Insurers quick to write off vehicle

BOATRACE

Hi
Last month a car hit my friends car while it was parked, he did everything right and it seemed to be minor damage (new bumper)
Off he went to get the damage estimated via the insurance company only to be told they are writing off the car even though it is just the bumper and offering £800 althought he thinks the car is worth more.
He has asked if he can keep the car and repair himself but they say no. Is there any other way or is he to be railroaded like this. He needs his car to get to work and £800 isnt going to buy him much.

Angry_Fanboy

Without knowing the car in question there's nothing for people to base their opinion on - if the car is an old Fiesta worth £900 then it's reasonable, but if it's a Mondeo worth £6,000 then it's unreasonable.

What car is it and how old?

BOATRACE

Hi
Its a vauxhal vectra book price £1750 but he wants to keep the car he has just paid for a repair and MOT the week before.

Quentin

He can withdraw the claim though the car will still be flagged as a write off.

Or withdraw the claim and make it directly against the third party insurer (assuming that liability is accepted).

Although it may still be a write off they will let him keep the car for a small deduction from the settlement figure.

Angry_Fanboy

I've never had a car written off by insurers, but I believe the accepted way to deal with them is to continually reject whatever offer they make and demand more.

BOATRACE

Thanks for that, I will pass on the information

Biketrials08

I's normal for the insurance company to show a low offer at first, reject it and they usually come back with something better. Don't ask, don't get

Dukesy

When my car was written off in December, my insurers didn't know what to give me for it as they didn't have a 'book price' for it. They actually asked if I even wanted to bother claiming! Damn right I did, it was an accident that was in no way my fault! I went online and collected a number examples of cars like mine in both better and poorer condition from autotrader, ebay, pistonheads etc. I then took an average price and told the insurance that that was the amount I wanted, sending them the list of examples in order to show how I had come to that price. They settled with me at an amount within a couple of hundred pounds of what I'd told them I wanted. You have to prettymuch bully insurers into giving you a fair price.

TrickyWicky

Rejecting may not mean he can keep the car though. Some insurers just refuse point blank to let you keep the salvage these days.

Just cancel the claim and pursue the claim via the other partys insurer instead. Yes, you can cancel the claim, insurers don't like it but they have to let you. At this point they also have to give you back any NCD they took from you too - trust me I've done it myself.

To be honest, these days unless its a new or nearly new car, fully comp insurance seems to be a con as they don't repair older cars these days and the other perks don't seem worth it. Shamefully though you only seem to save a tenner by going for tpft.