Write off!

[bigstraight6]

Just a tiny bit of repairable panel damage has written off 'er indoors wheels, that being a 1995 BMW 325TD, and said damage occuring a few weeks ago after an artic night on a well used residential side Road close to the City centre because Plymouth City council didn't bother gritting it due to spending too much money on lesbian outreach workers whale noise focus groups....

Fear not chaps! the insurance company have very kindly let us keep the car, and are bunging us more than enough wedge for a good and very compentant body repair chap I know to put the damage right!

[Mr Lobster]

Would have been a great shame for that to have been fragged just for the sake of that damage. Good that it lives to fight another day!

[Twiggy]

It`s amazing just how little damage will write off an otherwise good motor according to the insurance companies. A friend specialises in buying and selling insurance write offs from these closed auctions, and if they`re more than 3 years old, it seems that even a minor scrape on a wing, door,or bumper condems them to a cat C.

[MrRegieRitmo]

It's seems to me that insurance for those with an older car is only worth having from the point of view of being covered for damage to other people's property. As soon as it comes to your own car, I for one never consider claiming, what's the point when A) whatever damage it is they'll say it's a write off so they can get out of paying you anyway and for some reason they then seem to think the car now belongs to them so seem to want to try & take it off you for some absurd reason! I can't be doing with any of that so am just faced with having to pay out for any repairs myself off the record...They must rake it in if everybody thinks like I do & decides it's just not worth going down the insurance route.....must be why they engineer it so we don't have any choice! I've continuously had my cars damaged through the years through no fault of my own for various reasons but haven't once claimed....except for the time a pebble was thrown through the back window of the R14, I claimed (knowing that it wouldn't affect my no claims bonus) and got the rear window replaced for my £50 excess.....but otherwise, what incentive is there for us to put it through the insurance company when we never get a good outcome from it & are even threatened with losing our cars completely!

[Albert Ross]

Bang it out with a lump hammer and block of wood. Skim it withj pink bodge, and roughly brush paint it with Hammerite. Then stick it on the 'bay with a description fitting to the repair. "Minor scrape on corner, you won't notice it in the dark with shades on, and a pair of steelworkers gauntlets" I like the shape of it, gives it character!

[55bloke]

As has been mentioned before, car insurance is really little or nothing to do with car repairs, but actually to cover you in the unfortunate event that you kill or injure someone. Which, of course, is why all those who drive without insurance should be locked up for a very long time! Having said that, it's insane that such a sound car should be considered a write-off with such minor damage.

[Pillock]

So what is the deal with salvage rights, retaining the car etc? How much do they pay out compared to if they take the car off you? Is the car still a cat C or D or does that only happen once the insurance company have had it from you?My old audi was bought as a cat C, down as 'stolen recovered'. No glass or exterior lock damage, ignition barrel was broken though. Then I found there was an extra ignition switch fitted, looks like it had been broken for a while and they'd just boshed a new switch on the end of the terminal block and let it dangle to keep it running. So it was more likely written off for the first-sized dent on the bootlid.

[VWPowered]

thats madness

[Split_Pin]

That would have been a crying shame - looks a nice example - so many of this age of beemer have fallen into the hands of cack-handed bazzas. I like these standard alloys, my dads old 3 had them.I'm insured fully comp only because of 3rd party liability or if the car is a total loss. If i've ever had a minor scrape or bump I havent even bothered with the insurance company, total waste of time imo. It was easier to take the hit on the wallet and take it to a bodyshop myself.

[wilko]

The really bizarre stuff is all the "police compound" cars they get at my local scrappies - these are siezed for being used in crimes or for no insurance & cannot go back on the road. Most of them get stripped for parts for export, it's bizarre seeing stuff like a 54 plate Laguna being pulled to pieces. Some of the German stuff (popular with drug dealers & therefore regularly siezed!) is really nice and several grands worth of car.There was a *nice 51 plate Corsa in there the other day - no damage, done for no tax or insurance. Mad how people can "afford" a 51 plate car worth a couple of grand but don't insure & tax it!?!?*nice is a relative term when applied to a corsa

[Guest]

What I don't get is why they can't just sell stuff like that, then put the money back into policing. Bonkers.

[Richard]

It could prove unpleasant if a drug dealer spots somebody driving around in what he still regards as his car.

[STUNO]

I tried to write off a car in about 1965. Ran up the back of car in front, glanced off and was t-boned by one coming the other way, and that pushed me into a tree damage was pretty extensive. The insurance co repaired it!

valuable car? no just a Triumph Herald.

Mum was not pleased though

photo was taken some time after the above event, while exploring South island.