A friend has just had her car damaged in a minor accident, where another driver ran into the back of her car, and pushed it into one in front, The other driver has admitted liability and a hire car has been provided whilst the situation is dealt with.
The problem is that her car is an S reg Rover 25, it had low mileage, full service history, was reliable and been owned by her from new, but even on a good day can't be worth much more than a few hundred pounds. The repairs have been costed at £ 1600
I fear that the insurance company will make a derisory offer of £ 100 - 200 for the car and she will be left without any transport or the means to buy a suitable replacement, ie not a complete heap.
Does anyone have any experience of this kind of situation and how best to proceed.
Thanks
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I fear that the insurance company will make a derisory offer of £ 100 - 200 for the car and she will be left without any transport or the means to buy a suitable replacement ie not a complete heap.
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Do not claim on your own Ins Policy
They may write-off the car but the 3rd party insurer must put you back in the same position as you were before the bump.
i.e. Start looking for a similar car - Rover /Honda (same car in principle) on Auto Trader and other sites. Get copies of the advertts to use as evidence of availability and also the price.
The value of the car is not the T/I value but "what you would pay " to get the twin (as near as can be expected) to replace the damaged car.
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The above is very good advice indeed. If she has spoken to her own ins co, then she should ring them up and advise them that she will not be claiming through them, but directly with the third party's insurance co. (Although who has provided this interim car?)
If she in the habit of buying her cars from main dealers, then amount payable by ins. co should allow for making that purchase. She will get more than £200.
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Do not accept the first or even the second offer, look on autotrader for similar cars in similar condition and submit them with your claim.
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A bump to the back of me without the concertina effect many moons ago had my then 12 year old "F" plate VW Golf vauled at £1200 and I promply recieved a cheque the week after
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"If she in the habit of buying her cars from main dealers, then amount payable by ins. co should allow for making that purchase. She will get more than £200."
At ten years old she may find that the insurance valuation is closer to a private sale value than a dealer's, and she wouldn't find a car of that vintage at a main dealer in any case. Still room for negotiation, using data from AutoTrader or similar. Very easy to find it by using AT's online search facility. Print them out, and use to support her expectation.
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Thanks for the input ! the insurer has just made an offer of £1000 this morning, which in the circumstances is probably acceptable, and more than we had expected. Is there any point in pushing for more ? I can't find a similar age car on Autotrader above £1000. I advised her to put this towards an 06 Fiat Grande Punto for £ 4600 in the local Fiat garage.
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Perhaps she could also look at a Yaris - perhaps not as new, but more likely to be problem-free?
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Yes but the Yaris is so ugly . . . .
At least the Fiat looks good, I don't believe they are as shoddy as Fiats of old were. I often get them as Hire cars when I go on trips abroad, and I think they are pretty good.
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"I don't believe they are as shoddy as Fiats of old were"
Just keep taking the tablets, please Mr F, and you'll get better soon. Fiat dealers, on here at least, have a poor reputation, and while it looks good, the product isn't one many would suggest for long-term trouble-free ownership.
Have a root around on fiatforum.com (UK-based) and see if your rose-tinted specs are still working.
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Just keep taking the tablets please Mr F and you'll get better soon. Fiat dealers on here at least have a poor reputation and while it looks good the product isn't one many would suggest for long-term trouble-free ownership.
I have the following experience of Fiats owned by close friends and family members:
1999 T Punto 1.2 Team - No problems in 5 years
2001 W Punto 1.2 - 80 000 miles trouble free
2003 03 Punto 1.9 JTD - 50 000 miles trouble free
07 Grande Punto 1.2 Active - No problems, 3 years warranty
08 500 1.2 Lounge - No Problems excellent car.
So I have confidence in them.
I know of lots of people who have had lots of trouble with other makes of cars (including a 2006 Audi A6 TDI that is now on it's second engine )
but that is a seperate issue, and not related to the original post, Honest John rates them well, and has his own 500, that's good enough for me thanks. You carry on living in the past.
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Forget the Fiat tit-for-tat -- why restrict yourself to a single car?
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No special reason, I merely suggested that a 2 year old Grande Punto, for 4600 looks like the best deal - ie the most economical, practical, newest car available for that kind of price.
Its up to her what she eventually gets, she asked me for help in this matter as I am quite interested in cars and all matters relating to them.
VW Polos, Honda Jazzs. Yaris, Fiesta Clio etc, you are looking at a much older car for the same money. The Fiat looks good value.
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But it's not just about the purchase price. Read this:
www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/item.htm?id=5246
and this:
www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/item.htm?id=5247
Spot a link to my comment above?
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In fairness to the Fiat, doesn't it come with a five-year warranty? Or is that just the Bravo?
I've recommended Hyundais and Kias to people in the past for the same reasons -- cheap to buy, cheap to service, long warranty.
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Only five year warranty on the GP from Jul 08, three years to that date.
www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?id=95348
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Yes Oldnot bold I have read this but hidden amonst the information was the figure for the Fiat Stilo, at 11% still very low in terms of failure rate. the Grande Punto is not listed as it is too new. The Stilo was built is the same factory.
Notwithstanding the above, I am a fan of Toyota as I have one myself, (Avensis 2.2) which is excellent but if you look at the car by car breakdown guide for the Grande Punto it gets a good write up.
I stand by my recommendation.
Yaris is made in France btw.
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Foxy, check the engine in the GP on special offer - the 1.2 (8V?) I had as a hire car was slow as a mouthbreathing schoolleaver.
Not sure if this matters to your lady friend, but worth bearing in mind.
Edited by barchettaman on 29/09/2008 at 20:56
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