Halftime Hope Posted December 14, 2017 Share Posted December 14, 2017 (edited) I think someone is trying to snooker me, and I may have pictures to disprove what they are attempting. A week ago, another car and I were backing out of spots in a small parking lot, in a mirror image of each other's movements, and we backed into each other. Before I got out of my car, the other guy was outside my window, saying he had already been out in the aisle and that I backed into him, and that he had been honking at me to stop. I did not think that was true, and I know without a doubt that I heard no honking. I called my insurance agent on the spot, and she said that I should wait to file, and we'd respond to the claim. I told her what he was claiming and took pictures of my car and his, and got all the needed insurance info. He filed a claim and repeated his story to my insurer's claims agent (not my insurance agent), and sent in pictures of his damage. In spite of my statement, the claims agent said that based on the side-to-side scraping, it was entirely my fault. In other words, I scraped along the guy's (already stopped) bumper. Except that, the dusty rubber ribs at the top of my bumper made 5 dust lines on his otherwise clean bumper, but those lines are a couple of inches below the side to side scuff mark that he is claiming as evidence of my scraping along his "already-stopped" bumper. I repeat: there are dusty 5 lines, one for each dusty rib on my bumper, and the lines are not smeared upward vertically; they are very precise and straight on his bumper. The 5 lines are well below almost all of his scuff, although the scuff tapers downward at one end. There is nothing above the rubber ribs on my bumper, so nothing could have made that scuff. I'll let the agent look at my pictures, and perhaps look at both our cars, but it sure looks to me like the guy had previous damage that he is trying to claim as proof that the accident was entirely my fault. In the heat of the moment, I couldn't see the detail that I'm piecing together, now that I've studied and thought about the pictures. Always, always take pictures. Edited December 14, 2017 by Halftime Hope 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraidycat Posted December 14, 2017 Share Posted December 14, 2017 I’m glad you had the foresight to take pictures. I hope the insurance agent realizes this guy is trying to defraud you. Good luck! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted December 14, 2017 Share Posted December 14, 2017 GRRRRR! That guy sounds like a real weasel!!! I can't help but wonder if the guy set up the whole thing. :glare: Thank goodness you took those photos! It's too bad you didn't call the police and have them file a report. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalsummer Posted December 14, 2017 Share Posted December 14, 2017 I agree! We saved about $3k in rental home "damages" - we'd read about the rental company online before we moved in, so upon move in I took more than 100 photos and emailed them to the property manager (and received a response confirming receipt of the photos). Then when we moved out, they tried to charge us for removal of wood, building materials, and some furniture left on the property. Nope, I had photos of it there when we moved in. They tried to charge us for damage to the walls, causing them to have to repaint. Nope, took photos of every wall, all of which were dirty and/or had paint or scuff marks or holes, etc. They tried to charge us for carpet replacement - nope, had photos of extensive stains on various carpets. It went on and on. When we responded with a reattachment of the same photos, they said well, maybe we were wrong about some of it but we're sure some of it was your fault. (As in, this stain over here but not that stain over there). Okay, we said, send photos so we can see the difference - new stains should show up in photos and not be there in the original photos (same with items left, walls, etc.) No, they said, we're confident this time and we're just going to tell our lawyer to sue you. Well, we're not confident in your assessment, we said, since you were clearly (and admittedly) so wrong the first time. So good luck with the lawyer, I guess. Have not heard anything since. Photos! 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalsummer Posted December 14, 2017 Share Posted December 14, 2017 What a JERK. They had rather a history of this behavior (we signed the lease before we looked the company reviews up on google -dumb, I know) so we were prepared going in. It's weird because rent rates in the area are really high right now, so it's not like they're hurting for cash - no need to nickle and dime. I dunno. I was just so glad to have the photos. OP, that's pretty schiestery of the guy. I wonder if he's been looking for someone to pull this stunt on for a while? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted December 14, 2017 Share Posted December 14, 2017 I agree. I am always about bein Nice. But that’s not the best policy. And lest you feel alone, I have had this exact thing happen in a parking lot—sans honking. The photos thing is one reason I like having a smartphone. I get rattled when this sort of thing happens. It’s nice to have the phone/camera handy. Exactly. This is one thing where a smartphone is better than the old phones. End of September, someone bumped into the rear passenger door of my sedan coming out of a side street that had a stop sign. I was on a main road. Fortunately, moderately heavy traffic, nobody going fast so the damage was fairly minor. I took pictures and remained calm (while I could hear my heart pounding in my head) when the other driver's first words were: "You hit me." I think some people, even when they know they are at fault, just have a hard time admitting it and blaming someone else out loud feels good at that moment. The body shop guy said there is no way looking at the damage on my car that it could have been my fault and fortunately everything was paid by the other driver's insurance. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted December 14, 2017 Share Posted December 14, 2017 Pictures are a wonderful thing. Way back in the day before cell phones existed when I was in high school I was hit by a school bus. The bus driver figured I was a kid and started by saying it was my fault. I had my camera in the car and started taking pictures. Suddenly, it was I have to call the bus company. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted December 14, 2017 Share Posted December 14, 2017 Glad you took pictures. It is amazing how much people either try to swindle or our human minds create what they want to have happened. That latter bit happens often. I suspect the former does too. Pictures and cameras are so much more reliable than memories. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted December 14, 2017 Share Posted December 14, 2017 Absolutely always. Hope it goes well for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted December 14, 2017 Share Posted December 14, 2017 This happened to me in the library parking lot a couple years ago. I was backed out but this woman backed out into me. She immediately apologized, said she was late for a meeting, etc. then she kept changing her story, said rental car insurance would pay but didn’t actually add the insurance until after she hit me so they said sorry, no. Her insurance company tried to scam us also and said in a parking lot, no one is to blame. We had our friend, a lawyer, get involved, and they agreed to pay half the damages. Honestly I really hate parking lots for this reason now. I am always on such high alert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyoffive Posted December 14, 2017 Share Posted December 14, 2017 Great reminder! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamonlyone Posted December 14, 2017 Share Posted December 14, 2017 We always take pictures of rental cars too when we pick them up. We have had a company try to charge us for previous damage when we returned a car. Here is my funny (although, maybe not so much at the time) story to add: Years ago, I received a stern phone call from a police officer saying my husband had been in a hit and run, and they needed to talk with him. He wasn't home from work yet, and I was feeling pretty stressed by the time he got home. I met him at the door asking why he had left the scene; he was bewildered. He had not been in any kind of accident that day nor had even had a close call. It turns out a woman had (from the look of the damage) backed into a pole. I guess she was driving home behind my husband and wrote down his car info and license info—as well as a physical description of him! When the police department and insurance came out to look at our car, the inspectors laughed. He drove a compact, and she drove a large, old sedan. The trunk of her car was caved in, and our car had no damage. We have always found it bizarre that she would try to pin the accident on a random driver...and that she thought it could stick without the other car showing damage! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted December 14, 2017 Share Posted December 14, 2017 We always take pictures of rental cars too when we pick them up. We have had a company try to charge us for previous damage when we returned a car. Here is my funny (although, maybe not so much at the time) story to add: Years ago, I received a stern phone call from a police officer saying my husband had been in a hit and run, and they needed to talk with him. He wasn't home from work yet, and I was feeling pretty stressed by the time he got home. I met him at the door asking why he had left the scene; he was bewildered. He had not been in any kind of accident that day nor had even had a close call. It turns out a woman had (from the look of the damage) backed into a pole. I guess she was driving home behind my husband and wrote down his car info and license info—as well as a physical description of him! When the police department and insurance came out to look at our car, the inspectors laughed. He drove a compact, and she drove a large, old sedan. The trunk of her car was caved in, and our car had no damage. We have always found it bizarre that she would try to pin the accident on a random driver...and that she thought it could stick without the other car showing damage! One would think if scamming someone were the intent, one should use a little bit more common sense in selecting their victim! :lol: I think this belongs in one of those "really dumb criminals" snippets in Reader's Digest or similar. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mimm Posted December 14, 2017 Share Posted December 14, 2017 Jeez this thread is depressing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halftime Hope Posted December 14, 2017 Author Share Posted December 14, 2017 Jeez this thread is depressing. Isn't it though?!? That's what really, really has me hacked off. I hate that this incident will make me more naturally suspicious of people, and I'm trying to figure out how to fight that instinct. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halftime Hope Posted December 14, 2017 Author Share Posted December 14, 2017 Jeez this thread is depressing. Isn't it though?!? That's what really, really has me hacked off. I hate that this incident will make me more naturally suspicious of people, and I'm trying to figure out how to fight that instinct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted December 14, 2017 Share Posted December 14, 2017 I am a fan of People's Court and boy does Judge Millian always suggest photos. Of accidents, photos before and after renting a place for both landlord and tenant, photos for workmen while they are doing construction or renovations and photos for the home owner or business owner with the project being done. Smart phones make that easy now. Another reason I think smart phones are pretty essential nowadays for adults. I know the one time someone tried to claim my daughter hit someone in a parking lot, she was a high schooler but knew enough to start taking photos and wanting to get her insurance info cause there was no damage to her car and the lady quickly got in her car and left. That is the only scam type thing that has ever happened to us with cars. Now phone calls are a different matter. Some scamster has figured out that Tricare the military health program is greatly changing. So today I got a call from a supposed local number on my home phone and the recording was telling me how they can help me choose my health plan. Ahhh no. Tricare isn't calling us. They have sent us letters and emails. We go online to do this if we want to change. Or we call but they don't call us. Probably wanted our social security number since military still uses that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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