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Insurance nightmare: write-off or repair? Companies disagreeing
My neighbour reversed into my car three weeks ago, and caused damage to the bonnet, bumper, number plate etc. Although the damage was not too bad, my car value is only £1750, so unlikely to be repaired by insurers. She admitted full liability from the start.
I phoned her insurers and they told me to phone my own so I did. They told me I had to pay my £350 excess if I wanted to deal with them, or I could go through to a Claims Management Company they use and not pay my excess instead. We chose this route so as not to have to pay any money.
They sent my car to two different garages who both declared my car uneconomical to repair (one quote being over £1500 and the other £1795). At this point my Claims Management company said I could no longer deal with them as the car was a write-off and referred me back through to my underwriter.
My underwriter then said that the car needed to go to another garage for assessment as they don't recognise the original garage under their list of approved garages. So after a week they sent it to a Salvage Yard and got an engineer to send pictures to the insurers.
The company made a decision on sight of the pictures (without viewing my car themselves) and have now said that they think it is repairable because in their words 'all it needs is a new bonnet'. We told them that this is not the case as the bumper is damaged too.
They now want to send it to a fourth garage to assess it now. Meanwhile, we have had a courtesy car (Vauxhall Insignia) all this time, and my neighbour's insurers are not very happy that the claim is escalating in value all the time (we tried speaking to them).
We now want the car to be written off because we're worried that they won't repair it properly in order to save money. Surely it would be easier for everyone? The value of the car is not worth the trouble surely?
I tried making a complaint to my underwriter, going through to their customer relations department, they told me that I had to go through my own insurers. I phoned my insurers to complain and they said that they are only brokers and that my complaint is with the underwriters.
I am really worried that my neighbour's insurers are going to declare the need for the courtesy car for this amount of time as unreasonable and send me the bill instead. What do I do?
I phoned her insurers and they told me to phone my own so I did. They told me I had to pay my £350 excess if I wanted to deal with them, or I could go through to a Claims Management Company they use and not pay my excess instead. We chose this route so as not to have to pay any money.
They sent my car to two different garages who both declared my car uneconomical to repair (one quote being over £1500 and the other £1795). At this point my Claims Management company said I could no longer deal with them as the car was a write-off and referred me back through to my underwriter.
My underwriter then said that the car needed to go to another garage for assessment as they don't recognise the original garage under their list of approved garages. So after a week they sent it to a Salvage Yard and got an engineer to send pictures to the insurers.
The company made a decision on sight of the pictures (without viewing my car themselves) and have now said that they think it is repairable because in their words 'all it needs is a new bonnet'. We told them that this is not the case as the bumper is damaged too.
They now want to send it to a fourth garage to assess it now. Meanwhile, we have had a courtesy car (Vauxhall Insignia) all this time, and my neighbour's insurers are not very happy that the claim is escalating in value all the time (we tried speaking to them).
We now want the car to be written off because we're worried that they won't repair it properly in order to save money. Surely it would be easier for everyone? The value of the car is not worth the trouble surely?
I tried making a complaint to my underwriter, going through to their customer relations department, they told me that I had to go through my own insurers. I phoned my insurers to complain and they said that they are only brokers and that my complaint is with the underwriters.
I am really worried that my neighbour's insurers are going to declare the need for the courtesy car for this amount of time as unreasonable and send me the bill instead. What do I do?
Asked on 13 December 2012 by cjpalmer
Answered by
Honest John
How many times do I have to tell people that the business model of 'accident management companies' is to delay repairs and to put you into a credit hire car at a high rate for as long as possible.
Credit hire means that if the hire cost cannot be recovered from insurers, you are liable.
Credit hire means that if the hire cost cannot be recovered from insurers, you are liable.
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