Can Insurance Co's charge what they like in a claim?

Will££

Hi there

Had a very light bang with the car in Feb - as it was only slight bend in tow bar I said I'd pay it myself instead of losing no claims etc...
HOWEVER.. 6 months later insurance co are demanding I pay nearly £500-00 to replace and say if I don't , they'll go and claim from my insurance without my approval -
Not only are they trying to rip me off, they're also trying to side-step me and do the same to my insurance co...

Are they allowed to do this? - Anyone know?

... and yes it would be cheaper to have no insurance at all (before anyone points out the obvious!)

Thanks for any help

Will

Will££

Or, Mac, is it because of our (for our.. see your) acceptance, that the Insurance Co's get away with it? (with greatest respect)

I for one don't like the idea of being hounded and ripped off just because they know I am a law abiding citizen who's easy prey.

By the way the price they're charging me for the parts are higher than any quote I can find - and I've looked everywhere!

lisyloo

I don't believe they have the right to use your insurance and rip you off.

If you really want the hassle of fighting it then I would demand a breakdown of the costs.
The try to get quotes for someone local to the damaged car.

If your quotes are cheaper than what they are suggesting then offer it to them. If they don't accept they can take you to court.
I am not a lawyer but if what you've offered is reasonable then I don't think they will win, but of course it's a risk.

However what you have to beware of is:

1) It will take time for you to do this.
2) There is some risk involved as no-one ever knows if they'll win or not.
3) Their claim may be "reasonable" so far and if you make things difficult for them then they may get difficult with you and demand hire cars for all the time their car is not fully useable or safe. This could be expensive.

So, it really depends how far you are prepared to go.
I think most people would be prepared to be "ripped off" rather than take the above risks.

I don't think it's possible for us to asses whether you are being ripped-off because we don't have the full facts and the full breakdown, but I would say that if there car is unuseable (for towing) then they would be entitled to compensation fo an alternative.

Will££

Now that's the interesting bit - the tow bar (on an AA Van by the way) was not fixed until 5 months after the incident... so there wasn't much wrong with it was there!... and they want me to pay compensation of 5 missed callouts (1 day's worth) when the bar allegedly took £39-00 of labour to fit.

I've asked the insurance Co to reconsider the amount being charged and am happy to go to court for a few hundred pounds - not for the money - but for the principle!

Swines

Thanks for your comments by the way - appreciate any input!

lisyloo

.. and they want me to pay compensation of 5 missed callouts (1 day's worth) when the bar allegedly took £39-00 of labour to fit.

You could write back to them and ask why it was necessary to miss a whole days work for an hours appointment (plus travel time).

You could also make a offer e.g. 2 missed callouts (bearing in mind travel time).

If you go to court it will be down to a judge to decide who's being reasonable. If you have made reasonable offers and they turn them down then it will look bad for them.

I would also request the insurance comapny NOT to pay this claim (by recorded delivery) if they have your insurance details.

If you want to go on principle and are prepared fo the risks, then make an offer you think is reasonable and tell them to tell you why it doesn't constitute a reasonable offer. If you can't agree then say "well sue me then".

Will££

I'll give it a try! - Thanks for the advice.