Car written off - Need help please

gaz_jones

Right this is what happened.

I was driving down a dual carriageway in the left hand lane. Someone pulled out from a side road into the side of my car. They have admitted full liability. It goty taken to the body shop and I was told to await a call.


Well the call came today and its been deemed 'uneconimical to repair'. I bought the car middle of April for £5000. It is a 2001 BMW 318Ci with 63k miles. Full BMW Service History. Just had a service etc.... Looking on parkers.co.uk and glass guides they value it at £3750 for one in great condition. Looking on autotrader and ebay though they are going for in the region of £5500-£6k for one similar to mine.

My main question is what happens now? I've never had a crash before let alone written a car off so I have no idea what to do. Bit stuck really. Also pretty upset. I saved up for over a year to save this car and just because someone wasn't paying attention I am going to be punished. I see myself as a really good driver and I don't feel its fair that I am being punished for someone elses mistake! Rip off insurance companies are a topic for another time though eh!

My questions:

How will they value my car?
Will they pay out according to parkers/glass or according to similar spec cars for sale atm.
What happens next?



Thanks everyone. Sorry if the topic is a bit jumbled but having a bit of an off day today cause of this.


Edit to add: I am meant to be going away on a driving holiday in August. I booked a hotel that is non refundable but I now am not going to be able to go. Does this mean I will have lost out the £1000 on the hotel or will my car insurance be able to cover anything?

LandyAndy

They'll offer you a low price which you will reject.

Then you will provide them with details of the vehicles currently for sale at the price you mention.

Then after a bit of to-ing and fro-ing you should get a better offer.

Sorry to hear about the car btw.:o

gaz_jones

Thanks for the reply Andy. Still keeping my eyes peeled for your yellow beast everytime I'm down in fordingbridge/alderholt.

Do you know where they get their prices from? Do they get it from parkers then its my job to find other prices (autotrader etc...)

LandyAndy

I presume you didn't have travel insurance for the driving hol?

Loss of the holiday could be reclaimable, do you have legal exes cover?

LinasPilibaitisisbatman

Sorry but I assume the £3750 is the trade in price and not the purchase price?

The insurer will offer the replacement cost of the car for one with the same spec. if that is genuinely 5.5k then hold out for that.

Bear in mind that just because its advertised at that price doesnt mean it sells at that price.

If you are saying your car is worth more than normal because of modifications or such I hope these were declared.

LandyAndy

gaz_jones wrote: »

Thanks for the reply Andy. Still keeping my eyes peeled for your yellow beast everytime I'm down in fordingbridge/alderholt.

Do you know where they get their prices from? Do they get it from parkers then its my job to find other prices (autotrader etc...)

I think they'll use Glass's.

Start looking out your evidence now. It will be up to you to show them what a proper price is (assuming they offer you something lower).

The Landy is usually parked on my drive so wouldn't be too hard to spot if you drove past.:cool:

LandyAndy

Do you know what the repair costs are?

Just because they want to write it off doesn't mean that it would be uneconomical for you to have repaired.

gaz_jones

LinasPilibaitisisbatman wrote: »

Sorry but I assume the £3750 is the trade in price and not the purchase price?

The insurer will offer the replacement cost of the car for one with the same spec. if that is genuinely 5.5k then hold out for that.

Bear in mind that just because its advertised at that price doesnt mean it sells at that price.

If you are saying your car is worth more than normal because of modifications or such I hope these were declared.

It wasn't modified from standard although it was the highest spec standard model BMW sold at the time.

I have seen them advertised up to £7000. Chepest seems to be £6000 asking price so I was assuming £5500 they would accept.

I hate insurance companies!!

gaz_jones

LandyAndy wrote: »

Do you know what the repair costs are?

Just because they want to write it off doesn't mean that it would be uneconomical for you to have repaired.

Not yet, they only rang saying it was a write off at 3.30ish so will have to wait until I'm home from work to speak to them properly. My only worry about doing it that way is when I come to sell its going to be classes as a cat c write off

LinasPilibaitisisbatman

gaz_jones wrote: »

It wasn't modified from standard although it was the highest spec standard model BMW sold at the time.

I have seen them advertised up to £7000. Chepest seems to be £6000 asking price so I was assuming £5500 they would accept.

I hate insurance companies!!

Tbh looking on autotrader there seems to be plenty around for about 5k with only an extra 10-20k on the clock. some are newer. I think you will struggle to prove the 7k ones are realistic.

As said its based on sale prices. not advert prices.

As said if you like the car its maybe worth asking about the category of the write off, value to retain the car and seeing how much non approved repairers would do it for.

gaz_jones

LinasPilibaitisisbatman wrote: »

Tbh looking on autotrader there seems to be plenty around for about 5k with only an extra 10-20k on the clock. some are newer. I think you will struggle to prove the 7k ones are realistic.

As said its based on sale prices. not advert prices.

As said if you like the car its maybe worth asking about the category of the write off, value to retain the car and seeing how much non approved repairers would do it for.

But surely 10-20k more miles is a considerable amount when the cars only done just over 60k. 20k miles is another third extra.

Cheers for the advice all. Guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens then I'll come back and update Wish me luck.