Car insurance! How to get car back?

ht0242

Hi I’m hoping someone here can help my brother. This is the short version!

He had a bump in his car about a month ago (not his fault) he contacted his insurance company and they delivered a hire car to his home and a few days later collected his bumped car (he has nothing to say they took it.)

The beginning of last week he receives his tax disc through the post, so he contacts his insurance company. He’s told that the vehicle has be scrapped and the claim has been closed. Then he rings again and he’s told in it a secure depot.
Hereceived a letter on Friday 13th dated 6th saying the car is uneconomical to repair and will become the property of the underwriters after 7 days. (that was the 7th day). He has had nothing from them to say what was wrong with the vehicle. He hasn’t been made an offer by the insurance company and they haven’t given him a buy back price.

Does anyone out there know what he can do to get his car back? He has an expensive stereo which is worth far more than the vehicle.

Sorry it's a long post but any ideas would be appreciated.

dacouch

The car still belongs to him until he has accepted a settlement from the Insurers

Se section 16 of this link

http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/publications/technical_notes/motor-valuation.html#13

Get him to ring the Insurers and refer them to this, they should sort the matter.

darich

dacouch wrote: »

The car still belongs to him until he has accepted a settlement from the Insurers

Genuine question........

In a case like this, or any case where a car is written off and the insurance pays out, what happens to things added by the owner??

Typically, expensive stereo, after market alloys wheels, private plate and other things that can easily be altered - do they become the property of the ins co aswell?
Reason I ask is because I changed my alloys (still have original ones in the shed) and a private plate so if my ins co paid out on my car what could I argue still belongs to me?

I expect certain things like tinted windows that are not interchangeable remain with the car.

dacouch

Are the Insurers aware of the modifications

darich

dacouch wrote: »

Are the Insurers aware of the modifications

In my case, yes they are.
They've been told I've got replacement alloys, had cruise control retro fitted and had the engine remapped. All declared.

I appreciate, cruise control and engine remap, aren't items I can take off and replace with original components so I can accept that in the event of a total loss, the money it cost me to have the cruise control and remap is effectively lost.

But the wheels I can change for the original ones which I still have. Private plate isn't declared as a private plate but it's in the format of K1 ABC (not actual plate). My car is a 2006 but the "K" prefix is from 1993. Plate is probably worth a few hundred at most.

Obviously undeclared items/modifications would be ignored or even render the policy void but what about declared items that can be removed/replaced as above?

dacouch

Where possible it might be worth replacing the modified items eg stereo for the OEM as replacement wheels and stereos and the like have very little (If any) effect on the value.

It would be worth informing the Insurers of the private plate preferably in writing, the plate obviously belongs to you but if the Insurers are not aware of it when you claim there can be hiccups.

Undeclared modifications would not be ignored by the Insurers if they discover them, they will ask for a written explanation as to why they were not declared and then decide whether or not to void the policy. Be aware that on a modified car the Insurers will normally instruct the engineer to check the car for any undeclared modifications.

darich

dacouch wrote: »

Where possible it might be worth replacing the modified items eg stereo for the OEM as replacement wheels and stereos and the like have very little (If any) effect on the value.

It would be worth informing the Insurers of the private plate preferably in writing, the plate obviously belongs to you but if the Insurers are not aware of it when you claim there can be hiccups.

Undeclared modifications would not be ignored by the Insurers if they discover them, they will ask for a written explanation as to why they were not declared and then decide whether or not to void the policy. Be aware that on a modified car the Insurers will normally instruct the engineer to check the car for any undeclared modifications.

I have no problem with an engineer's inspection. I had to make a few phone calls to get the car insured with the mods declared and they're listed on my policy.
There are no undelcared mods on the car.

Private plate is something I probably should inform them of.

Apologies for appearing to hijack the OP's thread but the questions may be relevant to the OP and others.
Cheers

nearlyrich

I had a company car written off a couple of years ago, the garage where it was taken after the crash rang me to ask if I needed to take anything off the car before it was sent away. Surely you should get a chance to remove stuff?

dacouch

nearlyrich wrote: »

I had a company car written off a couple of years ago, the garage where it was taken after the crash rang me to ask if I needed to take anything off the car before it was sent away. Surely you should get a chance to remove stuff?

You can't normally take off items that are part of the standard car once you have agreed a write off value with the insurers as they sell the salvage on

ht0242

Many Thanks Dacouch
I'll get him to ring them in the morning.