When I was last hit, the suggested repairer was miles away.
"Can I get someone else" I asked the insurance company. "Yes" they said, and I don't think there were that many questions about my prefered repairer. (I'll not go into why, long story).
As Mark says, ought not be a problem.
|
Just checked the list of approved VW body repairers on the VW site and the company chosen by the Insurance co are not on it.
Looking at the VW body work warranty on their website it states that genuine VW body panels are (understandably) required to maintain the corrosion warranty it would also appear that approved VW repair techniques are required for the same purpose.
Looks like an early call tomorrow to the insurance co to get the car removed from "their" repairers and taken to the nearest approved VW place.
as always
Mark
|
|
|
Last time someone drove into me, their insurer told me that the approved repairer in my area was so-and-so and that they would call tomorrow to collect my car.
I simply said no, the car will be repaired at the main dealer. The telephonist immediately confirmed that was ok, please send them the quote asap.
|
To update this
Liverpool and Victoria have agreed for the car to go to the nearest approved VW bodyshop without any fuss, VW are collecting the damaged car today and the hire car has turned up.
I delined the offer of a Corsa or Ka from the insurers bodyshop as I have several longish trips to make and I did'nt fancy doing these in either of them, VW are going to contact me to offer a car once the estimate has been accepted.
As the other party has admitted liability to the insurance co her insurers have given me a Focus CMax 1.8 for the time being not exactly a Passat equivilent but reasonable enough; though it does feel gutless after the torque stomp of the diesel Passat.
Thanks for all the opinions offerred, I will report in due course on how the VW bodyshop get on.
as always
Mark
|
offer of a Corsa or Ka
I've never understood this one. A third party knocked my car and deprived me of the use of it for about a week. They (through their insurer) offered me a Ka on loan instead. When I queried this they said "but you only need a Ka to get to work so we don't need to give you anything better".
Hang on. I had paid for a BMW 5 series (at the time). I was still paying every month for the finance required for a 5. For that week, I paid £x which was enough to buy me use of a 5, and way in excess of what I would have to pay to have the use of a Ka.
You can hire 5s or equivalents - say an E class. But they flatly refused.
If it was my fault then I could understand - but it wasn't.
|
You have a common law duty to minimise your losses.
Therefore, if all you need is a Micra, then that's what you get.
TO get bigger/better you would have to show that you needed to carry lots of other people, do loads of motorway miles, etc. etc.
As it happens if you live on a bus route and only use your car to and form work, they could insist that you take the bus - although in practice that it rare.
|
I think this is grossly unfair. Why should you have a duty to do anything? The accident is not your fault and is a result of somebody elses actions. You should not be disadvantaged in any way was a result if. If someone drives into your Vectra, you should be given a hire car of equivilent size not some cheesy little supermini.
If the insurance company doesn't like this then, well, tough. Their client drove into the original posters car. I think it's only right he should be under as little inconvenience as possible and he certainly shouldn't have to 'show' anything to anybody. What business of anyone else is it what he plans to do in the next week.
|
Just to update this further
the car is now at the VW bodyshop, they will call tomorrow with their damage/repair assessment.
I have in the meantime taken the loaned Focus Cmax 1.8 Zetec out for a 40 mile spin and its absolutely gutless, overtaking was much safer in the 1.9TDI Passat, put your foot down and it went, the focus seems to take much longer to get going in gear and then its suddenly all over and you need to change up.
It not a bad concept though good use of room and surprisingly well finished though cheap in parts and not thought out. It doesnt have the cabin feel longetivity of the VW and the fabric on the seats is already looking well used at 7000 mls.
As it is a hire vehicle it needed fuel within a mile or so of the hire shop and it took me 5 mins to find the fuel cap release, down by my right leg via a hole in the interior trim.
Definately not on the to consider list.
The VW garage are keen for me to have one of their cars now they have possession of the claim work, I have told them that I have an arrangement for a bigger car with the insurance co, what should I ask for a 150 Golf, a Touran, a Phaeton.....
suggestions please...
as always
Mark
|
|
|
|
You have a common law duty to minimise your losses.
If someone were to drive into my daily car, could I decline the use of a courtesy car and instead charge them a (reasonable) mileage rate to reflect the additional use of my 911?
|
|
If it was more economical than any other course of action, then absolutely yes.
|
|
|
|
|
I will never understand how they can justify giving you silly little superminis.
Chances are if you've bought yourself, say, a whacking great Passat Estate, you probably did so becuase you need a whacking great Passat Estate and could not manage with a Ford Ka.
So for them to turn around and give you one for a week is silly. If you could manage quite fine in a Ford Ka why would you have spent 3 times the money on a Passat?
|
Hello Michael
I agree entirely, I was quite angry yesterday when the first bodyshop phoned to arrange delivery of my "Ka/Corsa". I refused it there and then as I have to cover about 1000 miles in the next 2 weeks, this will all be on motorways. I told them I did not consider that the car they would provide would be as safe as my Passat in an accident and from experience of motorway travel in a courtesy Corsa it would be tiring which would not be an aid to safety.
They held fast so I phoned my insurance co. As the other party had already admitted liability to her co they arranged for me to have a larger car at cost to her insurers and there was no issue. However if I were the guilty party it was clear it was Ka/Corsa take it or leave even if I was going to the moon and back.
As it happens this has worked with no problems so far.
as ever
Mark
|
There was a case of an IFA who had a 911 "to impress clients." The court agreed that he needed this car and awarded him the cost of hiring a Mercedes SL...
... but if you don't need the bling to mitigate further financial losses, to carry people, etc., then, as Mark says, a Karsa is all you're going to get.
|
Hi David
This was in the back of mind when I made the call as all of my work is board level consultancy and one of my current projects is a Health and Safety one. I did not wish to go to see the client in a Corsa/Ka with XXX accident repair centre all over the doors and bonnet as the impression would not be right.
I have (at the moment) the impression that this claim will go as it want to (touches large piece of wood) and this appears to be becuase the other party has admitted liability to her company. I must re-iterate that so far L&V have been very good and are manging her insurers on my behalf. I did have a call from her insurers this morning offering to manage the claim up for me which I declined as I have some "leverage" through my own company if I am not content with the VW bodyshop proposed scope of repairs.
as always
Mark
|
1. Replacement car for your Passat.
Try a Touran Sport TDi if you can. The new 2.0 diesel engine is superb and should compare very favourably with your Passat whilst it will have plenty of room
2. Keeping you driving in the style to which you are accustomed.
I would like to echo the advice above and report on a positive experience I have just had with my MINI Assistance. My wife parked our Cooper S and came back to find a Tigra had crashed into the rear, writing off the Tigra and cracking the MINI's bumper and denting its exhaust. I phoned MINI Assistance who arranged for the car to be taken to the MINI bodyshop. They also arranged for a man in a suit to deliver a replacement MINI Cooper S (to a slightly higher specification than ours) which we kept for the 10 days whilst our car was in the bodyshop.
Zero effort, maximum style and maximum pleasure from the MINI Assistance team.
I have no idea whether VW would be similarly helpful if a similar calamity afflicted our Touran - I hope not to find out!
Kind regards,
Philip
|
Re comments about C-Max, fact is that a C-Max is far superior to any Passat dynamically, roadholding, handling etc and much more fun to drive. Sure, a 1.8 will not have the torque of a TD, perhaps ask for a 2.0 TDCi instead, all the punch of the Passat TDi 130 though smoother and crisper as well.
Through the many years that I had company cars I used to enjoy driving hire/courtesy cars when mine was in for service or repair after a minor bump. Some were dogs (Almera) and some much better than expected (Marea, Astra, A Class, Bora V5), I remember taking a Ka for a 280 mile round trip including a lot of country back roads where it's go-kart like handling was great fun and the old 1.3 gutsy and willing enough to rev.
|
Just had an update from the VW bodyshop
so far their estimate is up to £1600 with the possibility of more to come at this point I am more than glad that both I and the offending driver were insured;
Work so far will be
new offside wing;
new wheel arch liner
new front bumper
new headlights
new o/s front wheel
new tyre
new inner panel rail
new assorted trim
new hubcap
paintjob
and still to come once it is stripped
alignment check
possible new front suspension
possible new inner wing.
wow....and all that from an XM reversing into me with a 12ft run up. Given the extent of this I am glad its gone to the VW dealer for repair.
as always
Mark
|
Hi,
I had a similar situation with my Wife's car a citroen Xsara. Bought it new in Jan 2000 and in March 2000 a young lady who had passed a test a week a go drove straight in to the side of it!
Being only 3 months old I wanted to have it repaired at citroen aproved repairer so had the car taken to the local dealer by citroen assist and got a 1 litre corsa (Part of there accident management program)
Rung our insuers who wanted to use there own repairer but I insisted for it to be repaired at Citroen. They said then you have to wait untill 2 quotes have been done and a engeneer has inspected the car. I waited over a week and no engeneer!
Thankfully I had a letter from the other parties insurance (Norich Union) saying they were liable and would I want to deal with them direct. (they were excellent and paid for extra premium on my wifes insurance to insure it the rental car they provided)
Had the 1 litre corsa replaced to a renault megane at there expense and repairs started (Although still had to wait 2 weeks for an engeneer to approve repairs) although had a equilvent car so this was fine.
Found out afterwards that the citroen dealer was 'not' aproved repairer and they sent the car to a another bodyshop to be sorted althrough they supplied parts. It would have beed quicker to get straight to the approved repairer in the first place!
You live and learn!
Just my (long) story.
Cheers
Jlo
|
"I did not wish to go to see the client in a Corsa/Ka with XXX accident repair centre all over the doors and bonnet as the impression would not be right."
This is very much tongue in cheek ;) but isnt the first rule of H&S not to try and cover up or deny the existence of accidents, incidents or exposures?
|
Sorry for bargeing in! On a slightly different note, I have heard of two cases recently where 2 cars have 'met' and the cases have seemed open and shut.
However within a few days an independant witness has 'showed up' for the 'apparently guilty' party and produced a statement 'saying the other party was at fault' but declines to be interviewed.
Personal injuries in both these cases were minimal and I suppose if one had protected NCB there would be nothing to worry about...
Is this the start of a trend?
|
You're both lucky the driver at fault admitted liability, as Percy said. I was recently a passenger in a (five month old) car which was reversed into by a truck. The driver of the truck admitted liability at the time, but later that day denied it to his boss, saying we drove into the back of him. It now looks quite likely that the owner of the car will be held liable - be out of pocket and lose NCB - when he was in fact completely blameless...
Annoying.
|
To bring this up to date and to ask a few more questions especially to the insurance experts......
Picked the Passat up today, lots of bits replaced and a £1750 bill for the insurance co....
Viewed it in the rain so not sure if the colour is a perfect match I made it clear it would be back ASAP if I am not happy after I have viewed it in dry conditions and in sunlight and I signed the ollection docket with this added to disclaimer.
However in my mind when I come to sell or P/X and if I am asked if it has been in an accident I will have to be truthful with the possible consequence that a proportion of the value were it to be undamaged will be deducted by the potential buyer; for example "in that case we can only give you £xxx less" than if it had not been in an accident.
So my question is can I claim under my uninsured losses part of the policy for an amount £x to represent this devaluation which will occur or as this has yet to happen is it too intangable to calculate?
Second question I am employed by my own company as an MD and all the running around today to collect the car at the insistence of the insurance co who wanted to end the hire for the loan car has cost me about half a days work that I had booked out with a value of about £250, again is this claimable under uninsured losses?
Looking forward to your replies
as always
Mark
|
So my question is can I claim under my uninsured losses part of the policy for an amount £x to represent this devaluation Second question: all the running around today to collect the car has cost me about half a days work , again is this claimable under uninsured losses?
I had to return my car to the bodyshop six or seven times when someone drove into it, and my insurance has gone up simply because I was involved in an accident, regardless of fault. I could still be making a fuss now, but to be honest I just want to put it behind me and move on and I don't need the stress and hassle.
I think the answer to both questions is yes, probably. I have to ask though... can you really be bothered?
|
>>So my question is can I claim under my uninsured losses part
>>of the policy for an amount £x to represent this devaluation ..
>>
1. yes , see www.theiob.org.uk/digest/a/accident_depreciation.h...l
Second question I am employed by my own company as an MD and all the running around today to collect the car at the insistence of the insurance co who wanted to end the hire for
>>
2. yes, see
www.theiob.org.uk/search/query.html
and type in "uninsured losses"
also useful
www.theiob.org.uk/about/faq.html
|
Thanks Dalglish
The link looks useful, I will peruse it more over the weekend.
I would guess I now need to get some ideas of the difference between the value of the car were it undamaged versus its damaged but repaired value, shouldnt be too tricky I might visit a couple of dealerships this weekend seeking a PX value and once obtained I shall "remember" the accident.
I will trawl through my policy and look at any weasel wording it may contain. The whole process has been quite smooth so far becuase the other driver admitted liability I have only had to get places to pick up hire cars or return them although today was very inconvienient and has cost me some work.
Just hope its sunny and dry tomorrow so I can make a judgement about the colour matching, any doubts and no messing about it will be back at the bodyshop first thing Monday,
Thanks again for the link
as always
Mark
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
