Advice before insurers put value on a total write off

Weave

Hi

My wife's car has just been declared a write off by the insurers valuer and they are due to call me to discuss the valuation.

Not had to do this before, will they use some form of industry price guide or can I argue the toss if I think its a low valuation?

The other party have admitted fault.

We only bought the car a week before it got driven into so I would at least expect to get what I paid for it. It was a 3 year old approved used Audi so not the cheapest out there due to the warranty and main dealer prices!!

The prices of this particular car vary by several thousand depending on the optional extras (big alloys/pan roof/cameras/upgraded leather/heated electric seats etc)

Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks.

bigisi

Weave wrote: »

Hi

My wife's car has just been declared a write off by the insurers valuer and they are due to call me to discuss the valuation.

Not had to do this before, will they use some form of industry price guide or can I argue the toss if I think its a low valuation?

The other party have admitted fault.

We only bought the car a week before it got driven into so I would at least expect to get what I paid for it. It was a 3 year old approved used Audi so not the cheapest out there due to the warranty and main dealer prices!!

The prices of this particular car vary by several thousand depending on the optional extras (big alloys/pan roof/cameras/upgraded leather/heated electric seats etc)

Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks.

You need to prepare yourself with adverts or sold prices of models with the same spec, trim levels and options as the one you bought. If the valuation comes in low from the insurers these adverts are what you will present to them to show that to buy a similar spec car they need to up their offer.

Bear in mind that prices for sale are not necessarily the value because most cars will be sold for less than the screen price and the car you had will have depreciated in the time you had it, however short, moreso for an "Approved Used" car.

Quentin

Don't settle for less than you paid for it


The only thing you need is your 3 week old invoice from the garage. (Expect the excess to be deducted, which you pursue the third party over)

Weave

UPDATE:

They have just valued the car at £31420 when we paid £34050 7 days prior to the accident.

I have just emailed them a copy of the invoice and some examples of similar cars available online. These cars are very similar spec to ours and same year and mileage.

Hopefully they will revise the offer to match the price I paid.

FlameCloud

Are you dealing with your own or the third parties insurer?

Weave

Our own insurers have passed us on to Auxillis accident management co as the other side admitted fault. They have arranged the valuation.

dacouch

You need to claim through your own Insurers for the write off they are bound by the Omnbudsman who as Quentin pointed out have to give you the purchase price as it was purchased so recently.

If you claim through the other Insurers which is what Auxillis will be doing, they are not bound by the Ombudsman and will and can pay you the lower amount.

The claim for your own vehicle normally takes longer through Auxillis as well.

Google Auxillis and also their previous name Albany Assistance, I recommend you sit down when you read the results

Quentin

Weave wrote: »

Our own insurers have passed us on to Auxillis accident management co as the other side admitted fault. They have arranged the valuation.

My advice in #3 was given based on you dealing with your insurer which you said in your op you wanted advice on!

The only advantage you have by agreeing not to deal with your insurer is you have no excess deducted (but as already advised you will be reimbursed your excess by the third party.

You do not have to deal with an accident management company

If you go back to your insurer then the invoice is all you need as #3!

Weave

It’s a bit late for us to back away from Auxillis. The credit agreements are signed and we have their hire car. Unfortunately we were not aware of the all the negative reviews online until it was too late.

I will challenge the person that valued the car to show me an example online that has the same spec as ours and see what they come up with.

dacouch

Did your Insurers refer you to Auxilis?

If so you may be able to use this to help you transfer the claim back to them.

You are unlikely to receive the same amount you paid for the car by claiming from the other Insurer through Auxilis as they simply need to value the car as of the moment before the accident.

It will delay the claimby transferring it back to your Insurers but as your Insurers passing you to Auxilis (Who pay them a significant referal fee for doing this) will have financially disadvantaged you.

The rule where the Ombudsman requires customers in your situation to be paid the full amount they paid for the vehicle when the vehicle is "recently" purchased is not known by many frontline Insurance staff so you may find you need a bit of a battle for them to understand as they are likely to tell you this requirement does not exist through ignorance.

If you have problems convincing them we can guide you through it and provide the relevant links to the FOS website.

The Ombudsmans requirements are only binding on your own Insurers value

Quentin

If

Weave wrote: »

It!!!8217;s a bit late for us to back away from Auxillis. The credit agreements are signed and we have their hire car. Unfortunately we were not aware of the all the negative reviews online until it was too late.

I will challenge the person that valued the car to show me an example online that has the same spec as ours and see what they come up with.

Worst case scenario is that you pay a days hire!

You want your insurer to deal with this for you!

You cannot use the FOS ruling regarding getting reimbursed what you paid for the car because of the recent purchase unless you claim off your own insurer! (Which is what you started this thread to ask about!)

If you need a replacement car then get your own and get the cost reimbursed by the third party along with your other uninsured losses.

Complain to your insurer that you have discovered that they didn't explain to you the detrimental consequences to you if you stopped your claim and accepted their encouragement to use their claim handler