As mentioned on another thread, I was hit by another driver a few weeks ago. The insurance company sent out a mechanic from a local garage who examined it and then informed me that as my car's worth around £700 - £1000, he was going to recommend a write-off (he estimated the repair at at least £1000).

 

He did so, but the insurance company's engineers have decided to override him and they now want to spend £1100 (of which the first £450 has to come from me as my excess) repairing my 15 year old, 227,000 mile car. It makes no sense to me at all - it will cost effectively 110% of the car's value, the car's old, a high miler and the work is labour intensive. I'd much rather they just scrapped it as I think it's an absolute waste of money and it won't pass its MOT at the end of the month without significant investment anyway.

 

The insurance company insist that if their engineers say it can be repaired, it must be. Do I have any right to reject this, or to negotiate? If not, I think I'm just going to have to cancel the claim altogether.

 

I'd be grateful for any advice you could give.

 

Cheers

 

 

Tell the Insurance Underwriters in writing that on completion of the repair work you will not be accepting the car back until it has a new MOT carried out and passed.

 

How labour intensive can it be if it was £80 an hour plus 20% VAT, or even £50 an hour and VAT and parts?

Do you mean to force them to either spend more money or scrap the car?

 

Re: Labour, we're talking cutting a section of bodywork out and welding a new section in... it's the rear quarter panel area from the rear light cluster to the rear door. The whole panel stretches almost to the front wheel so they'd have to cut a section out and replace.

Has the Insurers Engineer or is it just a Loss Adjuster actually inspected the car and done a report costing the work and gone over this with the Mechanic that first examined the car?

 

What Broker & Insurer are you with?   Just so that i am sure to avoid them!

 

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/457461-hit-by-a-driver-escaping-police-worth-claiming

 

Edited 5 December, 20187 yr by Offski

Surely they have to repair it back to original, which doesn't come with a mish-mash of welded parts. My late brother was an apprentice panel beater and I remember him telling me not long after MG went under that they would get them in the shop with minor damage but they were being written off because they couldn't get genuine body panels. Their unofficial advice to customers was to buy them back and get them repaired with re-pressed parts. Maybe that was the agreement they had with insurers but I wouldn't be happy with a piece welded back in, I'd expect a new panel. 

Whose insurance company is it? Yours or the other drivers? As you state you were hit by another driver then it sounds like it's the other drivers insurance, and if so then recover your excess from the other "at fault" driver.

On 05/12/2018 at 19:35, Offski said:

Has the Insurers Engineer or is it just a Loss Adjuster actually inspected the car and done a report costing the work and gone over this with the Mechanic that first examined the car?

 

What Broker & Insurer are you with?   Just so that i am sure to avoid them!

 

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/457461-hit-by-a-driver-escaping-police-worth-claiming

 

 

That thread you linked is also me, same incident! I'm with Admiral. As far as I know, the engineer who examined the car (from a garage near me) simply sent a report and a recommendation and the Admiral engineer made a decison based on that.

 

On 06/12/2018 at 07:38, JohnRS said:

Surely they have to repair it back to original, which doesn't come with a mish-mash of welded parts. My late brother was an apprentice panel beater and I remember him telling me not long after MG went under that they would get them in the shop with minor damage but they were being written off because they couldn't get genuine body panels. Their unofficial advice to customers was to buy them back and get them repaired with re-pressed parts. Maybe that was the agreement they had with insurers but I wouldn't be happy with a piece welded back in, I'd expect a new panel. 

 

The guy who looked at the car said they'd do the cut and weld method, as the rear quarter panel on my B6-era A4 runs right down to the bonnet and the front foor area.

 

On 08/12/2018 at 17:29, Rustynuts said:

Whose insurance company is it? Yours or the other drivers? As you state you were hit by another driver then it sounds like it's the other drivers insurance, and if so then recover your excess from the other "at fault" driver.

I've set up the claim through my insurance company and that's who I'm talking to. They're still chasing liability from the other company apparently, even though it was the police that supplied the details...

 

After much research, I have made a request to Admiral to negotiate a 'Cash in Lieu' arrangement. They are going to get back to me at the start of next week.

 

For the future reference of anyone who may dig up this thread in future, the Financial Ombudsman says (as of December 2018) that if a person making a claim is unhappy with the insurance company's handling with the claim, (including a situation like this, where they wish to repair and you wish for them not to), you can submit a formal complaint to the insurance company, who then have 8 weeks to respond. If you are still unhappy, you have the right to refer to the Financial Ombudsman.