if i claim how will it affect my car insurance?

healingtouch

Hi,

hoping for some advice here. I went to town the other day - when i left there was no damage to my car, when i returned home i noticed there was a massive dent in the front bumber. My car is only a year old so i went to Honda where i brought it and was told it would cost £407 to repair - that is cost of new bumper, and two other things needed (not mechanically minded!) and labour. I was asked if i wanted to do it on insurance - i asked how that worked. He said i would loss no claims bonuses and premium would go up so if he was me he would just pay it and not tell insurance company.

I went home and noticed my insurance says = NCD: 4 years protected. Sorry if i am being naive here - but i am assuming that i have 4 years no claims that is protected meaning if i make a claim i will still have 4 years no claims bonus.

My excess is £100. So i would save myself £307 if i went via insurance, but am unsure how this will affect my premium (it is up for renewal in march). I also read on this forum and on other sites about the need to inform the insruance company of an accident regardless of whether i made a claim or not. Is someone hitting my car whilst it was parked and then driving off without leaving me a note classed as an accident that would increase my premium? It wasn't my fault at all.
I also read in the insurance book that it will se one of their gargages to repair it - as it is a new-ish honda, i want all work done by the Honda gargage so that when i take my car there in 2 years to exchange for a new car they would have done all the work and hopefully this will prove i have looked after the car.

Any advice gratefully received.

shelly

You are right that if you have 4 yrs protected NCB and make a claim you will still have 4 yrs protected NCB. You will need to read your policy to see how many claims can be made in X yrs for it to stay like that though as co's vary.

On renewal your premium will most likely go up with your current insurer but shop around and you will probably be surprised. I say this as last year I made a claim on hubbys policy, was totally my fault and no-one else involved. I think it was quite a big claim as I scratched the whole of the passenger side down a metal gate post and ended up impaling the rear flared wheel arch on the post. I shopped around and got a better and cheaper deal at renewal than we paid before I had the accident.

If you pay for the repairs yourself you *should* as per t&c of your policy inform your insurer even if you aren't claiming. Thats up to you but I know what I would..... or rather wouldn't, do

DaisyFlower

Most insurers will insist you use their approved repairers, dealerships are often far higher on labour costs etc and not all have the estimating service that the insurers use to approve costs. Therefore if you go through your insurers be prepared that the garage you want to use is not on the approved list.

cyclonebri1

DaisyFlower wrote: »

Most insurers will insist you use their approved repairers, dealerships are often far higher on labour costs etc and not all have the estimating service that the insurers use to approve costs. Therefore if you go through your insurers be prepared that the garage you want to use is not on the approved list.

As far as I'm aware thats what they would have you believe, in actual fact as long as the repair shop is ins approved for standard and has put in a competetive quote you can take it to the repairer of your choice. Your only loss would be no loan car unless the repairer of your choice provides this. Most now do.

healingtouch

thank you everyone.

i am sometimes too honest for my own good. i don't think i can not tell insurance company even if i don't claim - what happens if i have a bad accident one day and they find out later on i didn't tell them. I imagine lots of people do not tell them, but like i said i am too honest for my own good sometimes.

i have been thinking that to go through insurance will save me £300 - last year my premium was £380 - i doubt they will double my premium next year.

I am worried as i read somewhere that if a claim is made then the protected no claims is not transferable to another company. i always change company every year as shopping aroudn i get better deal. I think last year my renewal was nearly £600 yet by shopping around i got it for about £380.

Shelly - you said you made a claim and then changed comany when you renewed your insurance - were you able to transfer your protected no claims?

anyone else want to comment? - i am open to hearing your experiences or your suggestions/advice

shelly

healingtouch wrote: »

I am worried as i read somewhere that if a claim is made then the protected no claims is not transferable to another company. i always change company every year as shopping aroudn i get better deal. I think last year my renewal was nearly £600 yet by shopping around i got it for about £380.

Shelly - you said you made a claim and then changed comany when you renewed your insurance - were you able to transfer your protected no claims?

Like you, we change co's every year and have always taken our protected NCB with us. I made my claim in May 07 and I think renewal was Nov 07, had no problems at all taking NCB with us. I just declared to the new co that I had had an accident but that NCB was protected then called our previous insurer to send us proof that the protected NCB was still intact. We then sent this to new insurer and had no problem at all.

healingtouch

thank you shelly.

I contacted insurance today - it will not impact on no claims and shouldn't impact on premium. It was classed as a fault claim as the other person drove off without leaving note and the chances of finding the other person is extremely minimal.

It is up for renewal in March so will see what happens. It is good to hear that you didn't have any problems. Hopefully I will not have any problems.

Many thanks again,

HT

shelly

You're welcome. Glad to help