FSO raped by Focus updated 22/3/13 Alfa Purchase

[Guest]

so this happened today

 

 

 

 

 

 

Caroline was parked on the side of the road minding her own business and got swiped by the focus and i came back to this after a nice day at work. In two minds about contacting insurance company as it will undoubtedly be a write off and they will give me 2 and 6 and then refuse to let me buy back the car. The fact that status quo are singing about my sweet caroline currently on bbc 4 isnt improving my mood. Anyone else been in this boat with a shiter and an insurance claim?

 

Resident FSO guru cyanide steve has offered to make her right but I can't help but feel I'm being penalised and I've done nothing wrong. Paying £8 a week for the ability to use the work car park doesn't seem so unreasonable now.

[Albert Ross]

Was the Focus "Pilot" drinking/on ther phone/masturbating? How can you hit a stationary car? Unless of course all 3 were true.

[Guest]

I'm told the car coming in the other direction didn't slow down / give them any room as they were passing caroline so they swerved into her.

[Spiny Norman]

Fuck, that's a fair wallop!

Can't offer any useful insurance advice that would stand up to scrutiny but I do believe there's some sort of onus on the guilty party's insurers to make good to your satisfaction within reason, rather than just write it off. If it's under a classic policy maybe there's some scope to use your own repair guy - I don't know.

 

Cold comfort I'm sure, but the Focus has done none too well out the encounter either.

[Guest]

I struggled to get it on a classic policy, its on a standard policy with hastings who I have read several horror stories about, the other party is insured by swiftcover who also dont appear to have a glowing reputation.

[Alexg]

Oh piss! I hope you can have it sorted. I suppose when it's written off it can be bought back and repaired.

[Guest]

I hope so Alex but I think this is against a lot of insurance companies policy thats why I'm thinking of not bothering.

[Lankytim]

Is that a bit of bumper wedged into the wheel rim of the Focus? Nice to see a modern car mangled by shite.

 

Try to just deal with the other guys insurers and don't involve yours. Insist they don't write it off , you may have to repeat that point about a million times.

[Guest]

It is Indeed, I changed the wheel on the fso and went on my not so merry way, I left the chap who owned focus waiting for the local ford dealer to collect it.

[Micrashed]

Reassuring to see the fOCUS came off second best....

 

Anyway, its been said before - DO NOT let them take your car away, you get a couple of guesstimates for fixorating the car, you present them to the 3rd partys company and then you negotiate a figure.

[Alexg]

I hope so Alex but I think this is against a lot of insurance companies policy thats why I'm thinking of not bothering.

 

Yeah, I guess there's always the danger of some half-arsed bellend giving it a Cat-B forcing it to be crushed.

[RedSparrow]

 

I hope you get it sorted. I know with the devotion you guys have you can do it.

[Mr Lobster]

Bugger, sorry to see that.

 

Can't offer anything in the way of advice so can only offer my condolences.

[theorganist]

Unfortunately I am also unable to offer any useful advice but I hope it gets sorted out with favourable results for the FSO population of the UK!

[Angrydicky]

Sorry to hear this Ben.

 

As for the insurance procedure, I went through this a couple of years back when my 2CV was rear ended. I contacted the other insurance company, and informed them that I wanted to make a settlement with them outside my company. Then I informed my company, and told them I was dealing directly with the other company.

Insurance companies really rape each other in the event of an accident with all sorts of hidden charges for the at fault party. Due to this, the other company were literally falling over themselves to settle without involving my company. I refused an assessor, and made it quite clear I would be keeping the car and repairing it. They were very happy with this arrangement, we agreed a price and they posted me a cheque. They never even saw photos of the damage, let alone assess it, and I kept the car which I then sold on Ebay for restoration.

 

As has been said, whatever you do don't let an assessor near it because worse case scenario it will be made a CAT B and can't go back on the road, and best case it will be made a CAT-C which will mean taking it to the local DVLA for a VIC check, which is extra hassle you can do without. I would price up the new panels you need (possibly imported from Poland?) and how much it would cost to get them fitted to the car and painted etc. Make sure they know how rare the car is as well.

[eddyramrod]

As already covered on FB... best of luck with this Ben.

[RedSparrow]

Just looking again at how the wing on the focus peeled back like it was made of aluminium coke cans. The Caro with it's heavy steel stood up well to it!

[hairymel]

 

Try to just deal with the other guys insurers and don't involve yours. Insist they don't write it off , you may have to repeat that point about a million times.

 

possibly this^

 

i have been on the rough end of a claim for my other halfs mondeo being smacked up the arse at a traffic light by a citylink van.

 

her insurance company (AA) have been a shower of shit, dealing with the other company (zurich) who have also been a bunch of wankers.

 

august last year and still not paid out

 

recently offered £350 for the car (£1800 quote for repair of the tailgate and bumper!) i only wanted £600 to cover most of the costs of getting another roadworthy shitter.

 

should have taken the hire car and claimed for my 5yo daughters week long sore neck

 

stick by your guns and if they piss you about drop a small claim notice on the driver, this is what i would have done if i had been 'allowed' to get involved

 

where's that grumpy cunt thread?

[hairymel]

also - really sorry to see your car damaged Ben

[Guest]

Thanks Angry Dicky thats really useful advice I will get onto swift cover tomorrow.

 

I will keep you all posted

 

As if we didn't have enough of these poor fragile, unloved creatures needing some tlc

[Guest]

Sorry to hear of your troubles Mel, this process doesnt seem to go well for anyone

[aldo135]

Sorry to see that mate, hope you get it sorted ok, I hate dealing with these insurance c#nts too!

[hairymel]

Sorry to hear of your troubles Mel, this process doesnt seem to go well for anyone

 

not troubled just angry

 

was only a scruffy mondeo (albeit one i have fettled for the last 4 years)

 

i was not allowed to get involved,except to pay for another car and still had to listen to my o/h complaining :cry:

 

good luck with getting it sorted,look at it as being a game - write to them with a invoice for estimated cost of repair then if there is no cash forthcoming invoice them for interest, then small claims -the cars worth it

[retrogeezer]

I saw this on facebook too....real shame but I have seen worse rear quarter panels repaired. You will be surprised how giving it a tug on a jig will pull it back into shape and then a decent bit of panel beating/filling will sort it.

 

I would personally prefer it to be repaired if it's mine as a new panel means cutting and loads of filler anyway.

 

Fingers crossed it stays on the road.

[willswitchengage]

I'm told the car coming in the other direction didn't slow down / give them any room as they were passing caroline so they swerved into her.

 

So, it's the Focus's fault for not waiting for the road ahead to clear...

 

Shame how much damage one lazy act of absent minded driving can cause.

[KruJoe]

Ouch Ben, that's nasty! Is Caroline ok? She must be properly shaken up by it.

 

When Steve gets the green light, he'll have that straightened out in no time.

Does it still drive right? The back wheel has been touched by the looks of it, I hope the suspension isn't bent.

 

Best of luck with the red tape mate.

[Wilko220]

Hard lines mate. Hope you manage to get it sorted without too many headaches.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Its been 'fraped'

[purplebargeken]

Bloody stupid Fucus driver. Surely they should have slowed the F down and then pulled out to over take when the oncoming car had gone. Fuckwit.

 

Glad your significant other wasn't hurt. Hope you get the FSO sorted with the minimum of fuckwittery.

 

Ken

[trigger]

Ouch Ben, that's nasty! Is Caroline ok? She must be properly shaken up by it.

 

I "think" Caroline is the cars name Joe, as said o Facebook it's a shame to see this but it held up well against the Focus, and like RG said it should jig up well but that would be enough for a insurance company to write it off.

 

Best of luck with it.