A year ago I bumped the bumper in a parking lot. I looked and there was about a one to three inch area with a paint scrape on the plastic bumper, no dent, it was easy to scrape.
I wondered if it was enough damage to bother with, but left my number. I wondered if the person would call and say 'oh, no big deal'.
They called, but felt strongly it was a big deal, saying it would hurt the resale value. I figured it was their right to demand a fix.
I wasn't at all sure about options - are there expensive and less expensive fixes that are all fine, where I should ask her to get one over another? So I posted the question on the auto forum here. Among the replies, which basically were to just get the repair shop she took it to she liked to do it, was one quite rude person posting insulting accusations that by asking the question, I was trying to get out of fixing the car.
Pointing out that I had accepted the recommendation there didn't have any effect on the insult - I had been trying to get out of fixing the car, the jerky person insisted.
Anyway, the estimate was something like $800, I talked to my insurance agent about whether to pay out of pocket or use my insurance, and found out there's a nice California law that insurance charges under $1000 require the insurance company to not raise your rates, so that worked out nicely.
I was actually a bit pleased to be able to tell her her favorite shop would be fine to do the repair instead of the fair answer needing to get her to accept another solution.
I felt a little bad that someone who has done nothing wrong has the hassle of having to get estimates and take their car in for repair and while that's paid, their time is wasted.
When the bump happened, there was that little thought to decide for the owner the little paint scrape was no big deal and leave, but I quickly decided they had a right to decide.
I think it's a natural reaction - there's a quick reaction to want to deny it happened and think by leaving, it sort of didn't - but the question is whether you then think better.
I never much considered leaving - it was more when I checked I hoped the damage was nothing so I could, but the paint scrape was real, and annoyingly easy to cause.
I think they could design bumpers made of a color that would show no impact - this paint on the bumper was so delicate, running your finger a little took more off.
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