Car Written Off - Lousy Deal from LV

Sandtree

RedditchResident said:
I complained to LV.  I tried the Ombudsman (at the recommendation of LV) and found out two days ago that they cannot help.  LV would have known that.   So, I lose.  Doesn't make it right.  I hope others find this thread and find it helpful if they face the same situation, or LV, or both.    

As already mentioned, most insurers operate a two tier operation in claims (or three if you speak to some). First tier are the call centre people, they have moderate training and normally deal with the policyholder and getting their repairs dealt with etc. The second tier are the technical team who spend most of their time dealing with the third parties. Depending on the organisation will dictate the extent but generally these guys site behind the others so don't generally get inbound calls other than from solicitors, other insurers etc. First line can pass calls to second line but there is a "us and them" mentality often so either they are discouraged from doing so or feel they want to prove they know enough.

The result is that some wrong information gets given out, shouldnt happen but it does. On an unrelated piece of work call script had it in black and white that there were no FOS rights on complaints about what we were doing but still listening to call transcripts some people were on autopilot and when customers said they'd go to FOS they were given the stock answer not the answer for this issue (which was no rights).

Experiences of an insurer as a third party are frequently very different to those as a policyholder... have known cases where a TP switched their insurance to us because of their experience and then subsequently complained because they felt the service was worse as a policyholder... as a PH however you have more statutory rights and protections and so arguably treatment should on paper be better.

williamgriffin

So the OP values his optional extra to be £1,000 on a £1,500 motor. 

born_again

RedditchResident said:with no service history as replacement for a car with a full service history.  I get any amount of abuse and messages like yours.  No answers though.

No.
But then again you will end up with no car.
As has been said several times. Insurance company (LV) gives you £££ as the value of your written off car. How you spend that is up to you. 
So service history or not is up to you.

So you were hit from behind and then hit the car in front. So have both front and rear damage. It could be repairable, as panels & bumpers are not cheap to replace. Given many bumpers can be £1K to replace & paint in a garage, but can be replaced far cheaper if you are good at that type of thing.
As I said look at other convertibles. Many are cheaper as there are far more of them. Low mileage as many are not driven that much.
My 206CC had 20K miles & cost me £2K. But that was about 8 years ago.

Herzlos

RedditchResident said:

A sum of money sufficient to replace the car destroyed by his customer.  No a junkyard special.

But as much as it's your pride and joy, it is a "junkyard special" as you put it (which I'm assuming you mean from a small dealership).
It's at the average lifespan of a car (13 years old), has done a huge mileage (150k) and is a relatively unpopular car, that won't be allowed into London. It's not a classic and the cars that are for sale have been sat for a while.
You don't get any extra money from it for having an exhaust (it needs one to use and sell) or a full service history (because it's towards the end of it's life) or warranty (because the best warranties will cover almost nothing on a car of that age/mileage.

I get your point that LV seemingly admitted that it may have been worth £2500, but you agreed to £1800 six months ago so you have no options left to deal with it. You could, if you really wanted, start a Money Claim Online for the difference but you'll be out £50 when they turn up to the court and show that you were offered a settlement figure and took it. If you make this thread in August we might have been able to help.

So your options are thus:
Take the £1800 and buy another EOS of a similar age/mileage and get on with your life. With Covid and Brexit and whatnot, you may actually be able to get an upgrade since demand for cars has fallen through the floor in the last year.
Take the £1800 and buy something else and get on with your life.
Don't buy a new car and get on with your life.

NBLondon

RedditchResident said:

I will not be monitoring this thread.  Thanks again for the input.

Shall we start a poll on whether there is more from the OP?

There is sort of a reasonable debate about whether "putting you back in the same position" should mean "Pay the value/expected sale price of that vehicle as it was 5 seconds before the accident"  or "Pay the cost of acquiring an equivalent as a replacement" as the latter is always going to be higher.  Notice I said equivalent as there may not be an exact replacement anywhere.  Mind you - that could leads to squabbles about what is reasonable to suggest as equivalent...  For some people it would only be an Eos in the same spec, age and colour; for others it might be any foldy-roof of similar size and spec (Focus CC f'r example)

[Deleted User]

NBLondon said:

RedditchResident said:

I will not be monitoring this thread.  Thanks again for the input.

Shall we start a poll on whether there is more from the OP?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJ27fEm_ZCA

Sandtree

NBLondon said:

RedditchResident said:

I will not be monitoring this thread.  Thanks again for the input.

Shall we start a poll on whether there is more from the OP?

There is sort of a reasonable debate about whether "putting you back in the same position" should mean "Pay the value/expected sale price of that vehicle as it was 5 seconds before the accident"  or "Pay the cost of acquiring an equivalent as a replacement" as the latter is always going to be higher.  

I vote no

Why on earth would it always be higher?,If you would sell your car for £4,000 why can you not buy your car for £4,000. Its almost saying anyone in an accident is an idiot who'd always sell their car too cheaply.

The issue is really that many people think their car is perfect/ faultless but think everyone else who is selling a car is trying to pull a fast one and sell a lemon. As such they say they will part with their car for £4,000 but wouldnt buy the identical car from anyone but a dealer who's charging £6,000 because they've polished it, giving a warranty, have a profit margin etc. You are entitled to pay that extra for piece of mind but its betterment as your 14 year old car had no warranty and any repairs would have been on you.

My Eos was in amazing nick as far as I was concerned until I went to put the roof down one day and it moved 1" then stopped... what followed was 8 trips to VW, 3 new hydraulics systems and a big argument with VW over who should foot the bill. Had my car been 13/14 years old as the OPs there would have been no argument and a massive bill to me. Even the faultless cars we all think we own can develop a major problem tomorrow.

AdrianC

Sandtree said:

My Eos was in amazing nick as far as I was concerned until I went to put the roof down one day and it moved 1" then stopped... what followed was 8 trips to VW, 3 new hydraulics systems and a big argument with VW over who should foot the bill. Had my car been 13/14 years old as the OPs there would have been no argument and a massive bill to me.

There would have been no argument for 99% of owners, because they'd either have shrugged and weighed it in, or wrangled the roof closed and pulled the fuse.