How a Stafford night out ended in flashing lights, and not the disco kind.
Becky had one plan: win big at bingo, grab a kebab, and be home by 10.
She wasn’t your usual Friday night party animal, more of a “Tesco meal deal and true crime doc” kind of woman. But this particular Friday, her mate Lisa dragged her to the Stafford bingo hall for “a laugh.”
Things went surprisingly well.
By 8:45pm, Becky was one line away from a full house and a cash prize that could cover her next MOT and still leave change for new slippers.
But then, disaster. And not the bingo kind.
🚦A Car Park Chaos Special
When they left, the Stafford bingo car park was the usual mess of reversing pensioners, taxi drivers, and people who’d clearly celebrated a win with too many Bacardi Breezers.
Becky, in her little red Peugeot, slowly backed out of her space.
Lisa shouted, “WAIT, ”
Too late.
A silver SUV, attempting to beat the rush, clipped her rear bumper and scraped along the passenger side.
Lights. Horns. Confusion. A fender full of damage and a lot of waving arms.
📞 “It’s Fine, Just Ring the Insurer…”
The SUV driver was friendly enough. They swapped details, said all the right things.
Becky, rattled, called her insurer on Saturday morning.
They said:
“Don’t worry, we’ll handle everything. We’ll send it to one of our garages.”
“No need to worry about anything, you don’t need to lift a finger.”
“Oh, yes, there’s just the small matter of your £350 excess.”
Becky blinked. “£350?”
Apparently, unless the other driver admitted full liability immediately (they didn’t), she’d need to pay the excess up front.
She didn’t have £350 to spare. Not after bingo. Not after rent. Not ever, really.
💻 Stafford Knows Better: Google to the Rescue
She searched:
“Stafford crash repair lower excess”
“Bodyshop near me with insurance help”
“Peugeot bumper scuff ST16 repair”
Up popped: Bodymatters.
✅ Local
✅ Independent
✅ Insurance support
✅ And, what’s this?, an excess discount scheme?
She rang us on Monday. Still unsure. Still anxious.
🧡 “You’ve Got Options, Becky”
We had a look at the damage.
Rear bumper scratched and dented. Side panel lightly scraped. Nothing structural, but enough to ruin her week, and probably her paintwork if left untreated.
We gave her the lowdown:
Yes, we could repair it to manufacturer spec
Yes, she could still go through insurance
Yes, she could choose us even if her insurer said otherwise
And yes, we could knock £150 off her excess through our excess support scheme
“Why didn’t my insurer tell me that?” she asked.
We shrugged. We hear that a lot.
🛠️ The Bodymatters Treatment
We booked her in that Thursday.
She got:
A free courtesy car (no paperwork maze)
Regular updates (real people, not robots)
Repairs guaranteed
Paintwork that matched exactly (not “close enough”)
Friendly advice on her next move
And within four working days, her red Peugeot looked like it had never lost a round in a bingo hall car park.
🤔 Why This Stuff Matters
A lot of people in Stafford don’t know their rights after a crash, especially when it comes to repairs. Here’s what Becky learned (and what we tell every customer):
You can pick your own repairer.
Your insurer might push their “network garage,” but you’re under no legal obligation to go there. It’s your car.You can ask for help with your excess.
We offer up to £150 off with our Excess Support Scheme. That means less stress, and more cash left for actual life stuff.Repairs should be guaranteed and done right.
We follow proper repair methods, manufacturer standards, not “quick patch jobs.”Bumps aren’t just cosmetic.
Even a car park scrape can lead to long-term rust, broken sensors, or misaligned panels
🧽 Becky’s Final Word?
When she picked up her car, Becky just stared at it.
Then at us.
“It looks better than before, to be honest.”
Then she gave us a review on Facebook:
“Didn’t win at bingo. Did win by finding these guys.”
We’ll take it.
🚘 Stafford – Been in a Scrape? Don't Let It Spiral
Whether you’re reversing out of bingo, nudging a post in Castlefields, or just sick of insurers treating you like a file number, we’re here.
At Bodymatters, we:
✅ Help with insurance claims
✅ Offer an excess discount scheme
✅ Provide free courtesy cars
✅ Do proper, guaranteed repairs
✅ Explain things clearly (no jargon, no pressure)
📍 Tollgate Drive, Stafford ST16 3EA
📞 01785 229162
💻 www.bodymatters-uk.com
Because not every accident needs to become a drama, and not every customer should be left out of pocket.
