Car written off. Direct Line reduced offer by £340 as previous write off?

*Kat*

Some douche bag hit the back of another lady's car which subsequently hit ours. This was on the 12th July.

DL came and collected the car to assess it and determined that the car was a write off. They offered us £1,700 for the car which was accepted, we received the car back (for a cost of £153 or so) and waited for the cheque to arrive.

We received the cheque about a week later for £1,207....we called DL and asked them what was going on. They informed us that as the car had been a write off previously that the value of the car was less.

Now, I'm peeved because they didn't tell us this at the time and made us an offer which we accepted. Are they allowed to blindside us like this?

I asked to speak to the supervisor at direct line, which they refused to do, and also how to make a complaint but they don't have a claims department???!

Any help would be really great.

Thanks!

OddballJamie

Do you have the call recorded or the original quote in writing?

mad_rich

Did you know the car had been previously written off?
Did Direct Line ask when you took out the policy?
Did you tell them?
Is there anything in the small print which says the payout will be reduced in such circumstances?

fivetide

This was on here not long ago.

If you didn't know about the write off (I assume cat D as Cat C would be written on the V5) then the insurance company can't apply this retrospectively to the value of the car.

Sure that was the case...

dacouch

fivetide wrote: »

This was on here not long ago.

If you didn't know about the write off (I assume cat D as Cat C would be written on the V5) then the insurance company can't apply this retrospectively to the value of the car.

Sure that was the case...

Assuming the OP was not aware of it being previously written off or there being obvious accident damage that could reasonably be noticed.

Also assuming you're dealing directly with your own Insurer and not directly with the third parties Insurer

Foxy-Stoat_3

Wont the reduction in the payout be relevant when you buy your next cat C or D write off as they tend to be cheaper to buy?!

colino

Even their own papertrail wont support this theft. They, as is common practice to save costs, dealt with you directly and gained your explicit agreement to a deal. They can't then change that deal because they have decided you should have known of this material fact and known what the % reduction would be. Just them trying it on to see if you'll cash the cheque and go away.