Could be a bit of a story here so I apologize in advance.

 

Got hit by another car,  they admitted liability, got a written statement off her and had witnesses (this was back in the tail end of July) What I initially thought was wheel/wing/bumper damage turned out to be steering and suspension damage and the car was a cat D write off.

 

Jumped through the usual hoops supplying same age/mileage mk2 hatchback vrs' but with lower spec and they were all priced above £4k.

 

Kindertons (who are managing the claim and have been useless throughout) have come back to me with the engineers report and only valued the car at £3.4k and wont budge. The engineer even supplied 3 examples of same age/mileage cars ranging from £3.4k to £4.9k. 2 of the cars valued under £4k are lower spec than mine (don't have the 18" alloys, no rear parking sensors, only front electric windows, no dual climate control etc) whereas the £4.9k one is exactly the same spec.

 

I told them I'm not trying to be greedy, just want to get back into a car of the same spec as I spent a while looking for it (told them I'd take £3.8k)

 

In this time I've also supplied details for uninsured losses claim like a child car seat and base (as they say these should be replaced in any accident) a roof rack and fitted rear window blinds (from UV car shades)

 

I keep chasing them and they give me the usual "were looking into it or I'll chase someone up" line.

 

So with it being over 4 months since I got in touch with them, what can I do to get it over with as I'm still out of pocket close to £1k.

 

TIA, Drew.

Try complaints department initially. Doesn't matter if they have one or not they must be able to process a complaint.

 

After that you can go to the financial ombudsman. Ombudsman won't entertain you until you have exhausted the in-house complaints procedure.

 

You can also go to (or threaten to go to) local press, watchdog that sort of thing. Companies hate the idea of a bad press story.

Perfect, will go that route.

And thanks.

Edited 30 November, 201510 yr by drw8

Assume Kindertons were appointed by your insurer?  If so vent at them.

Is this the same car as you asked about letting the person that hit you pay for repairs.?  EDIT

 

Who was it that Priced Up the Accident Damage Repair Work?  

What Engineer did the Report?

 

EDIT,

So just as well that the Boy Friend did not get the work done at Mates Rates.

and you went through the with the Insurance claim !

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/365775-car-got-hit-and-person-wants-to-pay

Edited 30 November, 201510 yr by GoneOffskiroottoot

Is this the same car as you asked about letting the person that hit you pay for repairs.?  EDIT

 

Who was it that Priced Up the Accident Damage Repair Work?  

What Engineer did the Report?

 

EDIT,

So just as well that the Boy Friend did not get the work done at Mates Rates.

and you went through the with the Insurance claim !

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/365775-car-got-hit-and-person-wants-to-pay

 

Yeah, relieved I went through the insurance as getting lumped with paying for repairs how ever many months down the line would have ruined me.

 

Bit of a weird one, I'm insured with red star through chris knots. Was offshore when I reported it, but called chris knots as I couldn't remember I was insured with red star. They passed me onto Gildeas solicitors and they passed me onto kindertons as I was in Scotland.

 

The car went to Kinghorn bodyshop http://www.kinghornbodyshop.co.uk/

And I asked them to check the alignment as I had got a 4 wheel alignment done a few months earlier. A week later they said it was a cat D write off as there was steering and suspension damage.

 

I don't know who the engineers are that kindertons are using, but I've repeatedly told them the spec of my car and they keep coming back with lower spec cars, but same age and slightly higher mileage. I even supplied a few ads from autotrader for cars that were lower spec and higher mileage (by 10k+) and they were going for £4k.

My car was a 2006 vrs, it had full elec. windows, 18" alloys, dual climate control, OEM reverse parking sensors, jumbo box etc. Any 06/07 vrs I find seems to be of a lesser spec. I thought that from 2007 the spec my car had was standard?

Maybe you need to Employ your own Loss Adjuster, because all of those others and their Engineer are earning trying 

to keep your pay out low.

 

All bottom feeders getting a cut while keeping you away from what is rightly yours.

Best get Replacement prices together for this week,

Not Asking Prices at Dealers, because you are Cash in Hand with no Trade in, and ready to buy,

& then submit to the Insurance Underwriters what you need to be left no worse off because of a No Fault Accident.

*Car Dealers 'Asking Prices' are not the same as 'What you pay prices'.*

?

Any cars suitable for sale in your area?

 

Let the person the did the nasty deeds Underwriters pay out what they are due to, fully.

Edited 30 November, 201510 yr by GoneOffskiroottoot

All potential cars were down south when I looked (over 200 miles away)

 

Ended up finding a 2011 elegance estate 4miles away at AC Mercedes.

The Underwriters for the person that hit your car would need to be paying out for you getting those cars far far away.

 

Talk to the Insurance Company tomorrow, and get replies in writing.

............................

Tell me the exact spec of the car you need as a replacement and i will try and see if i find one near you.

A like for like one.

Edited 30 November, 201510 yr by GoneOffskiroottoot

2006 hatchback, petrol vrs. 90,000 miles on clock.

 

18" alloys, full elec. windows, dual climate control, OEM reverse parking sensors, jumbo box, cd changer, FSH.

 

Think that's the important stuff.

 

edit: and timing belt/water pump got done around 3 years ago.

Edited 30 November, 201510 yr by drw8

OK,

not seeing anything other than what you will have seen on Autotrader and the likes,

and the Red one with the £4,000 Asking Price about 300 miles from you.

 

I will check with a Local Dealer tomorrow if they know of anything worth a look.

Your £3,800 offer to them looks very fair seeing what people are asking.

That's what I thought, I'm only after an additional £400, then I'd be happy. Not being greedy, not taking the ****, just after what I'm due.

 

Thanks for your help and time on this.

Just had this email reply today.

 

"Good Afternoon. Please be advised I have had this response from the engineers there will not be an  increase from the independent assessors unfortunately."

 

And this is what the engineer had sent in the email, no words, just this.

 

Strange Jeens North Ltd

Cambuslang, Glasgow, G72 7EP

[email protected]

Vehicle Valuation Report

Printed on: 30/11/2015 Printed by: 420021

Loss Month: 11/2015 Claim No:

Skoda Octavia 2.0T FSI vRS Hatchback 5d - KV57BXL

Make: Skoda

Model: Octavia

Derivative: 2.0T FSI vRS Hatchback 5d

Further Description: Manual gearbox, 6 gears, Hatchback, Petrol, Front

wheel drive, 1984 cc

Colour: Black

Average Mileage: 73000

Mileage: 96000

Date Introduced: Jan 2006

Reg. Year / Plate: 2007/57

Glass Code: 9DLB

Insurance Group: 15

MOT Due: 0/0

Original Cost New: £17,470

Retail Transacted: £4,810

Glass's Trade: £3,130

© Glass's

 

Which is this car on autotrader: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201511068466196?fuel-type=petrol&body-type=hatchback&radius=1501&postcode=AB12%204RN&price-to=5500&search-target=usedcars&sort=default&page=1&onesearchad=used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew&make=skoda&price-from=3000&keywords=vrs&model=octavia&logcode=p

 

And then my car:

 

Vehicle Valuation Report

Printed on: 30/11/2015 Printed by: 420021

Loss Month: 07/2015 Claim No:

Skoda Octavia 2.0T FSI vRS Hatchback 5d - SV06HVM

Make: Skoda

Model: Octavia

Derivative: 2.0T FSI vRS Hatchback 5d

Further Description: Manual gearbox, 6 gears, Hatchback, Petrol, Front

wheel drive, 1984 cc

Colour: Blue

Average Mileage: 80000

Mileage: 95583

Date Introduced: Jan 2006

Reg. Year / Plate: 2006/06

Glass Code: 9DLB

Insurance Group: 15

MOT Due: 0/0

Original Cost New: £17,297

Retail Transacted: £4,040

Glass's Trade: £2,540

© Glass's

 

How does that backup that £3400 is a fair price for my car?

Sorry, never came up with anything, i called and asked some friends and nothing around decent they knew of.

(The Mk1 for sale in Fife with an asking price of £4,000 is a bit steep 'One of the last'.)

 

So the Independent Assessor maybe better find a 'Like for Like car',  because the Glass's Trade Price is no use if that does not 

get a 'Like for like car'.

Or your Insurers are going to have to come up with some solution.

 

You are maybe going to have to use a Solicitor and get what is your right.

You need to take this up with your insurer.

Assume this is the 3rd party valuing your car so low?

Please say that you took the legal protection on your policy, as it's times like this it pays dividends

Assume this is the 3rd party valuing your car so low?

Please say that you took the legal protection on your policy, as it's times like this it pays dividends

 

Not sure who the "engineer" works for, will need to find out. I hope I did take legal protection. Again will need to find out.

 

If I'm insured with Red Star through Chris Knots (I have never been in touch with Red Star) do I call Red Star or Chris Knots to complain?

Not sure who the "engineer" works for, will need to find out. I hope I did take legal protection. Again will need to find out.

 

If I'm insured with Red Star through Chris Knots (I have never been in touch with Red Star) do I call Red Star or Chris Knots to complain?

I'd make contact with both of them.

 

Chances are this engineer works for the others insurer, so make sure your insurer is on the case protecting your interests, and claiming anything else from them (travel costs/car hire etc)

Thanks, will do that.

you could sue the other driver/his insurer through the small claims court for the difference, child seat etc.

It may however not be worth the hassle.

 

Chris Knott have a presence on here so get them to do the work for you. That's what they get paid for.

Edited 2 December, 201510 yr by loskie

Small update to this. Flat out refuse to increase their offer on the car. Was also told by the assessing engineer that the suspension that I fitted to it needs to be claimed for via uninsured losses claim.

Kindertons are trying to say that the cars value reflected the modified suspension. So going back and forth between them...

And finally got a cheque through for the baby seat and base and the roof rack.

How this has been dragged out for 8 months when I have witnesses and a statement from the driver who hit me admitting fault is total BS.

Was the suspension declared on the policy?

Have a read of this - it will tell you what the financial ombudsman will consider to be a fair value. 

 

If you feel the offer made is unfair you can refer your case to the financial ombudsman.