Just brilliant-My car is probably written off.

Triker

I'm tempted to just go to a garage and see what they say, it's going to cost me anyway.

Triker

shell_girl wrote: »

Are you with Norwich Union by any chance?

Yes, thats the beggers.

shell_girl

I knew it! Norwich Union- Quote me Happy my @rse. They did exactly the same thing to me. My car's back window was smashed and the lock was broken. It was an eight year old fiesta. I spoke to the woman on the phone who told me that due to the age and book value of the car that they would do the following
1) Write the car off
2)Pick it up
3)Tow it and store it for 5 days
4)Crush it

I was gutted, but figured there was nothing else I could do. At this point I was paying fully comp insurance (very new driver so I was paying over £700 a year). For my £700 a year, Norwich Union then said they would give me the book value of my car but also...

1) No courtesy car because there was no point in assessing the car because a broken window and a smashed lock is enough to write it off.
2)A charge for coming out to pick the car up
3)A charge for towing the car
4)A charge for every day they kept the car
5)A charge for crushing it.

I worked it out with the woman on the phone that if I made the claim that the book value of my car minus their charges meant that I would owe them £85, and have no car. I told them to stuff it, cancelled my insurance with them and took it to a nearby garage who had it back on the road for £145. I will NEVER trust Norwich Union again. Unless the book value of your car is really high call them, cancel your claim and price getting your car fixed elsewhere. But whatever happens, cancel your premium with them. They are the WORST insurers in the world. Rant over.

candygirl

i know this is only a small thing but i am with 18185 and my calls to 0845 and 0870 numbers are much cheaper this way.Sorry to hear about your car though, and hope the catch the twit who did it.:mad: :mad:

Triker

shell_girl wrote: »

I knew it! Norwich Union- Quote me Happy my @rse. They did exactly the same thing to me. My car's back window was smashed and the lock was broken. It was an eight year old fiesta. I spoke to the woman on the phone who told me that due to the age and book value of the car that they would do the following
1) Write the car off
2)Pick it up
3)Tow it and store it for 5 days
4)Crush it

I was gutted, but figured there was nothing else I could do. At this point I was paying fully comp insurance (very new driver so I was paying over £700 a year). For my £700 a year, Norwich Union then said they would give me the book value of my car but also...

1) No courtesy car because there was no point in assessing the car because a broken window and a smashed lock is enough to write it off.
2)A charge for coming out to pick the car up
3)A charge for towing the car
4)A charge for every day they kept the car
5)A charge for crushing it.

I worked it out with the woman on the phone that if I made the claim that the book value of my car minus their charges meant that I would owe them £85, and have no car. I told them to stuff it, cancelled my insurance with them and took it to a nearby garage who had it back on the road for £145. I will NEVER trust Norwich Union again. Unless the book value of your car is really high call them, cancel your claim and price getting your car fixed elsewhere. But whatever happens, cancel your premium with them. They are the WORST insurers in the world. Rant over.

Flipping eck, the gits, this is how I reckon they'll play it with me and with the poxy amount they'll probably offer I may as well try to find a mechanic to assess the damage to the ignition. I can't be doing with the stress of it all.

Thanks for that Shell girl, still doesn't stop the fact that they take your money and don't offer any kind of decent service for car users. I mean it's not rocket science to work out that most people who have a car rely on it in some way.

shell_girl

I know- it's disgusting behaviour on their part. My new attitude to insurance is as cheap and as little as possible! If this is the standard of behaviour we can expect from them then I'd prefer to pay peanuts for the most basic insurance I can find and put the extra aside so that if I'm ever again in a position where I need to make a claim I'll have the claim money there ready so I can fix my own car- build up my no claims even more and pay even less for something of no benefit whatsoever. grrr. Best of luck with the scumbags Triker- keep us posted.

misfire

I dont have any advise but just wanted to say sorry about your car - it always seems that the innocent motorist comes off worse.

debtmonster

just a cpl of thoughts, i had my car crashed into by a stolen car about 4 years ago.

I told the insurance company the car wasnt secure (i couldnt close the boot) and they arranged to take the car to a secure yard rather than leave it parked on the road.

Regarding the courtesy car, if your policy states you are entitled to one then get back on the phone to them and kick up a fuss. You have paid for them to provide you with a car while yours is off the road.

It was 2 weeks before my car was assessed as being repairable and i got a courtesy car during that time, my car was repaired, delivered back to me and the courtesy car taken away.

I was with AA btw - wish you all the best with this. really is the last thing any one needs.

findingmyownway

sorry to hear about your troubles. good luck getting it sorted out!

its suprising how different insurance companies can be - when mine got driven into (while parked) Direct Line picked it up from work, delivered a hire car to work 10mins later and then did the swap back about 10days later.

Mozette

Just want to add my sympathy, and not go on a rant about Insurance, though I could!!! Hate them all. Weasely little toerags. :mad:
No offence meant to anyone who works for them by the way, I mean the companies, every time I speak to an actual person they're smashing. :T