VR being written off for relatively small damage

[matth76 1]

Hi

A little while ago my car was damaged by another driver reversing out of a drive - here's my post of the incident:

http://www.vr6oc.com/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?175188

Anyway my rear wheel arch was damaged basically requiring a complete rear quarter panel. A friend of mine who is a bodyshop repair guy who owns his own company gave me an estimate of around £1000 all in to fix. However I decided to go through the insurance as the other driver didn't want to pay that amount of cash, and I thought it better to do this to prevent the risk of the other driver not paying, if it was all going through the insurance. Unfortunately (Elephant) my insurance company had to use one of their "approved" garages to give an estimate and do the work. After three weeks of waiting an estimate was finally done by their garage and it was well over £2000!. Due to this estimate my insurance company has said it is uneconomical to repair (book value of a 97 P reg vr is 2200-2500 tops according to parkers). They deemed it a Category C which even worse than D. Not sure how they thought it was "extensively" damaged when it only the rear wheel arch. No other damage underneath at all, and the impact was at slow speed. The wheel or rear bumper wasn't touched.

Anyway, Ive never done this kind of thing before but I think my options are either:

- get an offer from the ins. co and buy it back and get my family friend to repair it (unfortunately the "category C" will remain on file. Depending on the offer I could be better off if any money is left over. How can I get them to up their offer? I will try saying I'm not happy with that at all and be firm with them etc but they may not budge.. what proven techniques work to get them to give a better offer? I've heard about looking at other adverts and getting an average price but not sure they will look at anything else other than the book value.

- Or I can get my family friend to give an estimate and if approved get him to do the work all getting paid by the ins - this will take weeks for them to process considering how long it has taken so far but on the upside the category C won't be on the car's history.

If I do get it all repaired using the cash in lieu of it being repaired by the ins co. when I come to sell the car in the future - say it is worth £1500 in two years - how much would I have to deduct because it is a cat C?

Either way I am getting it back on the road as it drives perfectly (it can be driven without going round corners too quickly as the wheel arch can scrub on the tyres) and for the sake of the rear quarter panel I'm not going to waste this car. The car's immaculate.

Cheers for any help. What a blow - I was just thinking they were about to start the work too. If anyone else is with Elephant beware that it will take a LONG time to get your car fixed if you need to claim.

Thanks

Matt

[Seademon 0]

I recentley bought a CAT C car and the law say something like you only have to say its a CAT C car if asked, theres nothing on the paperwork so just depends how honest you are and if they do a HPI check. The car I bought was only a CAT C as it needing jigging etc and wasnt really driveable, if its just cosmetic its usally a CAT D, can you contest what the insurance company have said? If its not that bad I cant see how they can class it as a CAT C cos when fixed you'd have to take it to the VOSA and have it all checked out which costs you more money and for just a rear quarter panel I think their having you on.

Remember, you can take it where you like to have it repaired and you get to choose who repairs it - you dont have to take it where your insurance company recommends, might be worth getting your mate to write you up a quote for a grand and getting him to do it saving you having it written off and he'll probably do a better job for half the price!

[matth76 1]

I recentley bought a CAT C car and the law say something like you only have to say its a CAT C car if asked' date=' theres nothing on the paperwork so just depends how honest you are and if they do a HPI check. The car I bought was only a CAT C as it needing jigging etc and wasnt really driveable, if its just cosmetic its usally a CAT D, can you contest what the insurance company have said? If its not that bad I cant see how they can class it as a CAT C cos when fixed you'd have to take it to the VOSA and have it all checked out which costs you more money and for just a rear quarter panel I think their having you on.

Remember, you can take it where you like to have it repaired and you get to choose who repairs it - you dont have to take it where your insurance company recommends, might be worth getting your mate to write you up a quote for a grand and getting him to do it saving you having it written off and he'll probably do a better job for half the price!

[/quote']

Thanks for your reply. Basically their "engineers" came to the conclusion that it was "uneconomical to repair" based soley on the photos and estimate from the garage. I raised this with the ins co that they were basing all of this soley on the estimate of the first garage asked to do an estimate. They are now willing to use an estimate from my friend's garage...or I can see what they offer first. I'm not sure how they came to the conclusion that it was a cat C. I asked them to give me some detail about their engineer's report but they couldn't but however they could tell me that it was a cat C... all based on photos! Ins co's love taking our money but are so inefficient at doing what we pay them to do. Three weeks to do nothing.

I'm going to see what they can offer me, and if it more than covers the cost for my friend to do the work then I may do that. Downside if I use my mate to do the estimate and go through the ins is that I will have to pay VAT on top and the estimate will have to be spot on as the ins are paying.. if its not I will have to fork out on top. In a couple of years I don't think it being a Cat C will make a huge difference ... it probably would if it was worth a lot more money.

Really shows what good value these VR's are... for around £2.5k you can have an immaculate vr.. in my eyes it is worth far more money (even though its not on book value) and is far better performance and style wise than equally valued cars ... and because they are not worth that much it only takes a small knock like this and they are declared write off's or uneconomical to repair ..its rediculous.

Is there anything I can say to make them raise their offer? They should be giving me an offer over the phone and in writing in the next couple of days. Not sure why they are doing it in writing until it is confirmed and that I agree to the offer. I'm also getting my friend to draw up an estimate so I will know what I need to cover the cost of repairs if I choose to take their offer and get the car back and then get it repaired. Anyone out of curiosity know the cost of the rear quarter panel..ballpark figure? My friend is getting all the costs together over the next few days but just curious if anyone knew roughly what the panel would be.

Thanks again.

[SankysVR6 1]

Show them how the car was immaculate prior to the accident, and how you take the car to the show and that you are really an enthusiast of the VR and how much money you have spent on it since owning. And also how the VR's in the trader might simillar age and millage but they don't have as much history as yours.

That should bump the final price up.

[matth76 1]

Thanks guys. I'll let you know how I get on. One way or another I'll get my VR back ...one day!

[VR6Pete 1,455]

snap

[Goldie 0]

Cat C damaged car is listed as so on the V5 of the car.

[jezmoz 0]

the only way to get what you've spent on it is to get an agreed value at the start of the policy to protect yourself.

[Quinn 0]

Hello.

I may be new here but I have gone through a nasty insurance claim a few years back and managed to increase the price of one of my mk2 Polo's from £150. to about £700.

I did this using pages and pages of autotrader adverts.

My Polo was described as one-off, I had installed every optional extra available plus more including electric windows, corrado front seats ect.

To top it off, I had pictures of it looking good before the accident, (as in days before and dated pics) and after the accident. It looked mint, I chose careful pictures, not making it look undeniably better than it was but presenting it in a favourable light. I then photocopied about 15 years worth of history.

I searched through every good, high priced autotrader advert, I found about 100 or so around the £600+ mark, I identified the best of the best and listed what mine was better or worse on, such as mileage, condition, engine size. I copied the articles, put them all together and gave a list price I thought was fair for that car. I also enquired on multiple forums upon the car's worth and copied the entire topic.

Eventually I requested that I be given another one, in the exact same condition wit similar mileage. The insurer agreed, they replied with the answer "we have been unable to find one resembling the pre-accident state of the vehicle listed above, please check the revised assessor's report overleaf:"

I do not agree with Parkers Guides prices, it doesn't offer a true reflection of an individual vehicles worth, the local area (within 100 miles of course ) does. Reuest that they return you to the road, in the same state as before.

The agreed value of vehicle is worthless, there is no point in being asked this as insurers claim that regardless of what an individual paid, or thinks the current market value is, Parkers Guide is the solid terms of value and is what shall be used to value the vehicle fairly in the case of a claim.

[jezmoz 0]

The agreed value of vehicle is worthless' date=' there is no point in being asked this as insurers claim that regardless of what an individual paid, or thinks the current market value is, Parkers Guide is the solid terms of value and is what shall be used to value the vehicle fairly in the case of a claim.

[/quote']

so what's the point in agreeing a value with the insureres then if they aren't going to pay out the 'agreed value'????

[Quinn 0]

They don't agree to anything, It is merely a question regarding your oppinion of the market value so that a suitable excess can be drawn.

When you enquire about the insurance, you are asked the approximate current market value, the insurer will then cover themsleves by saying something on the lines of "please be aware that this is not an agreed valuation of this vehicle, in the event of a claim the vehicle will be valued with reference to the listed price as per Parkers Guide."

[Jk* 0]

Id love to see a pic of the damage, my rear quarter was fooked, then badly repaired by someone, then smacked again, and ive had it repaired. Granted it should of been replaced but its been given a real good fix considering and the whole car was resprayed for £1000 (mates rates)