Rear shunt this morning, write-off but driveable

Norman_Castle

thevinternet wrote: »

For those who settled claims, did your car always have to be taken away to be assessed?

3 cars written off. None have been taken away. Assessed at mine or another address. One was still being used. The other two were on a drive and being stored for free. It costs insurers to move and store cars. Its cheaper to send an assessor to you.
Its very unlikely they will insist on removing and returning your car if there is no cost to them in leaving it where it is.
The car is yours until the claim is settled. Until then you can decide if the car is removed or not.

Richard53

thevinternet wrote: »

I realise that the insurance companies state I am now statistically at greater risk of being in another collision, hence the jump in premiums, but does anyone else wonder if they've just cooked these figures to make them seem that way so that they can justify sticking people's premiums up? Bearing in mind that I was not the party at fault here?

I look at it this way: I am an insurer and I have two customers. One has been driving for 30 years with no accidents at all; the other has been driving for 30 years and has made 15 claims, none of which were his or her fault. Common sense would say that the second driver is a greater risk, for a variety of reasons, none of which are to do with his/her blameworthiness as a driver.


Or you live next to a pub and your car keeps getting scratched by people walking past after last orders. It's happened four times this year. It's not your fault, but the insurer won't see you as an equivalent risk to the person two streets away in a quiet cul-de-sac with the same postcode.


Looked at from your end of the telescope, it's not strictly fair; but from the insurer's end of the telescope it's the only way to proceed if they want to stay in business.

AdrianC

Richard53 wrote: »

I look at it this way: I am an insurer and I have two customers. One has been driving for 30 years with no accidents at all; the other has been driving for 30 years and has made 15 claims, none of which were his or her fault. Common sense would say that the second driver is a greater risk, for a variety of reasons, none of which are to do with his/her blameworthiness as a driver.

I'm reminded of an old joke about how good a driver my Grandfather is. He's never had an accident in 70yrs of driving - but he's seen a lot in his mirror...

Richard53

AdrianC wrote: »

I'm reminded of an old joke about how good a driver my Grandfather is. He's never had an accident in 70yrs of driving - but he's seen a lot in his mirror...

Old, but good

thevinternet

Norman_Castle wrote: »

3 cars written off. None have been taken away. Assessed at mine or another address. One was still being used. The other two were on a drive and being stored for free. It costs insurers to move and store cars. Its cheaper to send an assessor to you.
Its very unlikely they will insist on removing and returning your car if there is no cost to them in leaving it where it is.
The car is yours until the claim is settled. Until then you can decide if the car is removed or not.

Brilliant!! Thank you for that.

teddysmum

OP your message box is full.

khcomp

thevinternet wrote: »

Brilliant!! Thank you for that.

I had a car written off by a third party for incredibly minor damage in 2014: My insurer (or more accurately, their agents) recovered the car to a body shop 40 miles away for assessment, then to a storage compound in Cheshire where it sat for several months whilst the claim was being dealt with. I never had the option to retain the car, or buy it back. They happily gave me a hire car which I didn't really want, but needed as they took mine away (paid for by the 3rd party at £58 a day for 3 months) before eventually paying me £1,200 on a car valued by their assessor at £2,140. I had to deal with 13 different companies: underwriters, claims management companies, car hire companies (three of them, as two had subcontracted!), etc.
Hopefully, your insurer will be more competent than mine.
And whiplash? I still get calls most days urging me to make a claim, despite the fact that my car was parked & empty at the time. The highlight was a call last week, and when I told the caller that there were no occupants, they asked if I could think of any other blameworthy medical conditions that I, or any member of my family may be able to put their way...