TLDR: they are paying for it but asked not to go through insurance and I’m getting the short end of the stick
Beginning of August I drove to a friend’s house so we could all ride in one car. I parked off to the side, it was broad daylight and they knew my car was there. However, the driver decided to try a 3 point turn instead of backing straight out of the driveway and slammed into the side of my car.
They said they had just got their good driver discount and didn’t want to file an insurance claim. Their parents have multiple cars and I could use one of theirs until my car was fixed.
What they thought would be a $2000 fix over 2 weeks has turned into over $5000 and over 2 months. The car I was given to borrow is a 4 door truck. My car is a 3 door hatchback. The truck also only takes E85. I have brought the tuck back and had to pick it up 4 separate times. I’ve had to be given multiple rides to pick it up and drop it off which wastes hours of time during the week.
I was trying to be nice by letting them not file through insurance but I’m the one getting screwed.
These people are otherwise very nice, kind people but I want to take a break from the friendship.
Any thoughts or advice is appreciated.
10 comments
Besides your main point, but I’m pretty sure you can use regular gas in an E85 vehicle?
Anyway, assuming you’re getting it repaired at a high quality shop and not also some random place the person who hit your car picked out, it may be you wouldn’t be having any better of an experience if they went through insurance (rental(s) you aren’t happy with, longer than expected wait, etc). Just for perspective.
Do they know how annoyed you are at them? What do they say about all this now that it’s taken so long?
Take a break from it. Accidents, money and cutting people slack can get awkward and frustrating when it blows up in your face.
I had a friend accidentally damage my car a year ago. It was a huge headache to deal with, even though they paid for the whole thing. I quietly took a few months away from seeing them as I sorta had a bad taste in my mouth over it. We recently got together and it was all water under the bridge. Sometimes you need space from a frustrating situation like that. It’s okay.
You would likely be in the same situation if you went through insurance- insurance doesn’t mean you’d have an easier time or cheaper repair or a different car in the meantime. As long as they are paying for the repairs, I don’t think it makes a difference
Take the break you need.
And while it’s nice to be nice to friends, you should have just gone through insurance. It sounds like they don’t deserve a good driver discount if they couldn’t navigate a driveway.
They should either let you borrow their car until yours is repaired – I’m not sure why you have to keep dropping it off and picking it up. Or they should pay for you to rent a car. In most cases, insurance covers car rental while a vehicle is being repaired, so if you had gone through insurance that part would likely have been sorted out.
Letting insurance companies sort it out would probably have been easier on the friendship.
Yeah after reading your comments you are having a shitty time of it. Take some time away from them when this is over.
Have you had a conversation about how it’s costing much more than you initially agreed? If you feel like you can do that without blowing up at them I would start there. And yeah, I would also give it space until you can get past the resentment. The lesson is always insist on going through insurance, their discount is nowhere near what this is costing you.
> They said they had just got their good driver discount and didn’t want to file an insurance claim. Their parents have multiple cars and I could use one of theirs until my car was fixed.
You know what PT said.
You should have filed a claim and been done with it.
Whats the delay in getting the car fixed? Is it at a shop and they are waiting for parts? Some things are still seriously delayed. Or are they waiting to save up the 5k? Also if they can’t give you a car to replace yours full time that needs to be discussed.
you tell them either they pay for a rental car until you get your car fixed properly, or you go to insurance.
This is your mess to deal with, either you continue dealing with it the way you have been, and continue to feel this way.
Or you go to insurance and let them handle it, and deal with the friendship however may come of it afterwards. Your options in this ordeal is very limited. They dont get to dictate whats done, how its done, when its done in this scenario; because you can just go to insurance and let them handle it as thats what you pay them for in this scenario.