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Car insurance claim - problems...
henrik1971
Posts: 202 Forumite
in Motoring
I've also posted this on the insurance forum, but the motoring forum might be more appropriate...
In May, my wife was out in her Vaux Astra and was rear-ended at some traffic lights. We got the other drivers details, police attended, ambulance attended, etc. and reported it to the insurers (aviva).
The other driver is also insured by aviva.
On the instructions of aviva we took the car to their approved repairers for an assessment (the car is almost 17 years old, still driveable and was mint condition before the bump)
We brought the car away again after the inspection and then waited two weeks to finally be told it was (surprise surprise) beyond economical repair. However they couldn't give us any idea of what money we might receive (if any!).
Because my wife also hurt her neck in the accident aviva also 'activated' the Motor Legal Protection part of our policy and said that solicitors would contact us shortly to act for us and pursue any other heads of claim we might have. TBH, her neck was fine after a few days and she's not had any problems with it since and so we're not hugely concerned about claiming for injury.
Another couple of weeks passed, we phoned to check progress on various ocassions and were held in asuccession of queues, only to be eventually told effectively, don't call us, we'll call you.
About six weeks after the accident they phoned to say they would pay us 'X amount' and they would come and take the car away, or we could have X amount minus £200, but we could keep the car. They also said we would receive our excess as the other driver was at fault. I asked for the offer to be put in writing (email or letter) so we could think about it, but they said that was not possible. Shortly after, we decided to accept X-£200, so that we would not have to rush out and hastily buy a replacement car. Two more weeks pass by and the cheque arrives with no covering letter or explanation for (wait for it) X minus £200, minus £350 which is our excess!! The same day we get a letter from Irwin Mitchell saying the other driver has not admitted fault and the whole thing is now in a formal process. The story goes on, but here are my questions for anyone who knows about these things:
1. Of the four/five times we most recently spoke to Aviva they have told us opposite things in every other phone conversation about whether we'll get our excess or not. How can you believe a word they say?
2. When they are making offers to pay out on a car that is beyone economical repair, whay can't they put the offer with any conditions that might be attached in wiriting?
3. Is it usual to receive a check with no explanation or breakdown attached for an amount that is different to what you were told on the phone?
4. Surely Aviva appointing Irwin Mitchell to act for us against themselves gives rise to a fundamental conflict of interest? I have asked about this on the phone but however I put it they don't understand what I'm driving at.
5. If we are being paid out becuase our car is beyond economical repair, does that mean our insurance gets cancelled? If so they've not mentioned anything to this effect so far.
6. Following on from the above, does this mean the car has been 'written off' and if so, will we have problems insuring it next year? If so, they've not mentioned anything about this so far.
Sorry about the long post. I thought being insured by one of the bigger, better companies would make all this kind of thing less painless.
Cheers.
In May, my wife was out in her Vaux Astra and was rear-ended at some traffic lights. We got the other drivers details, police attended, ambulance attended, etc. and reported it to the insurers (aviva).
The other driver is also insured by aviva.
On the instructions of aviva we took the car to their approved repairers for an assessment (the car is almost 17 years old, still driveable and was mint condition before the bump)
We brought the car away again after the inspection and then waited two weeks to finally be told it was (surprise surprise) beyond economical repair. However they couldn't give us any idea of what money we might receive (if any!).
Because my wife also hurt her neck in the accident aviva also 'activated' the Motor Legal Protection part of our policy and said that solicitors would contact us shortly to act for us and pursue any other heads of claim we might have. TBH, her neck was fine after a few days and she's not had any problems with it since and so we're not hugely concerned about claiming for injury.
Another couple of weeks passed, we phoned to check progress on various ocassions and were held in asuccession of queues, only to be eventually told effectively, don't call us, we'll call you.
About six weeks after the accident they phoned to say they would pay us 'X amount' and they would come and take the car away, or we could have X amount minus £200, but we could keep the car. They also said we would receive our excess as the other driver was at fault. I asked for the offer to be put in writing (email or letter) so we could think about it, but they said that was not possible. Shortly after, we decided to accept X-£200, so that we would not have to rush out and hastily buy a replacement car. Two more weeks pass by and the cheque arrives with no covering letter or explanation for (wait for it) X minus £200, minus £350 which is our excess!! The same day we get a letter from Irwin Mitchell saying the other driver has not admitted fault and the whole thing is now in a formal process. The story goes on, but here are my questions for anyone who knows about these things:
1. Of the four/five times we most recently spoke to Aviva they have told us opposite things in every other phone conversation about whether we'll get our excess or not. How can you believe a word they say?
2. When they are making offers to pay out on a car that is beyone economical repair, whay can't they put the offer with any conditions that might be attached in wiriting?
3. Is it usual to receive a check with no explanation or breakdown attached for an amount that is different to what you were told on the phone?
4. Surely Aviva appointing Irwin Mitchell to act for us against themselves gives rise to a fundamental conflict of interest? I have asked about this on the phone but however I put it they don't understand what I'm driving at.
5. If we are being paid out becuase our car is beyond economical repair, does that mean our insurance gets cancelled? If so they've not mentioned anything to this effect so far.
6. Following on from the above, does this mean the car has been 'written off' and if so, will we have problems insuring it next year? If so, they've not mentioned anything about this so far.
Sorry about the long post. I thought being insured by one of the bigger, better companies would make all this kind of thing less painless.
Cheers.
0
Comments
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Did they tell you it was Cat C or Cat D?0
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See your post in the insurance forum (and dont cross post)0
This discussion has been closed.
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