm going to hear him out.

 

Yes, really. Well, it was you who asked what we thought and that is what I thought. If 'No Fault' is what I think it is then a low-speed shunt like this with no medical aspect surely doesn't bring 'No Fault' into play? Granted, it seems to be quite a broken system in some states but apparently not Minnesota. If the real reason you are prevaricating is that you don't want to disadvantage yourself by having your rates rise (really, when not your fault?) or a black mark against your car at resale time then that is entirely understandable but does not not really come under the heading of giving the guy a break. I wonder if he would do the same for you had you rear-ended him slightly? There is no shame in deciding on whatever course of action puts you in the best position - if that works to his advantage as well then fine but I wonder if he would even remember you in a few years time. BTW as others have pointed out, if he couldn't easily afford a rise in his rates how would he be able to stump up $1200 or more? My last word on this subject.

 

No, it wasn't me asking your opinion. Perhaps you're confusing me with the OP.

Incorrect assumption. No Fault is not what you think it is.

 

^^^^
Correct. "No Fault" actually means "Shared Fault".

 

I don't know if its just our local Mitsubishi dealers or if its a corporate strategy, but all the advertising I see for Mitsubishi lately is that sort of "No Credit, Bad Credit, No Problem" or "$99 down and a job." They have all these people on the commercials talking about how they got divorced, lost their job and had their previous car repossessed but this Mitsubishi dealer came to the rescue. I noticed this trend with Mitsubishi ads last year and thought to myself that I be afraid to buy a new Mitsubishi even if I liked them, worried that everybody would feel sorry for me. (I would however like to add a mint Starion ESI-R to build my 80's vintage collection.)

 

Jeez how insurance has changed...or has it?

My first car at 17 in 1983 was a MGC GT 3.0 straight 6, my insurance was £742 third party, not even fire or theft, so around $1200 of your USD;s

But boy was that a car! But back then it seemed far easier to land a well paid job

 

The answer is quickly, YES. Yes I want this principle equally applied to myself. I don't want a stranger to be compassionate to me on some personal level, because he or she IS a "stranger" at the time of the accident, and don't KNOW if I am entitled to compassion. They can only IMAGINE and PROJECT "what if" theories about my financial state, my family situation, my deservingness for a break, or my likeableness or sense of malice.

The law and the procedure have it right. I am deserving of equal courtesy and procedural trading of driver information---that's ALL. And if we all follow this, it keeps us equally separated from a fight on the street, and equally separated from misunderstandings with Police and Insurance companies. It also keeps you safer from being exploited by me, if it turns out I am someone who preys on the compassion of others.
Until (heaven forbid it) someone is bodily wounded in an accident, or in danger from pending fire or oncoming cars, or is stranded from phone contact with police or family, no one needs compassion or help at a traffic accident.
Think of this the same way you think of the cute hitchhiker you're approaching with your car. Just as controversial an action of compassion, but you know it is really NOT the thing to do.