Gutted - NOT a good day.....

[mhrallye]

Well i've just replied to his e-mail - just need to wait and see what his/their reply is - I'll keep you all in the loop - plenty good ideas are being banded about here so far - In other news I decided to stop moping around and try and get my old car mojo back by get this going....1983 scirocco 1.6......wait for it.....automatic!

Actually belongs to my work and originally was going into the showroom as a display car three years ago but due to VW being arseholes (as usual) the car has sat outdoors for most of that time - I decided recently to get it sorted out as it originally ran like a bag of spanners with missing vacuum hoses, a poorly set up peirburg carb and worst off all the fuel lines literally hanging off the carb! anyway after a bit of fettling (and fannying about with a stuck cut-off valve the car runs well - needs a good service and brake recommissioning though - apparently our brand manager is putting it up for sale so if anyone is interested in it i'll let you know when.

Looks ok after pressure washing the mould and muck off....before..

and after.

[Isaac Hunt]

Good luck getting you car back. Shame you had to let them take if from the roadside. I had a car 'hit' last May and immeduateley I called insurers I head them starting their recovery truck, they just wanted the vehicle

in their system so I told em to FRO.

 

Then I went a got a proper quote from a Bodyshop near me and sent that in. Then they really started to make a mess of the process and started receiving complaints from me via the 'resolver site', brilliant cos you can just escalate things and keep track.

 

Anyway, 12 months on and we are 95% settled, I say 95% cos I haven't accepted their last goodwill offer to finally close the case cos they have made a mess of that as well.

 

Patience is a virtue and if you cut them enough slack they will probably dig themselves in deep and then you can have some fun making them jump through hoops. Don't surrender any paperwork and make them jump through your hoops as there will be hoops to jump through. Remember one thing, YOU are the CUSTOMER.

[trigger]

That Scirocco is gorgeous!

[Parky]

Any updates MH???

[dollywobbler]

It's not looking good. The fees alone it will have racked up by now would probably be enough to write it off, let alone the accident damage. It's one of the biggest cons going I reckon. It's why I always try to have the car recovered to my house, or to a garage I know and trust. The one exception was the Minor Mrs DW crashed, because I knew there was no coming back for that one.

[mhrallye]

Well finally heard from my insurance today - told me where the car is (copart in whitburn!) and that they were going to get the car inspected by a independent engineer to give an idea of the cars pre-accident actual value.

He also said the other insurance company is playing silly buggers and being very hard to contact - no surprise there - they obviously know they are going to get reamed out!

So basically i'm no further forward - like some of you have said the storage fees for the yard will be mounting up and until the other insurance company gets their finger out I can't even start to negotiate to get the car back - obviously this will depend on what the car gets valued at but I would still like it back - even if its just to break for spares as it will probably be put down as a cat-d which would make it hard to insure if I can get it fixed and back on the road.

The parts are out there for this - i've got two new wings and the original grille in my spares collection - i'm sure ebay would unearth any other things I needed - just need to wait and see - could take months to sort this out as my partner found out having just been told today that she will receive a payout for her lost insurance excess from a minor shunt that happened to her six months ago!

[bub2006]

Get your car out of there asap. Its still your car and you decide what happens.

[Eddie Honda]

That's not a Cat D.

[mhrallye]

I would love to turn up at that yard and demand my car back - question is would they let me? like people have said on here it is my car at the end of the day - I will wait till i hear from the "engineer" regarding value then take things from there - as eddie honda has pointed out it is not cat-d (cat-c?) but I can still see lots of problems ahead......

This whole thing has been a complete nightmare - I just want my car back as it was not some replacement or cash - some things are more important in life!

[Parky]

Remember to build up a nice collection of similar cars for sale. eBay, Classic and Sportscar, VW owners club mags, even European ads. That way when they offer you £100 you can hit them with a list of similar cars at £3500+

 

You seem like a Dub perv - do you know anyone like the registrar of the owners club who would confirm on headed paper what your car would be worth? That might be helpful?

[FakeConcern]

Cat D shouldn't be too hard to insure, I got my C4 VTS repaired and the same company continued to insure it with no increase in premium.

[Anglevan]

Liability can take some time to sort. It took a year for a guy to admit damaging my fence and that's with a traffic cop as a witness. I'm struggling to understand your concern probably fueled by some of the replies here

you have claimed off your insurance as such you are selling the car to your insurance company as though not damaged and they will deduct the excess. Once all payments made to you they will then contact the TP for recovery.

If you want liability sorting first then ask for it to be returned and wait. I bet it goes down the line that he says it's your fault (etc. Etc.) Unless witnesses likely to go 50/50.

They want the log book as they are buying the car off you. It will then become the insurers property when you accept the value/settlement.

You have two options follow the process of your claim as outlined in your policy documents and what you agreed to when you took out the policy.

Or

cancel the claim ask for car to be returned (storage will be free at copart for the first month - usually the deal insurers have) when returned wait for liability and resubmit/ cancel claim altogether and scrap/repair car yourself or go direct through TP insurers or via a accident management company (be cautious of the fees you may be charged if you go down that route)

[chaseracer]

If you want the Jetta back - and who wouldn't? - ACT NOW.

[Anglevan]

Stop panicking the lad, nothing will happen to the car until he accepts settlement. It will not be sold until then. Yeah he needs to make a decision but he needs to speak to his insurers. I hope that the TP admits liability like the honourable person he should be however reality says this may not be the case. That's the decision he needs to make, claim off his insurers and accept the impact this has until recovery or cancel claim and go through TP insurers.

[purplebargeken]

Just out of interest. In cases where the accident happened, the car was towed to a yard somewhere and awaiting inspection.... how would one go about getting stuff out of the car, say tools in the boot, CD's, Sat Nav that kind of thing. Would the yard allow access? Just interested as I said.

[dollywobbler]

Just out of interest. In cases where the accident happened, the car was towed to a yard somewhere and awaiting inspection.... how would one go about getting stuff out of the car, say tools in the boot, CD's, Sat Nav that kind of thing. Would the yard allow access? Just interested as I said.

 

The yard should allow supervised access. That's what happened in our Minor incident. 

[purplebargeken]

Makes sense. Ta.

[Lankytim]

Just out of interest. In cases where the accident happened, the car was towed to a yard somewhere and awaiting inspection.... how would one go about getting stuff out of the car, say tools in the boot, CD's, Sat Nav that kind of thing. Would the yard allow access? Just interested as I said.

All that gets stolen by the salvage yard staff.

[Parky]

Well just remember that really expensive leather jacket, iPod, and the Faberge egg that you had in the car at the time of the accident...

[Herts van Rental]

MH.

       I stay in Livingston myself and know the road well. I also had an accident when someone turned right at the Lights in Kirkliston and hit me head on.

My vehicle was uplifted and taken to Copart in East Whitburn, the yard is open to the public, you can walk in and visit your car, talk with the office staff no

problem. I was offered a good amount based on the value listed in the Glass Guide, which won't help you.

 

If I were you I would go down the damages route for injury, you will recover more from that than any payment for an old car. Lawyers Murray Steel Glasgow

obtained £12,500 for me no problem out of court, make sure you have a report from the Dentist, the Police incident number and any contact with the Hospital.

It would be a good time to have a relapse with your neck, back pain and seatbelt injuries. It cost me nothing to bring the case, all expenses incurred by Murray

Steel were met by the other Insurer, plus an expensive Camera that was damaged in the Accident.

 

JK.

[mhrallye]

£12,500! Bloody hell! I do have proof I had to go to the doctor and the dentists bill (only £20 but that's not the point of course!) I think i'll wait till the engineer gets back with a value - would be nice if the other insurer would get their finger out as well and admit liability but as we all know this could take months....

I did empty the car of my stuff as the boot was full of tools and other things which I knew would go walkabout - maybe I should say allegedly!

Other events in my life have now taken over somewhat - just found out on friday that our director and owner is getting out of the car game and selling the dealership I work for to Arnold Clark of all companies - this is either going to be very good or very bad....soon find out.....

[Felly Magic]

Save that Rocco

[eddyramrod]

 just found out on friday that our director and owner is getting out of the car game and selling the dealership I work for to Arnold Clark of all companies - this is either going to be very good or very bad....soon find out.....

 

I can tell you for free, it can only be bad.  Sorry to be the bearer of bad news!  I worked for a firm that was taken over.  TUPE regulations were supposed to apply for 6 months, but the moment that time was up, our terms started changing, and none of it was good for the blokes on the floor.  I firmly believe that takeovers, or indeed any aspect of business, can only work if you're a senior director.

 

[Mr Lobster]

Other events in my life have now taken over somewhat - just found out on friday that our director and owner is getting out of the car game and selling the dealership I work for to Arnold Clark of all companies - this is either going to be very good or very bad....soon find out.....

Don't worry, Arnold Clark are a lot better employer than they used to be. Not perfect but I'd much rather work for them than Pendragon or some others...

[mhrallye]

Another update - Heard from the independent motor engineers yesterday afternoon - they've been and inspected the car and valued it at.....wait for it.....£3500! The guy was really impressed with it's overall condition and remarked of the valuation that these cars have shot up in value over the last couple of years - he also said if my drivers seat backrest hadn't been as worn (I was working on making a replacement seat cover just never got round to it!) the car would have been worth nearer £4000.

Obviously this wont get my car back fixed but I am fairly happy with the amount - really thought that they would say £500!

The next step apparently is for them to sent the valuation to my insurers (zenith) who will pass it on to the other insurance co - who hopefully will cough up.

I will probably hear from them at some point shortly but as I would still like the car back (sort off) as I think the car could be saved - just need to see what happens....

[purplebargeken]

Take a small hit to get the car back and then buy the 'Rocco ASAP

[trigger]

Thats a good result considering the circumstances, i wonder if it's worth turning down the first offer and waiting to see if they offer a bit more?

[trigger]

Maybe say you'll accept £3500 if you can keep the Jetta with that too.

[bub2006]

I'd certainly be thinking they would offer a bit more. First offer always low. And you want to buy it back!

[sierraman]

They'll likely let you buy that car back for nominal scrap say £40 plus storage. Might be worth paying to get the bits off it for the next one you buy. I probably wouldn't start repairing it though, judging by the looks of it it will want jigging, once they've sustained damage like that, getting it to drive straight again will be a serious challenge.