A recovery company tipped my Land Rover onto its side - is it fair that they now want to write it off? | Ask Honest John

A recovery company tipped my Land Rover onto its side - is it fair that they now want to write it off?

A recovery company tipped my Land Rover onto its side during recovery even though they had been advised to wait for the police to close the road. This mistake caused £10,000 worth of damage. Their insurance company now want to write off my car as Cat N. They're charging me 28 per cent to buy it back. I think that they should be restoring it to the original condition, not write it off. Where do I stand?

Asked on 12 February 2018 by Adrian Sheard

Answered by Honest John

If the repair costs exceed the market value, then the car is a total loss. You should then be provided with the funds to replace it for a similar vehicle to the one you had. Don't buy it back unless you know what you're doing.

If the repair costs are less than the market value, your entitlement is to insist on it being repaired. Start at the value and work backwards. Get the car valued accurately first. Being a Landrover, make sure they include the vat if it is a defender.

Tags: insurance write offs market value total loss cat n

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