A few days ago I had the pleasure of watching someone ding my car in a hospital car park as he nose dived head first into the space beside my car.

 

His old Honda CRV had a “horn” type headlamp washer sticking up on the front corner of the bumper and it caught my wheel arch and marked 700mm along the LH wing and passenger door. Pretty minor stuff. Panels are dented. Some of the paint might’ve polished out.

 

After my very minor Blow Off, we swapped details and went about our business.

 

I popped in to a local body shop and came away with the Cheapest Quotation for a direct repair. Over £500. 3 days worth.

 

Later I rocked up to the gent’s door to discuss the way forward. All very pleasant with each other (and his good lady). Not surprisingly, the old chap wasn’t interested in forking out some hard cash, so we agreed he’d call his insurance company. I expected him to call next day, but he must have called right away in the evening.

 

At 7pm  I received an SMS from his insurance company, fully admitting liability and ready to “minimise my inconvenience”. Including a 5 page letter containing both parties details and emphasising how easy this will be for me. NCD unaffected. No XS payment. Keeping me mobile if needed.

 

Closely followed by a phone call from a nice young lady wanting to get things wrapped up pronto, without involving my insurance company at all. And I can choose my own repair shop.

 

The next morning my phone rang at 10am as agreed and another nice lady sorted everything out. I revisited my body shop so a few pictures could be taken and a quote sent off for approval.

 

And - the local car hire company appointed by the insurance company then phoned me to ask “when would I like the loan car?”

 

I’ve never seen an insurance company move so fast. I think their aim is to pay fast and pay as little as possibly before the claim “gets complicated”.

 

The Culprit’s insurance company is Age Co Insurance Services - or Ageas UK.

 

Maybe I’ll try them for a quote one day 

 

ps - hard to photograph 

27 minutes ago, BoxerBoy said:

Maybe I’ll try them for a quote one day 

 

Yeah - and if they behave that well, make sure you run into me when its my turn to get my ticket punched again! 

 

Seriously though - glad to hear of one of these incidents getting sorted quickly and professionally. Hope the bear is good as new soon.

Sorry to hear of your misfortune. 

 

Was this at Monklands or Hairmyers by any chance? 

Very annoying however going through insurance will no doubt load your premiums for the next 5 years. Non fault claims, as far as I have been subjected to, will load your premium when you renew your insurance. This is because insurers statistically find those with non fault claims tend to make fault claims. May have changed in the last few years. Certainly in the past I have done what I can to avoid going through insurance for a small figure as it is likely it will cost you considerably more than that over the next 5 years of having to state a non fault claim. A real shame.

Years ago I scraped my door on a brick pillar on my driveway and phoned my insurance company to ask about how putting the damage right may affect my premium. I decided to get the work done privately but they still gave me a claim number even though no money passed hands. So be careful when you phone your insurance company, even to ask advice.

Do they just need to pull the dent out or replace the panel?

50 minutes ago, jasoncmiles said:

Very annoying however going through insurance will no doubt load your premiums for the next 5 years. Non fault claims, as far as I have been subjected to, will load your premium when you renew your insurance. This is because insurers statistically find those with non fault claims tend to make fault claims. May have changed in the last few years. Certainly in the past I have done what I can to avoid going through insurance for a small figure as it is likely it will cost you considerably more than that over the next 5 years of having to state a non fault claim. A real shame.

 

I have heard that myth over the years and in reality its never affected us or my father.

 

Wife was hit up the rear by a Virgin Media van. Reported to our insurers but Virgin media (or the insurer) paid direct to the VW approved body shop. Told our insurers work had been done and no premium increase.

 

Last year wife was hit up the rear (again) by a plumber. Reported to insurers but he offered to pay our local body shop direct (quote over £1500). Told insurers when work completed. On renewal premium dropped £40.

 

Dad hit a barrier in Asda wiping pretty much the whole side off the car. Work involved bonnet, front wing, both doors, rear wing, tailgate, roof and both bumpers, car was close to being written off. He had protected NCB but we still expected his premiums to go up (he was 85 at the time). Premium fell by almost £100 at renewal.

 

All this was with Aviva.

Where were you watching from?

 

I always wonder if you weren't there to witness it, if the old bloke would have driven away.

2 hours ago, skidpan said:

 

I have heard that myth over the years and in reality its never affected us or my father.

 

Wife was hit up the rear by a Virgin Media van. Reported to our insurers but Virgin media (or the insurer) paid direct to the VW approved body shop. Told our insurers work had been done and no premium increase.

 

Last year wife was hit up the rear (again) by a plumber. Reported to insurers but he offered to pay our local body shop direct (quote over £1500). Told insurers when work completed. On renewal premium dropped £40.

 

Dad hit a barrier in Asda wiping pretty much the whole side off the car. Work involved bonnet, front wing, both doors, rear wing, tailgate, roof and both bumpers, car was close to being written off. He had protected NCB but we still expected his premiums to go up (he was 85 at the time). Premium fell by almost £100 at renewal.

 

All this was with Aviva.

 

It is not a myth unfortunately. It is very real. Have to say you are the first I have heard of to be rewarded with a premium reduction post claim. To add context I change my insurer most years to retain the most reasonable premium for the cover I need.

 

https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/cars/1010722/car-insurance-car-crash-premium-increase-at-fault

1 hour ago, silver1011 said:

I always wonder if you weren't there to witness it, if the old bloke would have driven away.

 

My mother watched a bloke take out someones front indicator and ding the front wing in a local shopping centre car park. He probably saw her watching and made a show of writing a note and leaving it under the cars wiper.  Problem was, the note was just some raffle ticket stub. He'd written nothing. 

 

(My mother had noted his plate number and waited for the owner to come back. They did get sorted).

 

I dented a rear license plate on a 12 year old Corolla, in a car park. Less than 1 mph knock while reversing (tight space, rolled back three inches when the old BMW I had wouldn't go into first). Left a note with my contact details. Got a  £2600 bill for a right front headlight, new door, new rocker panel, respray - but weirdly, no license plate!

 

(Didn't pay that - I'd seen the car was a heap and took pictures of the old, rusted damage on it beside  a dated page from a freebie paper I had in the car. It took 3 months to sort but just cost  £45, after a load of grief. )

 

The grief was caused by my insurance company wanting to pay out because their claimed procedure was not to investigate damage less than £3000.  Ignore the fraud.

 

Why would they - they told me they were going to increase my premium.  Can you guess by how much...? 

Edited 25 November, 20187 yr by TheRobinK
typo

26 minutes ago, jasoncmiles said:

 

It is not a myth unfortunately. It is very real. Have to say you are the first I have heard of to be rewarded with a premium reduction post claim. To add context I change my insurer most years to retain the most reasonable premium for the cover I need.

 

https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/cars/1010722/car-insurance-car-crash-premium-increase-at-fault

 

For pities sake, its the Express which like the Mail never let the truth get in the way of a good scare story.

17 minutes ago, skidpan said:

 

For pities sake, its the Express which like the Mail never let the truth get in the way of a good scare story.

 

Forget the Mail and Express. It happens. My premium rose after a windscreen replacement with protected NCB. Then again the rise could also be to fund the Insurance industry cover for all the little scrotes who don't have insurance....or give a toss about you and your car. 

48 minutes ago, Redboy said:

 

Forget the Mail and Express. It happens. My premium rose after a windscreen replacement with protected NCB. Then again the rise could also be to fund the Insurance industry cover for all the little scrotes who don't have insurance....or give a toss about you and your car. 

 

Windscreen replacement does not affect NCB protected or not and it certainly does not lead to inflated premiums. Had 3 or 4 screens plus probably 5  repairs over the years and other than paying the relevant excess applicable there has been no change to the premium other than any small annual increase.

 

Currently paying about £180 fully comp for a 17 plate 1.4 TSi 150 PS Superb.

Repair quote approved and car is booked in to my body shop next week. Free loan car lined up from local Enterprise shop. I told them I knew they don’t rent Kodiaqs, but I don’t want a Fiat 500.

 

To the above:

- it didn’t happen in the Big Smoke.

- I’m positive the careless eejit wouldn’t have owned up if I hadn’t been standing 10 yards away and collared him; in fact he was in such a flap arriving late for his appointment that he probably didn’t feel the scrape.

- I’m pretty sure my next premium will remain unaffected as my insuarance company isn’t involved.

- no new panels thank goodness, just a bit of filler and paint on wing and door. Probably full panel job as I’m told it’s almost impossible to do small touch ups with 21st century water paint and lacquer.

My insurance doubled this year from 300 to 600 after I had to make a claim to change the locks on my Audi A6 after some idiots broke into my house and stole the keys and car, Police recovered luckily without damage but it still damaged my pocket. 

12 hours ago, BoxerBoy said:

- no new panels thank goodness, just a bit of filler and paint on wing and door.

 

I think I'd look at this as the less preferred option, compared with a new panel.

 

Whilst a complete new door brings with it risk (squeaks, broken clips, scratches etc. when removing and re-fixing the door cards and internal trim to the new door), I'm not sure the thought of using filler on my car would sit well.

 

No doubt things have changed but I'm from an era where filler was stigmatised as being a bit of a botch.

On 26/11/2018 at 21:12, BoxerBoy said:

I’m pretty sure my next premium will remain unaffected as my insuarance company isn’t involved.

 

If there’s a claim and any insurance company has your details, then that accident will be recorded and available for any insurance company to check against. If you don’t declare that you had an accident, even if it didn’t result in a claim on your policy, then you insurer could void your policy.

My policy clearly states to report even no fault accidents. As has been said above if you have had an accident even no fault most companies add a percentage point or two as a risk. You may still be in the same cost or it may tip you into a slight increase. Statistically someone who has had an accident is more likely to have another.

Edited 27 November, 20187 yr by Danny 57

Collected from body shop today. Good as new. Happy bunny.

Danny57 spoke the truth, there. Stats say if you have an accident, you are far more likely to have another within the next two years. 

That said, I think the OP had a vehicle hit him whilst he was stationary and parked. That is not quite the same as being hit and/or hitting someone whilst in motion. I have had some insurance quotes escalate due to a no fault accident, where I have had NCD, etc as they then say you are at higher risk. Other times, it made no difference. Common sense when you are hit by a negligent driver!

 

The most laughing point I had was with one company, (Doubled up quote, no fault accident with successful claim from third party's insurer).

I queried the increase and they claimed that the risk in that postcode was now higher. I asked if it was the area the accident has taken place, the area the offending driver lived in or my area postcode?  They kind of laughed and sort of admitted all three. So, they did not pay out but now want higher premiums from three separate postcode area and then, insurers say they make little profit.

 

The claim is that they pay out more in claims then they take in premiums, which sounds like poor business on the face of it but they then re-invest and re-insure etc, covering costs and making quote tidy profits!

 

Never see an insurance broker driving a twelve year old Nissan Micra, do you?

^^^ If you see an Insurance Broker driving a Bodyshop Courtesy car remember that the stats say that they might be driving another in the next 2 years.

I would think that Insurance Brokers are classed as high risk drivers seeing as they are smiling all the way to the bank.

 Someone went across the corner of me to be straight to dereck slacks they quoted £3,600 third party insurance paid and gave me a BMW X5 M sport 

Nice courtesy car!

Yea not bad just verrrry juicy

Edited 11 December, 20187 yr by Birtywhistle