Car written off. Help please...!

LordLee

Hi.

I own an old but very reliable VW Golf (M reg 1995) and was involved in a prang recently. It is totally repairable, just damage to the drivers side wing, headlight, bumper and grill.

My insurance company have written the car off stating it would cost £1100 to repair (ridiculous) and valuing my car at £550. I had my car valued a little while back and it was £900.

I'm not sure what my options are? Can i argue they are incorrect? If i buy the car back from them i doubt they will give me a decent quote for insurance (if at all).

Any ideas anyone?

Quentin

Your insurance premium will go up irrespective of whether or not you buy the car back off them.

Find out how much you would have to pay for repairs and proceed from there.

You do need to forget the valuation you got a "little while back", and find out its current value. Often the first offer is set low in anticipation of some negotiation!

cogito

As long as the car can be legally returned to the road after repair, it may be worth considering repairing it even if it seems uneconomical to do so. After all, just how much would you need to spend to buy a replacement which may not prove to be as reliable as the Golf?

LordLee

Thanks. I will get an independent quote for repair. I do realise that i need a current valuation but is a month ago really that out of date? (I neglected to mention this in my first post - apologies.)

mattymoo

LordLee wrote: »

Thanks. I will get an independent quote for repair. I do realise that i need a current valuation but is a month ago really that out of date? (I neglected to mention this in my first post - apologies.)

Normally no but in the current climate, second hand prices are falling like a stone. That said, there tends to be less movement at the lower end of the scale where your car sits.

The valuation you need is its value on the date of the accident by the way.

LordLee

Bit of additional info as just spoke to them... Apparently my car would've been valued at £800 but they've taken off £250 because the damaged wing was fading (before accident) and a wing mirror case was cracked. Also the assessor has said there is additional pre accident damage but he has failed to specify.

This is not true... There is no other damage by the way.

Quentin

It looks like the asessor has "justified" the £250 knocked off, and has added the unsubstantiated "additional pre accident damage" to the report purely for "window dressing", and there is no point you majoring on that to get their offer increased. Concentrate on debunking the £250 deduction that has been substantiated.

raskazz

What type of Golf is it? For an M reg, £900 sounds pretty optimistic even for a VGC GTI.

Normally the vehicle will be written-off if the cost of repair exceeds 60% of the vehicle's pre-accident value. Let's say the car is worth £750 (which I reckon would be closer to the mark), that would require repair costs to be under £450 to be economical. If you could find a repairer to do it for that price you'd quite possibly be better off withdrawing the claim and settling it privately, considering the excess payable and effect on future premiums if you claim through insurance.

LordLee

raskazz wrote: »

What type of Golf is it? For an M reg, £900 sounds pretty optimistic even for a VGC GTI.

Normally the vehicle will be written-off if the cost of repair exceeds 60% of the vehicle's pre-accident value. Let's say the car is worth £750 (which I reckon would be closer to the mark), that would require repair costs to be under £450 to be economical. If you could find a repairer to do it for that price you'd quite possibly be better off withdrawing the claim and settling it privately, considering the excess payable and effect on future premiums if you claim through insurance.

Thanks. Yes having done some research £900 maybe too much. But it's a 1.9TDi and £750 is nearer the mark.

I cannot withdraw the claim as the other party (in a commercial vehicle) wants to go through insurance. Which is a shame as I know a mechanic who can repair the car at a great price.

But with regards future premiums... i have a protected no claims... does this count for nothing then?

Quentin

Yes. Your no claims bonus is protected. But your premium (before deduction of any ncb) is set based on your particular circs. Making this claim changes your circs.

raskazz

Protected NCD does what it says 'on the tin', as it were, so you may retain your NCD but the premium will still increase as the premium calculated before the NCD is applied will go up due to the claim.

If you were at fault or partially at fault for the accident you may as well go through insurance. So probably best to get on to the insurer with the cheap independent estimate and evidence that the car's pre-accident value is higher, if you can prove to them that the repairs come in at under the 60% cutoff they should agree to it.