What is happening in the UK, is this not a RIP OFF?

I have become aware that in Europe if your car is damaged in an accident you take 2-3 estimates to the insurer and they reach a figure to pay out.

In the UK your car is taken for inspection by the insurer usually to their repair depot, they will either repair it or tell you the car does not have the value of the repair. At this point they offer a figure which falls short of the repair estimate (parts & labour) and unless the car is totally unrepairable tell you you can buy YOUR car from them!

Just what is going on!

Nick W

I agree! My car was written off as a category B (never allowed back on the road). I could have repaired the damage myself but since another car was involved it had to go through the insurers. I was 'awarded' Â£500 for a car which was probably worth Â£1200. No chance of appeal, no point in getting the car back as it would only have scrap value. I was ripped off!

Ollie

We are being held to Ransom.I believe all insurance companies are in cahoots.They go under different names yet there is usually a consortium of business people that own the lot.

sheetwowsheet

You are legally entitled to choose your own repairer for a damaged car - you don't have to accept the repairer the insurance wants you to have.

dj_tonic2004@yahoo.co.uk

I was hit in drivers front side wing, i had a modified mk2 1997 ford mondeo, the wing/bumper/suspension was replaced and because they could not replace the modified alloy wheel, they replaced the whole set which cost Â£1600 with all new tyres, and i must admit, the new set of alloys were a lot better than the ones i bought 3 weeks before the crash, that was with tesco insurance, after it was proven that it was not my fault, 1 week later, the excess i paid was paid back to me in full, very happy chap indeed.

------------------

Yes there are a lot of variables with car insurance when things go wrong.They have to be very careful with claims now because so many are trying to defraud them.If you can produce evidence that they have made an error in the calculation of a write off an agreement can normally be made about a cars value.

julie w

I dunno - our insurance company have just been fantastic! I got rear-ended the other week, they gave me a car to drive while they did repairs (a brand new one!) - they brought my old car back, it was like brand new! All insurance companies not the same but ours was absolutely fabulous..

Bardic

You're wrong there, buddy. Your car is not taken by the insurer to their repair depot, you're entitled to take it to any repairer for an estimate. People tend to accept the insurer's "approved" repairer simply because it's quicker and the insurer will take their word for it instead of requiring you to obtain several estimates. If and when they accept an estimate you are required to pay the excess element as detailed in your policy and the insurers pay the rest. That's why it's called "excess".

If your car is considered a write-off the insurers do indeed own it once they've paid out; the value they use for paying out is that obtaining on the market at the moment.

batman_reunited

europe is bad :(

greychin

Standard Insurance procedure....whats your gripe?

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: