Car was crashed into and now its probably going to be written off...

[ChrisPatto20]

My car was parked outside my house last week and was reversed into by someone visiting a neighbour! The drivers door was all smashed in and it wouldn't open, the sill had a few small marks and the mirror had a mark on it. The lady who hit it accepted full responsibility and we both rang our insurers the next day. The car was collected by the repairers on Tuesday 3rd Feb, I rang them Yesterday to see when the car would be ready and was told the repair value is over 66% of the cars value so it will probably be written off, they are just waiting for an estimator from her insurance to inspect the car and then they will make the decision. I'm probably going to be offered silly money like £1000 for the car if its written off, its a 53 plate 172 cup, with 67,000 miles on. Anyway I just want some advice please if anyone has been in a similar situation. If it gets written off can I buy back the car and for what kind of cost? Can any mods be removed or will I be compensated for them? Thanks!

 

[ChrisPatto20]

http://i918.photobucket.com/albums/ad22/chris_pattison2010/photo_zpsctmi8jcd.jpg

 

[Addicted]

Ouch

Iirc you can buy it back for 10-30%. Worth doing imo, even if just to get the bits off it.

 

[Mr R.]

Id be wanting that back if it where mine mate.
Buy a new door and get it fitted.

Looks like it's a lovely car.

 

[ChrisPatto20]

Id be wanting that back if it where mine mate.
Buy a new door and get it fitted.

Looks like it's a lovely car.

Only thing is if its written off then I buy it back it will be a CAT D wont it?!

 

[ChrisPatto20]

Ouch 😧

Iirc you can buy it back for 10-30%. Worth doing imo, even if just to get the bits off it.

If anything I want the wheels back, paid £200 in December 2013 for them to be refurbished and had 4 new tyres put on at the same time!

 

[172_Tom]

My other car was written off last year (NOT my Clio!) and I bought it back for 10% of the valuation put on it. My understanding is that if an insurance company pays out a total loss claim on it then the car will have a cat C/D marker. If you can buy the car back for peanuts and sell parts off it yourself or get it repaired with used parts for a fraction of the cost of then it's worthwhile keeping it. I kept my car and had it repaired with used parts at a fraction of the cost of the repair estimate.

 

[Gally]

What insurance company are you with?

 

[Gally]

Chris bare in mind you can push to have the car repaired. Will the claim eventually be claimed back off the 3rd party? Or are you actually going through the 3rd party?

 

[ChrisPatto20]

What insurance company are you with?

Elephant

 

[ChrisPatto20]

Chris bare in mind you can push to have the car repaired. Will the claim eventually be claimed back off the 3rd party? Or are you actually going through the 3rd party?

My insurance has sorted the repair and my hire car but then they will be claiming it back through her insurance.

 

[ChrisPatto20]

My other car was written off last year (NOT my Clio!) and I bought it back for 10% of the valuation put on it. My understanding is that if an insurance company pays out a total loss claim on it then the car will have a cat C/D marker. If you can buy the car back for peanuts and sell parts off it yourself or get it repaired with used parts for a fraction of the cost of then it's worthwhile keeping it. I kept my car and had it repaired with used parts at a fraction of the cost of the repair estimate.

Yes I think you are right! But i'm not sure who will want to buy it as a registered CAT D even though its only really a door!

 

[choong-moo]

You'd be surprised how many people would buy a catD. As long as theres good photographic evidence that the damage wasn't serious, I'd be happy to take one on if it was in top condition.
Personally buddy if it was mine, I'd buy it back and repair it. Doesn't look serious at all. Hope the claim all goes through OK and you get a good outcome.

Gee.

 

[Mr R.]

If I was to see the damage on the car id buy it mate.
As I said it looks like a lovely car with nice miles.

 

[ilovewilly]

I wouldn't worry about it ending up as a Cat D. It I'll take a £1500 cars value down slightly come resale, that's all.

 

[Gally]

If you're going to buy it back, there is a good chance you're going to run it for a few years anyway? I'd be fighting to have it repaired.

 

[Neil@greenlight]

You could take cash in lieu of the repairs as you may be able to get it repaired cheaper yourself locally. Insurance approved repairers do charge the upper end of labour rates which can push the car into total loss %'s so if yo have a local bodyshop might be worth asking them for an estimate.

 

[McGherkin]

Insurance approved repairers do charge the upper end of labour rates

Never!

At worst, get a 2nd hand door, get it sprayed. Bingo, car is repaired without any CAT markers on it or loss of resale value.


Elephant is a f**king terrible company though so expect a nightmare.

 

[Gally]

You could take cash in lieu of the repairs as you may be able to get it repaired cheaper yourself locally. Insurance approved repairers do charge the upper end of labour rates which can push the car into total loss %'s so if yo have a local bodyshop might be worth asking them for an estimate.

Not really when you think about it Neil, some of the contracts that garages are signing these days, discount wise and labour rates are poor. I have one contract that pays less than our private rate.

I know for a fact that outside the M25 Elephants rate/sims isn't great. Although the work flow is.

 

[ilovewilly]

An assesor friend of mine was telling me a couple of years back that some insurers were only paying around £15 an hour labour rates!

 

[ChrisPatto20]

What kind of money do you think ill be offered if it is written off? Looking on autotrader there's only 8 for sale, the cheapest trade is £1895 with 83,000 miles on, the cheapest private is £2500, with only 51,000 on but its a year older than mine. Am I not supposed to be offered a price that would allow me to buy the same car in my area?

 

[brisa4984]

^you won't

 

[McGherkin]

Am I not supposed to be offered a price that would allow me to buy the same car in my area?

They get .001mph to do their valuations, and their estimates.

 

[Neil@greenlight]

Not really when you think about it Neil, some of the contracts that garages are signing these days, discount wise and labour rates are poor. I have one contract that pays less than our private rate.

I know for a fact that outside the M25 Elephants rate/sims isn't great. Although the work flow is.

Maybe different for us as we are a specialist and deal with modified vehicle, prestige and performance car underwriters, the sort of garages we deal with simply wouldnt do the work for peanuts.

I would imagine that Elephant (part of the admiral group) have so much power due to the level of business they place and cars they repair that they can pretty much write their own estimate :smile:

Also insurers approved garages will always use new parts equivalent to manufacturer. If you take cash in liue you could buy some 2nd hand (but good condition) wheels for example that would allow you to avoid the car being total loss.

I helped a guy on the focus st forum who's car was damaged in a claim and the engine was hydrolocked actually ruined the engine. The original garage wanted to buy a brand new engine from at a cost of over £4500 alone before labour which meant the car was going to be a border line total loss....One of the guys in the office is freinds with Jamie@Jamsport so we spoke to him and managed to get a complete rebuild of the original engine with forged pistons and uprated intercooler etc for less than the engine cost alone, meaning the car wasnt a total loss. This meant the customer got 300+hp repair and managed to keep his pride and joy. Thats the benefit of using a specialist insurer who understands fellow enthusiast feels about their car.

Another example would be an average condition 205 GTI valued at £1500 gets a hit in the rear just damaging the bumper. The replacment bumper and paintwork at a garage is going to cost probably around £700-£800 so rather than write the car off the customer could take Cash in Liue. Then use the money paid by the insurer to pick up a bumper 2nd hand in the same colour for £150 off ebay and fitting it themselves.

 

[Gally]

Funnily enough i've got a 205 xl auto in at the moment and we're doing exactly that. It's probably the only one left in existence!

 

[roryb]

Be aware with elephant they will more then likely ask for bank statements to prove weather or not you could have afforded the hire car. If you do not cooperate you are liable for the costs. I am going through that at the moment. I was in an accident in march 2014, a settlement has been made but i am still waiting as my car was not eligible for cash in liue as it was a ford KA so i had to repair the car myself and claim if off them. Good luck

 

[ChrisPatto20]

Be aware with elephant they will more then likely ask for bank statements to prove weather or not you could have afforded the hire car. If you do not cooperate you are liable for the costs. I am going through that at the moment. I was in an accident in march 2014, a settlement has been made but i am still waiting as my car was not eligible for cash in liue as it was a ford KA so i had to repair the car myself and claim if off them. Good luck

Why would I need to provide bank statements to prove I could afford to pay for a hire car of which I haven't done anything wrong to be needing one?

 

[McGherkin]

It's all about 'artificially increasing the cost of the claim' - ie having a hire car paid for when you can afford one yourself, or having a hire car when you still have a 2nd car.

Obviously they don't mind inflating the cost themselves if it suits them, but they're very eager to make sure they give you as little as possible.

That is the Elecunt way.

 

[Steven103]

It's all about 'artificially increasing the cost of the claim' - ie having a hire car paid for when you can afford one yourself, or having a hire car when you still have a 2nd car.

Obviously they don't mind inflating the cost themselves if it suits them, but they're very eager to make sure they give you as little as possible.

That is the Elecunt way.

Yet they pay out for ridiculously overpriced repair bills (as discussed) in turn inflating the cost of claims massively beyond that of a hire car... and then the consumer pays for it via increased premiums to match increasing repair costs.

 

[McGherkin]

Yup. My car was repaired for a third of their estimate.

 

[ChrisPatto20]

Rang the company handling the claim today and they said they have given the garage the go ahead to repair the car, which is good news! But I have just bought another car today so the clio will be up for sale when I get it back!!