Reversed into parked car (yes Im a fool!). Pay myself or claim? (£800)

Buzby

Yes - only if you have no insurance would you contemplate heading off a claim first (by agreement).

The third party does not have to negotiate with you, but irrespective of your views on claims, even if you paid it all, your premium would go up as you have shown you are at a higher risk than you were previously.

You are in a weak position as to rights - did you disclose the pending claim to your new insurer? If not there is a risk of it being voided for non-disclosure - so take care of this first.

You are right repairs are loaded, but if the injured party wish is to deal through their insurers there is little you can do to prevent them.

talkshowhostess

This has been useful, but can I ask about your NCD going from 9 years to 4? I had a bump myself lately, and I am in the process of claiming for my own damage, well over my £500 excess, and I am sure the lovely understanding people I bumped into have claimed for their damage. I had a 4 year no claim, but I guess that goes back to zero now? How did your NCD go from 9 to 4? I always thought it would just go back to zero after you claim?

And also, when I come to renew, do insurers take into account the severity of the accident when coming up with a price, or is it just- you caused an accident, tough, whether you caused cosmetic damage or wrote off two cars??

Thanks in advance!!

Sydo

Buzby - Thanks for the info,

I have (and did have) insurance. I don't understand your point in para 1.

If I understand you correctly, you are basically saying the common belief that you can avoid rising premiums by settling privately is incorrect? (I understand about the increased risk of having an accident - though not of making a future claim if I had a history of paying out voluntarily?...) From what you are saying I assume the contract demands full disclosure regardless of claims? If correct, with the number of car-park dings and dents that go unreported/unclaimed this sounds like an excellent get-out clause for insurance companies.

Anyway, I'll wait for any more advice and make my decision tomorrow if I don't hear from the claimant in the meantime.

Yet another example of an individual being in a very weak position to make an informed decision when confronted by a deaf corporation with a customer funded legal department in the background.

Well I have done what I can - left them!

PS Thx for the reminder re the new insurer. Now I know a claim is being made I must get on to them.

rs65

talkshowhostess wrote: »

I had a 4 year no claim, but I guess that goes back to zero now? How did your NCD go from 9 to 4? I always thought it would just go back to zero after you claim?

4 years usually goes back to 2 but check your own policy for clarification.

Quentin

If it is cost effective you can retain all your ncd after the claim has been settled by your insurer by reimbursing them for all their outlay to the third party.

Sydo

Quentin, many thanks for that info. That sounds like a good route. If the claim seems outrageous I may try and query/challenge the amount (even though I doubt that will have any effect given that I don't have a legal department behind me with all day to fight my corner).

Much appreciate the advice, thanks.

Quentin

Your insurer will only pay out for acceptable claims.

But when you are to blame then you have to pay all the costs not just the repair bill eg. car hire, loss of earnings, injury compensation, inconvenience compensation etc so what seems like a small scrape can still end up very expensive!

Sydo

All sorted. The impact (pardon the pun!) seems to be that I cannot protect my NCB at a reasonable rate for the next month (£450 extra premium p.a. until some storm damage that occurred 4 years 11 months ago drops over the insurers' 5 year limit). But after that this recent incident should only add about £60 a year more to the premium.

Somehow my last insurance company (amongst other, admitted, mistakes) neglected to include NCBD protection. They have therefore deducted 2 years from my 15 years NCBD I've built up and arrived at 3 years. That's right, to these crooks 15-2 =3. How? 'Because we only recognise up to 5 years NCBD'. 'But you just sent me a certificate saying I have 15 years NCBD?' 'Yes, but we only recognise 5 years and 5-2 = 3 years. You did have 15 years but we have taken off 2 years, so that now equals 3 years'.

If I engaged in that sort of stupidity/dishonesty in my profession I'd be locked up.

Also, the damage that I reckon would be £200 MAXIMUM for a chip repairer to visit and sort, they have agreed to pay out £980. Uncontested. I said this was tantamount to fraud, would they pay out £10,000 or 100k uncontested and she said they would pay whatever they were asked for as long as they deemed it 'reasonable' (without even looking at the damage) and if I don't have any evidence contrary then there's nothing I can do about it. My wife's a barrister and assures me this is untrue, but given I can still get good priced premiums as of next month, this is one battle not worth fighting.

Such is the crooked fantasy 'heads I win tales you lose' world of UK car insurance.

Thank goodness for comparison sites and... CHECK YOUR DOCUMENTS! - what you ask for on the phone/on the comparison site when buying and what they send out in the small print isn't always the same, but you will be the one paying the price for their mistake if you do not spot the difference. Unfair, yes. Legally challenge-able, yes. But unless you have several months and tens of thousands/a legal department to dedicate to the case it will be an unequal fight you are 99% sure destined to lose.

Also, if in an accident, TAKE PHOTOS/GET WITNESSES of the damage in order to contest the fraudulently large payouts insurance companies are merrily signing off. Even if at a busy junction with a queue of cars behind, still get some photos, otherwise you will have an uphill struggle. And of course, get the other party's contact details.

A woeful tale - such is consumer 'justice' in the UK when dealing with corporations - but with an OK outcome having wasted many hours on it.

Appreciate your help on this. Conclusion could have been a heck of a lot more expensive without the comparison sites. I am now petrified of driving! Possibly a good thing...