It looks like the IBMA is getting quite busy now. I'm still #1 top dog, and I also formed the company. Xav is 2nd in command with others being just "honorary members"

Hope the things with this particular fabia get sorted out.

I am very proud to be an honorary member of the IBMA oh and to still be alive too!

my previous car was a punto (selaspeed) sporting, broome yellow... after getting my vrs...certainly wouldn't go back to a fiat ever again. There is no comparrison

My insurance company decided to rebuild it. (Badly) complaint still in progress.

Sorry to hear about your predicament. My view would be to fully pursue a complaint with your insurance company as it sounds like you have not got full indemnity for your loss.

Issues I would be interested to hear about would be:

a) who is the insurer - if they are something to do with the Lloyd's market you might get a quicker resolution without resorting to the Financial Ombudsman (pm me with the name if you want);

when did you register your complaint?

Basically the situation an insurer is in is this (as required by the the FSA - which is the regulator for insurers). They must:

1) send an acknowledgement of your complaint within 5 business days of its receipt. this should detail the name and contact details of the person dealing with the complaint and include details of the complaint procedures.

2) within 4 weeks of having received a complaint the insurer will have either sent a final response to you or a holding response explaining why the final response cannot be given and when further contact will be made.

3) within 8 weeks of having received a complaint the insurer must have sent you a final response or a response explaining why a final response cannot yet be supplied and when one can be expected. They will also explain that you may refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service if you are dissatisfied and enclose a copy of a leaflet giving further details of the service that they offer.

The Ombudsman's address and contact number is:

Financial Ombudsman Service

South Quay Plaza

183 Marsh Wall

London

E14 9SR

BTW: Official complaints must be dealt with in accordance with guidelines otherwise insurers do get quite heavy fines / costs. Hence, write your letters formally with full details of the issues involved and most will cave in quite quickly. Good luck

welkcome to the site missus, sorry to hear about your car thats crap like :(, i have to agree with....

"Just think, the Fabia saved you life where a lesser car could have crumpled easily and you may not be around to tell the tale"

if your not happy with it why not sell it and buy a new fabie there are plenty low milage ones out there but its your choice good luck with watever you choose !

As you owe so little on the car I wouldn't get the finance company involved as it really isn't their problem unless you bought the insurance through them. All that stopping your payments would achieve is a bad credit history and your car being reposesed and sold to cover the outstanding debt.

I would suggest checking if you have legal cover as part of your home insurance, if so you may be able to make use of this to pursue the insurance company (unfortunately motor legal cover will be of no use in this situation due to it being provided with the insurance you're claiming from).

Does this make Missdisnee the fourth member of the I.B.M.A. ?

?

I think she is the 6th Briskodian to roll a Fabia though.

Stick to your guns lass - the car isn't right, so hold out til it either is, or you get a resolution you are happy with.

Theres always the option of part-exing it.

Thanks for the comments. HSBC are the insurers they did write back to me saying they would be in touch within 28days so should hear from them 1st week in Nov. It's been pouring with rain all day I really dont want to get in my car it's going to be like a swimming pool. I am going to fight the insurance company for as long as I can I just want whats right and fair. I will keep everyone updated when I get a response. Thanks Guys

Don't stop paying the insurance company it'll only go against you. Get some photo's of the car in it's swimming pool state as evidence if not already done so. If the water ingress is in the front foot wells surely they can be pursued on the fact the vehicle is dangerous to drive.

Might be worth writing to WhatCar they seem to make reasonable progress with these types of situations. They have a rants page or two in every issue. Have a look in a copy of the latest magazine to see what I mean.

Thanks for the comments. HSBC are the insurers they did write back to me saying they would be in touch within 28days so should hear from them 1st week in Nov. It's been pouring with rain all day I really dont want to get in my car it's going to be like a swimming pool. I am going to fight the insurance company for as long as I can I just want whats right and fair. I will keep everyone updated when I get a response. Thanks Guys

If it's bad enough for you not to want to drive it then insist on a hire car until car is fully repaired to your satisfaction (or another remedy is found), you should have to wait for a reply to the letter just to get a car that can be used.

Well thought I would update you all with the saga so far.

I took my car back to the Skoda authorised repairers last Tuesday to fix leaks ect ect. I received a letter from the insurance company with their final offer.

They said sorry for all the trouble and sent a cheque for

Hello and sorry to hear of your woes.

If it's a finance deal with only

I think the insurance company have gone too far down the line now with repairs to write the car off. However if the additional costs to get it right plus hire car costs are high enough they may give in. They also have to consider it may still not be right after this additional work.

:confused: Ok more news. The insurance company called today and have at last made a decision. Yahoo!!!!!!!!

They are going to buy my car off me. They have offered

They wont retract or lower their offer so it wont do any harm to ask for at least the £700 you had to pay for additional work.

However, I think that is a very fair price.

Thats a great result for you but I feel sorry for the person who goes on to buy a silver Fabia VRS at a non-skoda garage (via a trade auction) :eek:

I'd keep pushing, the offer wont drop (as already said), and I'd personally be after 10k (maybe i'm greedy) but if you aim high!!

Yours is also a low milage example so should be worth good money, take a look at Autotrader etc and see how much an identical replacement would be with the same spec, miles, and service history, print off the ads and send them to the insurers, telling them you wont accept any less as thats what you've bought insurance for.

Sounds like a good result.

Great Result.

hi my names chris a skoda tech, my advise would be refuse to have the car back till its repaired properly. If this still doesnt happen and your stuck with the car just go and trade it in for another one. Most skoda dealers dont have the brightest of salesmen and u could easily walk away with another fabia with out them knowing whats wrong with yours.

Thanks for the comments I think I am going to bite the bullet and ask for 10K as I still owe about £500 on it I need to take that into account.

I shall see what they say and update when I have more news. Cheers

You need to find the price of a replacement similar car at a Skoda dealers, as this will normally be the highest second hand price around and get them to give this amount.

I'm not sure you would want to go to a dealer to replace your car, but at least you will have the funds to do it.

On another issue, if you had GAP insurance, if your car is written off within 3 years, you would get the price you paid new for it back.

This might be worth considering if you are about to buy a nearly new replacement. Have a look on the Internet, as you should find it cheaper than at the dealers.

The insurance company will settle the finance before they pay you, you need to ask how much they are giving you after the finance is settled. i.e. if they offer you £9000 but you still owe £500 they will pay the £500 direct to the finance co then give you the remaining £8500.