Car write off help!

purplerose

Sorry I know nothing about insurance or write offs except: make sure you inform the DVLA that the car is a write off. The insurers might say they'll do this but unless you get a confirmation from the DVLA, you'll still be liable for the road tax when it runs out so if no confirmation arrives within 4 weeks, let the DVLA know about it. I'd still just write to them and let them know anyway. Once you get the confirmation, file it somewhere safe.

vaio

Kira000 wrote: »

So, spoke the garage again today and finally today the HSBC assessor came and viewed my car and confirmed the write-off. I was told he would be ringing me in the next few days.

Can i ask a few more questions of anyone able to advise?

Firstly, what happens next, is it the assesor who will have estimated what value to offer for the car, or is it the insurance? Obv the assessor will have seen it to know what condition its is, will he also have looked at the spec whilst there?......

I think valuation was covered earlier in the thread

Kira000 wrote: »

......Also, what is likely to happen to my insurance? I have heard a few different things, one that the insurance policy is effectively cancelled by them from further use, but needs to be paid in full still (i'm on installements). The other is that it is still payable in full (i,e i cant cancel), but they may let me change it to my new car, and pay any increase in cost.
Will be pretty gutted if it is only the former, as only 2 months into the policy:(!.....

What happens will be in your policy, some end on a total loss payout, some don’t. Either way you will have to pay the full premium

Kira000 wrote: »

.......With my normal renewal date June 29th, If i have to start again with a new policy from them, or someone else, will it be still with the 2 years NCD i had on 29th June and that goes next June, or will the NCD go straight away leaving me with zero now?.......

Depends on whether the policy ends as above, if it carries on then the lost NCB will happen at next renewal, if it ends then the NCB is gone

Kira000

vaio wrote: »

What happens will be in your policy, some end on a total loss payout, some don’t. If it does end you will have to pay the full premium

Thanks. checked my policy docs earlier in the week and it is suitably vague! Kind of says the insurance is still payable (i.e i cant cancel), and maybe considered ended if there is no car to ensure, but also seems to say they may consider "freezing" the policy, and adding a new vehicle later.
I'm braced for paying the full amount either way, just whether i'll laso be forking out for another policy on top of that as well. I guess i'll have to wait and see!

Thanks

Kira000

purplerose wrote: »

Sorry I know nothing about insurance or write offs except: make sure you inform the DVLA that the car is a write off. The insurers might say they'll do this but unless you get a confirmation from the DVLA, you'll still be liable for the road tax when it runs out so if no confirmation arrives within 4 weeks, let the DVLA know about it. I'd still just write to them and let them know anyway. Once you get the confirmation, file it somewhere safe.

Oh absolutely!! I've nearly been burnt by this before with a very old car. DVLA claimed not to have had notification, and tried to fine me, but fortunately i had the evidence to prove otherwise, so they dropped it!:D

emmell

I think you will still have to pay the insurance on the write off in full. When you insure a car it's for a year, if you choose to pay by instalments it is still a yearly agreement and not a monthly one.
ML.

Kira000

emmell wrote: »

I think you will still have to pay the insurance on the write off in full. When you insure a car it's for a year, if you choose to pay by instalments it is still a yearly agreement and not a monthly one.
ML.

ML. yes, as i said, i am aware that the full amount will still be due. The question is really whether i will have to start from scratch with a new policy, or add my new car on and pay any difference- as in normally if you swap your car during the year, you usually can change the policy and pay any difference.

Kira000

In case anyone wants to know Direct Lines policy on insurance policies after a write off, having now spoken to them, they will put my policy on hold while i am car-less, and then allow me to add my new car and pay any difference if the car is more expensive to insure.:j

Good news!

Assesor had confirmed write off- now awaiting the call to discuss settlement and arrange everything. Getting there slowly!

Thanks for all help so far.

K

owitemisermusa

Thanks for the update Kira. Do let us know how things eventually turn out. Your thread has been of immense educational value! Keen to understand how to come to an agreement about valuation and pay out.

Kira000

Update. After nearly a month, the Assessor has FINALLY been in touch with a proposed valuation which i find totally ludicrous as the only similar (age, model and approx mileage and disregarding extras) cars on the market are £1300 more than his offer and his quoted Glass's price is £1000-£1200 less than the one i was told and about the same lower than the Parkers. Directline advised me before i received the valuation that if i disagreed the valuation, they would forward me the initial payment of the valuation, and then would raise the claim to dispute status, and pay me any additional when the dispute process had had an outcome. Made it sound all very reasonable and that they were trying to help by ensuring i wasnt left with nothing in the interim. Being cynical, and having heard all sorts of stories, me smells a rat and that if i accept i am unlikely to get a penny more. Am i correct to assume they are trying it on, and that i should reject any payment, or are Directline actually a rare insurer who isnt out to shaft me by trying to get me to accept their first offer and then not playing ball!?

Thanks..

K

Kira000

Hi,

I thought i would put in a final update to this thread in case it helped anyone.

So, i've been waiting for my insurers assessor to sort out a settlement figure for me. Its been a long and stressful wait- lots of prevarication, procrastination, and promised phonecalls and deadlines missed .

My assesor proposed a settlement figure 3.5 weeks ago, of what he said was the book price, which i rejected on the basis that it was not possible to find even one example of a car at that price. I offered some examples of cars meeting my spec and year, which he ignored when calling back to offer me £200 more based on cars a year older than mine, which i again rejected due to not actually being able to buy one for that price. I insisted that i did not want any settlement payment to be paid until it was resolved, although they were keen to persuade me to accept a preliminary offer and then negotiate more.

The assesor then agreed to look at the examples i had found which i emailed.... fast forward 3 weeks of being fobbed off and not hearing back at all, escalating complaints, this afternoon, following threats to the insurers of action by my solicitor if the issue was not resolved by end of the week, finally spoke to the assesor again, who went over with me the examples i had sent 3 weeks ago , and finally admitted you couldn't buy a car like mine for their alleged book price, and agreed to pay me out the full amount i originally asked for! A cool £895 MORE than the original offer. Result!:j

I think the key was being realistic, but also extreme persistance with calling and chasing, but hours of research, looking anywhere and everywhere for cars like mine for sale, and recording all the details. In the end my hours and hours of research was better than theirs- and they were unable to disprove my claim that they should pay me what it would cost to replace, and that was not their book price.

Very pleased, but rather tired from all the haranguing! Moral of the story, be sure of your facts, and dont give in!

K x