No Fault - Car write-off - Valuation low

Shadow1288

So my car has been written off by a driver (drunk) whilst it was parked on the road. The car is only a 2014 reg and a rarer engine / trim / colour (green!) combination. I am devastated that someone else's stupidity has taken away a car I love and spent a decent amount of time finding and money on only 8 months ago. I bought it for just under £8000 and they are now offering me £6500 ish. Car was pristine and I had only put on a few thousand miles (still only 44k on the car)

Her insurer has accepted fault but through the valuation I have been given I am coming up about £1000 short for me to be able to pay for the equivalent (not same colour as none for sale in UK). All equivalents are about 2.5 hours travel to look at and as I said they're a reasonably rare combo. I am now told I have to either accept the valuation today from the claim handler or send it back to my insurers which would mean restarting the process. Excluding any chance of using the claim handlers valuation in future and may end up as a lower offer. I would also potentially have to then pay my £500 excess and I am unsure if it would then effect my no-claims.
I am at a loss on whether to accept the valuation and see if I can claim more from the driver privately - or through small claims court. Or to not accept and risk that the valuation may be lower and cost more hassle for the chance of a higher payout directly with my insurer. They claim this is the cars 'retail value' but I cannot find any for that price..

Any advise? Help

AdrianC

Does the precise spec combo make any difference at all to value? It's very unlikely to.

Nobody promised that you would definitely be able to replace the car like-for-like. That's not what insurance is for, simply because it may well not exist on the market right now. It's purely about the market value.

What car is it? What evidence are you finding that £8k is a more appropriate fair market value than £6.5k? It may very well be that you overpaid when you bought it, simply because you liked the colour etc. That's not the insurer's problem.

If you do pay your excess due to your insurer having a wrinkle in the policy, then that's claimable from the other party if they're at fault. Or, if they're accepting their liability, just go direct to their insurer. Your NCB won't be affected if you are not at fault - but you will still have to declare the incident, obviously.

Shadow1288

I said the price was approx £1000 short - that is the best prices I can find for a car of the same type / engine / spec / mileage etc for sale.

I have found one for £7.5k assuming I can haggle a bit I can get a better price. When looking for this car originally I looked for months and found a well priced one compared to the others on offer - given the spec / engine / trim and mileage.

Colour wasn't my original factor - it is just sad I cannot get it again. Let alone find the same car for within the 'market value'. Insurance is to provide you the value of the car - If i cannot buy the same again for this value - then surely this is not the full value?

Car was a SEAT Ibiza 1.4 turbo FR ACT, 5 door in green. 2014 reg with 44k miles.

BoGoF

Provide your evidence to the insurance company.....is that their first offer?

Also the prices you see are asking prices not selling price. Is tge TSI FR ACT the same model?

Quentin

When you are dealing with the third party insurer then they don't have to pay you the market value!

If you accept any offer from the the third party insurer then no chance of you winning a new claim directly against the liable driver!

If you claim off your own insurer then you can expect to end up with the pre incident market value

You pay your excess but would get that reimbursed by the third party insurer

If not protected then your NCD would be temporarily impacted, but would be restored after your insurer was reimbursed their outlay by the third party insurer

Shadow1288

TY for your responses. So would it be better to push on through my insurer? Even with the risk they may offer me less and I then have to put out for my excess (500) With the idea that I can push hopefully for more and claim back later?

This is the first offer - but I have not been able to get anyone to budge at all. They say they use the guidelines and that is all they are prepared to use- If i push it to Admiral I can no longer use the valuation provided by their external claims handler - They then use 3 guides to re-evaluate the price and if that comes out lower I am even worse off. I was also concerned that my NC would be impacted but if this is temporary that would be ok.

I am aware that selling vs asking prices aren't exact - but if they ask for 7.5k they aren't going to drop 1k..... it is the TSI FR ACT - 5 door. The ones I can see are mostly high mileage or Cat S...

foxy-stoat

Is it totally mullered? Can you not buy back the salvage and repair it yourself?

Shadow1288

She completely un-seated the engine and crushed the front entirely - Garage quoted at least 8.5k to repair If it were a lower valued write-off I would definitely have done so

AdrianC

2013, 53k, £6,500, VW approved used
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201905027536265

If this is the £7,500 one, it's a 3dr.
https://www.parkers.co.uk/seat/ibiza/fr/14-tsi-act-fr-sport-coupe-3d/for-sale/usedcfs-700064553317791/

Shadow1288

Hi, ty for looking.

Neither of these are 5 doors. Which is another awkward spec I chose - The style changed between 2013-2014 I believe and I don't want anything older.

autotrader website - /classified/advert/201904106831093?exclude-writeoff-categories=on&aggregatedTrim=FR&make=SEAT&maximum-mileage=60000&minimum-badge-engine-size=1.4&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&model=IBIZA&fuel-type=Petrol&year-from=2014&quantity-of-doors=5&price-to=8000&radius=1500&sort=recommended&advertising-location=at_cars&postcode=bh213sy&body-type=Hatchback&page=1
this was the one I was looking at

otherwise this private seller has just popped up
autotrader website - classified/advert/201904267345161?exclude-writeoff-categories=on&aggregatedTrim=FR&make=SEAT&maximum-mileage=60000&minimum-badge-engine-size=1.4&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&model=IBIZA&fuel-type=Petrol&year-from=2014&quantity-of-doors=5&price-to=8000&radius=1500&sort=recommended&advertising-location=at_cars&postcode=bh213sy&body-type=Hatchback&page=1

Only a few others near the price offered and they're all red

(sorry cant post links yet)

AdrianC

Shadow1288 wrote: »

Only a few others near the price offered and they're all red

The fact you don't like red cars is not the insurer's problem, and doesn't affect the value of red ones relative to other colours.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201904267345161 - newer car, lower mileage. There y'go. Proof that £6,400 is a fair payout.