personal items taken from my written off car

paul2louise

I had a quick look to see if this has happened to anyone before. I was in an accident not my fault and my car was written off. At the time of the accident i had to abandon my car and the police arranged for it to be salvaged. All i took from it was my phone and my bag. My car got taken to a salvage place quite some distance away (universal) where it was written off. I had been given no opportunity to get any off my possesions still in the car and i a squashed box arrived this morning with a black bin liner inside containing my so called items. There are several things missing which might have been thrown or taken. I cant say. I phoned my insurance who said, put your compalint in writing. I phone the salvage people who said we will have a look later sorry.

what can i do. I am struggling to rememebr things that might be missing. I hate the idea that someone has been in car and gone through personal items.


it makes me sick

is it theft, why does noone tell you what could happen until it does

LOUISE

raskazz

Put a complaint in writing listing the items that were in the car that have not been returned, with copies of receipts/proof of purchase if you have them.

You must admit though, It does sound a little odd that you say "There are several things missing" but then "I am struggling to rememebr things that might be missing".

paul2louise

thanks

I know there are things missing but when you notice that not all things are there, you start to wonder what else you might be missing. i.e can you tell every cd you have in your car. loose change, makeup. perhaps i am being a woman but i had nik naks that dont cost a lot but are personal

Debt_Free_Chick

Oh dear ..... my car was written off in Feb and my insurer advised me to remove personal items from the car, for exactly this reason.

Also - to remove the tax disc (for a refund), the radio/CD, mats, furry dice (just kidding) and anything else that wouldn't have been part of the fabric of the car.

All these things are extras to the salvage company, who think they're just getting the shell of a car. Anything else, is a bonus to them.

Hopefully helpful to anyone else who has to go through this.

paul2louise

so does that mean there is nothing i can do

louise

hjb562

my car was written of in june but unfortunatly it is a long story and the insurance wont pay out now i have the car back it was with universal storage and the inside of the car is covered in oil from what i can gather they clear out the cars as soon as they recieve them and take it for granted whatever personal items left in them are rubbish, get on to your insurance company and u should be compensatred for whats lost as it was them who sent the car to universal

paul2louise

thank you hib562. i have to return mot, insurance docs and copy of driving licience. I might hold on to these a bit longer and write to my insurance explaining why and ask for some compensation.

louise

Debt_Free_Chick

paul2louise wrote: »

thank you hib562. i have to return mot, insurance docs and copy of driving licience. I might hold on to these a bit longer and write to my insurance explaining why and ask for some compensation.

louise

They're unlikely to settle the write off claim without the documents, so best to send them off. The two matters are entirely separate - one is the insurance claim, for which the documents are needed - and the other is the compensation claim for the lost personal items.

The lost personal items is a case of you not knowing what would happen. To be honest, I wouldn't have known either, but we have a vehicle recovery business in the village and this was something I picked up in the pub one night!!!

I doubt the vehicle recovery people were being deliberately criminal (i.e. theft). They usually don't know who owns the car - they're just instructed by the insurer to recover it to a safe place and await instruction. The next thing they know, the insurer is telling them to scrap it!!!

It would be nice to think that they would carefully put all personal items to one side for collection, but their business is to recover the vehicle and then scrap it. Removing personal items would be a favour to you (and me!!!), which takes time, when they could be earning money recovering another vehicle.

Hard-faced business, I'm afraid.

paul2louise

yes understand that, but i asked several times about my belongings to first the insurance and as soon as my car was scrapped the salvage people. if the insurance or the salavage people do not want to do the job then why was i not given the opportunity to clear the car myself

aah

I would be horrified if this happened to me. I keep all mine and my daughter's riding equipment in the boot of my car - OH doesn't want it in the house. It is worth over £500 easily.

Debt_Free_Chick

paul2louise wrote: »

yes understand that, but i asked several times about my belongings to first the insurance and as soon as my car was scrapped the salvage people. if the insurance or the salavage people do not want to do the job then why was i not given the opportunity to clear the car myself

Too late, I'm afraid. You need to clear the car out at the scene of the accident.

I was lucky as I know the local recovery business and popped up there about an hour later - but usually, you need to do it there and then.