Write offs and gap insurance

Crazydennie

I had an accident on the 5th September.  I would call it a minor prang and it was my fault. My insurance is fully comp with courtesy car. I am 4 months down the line and on my third courtesy car and there seems to be no end in sight for the repair of my car.  The main issue is that the garage seem to be unable to obtain a front grille for my 20 plate. There is no equity in the car as it is valued at 15k with currently 19k in finance. 

Where do I stand in terms  of requesting the insurance  write the car off? 

If they write it off can I claim on the gap insurance even though i requested the write off? 

Veteransaver

Insurance are not likely to write it off if they've already agreed to fix it and are just waiting for a part. What is the rough cost of the repair? Presume it is nowhere near the value of the car?

tasticz

If you ask for write off, it may go against the terms of the gap insurance. Just keep in contact with them proactively

Crazydennie

I don't know the value. Is that something they would tell me? I've never had an accident before. This is the damage. I'm concerned about the car sitting for months and not being driven.

400ixl

If it is just the grill they can't get, and you are willing to consider a secondhand one, then ask them if that is possible. Maybe even sourcing one yourself and giving it to the repairer.

Its a cosmetic part and does not need to be colour coded to the car.

By default insurers will only fit new OEM parts to cars which can cause delays in repairs.

LightFlare

Is it def a courtesy car and not a hire car ?

After 4 months the hire charges could be eye watering (depending on whose insurance you are claiming under and some other factors)

Aretnap

LightFlare said:

Is it def a courtesy car and not a hire car ?

After 4 months the hire charges could be eye watering (depending on whose insurance you are claiming under and some other factors)

The fact that the OP says the accident was his fault means he can only be claiming from his own insurer and there is not going to be a credit hire company involved.

Still, someone must be paying for for 4 months of courtesy car, and you would think that at some point it must make sense to write off the car rather than keep paying for it ad infinitum. But unfortunately for the OP that's a judgement for his insurers to make.

Aretnap

400ixl said:

If it is just the grill they can't get, and you are willing to consider a secondhand one, then ask them if that is possible. Maybe even sourcing one yourself and giving it to the repairer.

Its a cosmetic part and does not need to be colour coded to the car.

By default insurers will only fit new OEM parts to cars which can cause delays in repairs.

The car is on finance so would the OP have the option of using second hand non-colour matched parts? Would depend on the terms but I would think the finance company would have an interest in ensuring that the repairs were don't to a high standard so as not to affect the resale value.

HillStreetBlues

Dunno if times have changed but I wouldn't have classed it a "minor prang"

Crazydennie

For what was essentially a little tap, the car just crumpled. I was shocked when I saw the damage. But I thought that is what car did because of the crumple zone?  Hardly a mark on the other car. My car was running and driveable. I drove it home slowly with my hazards on, Even the front parking sensors and radar were working. So I would call it a prang. I am not a bad driver I lost 13 of my 16 years no claims because I hadn't protected it. I'm not just driving round hitting cars randomly. The car in front did an emergency stop and I was a little short on braking distance.

daveyjp

Many years ago this happened to some friends.  Delay after delay, they didn't even know where the car was, but managed to track it down after months of being fobbed off.

It had been part stripped, there was wiring everywhere and it had then been left in a yard with the soft top partly open and inside was wrecked.

The insurance company wrote it off.

Manufacturers just don't have parts available.  A few years ago we waited 2 months for a new turbo to be fitted.  I had an accident repair last year and one of the trim clips came off last summer causing wheel arch protector to come loose.  I'm still waiting for the part as it has a minimum lead in time of 6 months!