Hi
Girlfriend's mother owns a 1995 Sunny with 47k on the clock. On Saturday, it was involved in an accident with another car whose driver bumped the back end and admitted liability verbally (!).
Insurers claim it's an insurance write-off (£800 bodyshop quote). Point of impact is 2/3 along width of car at rear, just before rear light cluster. Damage is as follows:
Plastic bumper has bowed along the nearside where is was pushed in
Bumper reinforcement written-off but bolts on in the boot
Rear panel at point of impact pushed inwards by 15mm so boot sits proud of bottom of light cluster. No noticeable damage to panel from outside.
Boot untouched.
It looks like the reinforcement took most of the impact. If one of these can be sourced along with a block of wood and a hammer I reckon I could get the 'dent' out.
Owner not sure and is convinced that the guy will admit liability to his insurer. She does not want to get rid of the car. I see several options:
Do not claim and carry out repair privately
Wait for guys insurer to get back then try to claim for cheap "DIY" repair
Write car off and buy it back with insurance money, then repair.
Is it worth sourcing the reinforcement panel now and doing the repair? i.e. can a claim be made against his insurer with a reciept pre-dating his admittance of liability?
Your thoughts please gentlemen.
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Mike Farrow
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I've submitted cheap quotes, along with two other estimates, on old, damaged, cars. The insurers have usually jumped at the opportunity. I've included words to the effect:
Full and final settlement for repair at my own cost, and, or loss of value, at my own discretion.
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An update.
Owner has sent off two estimates (all way too high for economic repair). Before we do anything else, including submitting cheap quotes that Tom's suggesting, how do we find out whether the other party has admitted responsibility? Should the insurers tell us? Should they be chasing his insurer up? We just don't want to go ahead with any sort of semi-expensive work and find we're not protected.
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Mike Farrow
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You say in the first post that insurer says its an uneconomic write off,therefore what is the value of the car to the owner? work this out and tell the insurer you will accept this less £50 for the salvage value,then you can repair the car as you wish and get a VIC check done on the car (assuming the insurance classifies it as a cat c) .
I wouldnt be concerned whether the other party admitted liability or not seing as they had already admitted it at the time.
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Bell boy, that is exactly what has transpired! Car's back on the road with a bit of straightening and new MoT and the owner is £450 in pocket.
Bit of a bombshell on Tuesday when the insurers phoned up and said car's been written off (Cat C), so we're not insuring it anymore!!! Glad the lady owner doesn't need it for work!
We're a little unsure what the VIC test is for? Do we need one? I know it's for the DVLA but they're still taxing it so why's it needed? She's not planning on selling it.
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Mike Farrow
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Info on VIC test here - www.dvtani.gov.uk/vehicletesting/vic.asp
You do need one because the car's been written off as a Cat C.
Pay for the VIC test and you should still have the car on the road and be well in pocket.
Chris
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We're a little unsure what the VIC test is for? Do we need one? I know it's for the DVLA but they're still taxing it so why's it needed? She's not planning on selling it.
Here's what the VIC test is for:
The Aim of Vic
The aim of VIC is to check the identify of vehicles, for which DVLA have either received "write off" notification from an insurer or that the registered keeper has reported as being scrapped, prior to re-issuing the V5.
The purpose of the check is to ensure as far as is possible, within the limitations of the check, that the vehicle is what it purports to be and not a substitute vehicle. As part of the identification process there are a number of sources of information (in addition to DVLA data) that can be used to enable the individual carrying out the check to obtain an understanding of the history of the vehicle, thus enabling a more positive identification.
Following examination of the vehicle the inspector will make a decision as to whether to pass of fail the vehicle based on the apparent authenticity of the stamped in vehicle identification mark, and other corroborating evidence.
Its all about stamping out 'ringing', ie., stolen vehicle being given the identity of a written off identical vehicle, and then being passed off as the damaged vehicle, repaired.
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Thanks for the replies.
Is the car still drivable for the time being or are we legally obliged to carry out the test ASAP? The site doesn't make this clear. The owner doesn't need a new V5C as this is there's anyway.
I assume DVLA will refuse to retax it. Is this true and can we wait till then?
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Mike Farrow
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ring vosa on 08706 060 440 on connection press button 4 and ask for a vic check you need registration and make /model of car
if vosa confirm you need a vic check then i advise you dont drive car till check done £36 plus it needs booking in
download this link on abode and open
tinyurl.com/ysbgwl and send to your local vosa vic centre,they will send you an appointment time
as far as vosa are concerned your car has lost its right to an mot after the crash and needs a new one
i have been into this in great detail and this is the end result,be aware your local vosa depot may dispute this fact but if you go to the top then they will confirm this detail,the reason being that your car may well be dangerous in some way after the accident and if you continue to drive and are involved in another accident then vosa want to know that a basic check of vehicle safety has been carried out (the silly thing is if car is cat c prior to 3 years old it doesnt need an mot so makes a mockery of the system but hey this is vosa pass and advise)
you may well find your insurance company (new ) would cancel your new insurance if you dont go through the hoops
ignore the red herring of its taxed so it doesnt matter you are talking dvla and vosa these two agencies are chalk and cheese
if you need any further help i will try
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Thanks bell boy. The car definately has a VIC.
The MoT and insurance loops have already been jumped through (and the insurers know it's VIC'd).
Can you please clarify why you don't think it should be driven if we have everything but this test in place?
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Mike Farrow
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you need the vic certificate to appease the pens pushers
otherwise as i say if anything like a bump happens its a get out clause for any party that wants to use it
im a bit confused? you say its vicd? you mean it needs one or its had one one?
if you havent vic "t it then you should as one of the duties of the insurance company is to get the v5 returned to them so that they advise dvla of the need for a vic and also so that as a member of the mid they destroy the log book,i have seen first hand this last 3 months that this is not the case so if you wished to sell a car that needed a vic check but was actually a pulp of a car then it could still be done ( the whole reason of vic checks was to take ringed cars out of the crime equation)
the vic scheme is not working as an effective crime deterrant even vosa admit this and also it is losing them money
Edited by bell boy on 16/12/2007 at 23:27
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Sorry to confuse...
The car has been "written off" by the insurer and has not yet been to a VIC testing station. The insurance company haven't seen the V5C so does that mean what you say in that they haven't reported it to DVLA correctly?
I tried the number you gave me (thanks for that). On hold for 3 minutes then told they're closed! Muppets! I'll try again tomorrow.
Old thread? This? It's live and kicking!
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Mike Farrow
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many a time the insurance company categorise a car as a cat c but it never gets listed as such,my wife had one this last two years,thats why you need to ring the vosa number and they will confirm or deny the vic requirement,be aware it can take weeks for the process to show on the vosa website mind so it might be clear today but listed next week
its a pretty poor setup with vosa not actually being fully in sync with dvla who get their information from hpi who get their information from the MIB who get their information from the insurance company ,you get the picture?
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you get the picture?
Crystal - the worst government service by far - couldn't make it up.
Car has passed its VIC test! I'll let you know how it got there...
- Rang insurer to get insurance once the MoT sorted out. Told "no, your car is unroadworthy until the stringent VIC test declares it otherwise". Insurers told that's a load of tosh, but girls on phone and supervisor having none of it.
- Insurers rung again, talk to little Miss X, Y, and Z until they agree car can be insured but it must be tested at the VIC centre straight away to make sure its roadworthy. So now it's drivable. Yay!
- Use online booking system to get VIC test. Form says it can take weeks, as do online forums, so ring centre in the morning and get a test straight away.
- Drive car to test centre, hand over money. Car is driven into test garage.
- Now it gets really technical, just like the insurance company promised. Tester lifts up bonnet and takes one look at the VIN before dropping bonnet back down. I'm guessing when this guy looks at cars they appear like on the covers of old Haynes manuals. Clever stuff huh?
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Mike Farrow
Edited by mfarrow on 28/12/2007 at 20:33
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Now it gets really technical just like the insurance company promised. Tester lifts up bonnet and takes one look at the VIN before dropping bonnet back down. I'm guessing when this guy looks at cars they appear like on the covers of old Haynes manuals.
Clever stuff huh?
Heh :-D
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quote"Now it gets really technical, just like the insurance company promised. Tester lifts up bonnet and takes one look at the VIN before dropping bonnet back down. I'm guessing when this guy looks at cars they appear like on the covers of old Haynes manuals. Clever stuff huh? unquote"
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>.your not supposed to see the high tech checks these highly qualified vosa inspecters are checking,do you realise this is still treasonable and you could go to the tower for publishing such things?
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Sorry bell boy different topic as its an old thread, do you have details for fixing the rover 414 immobiliser problem? my fob-key barely works and its driving me daft.
Many thanks in advance
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sorry no,rovers are not my forte im afraid
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