Screwed By Our Own Motor Insurance Company

MarkyMarkD

Yes, I wouldn't send any documents unless you make it clear that this is without prejudice and that you don't accept the amount they are offering.

But based on what others have advised, you are being offered a fair value and there are lots of similar cars available for the same sort of amount. So what's your problem with replacing the car for £500? (Apart from waiting for the excess).

Dime_Bar

MarkyMarkD wrote: »

Yes, I wouldn't send any documents unless you make it clear that this is without prejudice and that you don't accept the amount they are offering.

But based on what others have advised, you are being offered a fair value and there are lots of similar cars available for the same sort of amount. So what's your problem with replacing the car for £500? (Apart from waiting for the excess).

As I mentioned in my previous it is not a fair value, you can pick up a punto of around that age for £500 but when cars get this old is is more to do with condition.

The OP made it clear that they service and look after the car and to get a Punto with FSH and in good nick in these parts you are looking at nearer £800-£900 I believe that normally the courtesy car is yours until the claim has been settled i.e. an amount has been agreed and paid.

manda1205

I've had 2 claims that have not been my fault. Both times the other party admitted fault immediately and gave me their insurance details. Not once did I contact my insurance company, infact on one of those occasions the other parties insurance company rang me before I could ring them. Both claims were sorted within 2months and the monies paid to me, with no loses orf excess or anything. I dont understand why you didnt contact their insurance company first? If the crash was not your fault then why ring your own? Also the same goes for the hire car, both times the other parties insurance company just told me where to get one and they just kept extending the lease until the claim was sorted. Never has it been my problem, they just sorted it for me! If the other parties insurance company want you to got through them, then I can only recommend that, as my claims wre sorted quickly and easily!
I also have to agree that the amount you're being offered sounds about right, although you can get a bit more as others said with proof of service history, low mileage etc. Just haggle with them, we managed to get more for mine both times quite easily and we kept the cars too, repaired and I carried on driving them, although I suspect you have more damage to easily repair.
Hope you get it sorted though, and cars are always easy to come by, even if you just want a quick cheap runaround till you can find the car you want. Search your local yellow paper or ebay.

credit_crunch_victim

when it is clear that you are not at fault a lot of insurance company's like to handle the claim as it keeps the cost down
i once had two courtesy cars one that i picked up and one they tried to drop off at my house on a transporter
check your policy wording as mine provided a courtesy car for two weeks or until the claim was settled then in brackets (whichever comes first)

Dime_Bar

manda1205 wrote: »

I've had 2 claims that have not been my fault. Both times the other party admitted fault immediately and gave me their insurance details. Not once did I contact my insurance company, infact on one of those occasions the other parties insurance company rang me before I could ring them. Both claims were sorted within 2months and the monies paid to me, with no loses orf excess or anything. I dont understand why you didnt contact their insurance company first? If the crash was not your fault then why ring your own? .....................

Its part of the terms and conditions of any Car insurance I know of that you inform your insurer of any accident, if your at fault or not.

manda1205

Dime_Bar wrote: »

Its part of the terms and conditions of any Car insurance I know of that you inform your insurer of any accident, if your at fault or not.

And thats all I did. My point was I did not make any attempts to claim through my insurance, as I did this through the other parties insurance company.

bowks1968

Thanks to every body for the very helpful input.

I finally recieved a letter from the other persons insurance and have settled the claim in just one phone call! We have incurred no costs ourselves and have recieved a satisfactory payment for both the car and our injuries. We were never after as much as we could get and our honest approach and realistic attitude towards the situation has put us into a nice replacement car and paid for four big smiles that were lost over the christmas holiday.

Thanks all again.

Mark, Louise, Athena & Zanthe

BenL

Excellent, glad it has worked out in the end for you.

I had a similar issue a few years ago and was very impressed with the service from the insurance company of the person who hit me.

The next year I moved to them!

Hintza

Well done. Keeping things realistic seems to pay off.

datostar

Dime_Bar wrote: »

Its part of the terms and conditions of any Car insurance I know of that you inform your insurer of any accident, if your at fault or not.

Yes, it is indeed. Then beware of what they do when you tell them. Many many years ago I had a motorbike insured with Norwich Union on a TPF&T policy. I was knocked off it by a large van that performed a U-turn in a one-way road. Being young and naive I told the Insurance Company that I had had an accident and was claiming on the other party's insurance. They immediately cancelled my NCB (this was in the days when you got NCB on bike insurance) and arrogantly said 'No claim, not no blame'. I said I wasn't claiming off them. Didn't care, it was still a claim. I've avoided that company ever since (over 40 years now).