I endured a similar process 12 months ago or so.

My car's floorpan wasn't even ripples.....but it 's door gap on one side was tightre than on hte other [like that..apparently , for many many years.{ I work with all its previous owners]....probably made like that?]...however, I had a no-fault claim, via my own insurer.....told to take car to their appointed specialsit, who wrote a report based on door gap, suggesting the shell was 'bent' [never any tacking issues]...told me, there was significant risk in trying to 'straighten' the shell, as the car was 'old'...

Insurer relied absolutely on this report [spoke to their 'resident engineer'...]..and were unmoveable..it was a CAt C write off...but I could buy back the 'salvage' for my own 'repair' [ie, I would, effectively, do nothing...as nothing had, effectively , changed]..

Now, I'm not talking thosusands here....but they offered a lot more than I'd paid for the car two years beforehand.

However, in my view, the 'killer' was to be the admin costs......

For Cat C to get 'back on the road'.... first there is a VOSA check [to see if stolen parts, etc were used]....they do not 'check' the repair [what repair?] This comes to nearly £50, plus the costs of getting hte vehicel, time, etc to the nearest VOSA check centre [for me, nearly 60 miles away]...

To re-insure the car, my insurer would have needed a brand new MoT test, plus an 'engineer's report' on the 'repair' So, another £40-odd, plus the cost of a 'reprot'....say...£80?

Conservatively, say around £150 of pure admin costs?

[Before the costs of any repairs are factored in]

For bangernomics, not good...I told 'em to 'fetch the car'[after I'd got all me good bits off, duff battery,e tc]...and bought a 'replacement..sadly, a grotty ford!

Edited by alastairq on 25/08/2013 at 16:52