Insurance write off?

[Springer]

Just wondered what you good chaps/chapesses' opinion would be on this. Do you think it'll be written off as an uneconomical repair?

Car which I bought 4 weeks ago got twatted whilst parked  by a bin lorry on Monday. 07 plate XC90 with 160002 miles on it.

 

Worst damage is as seen in pics, but not a panel on the drivers side that doesn't need attention and paint. Front wheel got hit too so am concerned that damage may be done there too.

Naturally I'l less than amused by the whole thing!

Ta muchly in advance

[mrdelmonti]

I think if you need a courtesy car while it's repaired it'll be close. 

Might be worth getting a quote from a bodyshop.

[Stanky]

Sorry to say this, but I'd be astonished if the insurance co don't write this off. One dented panel would be seen as uneconomical on a 12 year old 160k mile car, let alone needing potentially remedial work to the front wing, both doors, replacement plastic trim and the rear quarter, plus suspension/steering work. plus a courtesy car (and it'll be an X5/Q7/XC90 @ £300 a day on something like this)

If it were me, I'd ring up a bodyshop and ask for a quote for a respray as a non-insurance customer, and get a detailed report of any suspension damage. Then argue about the writeoff payout and buy it back from them for a pittance.

 

[Springer]

Thanks for that Stanky.  I have no intention of being arsey with the insurance company (ie claiming for an expensive courtesy car - still have the old Mondeo I can use) in the hope that they'll treat me fairly when the time comes. My suspicion is that it'll be an uneconomic repair so hope that I'll be given enough pennies to replace it.

[The Moog]

Agree with Stanky - would likely be written off to just save time and money.

[UltraWomble]

Driven worse (etc etc)

if it was mine I'd probably negotiate a settlement including salvage buy back and then buff out the scratches and drive it as is.

But generally Im an unfussy bugger when it comes to the car I drive and dont really mind dints / scrapes etc.

[BeEP]

This happened to a friend of mine (who should be on here but isn't).  He dealt directly with the lorry operative (via the council), who were only too happy to deal with him directly and avoid insurance.  Obviously won't work if they dispute that their lorry did it. but could be worth a try.

[sutty2006]

Insurance would definitely write that off. If you like the car, get a body shop to do a quote for repairs then tell the bin lorry company how much you need to fix it. They might settle outside of insurance 

[Springer]

Thanks guys. In this instance it's  the local authority's bin lorry. So far all they've said is that I'll be dealing with Zurich who are their insurer.

[BeEP]

Blimey, you have a council who still own their bin lorries!?  I thought everywhere had subcontracted this to the likes of Kier.

[Lankytim]

If the bin lorry company are up for it it may well be worth trying to get a cash settlement from them rather than going through the insurance. Their excess is likely to be £1000+ so anything less than that would be a bonus for them.


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[purplebargeken]

Wot Stanky and Lankytim said. Negotiate with bin people, go round to body shop get quote, get friendly local mechanic to check out the steering/suspension. Buy back and get it repaired yourself. 

[Springer]

4 hours ago, UltraWomble said:

Driven worse (etc etc)

if it was mine I'd probably negotiate a settlement including salvage buy back and then buff out the scratches and drive it as is.

But generally Im an unfussy bugger when it comes to the car I drive and dont really mind dints / scrapes etc.

I'm afraid that I need something tidy and presentable for work. Were it not for that, I'd probably just do that. Not saying I wont just get a wing and door of a matching car and  sort out the rest. Only probs then is that the car will be worthless being a write off. Will see how it all plays out. Cheers for your help though!

 

[Springer]

1 hour ago, Lankytim said:

If the bin lorry company are up for it it may well be worth trying to get a cash settlement from them rather than going through the insurance. Their excess is likely to be £1000+ so anything less than that would be a bonus for them.

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I'd be doubly screwed then if I did that. Likely to cost way more than that in repairs....sigh. Cheers though!

[Lankytim]

I shouldn't think so, maybe £250 on the cost of panels and fix it yourself? No write off marker on your car and perhaps a nice drink in it for yourself. 

[Wack]

Mine got hit on Sunday 

the insurance rang 

my options are 

take the cost of repairs in cash minus the vat , for this they wanted to see loads of pictures including every angle of the car and the wheels , no courtesy car , you sort it out

they fix it via their approved repairer with a car

I get it fixed wherever I like , they pay but if it's crap no guarantee 

I'm mulling over option 1 at the moment as a new bumper skin would cure most of it , it's a cat C anyway so the value won't be greatly affected 

 

your best option would be for them to write itoff then you buy it back and fix it , they won't want your car, recovery fees,storage,auction fees , much easier for them if you just buy it back off them .

 

 

[Springer]

Rather to my surprise, the XC90 went off to be fixerated today. That must be costing the insurers a bloody fortune!

 

In the meantime I've been given a brand new 330d Msport Touring to hoon about it.  It's nice but rather smol!

 

[Broadsword]

When someone decided to ram into my old XJ40, I got a brand new Golf as a courtesy car for a few weeks. Imagine having a brand new car that does everything for you and everything works. How depressing is that!

[bunglebus]

I'm quite surprised they even considered a repair - definately not to be assessed?

[Springer]

1 hour ago, bunglebus said:

I'm quite surprised they even considered a repair - definately not to be assessed?

Nope, was assessed 4 weeks ago, repair approved and it's currently at the bodyshop. Delay was waiting for the new parts from Volvo. The bodyshop owner was reasonably surprised at the outcome too. Mind you, I played fair and didn't sting the council's insurer for a courtesy car right from the outset.

[timolloyd]

Now you can swoop in with a whiplash claim for the 7 people who were sat in the XC90 at the time!*

 

 

 

*kidding

[purplebargeken]

Only* 7??

[purplebargeken]

When I had the accident in the late 90's, hit at high speed from behind whilst waiting to turn right, I was put through the wringer in order to claim for whiplash. I was paid a grand and a bit. However, late last year it was discovered that I had fractured a vertebrae in my neck. Imagine the payout if that had been discovered then lol.

[Retr0naut]

So, a couple of weeks ago the wife returned home with a dent in the offside front wing of our Picasso. Our insurance classed this as a cat N. Write off (uneconomical to repair) because of the cars age. Our cover has protected no claims and a zero excess. I got the figures back today at they are giving us £658 for the car,  a very fair price but reflects the overall condition of the car pre accident. I expressed an interest in buying the car back and was able to do so for the sum of £66 giving me £592 pounds to fix the car myself or drive it around as is. This is the first claim we have had to make in 20 years or so and is also now technically the third time I have bought the same car. I can say that I am very happy with the service given by my insurers and a little surprised on how smooth things went.

Only question to be answered is...

Fix it?

Drive it around as is?

 

 

[loserone]

c) go at it with a plunger

[Retr0naut]

13 minutes ago, loserone said:

c) go at it with a plunger

Funny enough I have indeed bought a small dent puller from my local hardware discount store (Rock Bottom for anyone local to Northampton) for the princely sum of a quid!

[eddyramrod]

Worth spending half an hour with the puller then!  If the dent proves too much for it, just drive as-is and don't worry.

[lesapandre]

Just put a sticker on it with the word 'ouch'. 

In London dents mean you get out easier at junctions.

[Tamworthbay]

1 hour ago, eddyramrod said:

Worth spending half an hour with the puller then!  If the dent proves too much for it, just drive as-is and don't worry.

This ^^^^^^^ take the cash from the insurance with buy back option (won’t be much) and have a *free* car that owes you nothing.

[Retr0naut]

14 minutes ago, Tamworthbay said:

This ^^^^^^^ take the cash from the insurance with buy back option (won’t be much) and have a *free* car that owes you nothing.

It was just £66 to buy it back. ?