Car vandalised - Am I really having to pay for excess?

toniq

Sadly hubby has 80 hrs weeks at the mo whilst working on a major project for a client in the city, so as per the norm all home things are left to me to sort out, which normally wouldn't be an issue, just this is over my head.

I'm not comfortable with the scrap yard bonnet idea as I'm liable to mess up, It's an Astra sri so shouldn't be too hard to source but one or two of the dents are where the bonnet joins the car so it will have to go to a bodyshop and be properly repaired.

I'm going to have to argue it out with insurance, just not up to the stress today so will do it all tomorrow.

Thanks again for help and advice.

Lum

If you're going down the insurance route, you can at least take your time with it.

Just bear in mind that insurance companies will rarely do anything without prompting, so be sure to chase them regularly.

LandyAndy

toniq wrote: »

Sadly hubby has 80 hrs weeks at the mo whilst working on a major project for a client in the city, so as per the norm all home things are left to me to sort out, which normally wouldn't be an issue, just this is over my head.

Probably earning enough to pay the excess, then?;)

Trebor16

toniq wrote: »

Thanks for help and advice, Sadly you told me what I wished wasn't the case, Insurance stated clearly the windscreen is totally separate on the policy so has it's own excess.

That is something I would challenge. You are making one claim and the excess for a windscreen is only in relation to when the windscreen suffers damage and has to be replaced on its own with no other damage to the car. The windscreen on my old car had to be replaced when it was cracked in an accident that caused other damage to the car, but I only had to pay one excess, not the damage excess and the windscreen excess.

toniq

LandyAndy wrote: »

Probably earning enough to pay the excess, then?;)

No!!! My husband is an oracle dba, He doesn't get overtime, if the job requires extra work he does it, He wont rock the boat and lose his job espec in this climate!!!

But in a way yes, we have savings to cover issues like this, we both done that by being very frugal, still doesn't mean it's fair we pay for someones stupidness.

I will def challenge the insurance excess for the windscreen tomorrow, many thanks for advice and help.

Lum

Whether they have the money or not doesn't really make any difference (and I know the sort of money Oracle DBAs earn generally). The insurance are trying it on here so it should be fought out of principle

jacobsdaduk

You knew the excess amount when you bought the policy. Bad luck. No way out of it. Get a policy with a smaller excess next time.

toniq

Of course I knew the excess when I took out the policy, with the excess I have my fully comp, no claims protected with top level breakdown works out at £42 a month, where I have never claimed in over 10 years of driving it is a very affordable policy, My main issue here was the police refusing to investigate so the insurance leaving me trapped in having to pay, if the police had investigated they might have found something to identify the pratt that done this.

Lirin

It's bad luck. I've had damage to my car before where I was left with no option but to pay it myself, and was only fortunate in that I had most of the parts I needed lying around. I'm heavily pregnant- definitely wouldn't be changing a bonnet... complete !!!!!! of a job on my car!
I know I'd be raging too, but if you decide to choose the scrapyard route, you don't have to do it yourself- find someone who's a bit car savvy and buy them a box of beer in return for helping out....

vaio

The lack of police investigation has nothing to do with the claim, it would still be a vandalism claim on which you should only pay one excess.

If the insurance persist with the unfair view that you should pay the windscreen & vandalism excesses for the same incident/claim then stick a complaint in and escalate to the FOS if unsatisfied.