should I use my insurance

worried123

Hi thereI dont know whether can advise me please - I dont know very much about cars (female). I am not sure whether it would be better for me to use my car insurance or whether to have car repaired out of my own pocket.Car has been - vandalised I guess - probably kids.....it has two smashed wing mirrors - two very long, fairly deep key scratches right down one side and (I am not sure what these lights are called.....they are at the back and low down - red glass - and both have them have beeen smashed).I have a vauxhall corsa.....my excess is £200 - it says, `voluntary vehical damage` but also says compulsory vehical damage £75 and driver specific damage £50. I have only been with this insurance company for one month (very cheap comprehensive - sheilas wheels) and have my full no claims discount. I have never claimed on car insurance before.Do you think it would be more beneficial to claim on the insurance or have it repaired myself - to be honest, if I paid to have it done myself I would just get those lower back lights replaced and the wing mirrors for now (could not afford to get the deep key scratches done at the moment).Any advice would be greatly appreciated.Many thanks

jeannieblue

Get a quote for the repairs - and if it is alot more than your excess, then may be an idea to claim?

bb69

Sorry to hear about the damage.
Hope you get it sorted

rev_henry

Judging by that, I'd guess your total excess in this case would be £275. Driver specific doesn't apply as I presume that means if a driver crashes the car it gets added on. You should also factor in the fact that your premium will go up next year as you've made a claim. £275 + premium increases, I don't think its worth it. If its just the mirror glass gone, and not the plastic part, you can just buy replacement glass and stick it over the top. £20 tops IIRC, DIY job.
Those lights are fog lights and you should be able to get replacement ones from a scrappie. £20 to £30. I paid £15 fairly recently for a replacement back light unit from a scrappie on ebay for a much older corsa. I fitted that myself, it was very easy, but the positioning of the fog lights on the newer corsas means I don't know if its quite so easy. You might have to pay someone to do it, but it'll still be an easy and quick (therefore cheap) job for them.
The scratches you will be able to get a local dent and scratch repairing company (a franchise such as dent devils, or similar) to come out and sort for you. They're quite reasonable as well. Maybe £100.

So that's way less than your excess altogether.

MX5huggy

how many miles and age?

It makes a difference not fixing the scratches will cause rust. if its 12 years old dont go with the insurance if its brand new use the insurance.

Surfbabe

Depends whether they treat it as one claim or several

a friend of mine caught her car wing on a post and scratched it and her MIL opened the door realy quickly to see what had happened taking a nick out the paintwork. Sheilas Wheels are insisting it is two claims which means she would loose her protected no claims unless she pays for one herself!

rev_henry

Surfbabe wrote: »

Depends whether they treat it as one claim or several

a friend of mine caught her car wing on a post and scratched it and her MIL opened the door realy quickly to see what had happened taking a nick out the paintwork. Sheilas Wheels are insisting it is two claims which means she would loose her protected no claims unless she pays for one herself!

Right, so if someone shunts you from behind, into the back of someone else, that's 2 claims as well? Jokers.

worried123

Many thanks for your replies - really helpful - thanks.It seems that going through my insurance will be quite costly from what you have said....I think that I shall opt for the stick on mirrors and see how much replacing those foglights (thanks for telling me what they are!!!) will cost. My corsa is 6 years old but it is a fairly new design....so need to look at how much for replacing them.....the scratches are fairly deep but not deep enough to cause rust I dont think but will sort those out later.Thank you again - and I agree - insurance companies are a rip off really aren`t they.Best wishes.

laurz121

Surfbabe wrote: »

Depends whether they treat it as one claim or several

a friend of mine caught her car wing on a post and scratched it and her MIL opened the door realy quickly to see what had happened taking a nick out the paintwork. Sheilas Wheels are insisting it is two claims which means she would loose her protected no claims unless she pays for one herself!

To be fair the insurance company is correct, it is two accidents and therefore two claims. The door wasn't damaged by the car hitting the post or as a result of it, it was damaged afterwards by a stupid MIL opening a door into/onto something. It was a separate act so its a separate claim.

As for the other person who likened it to being shunted into the car in front, thats a totally different situation where the car in front was hit because of being hit from behind. If you was hit from behind and decided to pulll off the highway to inspect the damage and accidentally drove into a fence it would be two claims.

laurz121

worried123 wrote: »

Many thanks for your replies - really helpful - thanks.It seems that going through my insurance will be quite costly from what you have said....I think that I shall opt for the stick on mirrors and see how much replacing those foglights (thanks for telling me what they are!!!) will cost. My corsa is 6 years old but it is a fairly new design....so need to look at how much for replacing them.....the scratches are fairly deep but not deep enough to cause rust I dont think but will sort those out later.Thank you again - and I agree - insurance companies are a rip off really aren`t they.Best wishes.

I had a minor accident a few years back and made the mistake of going through the insurance, i'm still paying for it now.

If I were you i'd either go to a local trusted garage and ask how they suggest you repair the damage or get a friend who knows a bit about cars (or just yourself if you want) and pop down to a scrapyard to look for second hand parts, then you've only got the scratches to sort out. You can even search scrap yards online at sites like https://www.breakeryard.com just put in what kind of car you've got and what part you need (fog lights and mirrors) and they'll search a few breakers yards and email you with quotes which even if you don't buy them will be useful information for you.

I had two mirrors kicked off my car once while i was sat in it (I'm not ashamed to say that I then hit the accelerator and ran him down) and a local garage sorted me out with replacements for £5 each.

vaio

If the fogs are separate from the rest of the lights then it’s probably a corsa C.

New fogs are available from ebay for £10 or 15 each and changing should be a simple screwdriver job http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vauxhall-CORSA-C-REAR-FOG-LIGHT-LENS-LAMP-LHS-NEW-/350262129639?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item518d3ff3e7

As others have said mirrors are easy and the paint can be done by one of the dent away people

In any event DIY is going to be way cheaper than involving your insurance company