Yesterday I was involved in a very minor bump and I rang my insurers (Saga). They took all details and then suddenly handed me over to someone from "Claimfast". He said that he could arrange the repair of my car and also the replacement loan car during the repair. He then asked for either my credit card or debit card details. I remember reading in your Saturday features about excessive car hire charges and immediately told him that I will contact him at a later time. I am concerned that he said my car could be picked up this morning, and that a hire care would be brought out to me. I have visions of my car sitting for weeks on end before any attempt to repair it and that I would be landed with a massive bill should the insurance company not cover the cost. Am I right to be worried?

My second concern is that my car, a Mitsubishi Galant Estate V6 I have owned from new for nine years and has only 68,000 miles on the clock, has sustained damage to front and rear wings, nearside rear passenger door and scuffs to front passenger door. The damage is not extensive but I fear that because the car is not valued at very much, the insurance company may write it off, owing to the cost of repairs. How do I stop this and what course of action should I take?