Hit & Run

JustAnotherSaver

aardvaak wrote: »

I think it might be now best for me to bite the bullet and get my damage repaired myself and not involve the insurance company.

Not necessarily.


Others will tell you to immediately jump at involving your insurance company.


Try get word-of-mouth recommendations for car bodyshops. Ask friends & family if they've had their cars in at any local bodyshops and can recommend them.


Go to at least 3 (with your car of course) and get rough quotes on what they'd charge you to repair it. NOTE: cheapest isn't always best. When i did mine the cheapest guy looked like he really couldn't be bothered at all so i didn't go with him as his attitude was off. The middle of the road guy was very keen & polite so i went with him.



You now have a figure (or 3 figures, but an idea).


Jump on GoCompare.com (or similar), direct line etc etc.


Fill in details with your name as Joe Bloggs. Personally i'd still pick a house on your street (but not your house), the reason being is they risk areas by post code. Make up a phone number, you get the idea.


Number of claims: 0
Number of years NCDs: whatever you'll have on the next insurance.



It'll give you an annual price for your policy.



Now do the exact same quote but this time


Number of claims: 1 ... fill in details. For cost of repair just put in whatever the bodyshops have quoted you.
Number of years NCDs: tough one to call as i think different companies do it different ways. If you're protected then you wont lose any, if you don't protect your no claims then you may go back to 0years, you may lose 1 year or 2 years (my brother lost 2 years, so he went from 4 years NCDs to 2 years NCDs after his claim as he didn't protect his no claims).


Now see what your quote price will be.


Don't forget you would have to declare for the next 5 years. The second quote may just be a few quid more, it may be a lot more, who knows.


This extra cost, plus paying your excess may or may not be cheaper than going to a bodyshop and not involving your insurance. If it works out cheaper then i'd go through your insurance, if not then i'd probably go direct to a bodyshop and tell my insurance nothing.



Number of claims: 1

Shaun_of_the_Dead

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

Not necessarily.


Others will tell you to immediately jump at involving your insurance company.


Try get word-of-mouth recommendations for car bodyshops. Ask friends & family if they've had their cars in at any local bodyshops and can recommend them.


Go to at least 3 (with your car of course) and get rough quotes on what they'd charge you to repair it. NOTE: cheapest isn't always best. When i did mine the cheapest guy looked like he really couldn't be bothered at all so i didn't go with him as his attitude was off. The middle of the road guy was very keen & polite so i went with him.



You now have a figure (or 3 figures, but an idea).


Jump on GoCompare.com (or similar), direct line etc etc.


Fill in details with your name as Joe Bloggs. Personally i'd still pick a house on your street (but not your house), the reason being is they risk areas by post code. Make up a phone number, you get the idea.


Number of claims: 0
Number of years NCDs: whatever you'll have on the next insurance.



It'll give you an annual price for your policy.



Now do the exact same quote but this time


Number of claims: 1 ... fill in details. For cost of repair just put in whatever the bodyshops have quoted you.
Number of years NCDs: tough one to call as i think different companies do it different ways. If you're protected then you wont lose any, if you don't protect your no claims then you may go back to 0years, you may lose 1 year or 2 years (my brother lost 2 years, so he went from 4 years NCDs to 2 years NCDs after his claim as he didn't protect his no claims).


Now see what your quote price will be.


Don't forget you would have to declare for the next 5 years. The second quote may just be a few quid more, it may be a lot more, who knows.


This extra cost, plus paying your excess may or may not be cheaper than going to a bodyshop and not involving your insurance. If it works out cheaper then i'd go through your insurance, if not then i'd probably go direct to a bodyshop and tell my insurance nothing.



Number of claims: 1

So you're recommending when he takes out his next policy to lie?

I think they call that fraud.

JustAnotherSaver

Yawn

How did I know you’d end up quoting me.

Are you trying to suggest you go through life being squeaky clean??! They may call what i’d do fraud but I think they call what you’re suggesting bulls ish.

It’s for the OP to do what they feel comfortable with. Me personally in their situation i’d do as I’ve said. If it works out cheaper to go through the insurance then i’d go through them, it not then I wouldn’t.

And despite what you may think, i’d very likely not be getting any phone call or knocks at my door and yes i’d still sleep easy at night.

Got a problem with that? Well doesn’t surprise me. It’s something i’d do so id expect most of you to have a problem with it anyway. Just like this breathing thing I’m doing too.

Dr_Crypto

People get private body work done all the time. For each person who righteously informs their insurer of each scuff or debt there will be at least one who doesn’t.
If the government was that bothered it would ban all private body’s hops and make it that only insurers could run them.

[Deleted User]

Shaun_of_the_Dead wrote: »

So you're recommending when he takes out his next policy to lie?

I think they call that fraud.

I can't see where he's recommending that he lies to anyone (using fake details online to compare quotes is not that) and it most definitely is not fraud.

JustAnotherSaver

Dr_Crypto wrote: »

People get private body work done all the time. For each person who righteously informs their insurer of each scuff or debt there will be at least one who doesn’t.
If the government was that bothered it would ban all private body’s hops and make it that only insurers could run them.

how very conservative of you