Hi,
My pride and joy was stolen and hasn't been seen since. The insurance company moved swiftly to offer me a payout, and whilst I admit my naivety in clinging on in the vain hope I will be reunited with my car, I have two concerns:
- the process (this business of having to send back all your paperwork - essentially relinquishing ownership of your vehicle with no firm offer and, by their own admission, they will settle on your first amount before considering any other)
- the amount offered
I read on this site somewhere the good advice about never taking the first offer if it is unrealistic. My first (and only) offer was very unrealistic but the insurance company refuse to budge.
What do you do next? I've collected evidence to show that it is unrealistic. Using their own 'method' of determining price by using 'online used car sites', I've tracked prices for the past four weeks. The average price is £1100 higher than their offer. I explained this to them - said I wasn't looking for over the odds, but I would like at least a fair offer. My car had done very low mileage, had new hood and all the added extras.
Plus, they've indicated that the claim will influence my future premiums (and this will be the case with other providers), so you lose on all angles.
What to do, what to do.
Any guidance appreciated.
JessicaX
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If you are looking at a potential loss of £1000+, £200 for a solicitor might not be money down the drain. If you have legal cover, as part of your motor policy that might work but can you use them to chase your own insurer? Do you have legal cover as part of any household insurance policy? Do you have procted no-claims? Probably not, from your post.
Edited by Armitage Shanks {p} on 31/07/2009 at 20:39
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The Ombudsman should be able to help, they have a variety of examples on their website of cases where they have over-ruled insurers and forced them to increase their offers (some examples where they'd backed the insurer too!)
Good luck!
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Here you go, Google is your friend!
www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/publications/ombuds...m
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Just out of curiousity: how was the car stolen? Keys nicked? Lifted onto the back of a truck?
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Thanks everyone for your posts. My house was broken into - police reckon they lifted spare key off radiator with wire through letterbox. They broke the key off in outside lock though so its still a bit of a mystery. In any event my keys were in house, as was I :-( They made off with laptop, mobiles, handbag, bank cards, everything. Police found mobile phone in the possession of a lad who had stolen goods from 6 other burglaries but since they couldn't tie him to the house (no liftable prints and lack of interviewing neighbours who saw characters outside that day - and even phoned them earlier since a neighbour was concerned that a lad was throwing stones at the car), he was only charged for handling stolen goods (six months prison sentence) and has provided no further insight or names or anything.
I don't have no claims protection (I don't think) but do have legal cover under household insurance. I am going to peruse the financial ombudsman links provided. Insurers are hassling to settle but whilst I may at some level accept that insurers cannot do a like for like replacement, I don't think its right that they get away with daylight robbery.
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Here you go, Google is your friend! .. /22/issue-22-motorinsurance.htm >>
or old outdated friend.
The advice has since been updated. honestjohn is your friend:
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?v=e&t=76...0
which gives the latest link as:
www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/publications/techni...l
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