Graduation Present from a fellow student :-(

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One of the high school student did this to my son's parked car. The girl's parents contacted us and have asked if we can get an estimate, that way it will not reach the insurance company.

I do not have the picture of the bumper where the paint definitely has crumpled. That might be tricky to fix at home if I want to give it a shot. The big dent should be able to be banged out. Most of the scratches should come out with M105 and HF buffer. I am hoping that once I tell body shop that I want this to a cash job, he should be able to come up with reasonable estimate as opposed to claiming that I need new bumper cover and needs to replace the rear fender. Frankly, an hour of hammering out the dent and an hour of paint, plus few touch-up on the metal and some bumper spray of the urethane paint, should make it at least 90% original. I am guess under $300 should do it. Even that is way too generous in my estimate.

What do you think?

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Was the girl [censored] at your son or just a poor driver?

You deserve to have the vehicle fixed "like new" regardless of how its paid for.

Although maybe the girl is just a poor driver and you just want to cut her some slack. Any alcohol involved?
 
What does it matter what it costs if they are paying for it? I don't get it. I'd get three estimates just like any other time and pick the shop you like. I would also write up a contract/agreement that they will be paying the bill in full on the day of completion and each party should have a copy. Do you know them? They could tell you to stuff it after you've had the repair done without something in writing.
 
If you want to go down this road, firstly you should get an estimate from the most reputable place you can find and give them that estimate and ask for the cash in advance.

Secondly you should have a definite due date for the cash.

I had a situation where a parent did not want to go through insurance and after a few weeks of chasing them up, I had had enough and claimed on their insurance.

Don't forget, you're the one doing them a favor when it is their fault.

And don't some insurances cover loss in value as well?

Lastly, what happens if you're not happy with the repair? It's your problem, rather than the insurance companies.
 
Without seeing the area in between the two pictures it's a guess but I'll say three grand or better.....most likely better. Unless they are family friends that you know VERY well I'd insist on going through insurance. The girl has to learn her lesson and live up to her stupid actions. It's all part of growing up.
 
When you say she did it to his car. Do you then mean it like an accident or on purpose ? And if on purpose why did she do it ?
 
$1300 in damage. Make sure you have enough information from them to file a claim with insurance.

My findings are people see estimate and then balk.
 
Take it to the best body shop you can find, ask them to quote it as a cash job.

Give the estimate to the offender and a week to give you the full amount before you file a report with the police and their insurance company.

You're doing them a huge favor by taking the time to have it quoted for them to do a direct repair of your son's car... they should be more than happy to pay out of pocket for it to be done correctly by a professional instead of getting their insurance company involved.
 
If the car has over 100, 000 miles I would fix it myself , if i wasn't to concerned with the cars perfect appearance. If you think you can fix it well. Ask for say 800-1000 and fix it as good as you can and pocket any extra cash. Or take it to a good repair shop but not necessarily the most expensive and get a quote. If they are willing to work with you and fix it there is no reason to try to cost them as much as possible or anything else. Accidents do happen. If they're playing fair so should you.
 
I don't want to sound like a jerk but a 90's Camry is an appliance. The amount of money it will cost repair this damage should cover maintenance on this vehicle for the next few years.

Get some estimates, then see if the parents will just cut you a check for a portion of it and do the work yourself. (Its a good opportunity to try your hand at bodywork)

Keep in mind that your reputation as well as your sons will come into play here. The two families involved likely know many of the same people, your son and the girl share the same peers and in this facebook-twitter world, word travels fast.

Plus it may be a chance to share a project with your son, teach him some self reliance, and learn that sometimes sh*t happens that may not be your fault but its up to you to handle it.
 
It is a 1999 car with 188K miles on the clock. This happened in the high school parking lot after the graduation awards ceremony. No, we don't know the parents but given that the girl is also a graduating student, I really do not want to stick it to them.

People who are coming up with $1300 or $3100 damage, are you yanking my chain? Heck, even I can reasonably bang that metal back in place. Come to think of it, I might just do that to prove you guys wrong :) Really, how difficult would it be???

Yes, I would like the car back to the way it was before the damage but if that means I have to line up the pockets of the crooked collision industry, I might prefer to accept 90% restoration if it can be done at 25% of the cost. Just because the other family or their insurance is paying does not mean I am going to be **** about it.

Here is another picture showing some scratches to the door.
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A little hammering and she should buff right out! Seriously! let their insurance fix it right, they are at fault, somebody does that to my car and they will pay. No more Mr nice guy,
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For those saying get $3000 thru insurance ect ect. A car that is 99 and has 188k miles can be easily totaled if those prices come up. Get estimate, get cash, fix yourself with son.
 
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About eight hours labor. $600.00?
Straighten the face bar, about $300.00?
Paint, about $300.00?
$50.00 for the moulding.

Maybe $1200.00 to $1250.00 plus car rental.

If the wheel cap or tire are damaged, more.
 
I had something similar happen to me in the 90's when I was in high school. I was rear ended while driving my 1987 Reliant K-car
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by some kid driving his parents Taurus wagon. The Taurus went under the K-Car and suffered serious front end damage, while the K-car sustained a broken absorber and bumper cover.

They paid $150 to get a used white bumper installed on my blue car and I was happy.
 
I guess it depends upon your philosophies, the general condition and age of the car, and how the accident happened. I have, several times, cut people a break and just lived with minor damage. The damage in the photo looks a bit beyond minor, though. If the rest of the car is in good condition and you don't expect your kid to add his own "accessories" to it I think you just need to go the straight and narrow route and file a claim. That is why we have insurance. Even the people who want to avoid using it often don't understand why other than what could be unfounded fears. If the kid has had other accidents and they are that concerned with their premiums then perhaps the kid should not be driving. In this case, if the damage is "only" $1,500 to repair it is not going to have a dramatic effect on their premiums. The accidents that can cause that to happen generally involve expensive damage, moving violations, and, especially, personal injury.
 
Originally Posted By: Vikas
Yes, I would like the car back to the way it was before the damage but if that means I have to line up the pockets of the crooked collision industry, I might prefer to accept 90% restoration if it can be done at 25% of the cost. Just because the other family or their insurance is paying does not mean I am going to be **** about it.


Asking them to fix what they broke is not "being a **** about it". If you're OK with letting other folks damage your stuff and thinking of them as being the victims then you really need to realign your moral compass. They dinged up your car; they should fix it so that it's back the way it was before the accident.

Allowing them to fix it 'off the books' so it does not affect their insurance premiums is one of the nicest things you can do... you're already doing them a huge favor.

Here's another analogy: Can I borrow $1000? I'll pay you back $250 in a couple weeks.
 
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