Claims assistance with car repair insurance

ken from bexley · June 2011

While going over to Essex on Sunday a van went into the back of my 2 year old Ford Fiesta, while I was waiting at the traffic lights.

Bumper and tailgate damaged owner had insurance admitted liability, all legit, I have protected full no claims.

Got three estimates, seems to be about £1,400 damage. Car being repaired Tuesday at my Insurance company VBRA bodyshop in Dartford, so far so good.

Now I am with saga, they say that I can use the services of a claims agent,if they accept the case. They have .

State to me that I will not have to pay the excess, they will supply hire car , and is there ' liabiliaty' . in essence they deal with the claim as a no fault!

State this does not affect my no claims, everything seems agreeable.

Now the 'detail' want me to sign a credit agreement, and the company are 'independent' from the insurance company!

It is all coming in writing, have not signed anything....... The party i am claiming off have agreed to accept liability!

Now does anybody have any dealings with these type of companies!....... and if I do not want to do this particular 'offer' I have to pay the excess, claim the excess back (£500) and there is no time limit as to when the other insurance company will have to settle!

Since when have Insurance companies 'deffered' there care of duty to another outsource,!..... If you have fully comprehensive and a protected no claims, regardless of blame, why is this type of activity going on!.

Now the minute someone mentions 'credit agreement 'that seems to me to some poor bugger has to pay, either myself or the third party!

Now I know people can change there minds, but he has offered to pay for the damage,! but because of the cost, and possible damage to the bodywork underneath, ( highly unlikely) I have a doubt!......

Should i get my own claims assessor, ask the third party to pay the excess before repair, or take out a small claims in anticipation. The later i would normally do, but the third party is admitting the accident, so I am sure it will be days if this is NOT the case.....

There is also a fundemental question " quite what is protected no claims' to me it seems to protect the Insurance company, it's agents and wide boys who double the bill simply because it is a claim!..........

No I am not claiming 'whiplash' which everybody says i should...........Constructive comments please

creepyaddick · June 2011

I hate insurance companies!

1/ I pay on average £1100 a year for hire & reward insurance and all they seem to do is wriggle out of any little hole that they can

I was on my way to work one evening when a girl run out from behind a bus and I just missed her but she ran in to the wing mirror on my car and broke it off and also dented the rear door

As she got up off the floor she ran straight into her house which was right opposite the bus stop so I went and knocked and made sure she was ok etc etc and got her name and address.

I then went straight to the police station and reported the incident and then rang my broker and reported to him what had happened too.

Nothing ever came of the incident until my renewal came through three months later!

The Insurance company took away all my no claims bonus just incase there was a claim against me!

They then charged me the extra and said they would give it back to me if there was no claim in the next 9 months!

2/ My wifes car (Laguna) died and her insurance was £380 a year.

She was 6 months into her TPFT policy (Budget Ins) and paying it monthly

To change her insurance to the new vehicle (Vectra) the same company wanted an extra £720 for the remaining 6 months but I thought that was too expensive so after ringing around I got a quote Fully comp for £421 (AXA Ins) for the year and I then cancelled the original policy and started up the new one but Budget Ins then charged us £207 for the remaining six months we wasn't even insured for!

My sister in law works in insurance (pet) and she always says that the premiums are so high because of all the uninsured drivers but my argument is that there are only so many uninsured drivers because the premiums are so high and whatever way they can, insurance companies will always rip you off

My advice would be to get the cash off the fella and get it repaired yourself Ken, at least that way your premium won't be touched (Or his) and you get your car repaired somewhere you can trust

PaulCAFC · June 2011

Ken - this is quite normal in these cases. Don't get involved with the TP offering to pay cash, because he probably won't in the end. The excess is usually waived where the TP insurers accept liability so you won't have to pay it. Yes, you can guarantee that the repairing garage will double the cost if an insurance company is involved. As you have now submitted a claim, your details will be on a database where solicitors and their agents can contact you to instigate a personal injury claim, so wait for the phone to ring!

ken from bexley · June 2011

Thanks a lot creepy!...... just spoken to 'Saga lout' and going to see a garage that he has had work done before.

Our local ford dealer does not even have a body repair shop! and so the car is shipped down to Sittingbourne, then possibly 'outsourced'.......

If this had been my BMW they would have written it off! as it was 10 years old........

Ironically 30 years ago I used to do a bit off bodywork on cars, but do not have the access to ramps, spray guns and tools, and rusty wings and wheel arches were par for the course when i was a student.......

But like so many things, it is not possible to do this nowaday's.........

I agree with you about the Insurance industry though it seems to create a 'situation' when one does not need to exist. Your example illustrates the what if culture we now live in!......

Obviously I need to reduce my excess, and not wallow in the ignorance that some financial institution are going to look after me!. Of course that was what Insurance was for originally!, but perhaps it just appeared like that!.........

The 30 second warning about 'fraud' before you even get through to the claims department is enough to make you feel like a criminal!, I am certainly guilty of being a 'mug 'and paying car Insurance for nearly 40 years!......

Crusty54 · June 2011

The Insurance company gets paid commission from the car hire company and the claims agent.

LenGlover · June 2011

The bottom line, cutting through all the bullshit and bollocks, as far as I am aware is that if you are taking the insurance route then you (or your agent) need to ensure that the third party pays your excess.

That is tantamount to an admission of liability on his part and should ensure (on the traditional "no blame noclaim" basis) that you do not get a black mark on your protected no claims.

However I am aware that the thieving bastards (sorry to whoever took exception to that term) change the rules to suit themselves so what I have said could be out of date.

Try Citizens Advice.

LenGlover · June 2011

Thanks a lot creepy!...... just spoken to 'Saga lout' and going to see a garage that he has had work done before.
Our local ford dealer does not even have a body repair shop! and so the car is shipped down to Sittingbourne, then possibly 'outsourced'.......

If this had been my BMW they would have written it off! as it was 10 years old........

Ironically 30 years ago I used to do a bit off bodywork on cars, but do not have the access to ramps, spray guns and tools, and rusty wings and wheel arches were par for the course when i was a student.......

But like so many things, it is not possible to do this nowaday's.........

I agree with you about the Insurance industry though it seems to create a 'situation' when one does not need to exist. Your example illustrates the what if culture we now live in!......

Obviously I need to reduce my excess, and not wallow in the ignorance that some financial institution are going to look after me!. Of course that was what Insurance was for originally!, but perhaps it just appeared like that!.........

The 30 second warning about 'fraud' before you even get through to the claims department is enough to make you feel like a criminal!, I am certainly guilty of being a 'mug 'and paying car Insurance for nearly 40 years!......

No slight intended to Saga Lout but be very careful about going to a garage if not approved by your insurance company. Just the kind of excuse the thieving bastards like to evade their responsibilities.

Incidentally do you have legal expenses cover as part of your motor insurance? I you do then (in theory!) they do all the running around to get your excess from the third party thus ensuring that your no-claims remains unblemished.

Could this "credit agreement" thing be part of that process?

JaShea99 · June 2011

Wow. Please don't give up your day job to be a writer.

LenGlover · June 2011

Wow. Please don't give up your day job to be a writer.

Dear Mr Shakespeare

Please tell me what has upset you so and show me where I can improve......

No slight intended to Saga Lout but be very careful about going to a garage if not approved by your insurance company. Just the kind of excuse the thieving bastards like to evade their responsibilities.

Incidentally do you have legal expenses cover as part of your motor insurance? I you do then (in theory!) they do all the running around to get your excess from the third party thus ensuring that your no-claims remains unblemished.

Could this "credit agreement" thing be part of that process?

Yours sincerely

Illiterate Charlton fan

xx

LenGlover · June 2011

ps

I know I should have written ...."If you do".... rather than ...."I you do"... but unfortunately the "new" Charlton Life does not permit me to edit my posts.

IdleHans · June 2011

Now I am with saga, they say that I can use the services of a claims agent,if they accept the case. They have .

State to me that I will not have to pay the excess, they will supply hire car , and is there ' liabiliaty' . in essence they deal with the claim as a no fault!

State this does not affect my no claims, everything seems agreeable.

Now the 'detail' want me to sign a credit agreement, and the company are 'independent' from the insurance company!

I wouldnt touch these claims managment companies with a bargepole. They will make sure your car is repaired very slowly so that they can provide you with a rental car for which they will charge way over the odds to the TP's insurer. If the TPs insurer rejects these charges, the bill will land on your doormat. Claims management companies are parasites and one of the reasons that insurance premiums are so ridiculously high.

razil · June 2011

I believe usually there is a set agreed level between insurers for the car hire, worth checking it out agreeing it first perhaps?

ken from bexley · June 2011

Now I am with saga, they say that I can use the services of a claims agent,if they accept the case. They have .

State to me that I will not have to pay the excess, they will supply hire car , and is there ' liabiliaty' . in essence they deal with the claim as a no fault!

State this does not affect my no claims, everything seems agreeable.

Now the 'detail' want me to sign a credit agreement, and the company are 'independent' from the insurance company!

I wouldnt touch these claims managment companies with a bargepole. They will make sure your car is repaired very slowly so that they can provide you with a rental car for which they will charge way over the odds to the TP's insurer. If the TPs insurer rejects these charges, the bill will land on your doormat. Claims management companies are parasites and one of the reasons that insurance premiums are so ridiculously high.

I take your view Idle....... the issue is I have to pay the repairer, and recover my excess. The repairer has stated it will take a week at most to repair the damage, and the car hire company is enterprise with an equivelent car .

Apparently I will have a 2.00cc car as I have a 2.00 cc fiesta. The floor pan seems undamaged as I took the car to the garage in Dartford myself. So it is take off bolt on a spray...... personally speaking I think they pull the tailgate out with a jig. I have personally repaired worse myself with filler and a Panel hammer!, and with these news jigs they pop out. I have also found a neighbour who has had some body work done there and they did a good job so a day or so car hire is the least of my concerns!. As a final re-assurance I am going to Saga Lout's local body shop contact who said he will give me a detailed estimate as a favour, and Saga has an excellent knowledge of car contacts. Just seems to me to be a 'gravy boat' with everyone dipping there bread in it!. Reminds me off the time when my ex publisher left his credit card behind the bar at the Atlantic bar in the westend, my fellow hacks ran up a bar bill of £6,000 in three hours!, the lap dancing was a bit difficult to get on expenses though!.

Claims assistance with car repair insurance

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