£2000 inconvenience payment?

dacouch

Topical recent Advertising Standards Agency ruling on a claims farmer who sent texts to random numbers.

http://www.lawgazette.co.uk/practice/somali-claims-farmer-rebuked-for-pi-compensation-boast/5049565.fullarticle

Nilrem

terra_ferma wrote: »

Just a quick note, I get phone calls about my 'car accident' all the time. And I've never been in a car accident.
They make it sound like they are calling me about a specific accident they know about.

Same here.

My mother received a call to her house phone about an accident I had.
Given she knew I was driving at the time she was worried, until she realised that the location they'd given for it was one I wasn't going to that day, and rarely visit (despite it being fairly local). She knew I hadn't had any accidents before, so when someone called up stating that I'd been in one, she leapt to the obvious (but wrong) conclusion).

They're basically scum looking to make money by randomly calling up numbers in the hope that they'll get one that has actually had an accident, wants to make a claim, and is silly enough to go through them.

I always thought such calls were illegal, but given how many there are I guess they're working through a loophole (probably something like a legal firm may not be allowed such cold calls, but the call centre chasing "leads" registered the next door down, and owned by the same parent company is).

marlot

Here's someone who fell for the 'make a false claim' line...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/cars/article-3163578/Footballer-TWEETS-playing-team-24-hours-making-whiplash-claim-ends-having-pay-11k-Aviva-new-rules.html

Bigphil1474

Op, I had an accident in August 2012, no injuries or 'inconvenience'. I have had calls pretty much every month since, from claims companies offering to get my compensation, and I've told all of them I'm not interested - I think when they hear that, they send the details on to the next claims company on the list. However, I don't believe any of them have been bogus calls on the off chance I've had an accident, as they have provided details of the incident when I asked them 'which accident they were referring to' - car details, date of incident etc. The good news is that the time limit for such claims is 3 years from the date of the incident, so I'm all clear come next month :-)
My understanding is that they can claim compensation on your behalf on the basis that it is too late to have to provide any medical evidence of any injury, and it's a nod and a wink and the money's yours. Personally, if I'd suffered any injury worth claiming for, I would have claimed straight away, and they are just wasting my time and theirs continually ringing me about it. Plus the 'free money' they want me to claim just adds to the cost of insurance anyway. If I didn't have a conscience, I'd claim.
As to the random calling 'in case you've had an accident', not happened to me (yet).

doningtonphil

I was involved in a crash, I ran into the back of someone with virtually zero damage to my car, but the bumper was cracked on the car in front (thought there is no evidence of if it was there before or I caused it- strange mine had no damage). We exchanged details and I advised my insurer. They advised that they had ALREADY received a personal injury claim (I think it was a few days before I got round to advising them). My insurer advised that they would offer this guy £1500.00 to settle the claim with no obligation of medical proof to support his claim. Basically £1500.00 to 'Go away'.


In the end the claim was settled for over £5k (not that my insurer advised me at any time until I asked at renewal)


So, the no fault party can get a guaranteed ''no questions' asked payment for just saying their neck hurts a bit. So no wonder companies can claim to win you a £2000 "inconvenience payment". It is virtually guaranteed by the insurance companies with little or no obligation for the claimant to make a false claim.


This is as bad as the insurance companies making a tidy pile of cash by selling details of your accidents to claim companies, but then blaming said companies for raising the price of insurance!!!

robbies_gal

so someone who doesnt like the courtesy car given stings eveyrone for a load of compo?

now theres insurance fraud

robbies_gal

forgot to quote

wiltsguy wrote: »

these companies make money from accidents, but sometimes insurance companies force you to use them.

My 4X4 got hit about 7 years ago, the car needed to be repaired and an estimate was 3 weeks, mine & other parties insurance company were going to provide me with a poxy corsa as a temp replacement and i need to pay £100 excess when collecting the corsa myself and claim it back-i contested and said i need a 4x4 as i tow a lot(horses/motocross) for my family- hence why i own a 4x4-they didnt budge.

I got a call from and went with one of these companies and took up there offer, a brand new Pajero LWB was dropped off the next day and my car taken away. I ended up with this Pajero for 4 weeks while my car was repaired at a cost of over £170 per day hire charge. They also chucked in a load on compo, didnt want me to pay the excess and claim it back.

Now i imagine the other parties insurance got raped-did i care-NO. I dont drive an insure a top end 4x4 to be given a bubble car as a replacement when i get hit by another driver.

These companies have there uses....