Should I confess this?

[MacLeod123]

I recently had a contractor over looking at a leak I had in my house. He gave me a verbal estimate to temporarily fix the leak, he said it could be $125, $150 but he wasn’t specific and I didn’t feel confident with the exact price. Well then my insurance adjuster came over. I told him about what the contractor had said. But when I told him the contractor said $125, $150, but I implied that it might be up to $200 because I wasn’t sure it would only be $125, $150. Well the insurance gave me $200 towards the fix. Later I thought I probably should have just told him $125/$150. I don’t think I was trying to be dishonest I was thinking the fix could be more especially since I didn’t have a written quote. I often exaggerate a lot, I just keep talking and talking when I should stop and then later think about what I really said. Did I commit a mortal sin? Now I got the bill and it was only $125 so I feel even worse.

 

[Brendan_64]

A mortal sin needs to be of grave matter and committed with full knowledge and full consent.

You did not mean to cheat your insurance company, you didn’t lie to them. As it stands I can’t even see how this would even be a venial sin, so long as you intend to attempt to return the difference. phone them up and explain that the actual cost was less than expected, and worked out at $75 less than what they gave you to cover it. Ask them is they would like you to send them a cheque for $75. If they say’ “Yes” then send them a cheque, if the say, “No” then they’ve willingly given you $75.

 

[Netty1]

…and if they willingly give you the $75 and it still troubles you, then donate it to charity. Then something good has come out of it for sure.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

They’ll jack up your rates in the long run, so you’ll end up paying that $75 back many times over.

Weird that they paid out before you had a true bill.

I don’t see what you did wrong, UNLESS you purposely exaggerated the work so as to get a larger payout. In that case, yes, you need to confess the lie.

 

[Kathrin]

I think as somebody suggested you can call the insurance and tell them honestly what happened, that the bill ended up being less. Then it is really up to them whether they want to still pay the full amount or not.

 

[wllmjoseph]

…and if they willingly give you the $75 and it still troubles you, then donate it to charity. Then something good has come out of it for sure.

I completely agree. In past instances when I received more money than I was supposed to I would donate to a charity or to the church. In my experience that would be the right thing to do.