Car Insurance Claim - advice needed

SCOYA

Sorry, this may well be long winded - so I thank you if you can be bothered to read.

Had a knock in the car (my rear bumper, near side, in a car park, no other damage and car perfectly OK to drive) Monday 11 June 2012, advised insurance company, they said their recommended repair shop would be in touch within two hours, after four hours I contact the repair shop and they said that they would collect the car the following Wednesday 20 June, they supplied a loan vehicle on request.

On collection I was told that the loss adjuster from the garage would be in touch by Friday 22 June, I end up calling them at 5.15pm (since they'd not called) to be told 'we're busy, two days behind on all work, we'll be in touch on Monday'.

Monday 25 June, I receive a voice message at 4pm advising that 'we've looked at the car it'll need a new bumper and light/lamp cover, and we hope you can have the car back on Friday'. I immediately called them back, and being unable to speak to anyone left a voice message advising that there was nothing wrong with the light cover when the vehicle was collected and I didn't believe it was necessary and requested they contacted me to discuss this. No response was forthcoming.

Friday 29 June, still no call, no update, so I call the repair shop to be told 'we're working on it, keep your mobile handy in case we need to arrange for the car to be delivered back to you'. No call ever came.

Monday 2 July I get a call at 4pm to say, 'we're ready to bring the car back'.

So 5pm comes and hey presto car arrives back, on checking the work the new bumper has a dent in it on the off side, slightly sticking out on the near side, and the gap between the boot lid and the bumper is greater on the near side than the off side. In addition just above the dent on the off side there is a chip in the paint work.

I then turn the engine over (just wanted to check there was no unnecessary mileage - I know it sounds distrusting - but I don't know this garage from Adam), and the engine warning light comes on, the engines sound a rough as a bag of spanners, I ask the delivery guy about this and his repsone is: 'Oh that light came on towards the end of the journey, and just before getting here I could smell burning'.................................

This has been reported to the garage, they have said that they will send a mechanic out tomorrow to look at the bumper and he will bring a diagnostic machine with him to test the engine.

My questions (I know you must be bored now), are:

when I call my insurance company tomorrow morning to give them this tale of bad customer service and crap repairs, in addition to the engine warning light scenario, can I insist that my car is taken to my own garage (who I trust 100%) and have them replace the damaged bumper?

Where do I stand on the engine warning light issue? I believe most people would stop the car and contact their garage if this was to happen, and not continue to drive it regardless.

Where do I stand on a courtesy car?

Sorry to ramble on, but any and all advice would be most appreciated.

Thanks and Regards
Scoya

McKneff

When they brought the car back, did you sign anything. Did you read it if you did. These are normally satisfaction notes.

SCOYA

Haven't paid the excess, nor did I sign any documentation. I only signed the courtesy car documentation.

Thanks for taking the time to read BTW.

McKneff

I would keep your insurance company informed of everything. I dont think you would be able to take it to your own garage, you could have insisted on this in the first place, but I dont think you would have got a loan car under those circumstances unless you paid for it yourself.

I hate bad service so my sympathies are with you. Its extremely frustrating.

What did you hit by the way. (been there, done that lol)

SCOYA

Oooh How very dare you....... I didn't 'hit' anything..... I 'glanced' off an Audi A4, in my defence I was carefully reversing out of a parking space (my car is very low, edging out past a 4x4) and the other car just 'appeared'. The other driver did say 'I saw you reversing but didn't think to stop as I thought I'd get passed you in time'...........................:rotfl:

The situation will get sorted, it's just frustrating, after all it's a car - no-one died.............

Thanks.

McKneff

I didnt see any mention of another vehicle earlier in your posts so I presumed you had hit a fence of something.

So are neither of you claiming from each other, surely your insurance company should be advising you, Im a bit confused here. If the other car admitted liability are you claiming from him. If so you could have done it directly with his company. Or is he disputing it.

dt3887

unfortunately McKneff, in this sort of collision, regardless of what the other driver said, it would/should be put down as OPs fault.

but yea, OP, keep insurance appraised of everything that is happening, and keep photos of it aswell. Good luck getting it sorted

Christopher7

Hi Scoya

Firstly, it is your car and you can take it where you like to be repaired regardless of what your insurer says.

However, in your situation, i would advise to let the original garage have an opportunity to correct the faults but make sure your insurer is aware of the problems you have experienced.

If the garage agree that the repairs are flawed, then they will have an obligation in their contract with your insurance company to provide a courtesy vehicle.

If they don't agree that the repair could have been better, then ask your insurer to arrange a post repair inspection with one of their motor engineers.

Good luck

SCOYA

Thanks for all the advice, much appreciated.

Update is, one of their mechanics came out on Tuesday morning, transpires there was a problem with the plugs and leads (hence engine warning light coming on), which they have replaced and the car is running very well. They said that they believe that their valeters are too enthusiastic and they use too high a water pressure when valeting the cars and this is a problem they've had in the past.................

They are supplying a new bumper, it transpires that the current bumper with the additional damage is in fact the original bumper that was repaired and not replaced. They have also said that they will put fuel in my car as I'm having to take it back to them along with a full gold valet (whatever that is).

Whilst I was extremely unhappy on Monday night, they have certainly turned everything around, so fingers crossed all goes well next week and this can be laid to bed.

Forgot to mention that the MD of the company called me yesterday afternoon to apologise for the situation and lack of customer service, promising that they would ensure my vehicle is repaired fully.

@ Christopher7 - my brother said the same thing with regard to having a vehicle repaired in your choice of garage/bodyshop regardless of the insurance companies insisting on using their recommended garage. Luckily, I've never been in this situation in the past, (hope not too be in the future) so never realised, but hey, as least I've learnt something.

I'm very hopeful of everything being sorted, just a shame the garage didn't provide the right customer service in the first place.

Thanks again, everyone, for your advice.