Am I stuffed with this car excess??

magfo

Ok, noticed about 3 weeks ago that some undesirable had taken out their anger on my pride and joy and have keyed a few scratches on 2 different panels. Annoyed was an understatement as my insurance excess is £200! But I had to get it repaired so have to bear that excess.


As if that wasn't bad enough, I very very foolishly scratched my car on a wall just last week and have scratch damage to the 2 same panels plus another panel. I'm completely and utterly mad at myself as I've never damaged a car in my life and I feel so stupid that it happened! So, more annoying, didn't know what to do about the insurance and the repairs. The first claim has not been in for repairs yet, only at the estimate stage. So I called the garage to ask their advice, and I took it in for them to see it. He told me they were going to be respraying the 2 panels anyway, so the new damage would be repaired anyway. But I would need to call insurance, cancel first claim and start a new claim for the new damage, this would avoid me paying 2 excesses.


Ok, felt happier I'd be able to do this, but then called insurer to do this and they are arguing blue murder that it has to go through as 2 claims and the first one cannot be cancelled. Mainly as they now know that the new damage is same panels and the garage will inevitably be repairing both claims at one time. I have tried arguing that the car will only go into the garage to be repaired once so why do I pay the excess twice. I was told that this would put me at an advantage to which I asked, and what's wrong with the customer getting some advantage??!! (Well that was after heatedly explaining that none of this has put me to any advantage whatsoever, I did not ask for someone to scratch my car and did not particularly want to pay £200 for the privilege - where's the advantage in that!)


I wanted to then just leave this second claim and go ahead with the first claim and I would arrange with the garage privately to pay for the additional repair to the 3rd panel. Well no she wont have this as now she knows the second damage will get repaired with the first claim and apparently that's not on.


So I think my hands are tied, I asked if it is too late to cancel both claims and I was told I can. So as far as I can see now, my options are to either pay the £400 to the insurance for 2 excesses or don't claim on my insurance at all and pay the full repair to the garage privately. I am waiting for the quote from them, but the guy reckoned it probably will be over the £400.


I just want to know if there is any occasion when this second excess may be dropped? I accept there are 2 incidents and accept that would go on my record, but surely if my car is only repaired once then I only pay the excess once? Please someone tell me I can save paying both excesses??

londonTiger

A claim like this is guaranteed to increase your premiums. You become high risk because it suggests you have enemies/grievances with someone who is happy to vandalise your property, perhaps again.

I would pay for the repair myself if the cost was less than £800. If it's more I would consider claiming.

Spicy_McHaggis

londonTiger wrote: »

A claim like this is going to increase your premiums guaranteed. You become high risk because it suggests you have enemies/grievances with someone who is happy to vandalise your property.

It's two claims.

gilbert_and_sullivan

Yes i would find a small bodyshop without receptionists, managers, carpets, nonfree coffee and courtesy cars to pay for, and get all these jobs done for considerably less out of my own pocket, it's not worth losing a protected 'life' nor the potential for increased premiums for such a relatively small amount.

Spicy_McHaggis

gilbert_and_sullivan wrote: »

Yes i would find a small bodyshop without receptionists, managers, carpets, nonfree coffee and courtesy cars to pay for, and get all these jobs done for considerably less out of my own pocket, it's not worth losing a protected 'life' nor the potential for increased premiums for such a relatively small amount.

I'd say the increase is already on the cards having spoken to the insurance company about both incidents.

InsideInsurance

If you are lucky its 2 claims. If you are unlucky they could argue that the keying on two different panels is two or more events with each one attracting an excess.

I'd certainly have been having a word with a bodyshop/ chips&scuffs type place to have quotes prior to talking to my insurers at all as their costs may well be below your excess anyway, particularly now there are multiple ones.

arcon5

Now you have two 'incidents' to declare on future policies. No way now of protecting your premiums.

OnanTheBarbarian

The bodyshop need to be told to dispense with the insurance advice.

magfo

Agree with you 'Onan', if he'd not told me to go back to the insurance company I could have arranged for repair of the 3rd panel myself and the other 2 would have been fixed with the first claim. However, as much as I would love to save the money, I'd not want to cheat anything either and I feel I would have had to have informed my insurance of the 2nd incident even if I didn't claim on it. There is a clause in insurance that tells you to report any incident, even if not claimed for. I have no clue what this will do to my premiums, but as some are saying, chances are it will already affect them as it will be on record now. Only saving grace may be that I have protected no claims, although I don't know how many claims I am allowed before they are affected.
As much as principal tells me to not go through the insurance and give them the satisfaction of making me pay out £400, my spite tells me that I should go through them as that way they do have to pay out something towards the repairs. I still don't know the cost of the repairs but I'm thinking 3 panels would be in the region of £600 (at least), so I either pay £400 in excesses and it goes on my record as 2 claims or I pay the full amount and it goes on my record as non claim incidents (which will probably still affect premiums anyway).
I'm just annoyed that the insurance company can't be 'human' and look at this as it is and not just go by the book - but then when would an insurance company ever do that??!!

rudekid48

Is the £200 a voluntary excess or compulsory?

magfo

It is a compulsory excess, always put zero for voluntary