Car repairs after accident

morganste

Hi,


I'm hoping someone can give some advice on my current situation with my car.


I had an accident on 24th May this year where i was stationary at a junction and someone drove into the back of me.


My insurance company advised at the time that i could either claim on my own fully comp insurance, or as this was a clear cut non fault claim they would put me in touch with a company that would persue the claim from the third partys insurance.


As i didn't want to claim on my own insurace i opted for the latter, as this seemed a no brainer at the time. The car was collected by the 'approved garage' a few days later and a hire car was delivered.


Four weeks passed and my car had been repaired and a delivery date arranged. When the car arrived, it was clear that the new rear bumper was a total different shade/colour to the car. In agreement with the delivery driver, i rejected the delivery and the car was taken away.



The garage have informed me that they buy their bumpers direct from Ford pre-painted and they now have to persue a warranty claim with Ford UK.


The garage have now had my car for 2 months and the claims company are requesting that i return the hire car and accept my car back as it has been made road worthy, pending the descision from Ford on what they are going to do.


I am starting to wonder whether the two months i've already waited, to get my unrepaired car back, then wait for another unknown amount of time for a descision on repair to be made, then to have to hand my car back is unreasonable.


I need to know if i should be doing anything else here, or am i just in for the long ride?


Sorry to waffle on, i just want to try and get a clear story across.

foxy-stoat

Your supposed to keep losses to a minimum - your car is drive-able just a different shade of colour on the repaired part - could you not of rejected the repair and keep the car with the condition that it was to be repainted?

Get your car back and book it in to be repainted, you should get a loan car while the work is being carried out but not for another 4 weeks while they sort out a colour issue.

morganste

foxy-stoat wrote: »

Your supposed to keep losses to a minimum - your car is drive-able just a different shade of colour on the repaired part - could you not of rejected the repair and keep the car with the condition that it was to be repainted?

Get your car back and book it in to be repainted, you should get a loan car while the work is being carried out but not for another 4 weeks while they sort out a colour issue.

I could have done that yes, but the option wasn't given to me at the time, and was never suggested by the claims company or the garage.



The only option the garage gave was to get authorisation to blow over the back of the car to make it match the bumper. Which to me is unacceptable as the rear of the car would then be a total different colour to the front.


I don't mind taking the car back, but the claims company have told me they won't give me anything in writing that the car will be accepted back, pending further repairs.


I just fear i will get the car back, and it will be a case of tough luck because they make me sign something and somewhere in the small print i'm accepting repairs.

Muscle750

The problem with pre painted bumpers is that if the car has had previous paintwork done then there is a good chance the bumper wont match. Nissan are also now doing pre painted bumpers. However i must admit if your car is white and you got next to no chance with a pre painted ford white bumper matching

missile

What a farce. Glad I rejected when the third party offered to repair my car.

morganste

Muscle750 wrote: »

The problem with pre painted bumpers is that if the car has had previous paintwork done then there is a good chance the bumper wont match. Nissan are also now doing pre painted bumpers. However i must admit if your car is white and you got next to no chance with a pre painted ford white bumper matching

It is indeed white, Ice white to be exact, so there is the perlescent side to match aswell.


I would be happy for the garage to paint the bumper, im sure they can tint paint to an exact match, but they tell me that isn't an option.


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MovingForwards

Take it to a proper garage where they paint match to the main colour of the car.

Just as a side note the 'hire car' you were given will probably be a credit hire vehicle which costs a hell of a lot more than a hire car. You will be responsible if they cannot recover the money from the third party insurance company so be carefull as keeping the 'hire car' for longer than the repairs would have taken means the extra time you have had the 'hire car' will not be recoverable as you havent mitigated your losses.