Came back to find a very friendly note “so sorry I’ve scratched your car please call me on xxxx :-)”

Got in contact via text as busy at work. This person said let me know the damage and I’ll sort it, it shouldn’t be much as mine polished out.

Anyway mine won’t polish out and local body shop has quoted £450 all in. I then email invoice and now radio silence.

I have a first name, email address and mobile number. I suspect there is not to can do?

I think you need a second quote. Maybe a local chips-away guy.

Also did you tell the body shop if it was cash or an insurance job? Usually effects the price

As above, get your local dent/paint guy on it. Body shop will no doubt want to paint half the car

thought of actually calling the number?

Either instruct one of those claim management companies, one phone call from a new number and they’ll be sending you the cash as it will cost them a lot more otherwise, or report to the police. Police can more than likely trace the owner of the phone but probably won’t want to bother. Either way a quick phone call from either should sort it….

Good shout. Thanks all.

Problem is you can’t prove its them so it’s all good will. Problem is there good will doesn’t stretch to £450.

Did you catch it on a dash cam or do you have a witness?

What text messages do you have as evidence?

You might have to go through your insurance company. They do exchange information, they might trace them through a phone or email.

I’d tell them to pay up or you are going to the police with their details to get a crime number so you can claim through the insurance company. See if it spurs them into action.

Good luck

Pictures of said £450 ‘scratch’?

thought of actually calling the number?

From a different number you text them on obviously. 👍

And get a call recording app up and running when you do

Nice.

Surely the police would laugh at a case like this?

Don’t get the police involved. Wouldn’t even bother with the insurance company, not unless you want them to bump up your premium. Get a second/third quote and ask the other party to cover half the costs.

get another quote

get in contact with quotes and ask them where they want them sent – maybe from another number if they’ve now blacklisted yours.

if they don’t answer / go silent again, report to police to get a crime number (offence to not provide details to anyone with reasonable cause to need them). They won’t do anything and you may be able to do on line but useful for the ins claim.

report to your ins co with all the details you have, up to them to chase down the details.

I had a similar claim but with no details so I had to go thru insurance and it made way less impact on my premium than £450 repair costs, if at all.

You need the services of someone who can get the name and address of the phone number holder. I had a claim off someone, I had the name and email address. I emailed the claim and radio silence,

I then found out the address, full name and emailed a legal looking request for payment, with the note copied as an admission of guilt. Deadline of 3 days to cough up or i was going legal.

She did. Tips to find out more details…social media, Google phone number, Google name, local camera footage, I quite enjoyed the search took me about 1 hour tops to find her.

Good luck

Nah
If they are a rubbish driver and drove into your car chances are they already have used the services of a local bodyshop.
Text to say something along the lines of ” Crikey , that quote was on the heavy side, I thought it would be half of that, think the guy was pulling down my pants. Do you have a contact number for a local bodyshop , maybe someone you have used and I will get a better quote from them”
Then they think you are doing them a favour , and keep lines of coms open

At least they stopped and left their number. Some buger caught my rearbumper last month, I was able to polish out the worse, but they smashed my rear light. Fortunately found one on ebay for £40, other sellers were north of £100.