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Insurance company wants to write my daughter's car off - can we refuse?

My daughter's car was hit by another car while parked in the street outside my house. The other driver was apologetic and admitted it was his fault so we exchanged details as my daughter was not in. The damage to her car is a scuffed bumper and a very small dent to wing. On her return she phoned her insurance company Admiral and was informed that unless she agreed to right the car off immediately, as it is a 1999 Ford Fiesta, due to age and the two panels damaged there was nothing they could do. I then spoke to the adviser and he told me the only alternative was to send them pictures of the damage and if their engineers deemed it uneconomic to repair they would rwrite the car off which would result in the policy ending and a claim on her record. I told him this was not acceptable and ended the call. How should my daughter proceed?

Asked on 30 August 2017 by Michael Clement

Answered by Honest John
Cancel the claim with Admiral, advise them that she is not claiming, and that it is for notifications purpose only. This way the policy will continue as normal.

I could give you long winded explanation, but it is better to resolve your situation. Contact the at fault insurers directly, ask them to either repair her car, or to provide a cash in lieu settlement instead.

Tell them that she categorically insist it is not dealt with as a total loss. The issue your daughter has is the low value of the car.

Last scenario, get a quote for repairs ensuring they are less than the market value of your car, and submit that to either the at fault, or ask the other driver to pay for it privately. That way they do not have to claim on their insurance either.
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