Superb Greenline II Accident Damge - Advice Please

[Dos_Box]

Hi everyone, I've been a bit of a long time lurker ever since I acquired a Superb Greenline II in Elegance spec after my Mondeo was written off. It also came with almost £10k of factory extras (kessi, park assist etc.) and is possibly the best car I have ever owned. I absolutely adore it.
Just before Christmas I was rear ended at low speed whilst stationary and, after almost 2 months of arguing with my insurance company they finally sent me an email today in response to my many, many requests for an inspection report that reads:

 

Quote

Unfortunately, there is no inspection report available as the visual damage was enough to render the vehicle the vehicle a total loss.

 

I'll include a couple of pics of the damage below. It drove fine back to my house and steering and braking were all as you'd expect. The only bone of contention is the boot, which looks as if the boot floor (spare wheel cover) has been pushed forwards and I didn't get time to take a better look before they took it away. The only thing I can think it would be written off for is a buckled rear floorpan, but I can't get them to look at that.
What I need to know is if it would be fixable looking at the damage shown (only the rear is damaged). As I said, this is a car I am very reluctant to let go as I'll never get another one at this spec. And the insurance payout (even though I refused their offer) was £4k, which I felt was below the value of the car. I paid £6k 18 months back and I would have been happy with a £5k payout for it.

 

 

[ColinD]

The floor being buckled is a big thing.

 

The boot being a clever twin boot won’t be cheap either.

 

if the crash bar has deformed, and the floor… but equally could just be a bit of ton thats bent with the forces. The rear lights are intact. Might just be one of those bizarre contact points. 

 

Sadly second hand diesel isn’t great values.

You can appeal. Or possibly get a second/3rd party quote.

 

push for a better valuation, find some similar models, difficult I know. The trade ‘value’ is way below retail atm.

 

ps

 

if it’s been outside like that, it will have water damage too now.

Edited 27 February by ColinD

[Dos_Box]

Thank you, and yeah, after the soggy winter we've been having, I suspect it may be a swimming pool in the boot now.
If I do have to buy a replacement, I'll be going for another Superb. Just really annoyed that I'd only had it 18 months and will have to go into debt once more to bridge the gap between the payout and the cost of another car (was 4k last time).
It's also not the time of year to be looking at used cars as everyone drives them through the winter before getting a new one!
I have to say though, the way Esure (I was through Sheilas Wheels) treat you is terrible, and it's been two months of battling to try and get them to reply with twice weekly calls.

[Paws4Thot]

23 minutes ago, Dos_Box said:

the way Esure (I was through Sheilas Wheels) treat you is terrible

This is when you find out why cheap in-sewer-ants is cheap.

[Dos_Box]

17 minutes ago, Paws4Thot said:

This is when you find out why cheap in-sewer-ants is cheap.

Sadly I started with them when they were still reputable!

[gav_is_con]

It’s the chassis damage that you might not be aware of that seals the write off argument. Unfortunately 

[Dos_Box]

16 hours ago, gav_is_con said:

It’s the chassis damage that you might not be aware of that seals the write off argument. Unfortunately 

I know, it did drive fine back from the accident, but who knows.
I'm kinda resigned to the fact I'll have to replace it, and it narks that the accident happened just a few hundred meters from my house and the young lad (recently passed his test) wasn't paying attention. All he went on about was how his insurance was going to go up. I guess he's learnt a very valuable lesson at my expense.
Just very upset that I'll never get one at this spec again.

[Warrior193]

Unless you have already ceded ownership to the insurer, it may pay you to have an independent inspection of the damage and retain the salvage - it is possible that it is only the trunk, rear crash bar and bumper that require replacement or repair.   

[J.R.]

I am really not sure what I am looking at in the photograph or should be looking for but if you can see that the boot floor is buckled then a vehicle of such low value will be written off for it and it really is not worth them spending the money for an inspection which will undoubtedly confirm that.

 

It is absolutely fixable if you are competent, uneconomic if you have to pay someone given how much the insurers will want for you to retain the salvage, given where it is photographed you have long ago dropped your trousers and lost any control of the situation and hoping for a reasonable payout.

 

Keep your eye on the Copart Auctions and the DVLA vehicle records and you will probably see it back on the road, you may even be able to buy it back once repaired as a Cat S or Cat N but the repairs wont have been done regardless of cost, quite the opposite.

 

💡I think that I know what I am looking at now, is the photo of the spare wheel cover taken from inside the car? Can you confirm from what angle? I think it may be from the open OSR door looking towards the NSR door?

 

If I am correct then they have pushed the floor covering forward to create a hump to justify their narrative, there is no way the impact damage transmitted by the rear bumper has caused that sort of deformation.

 

But when all is said and done its 100% a write off, it will be sold on for 40% plus of their valuation. So take their value, deduct how much you paid for the 2 years insurance (which includes the 6 months that is lost when they write it off), deduct the excess they have retained, deduct how much you new insurance will go up, deduct the 40% + they will get for the salvage and you will see that its cost them very little and its in their interest to write off rather than repair.