Can I cancel my claim if they wish to "right-off" my vehicle?

JulieFitzgerald4

I own a T25 Camper van, 17 years old. Someone decided to drive into the side of it last week and drive off leaving me to put in an insurance claim for two panels that need replacing. The engineer is due to call tomorrow because they think it is "border line" right-off. I am really worried that the asscessor/engineer will not realise the money these old campers are making these days and deem it not worth fixing. If the insurance company do decide to "right-off" I am entitled to cancel my claim and just keep the vehicle and repair it at my own cost?

Hope you can help, Many thanks

Julie

Astaroth

You could always ask the engineer about a cash in lieu of repairs.... probably reduce the settlement slights (normally they knock the VAT off) but is one option.

It is an interesting question however that I dont know for certain the answer to if the vehicle is an economical write off and not a safety one.... I predominately dealt with third party claimants rather than policyholders and cant remember the question ever coming up.

Rikki

When a of my car of mine was written off. I bought it back from the insurance company, had it repaired and reregistered.

JulieFitzgerald4

Astaroth wrote:

You could always ask the engineer about a cash in lieu of repairs.... probably reduce the settlement slights (normally they knock the VAT off) but is one option.

It is an interesting question however that I dont know for certain the answer to if the vehicle is an economical write off and not a safety one.... I predominately dealt with third party claimants rather than policyholders and cant remember the question ever coming up.

Thanks for the advise Astaroth, but I am a bit worried about offering money until I know that they WILL write it off! Everyone around me says they may take advantage me offering to pay some of the cost? Do you think I should wait to find out the result then offer? Another person from this website has told me that I could buy it back from the insurance company, do you know if the price of "buying back" will be the same as "the pay out"? Thanks once again, Julie

Astaroth

What Rikki is talking about is the option to buy back the salvage (ie the written off vehicle). Often this will be at around 10% of the settlement figure but does vary - particularly if the vehicle is hard to come by and so spares are rare.

When you do this you may be required to have the vehicle tested for road safety prior to being allowed to return it to the road (even if you had an MOT done the day before the accident) and you would have to tell any future buyers of your vehicle that it had been declared a total loss (so would affect its ultimate resell value).

Best thing to do, if possible, it to try and speak to the engineer before/ whilst he is doing the inspection of the vehicle to discuss the options you have open to you and what the insurance company in questions policies are on these things.

Rhino666

It used to be very easy to buy back your written off vehicle from the insurance company. Dangerous vehicles put back on the road has largely put a stop to this, as has the high price that certain vehicles, including campers will make at a salvage auction.

I would advise the OP to be very cool about this. Firstly check out whether it is worth repairing the vehicle yourself. Next, make sure that the insurance company will entertain selling you the salvage, if the vehicle is a financial, rather than technical write off. When all this is done to your satisfaction, sit tight and leave your offer to buy back until the last moment. If the insurance company think you are keen to buy back, they will massively inflate the price payable.

If the buy back/DIY repair is not an option, make sure you haggle with the insurance company to get a proper write off value back for your vehicle. You are not obliged to accept their first offer and many campers are worth far more than glasses guide fair condition price or whatever they use as an opening offer guide nowadays.

Good luck !!

gazza975526570

whether you could buy the salvage back would depend upon what salvage category their engineer has determined it to be. Category A or B you wont be allowed to but cat C or D you should be able to. Just ask them what the salvage amount would be and work out if its better to buy it back and repair or just cancel the claim

Rhino666

gazza

'whether you could buy the salvage back would depend upon what salvage category their engineer has determined it to be. Category A or B you wont be allowed to but cat C or D you should be able to.'

Is this rule applied to all insurance companies or do they have their own sets of rules for buy backs on technical/financial writeoffs ?