Octagon Insurance car claim gone wrong

vienas

Hello everybody , please help me..

My car was scratched on both sides and front ,its an old 06 plate car, went to garage for quote was told it will be £3000 so most likely they will wright the car of, one week later I get answer from my insurance that they will spray the car, when I phoned them they said the cars value is £2100 and because they will only spray the parts that have been scratched it will cost £1950 inc VAT so that's why they will go ahead spraying the car.
I argued that the car will look bad if they will spray only parts effected but I had no option..
I take the car to be sprayed ,come back to pick it up and see boot colour stands out ,I mean really stands out, never mind the roof..
So went to office and then I was told I need to pay £350 excess .
Here is what I need help with.
1 ---- I am trying to proof that the cars paint work looks really bad,if it didn't maybe I would be ok to pay excess ,I think by British standard if from one meter you see a foult in paint work its a fault and you have a right to ask for refund or refuse to pay..They painted on top of the dents and other defects that was there..
2 --
they told me, cars value is £2100 to fix car £1950 , then they ask for £350 excess so that means total cost is £2300 to fix my car , which is above the cars value..
3 now they are telling me to go to garage tomorrow and if I don't pay the excess fee the garage will charge me £20 a day for keeping my car on site..
I have told them I am not happy about paint work, I have no option but to go and pick the car up and sign the paper and pay the fee but I don't want to because the car looks really bad..

So please can someone tell me what to do !!!!
How can paint work be so bad and I have to agree to it basically ,please help....:(:(:(:(

CKhalvashi

Without photos, not a lot we can do. Before posting, blank your reg plate out obviously with paint/photoshop.

Re the cost: The cost is £1950, you're expected to contribute £350 for it, so the net cost to the insurance company is £1600.

huckster

So what you do is pick up the car, pay the £350 excess and advise the garage in writing that the quality of repair is not acceptable. Write across any paperwork they give you, that you note that the repair is not of an acceptable standard due to colour variation. Get garage to not this by signing it and either they resolve or you will take it up with the Insurers.

If the Insurers arranged and paid for the repair they are responsible for any further work required. Then to take it forward further, if you have to, take photographs and write to Octagon with a complaint. Then follow the complaints process. Come back for further advice if needed.

Aretnap

(2) and (3) aren't grounds for complaint - your insurer has the right to decide whether to repair the car or to write it off, and even if they wanted to spend more than the car's value on repairs then they'd be entitled to do that. (Can't think why they'd want to, but if they did you couldn't force them to write it off instead.) and your excess is just your contribution to the repair/replacement cost - it doesn't affect the overall cost of the claim.

However if they do decide to repair it, they do have to ensure that the repairs are done to a good standard, so that's the aspect to concentrate on. As above make clear to the garage that you're not happy with the repairs, and if they won't budge then take photos showing the difference in the colours and start the complaints process with your insurer.

caliew

Hi I have worked in insurance for a number of years and I have just left due to childcare reasons. I take it Octagon is the broker, who is the insurance underwritten by? Have you informed the underwriters what has happened? Perhaps contact the underwriters who are facilitating the claim and explain the garages workmanship surrounding this. Also as agreed with Aretnap take photos and document everything.

rudekid48

caliew wrote: »

Hi I have worked in insurance for a number of years and I have just left due to childcare reasons. I take it Octagon is the broker, who is the insurance underwritten by? Have you informed the underwriters what has happened? Perhaps contact the underwriters who are facilitating the claim and explain the garages workmanship surrounding this. Also as agreed with Aretnap take photos and document everything.

Nope. Octagon are are the insurer based in Gibraltar. The broker is One Quote Direct, who are an appointed representative of Europa Group.

maddogb

As stated you need to write your disapproval on any documentation they ask you to sign, "paid under duress" I think is the preferred term.
Really don't get this tactic of insurers causing confrontation between garages and owners, something needs done about it.
Did you actually sign anything when the car went in? if not I would seek legal advice as to whether or not they can charge you storage, I would of thought the insurers would be liable for those if the job is that bad.
Maybe call them see if they are willing to send an independent inspector around.

wazza99

I had a similar issue few months back, no fault accident, car went in for repairs, boot lid stood out a mile, quite a few shades off.

I simply went back to the garage, told them politely wasn't happy with the colour match, they agreed and repainted it. 1 week later car back as normal. Of course i would have liked it right first time but there was no drama or issue.

Have you been back to the garage or spoken with them ?