A thank you to Chevrolet UK

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
View Threaded
Sun 27 Mar 2011 00:50
A thank you to Chevrolet UK - Taxedout

A month ago my son was hit by an uninsured driver and his 6 month old Aveo was destroyed by the collision and an ensuing fire.

Admiral, his insurers, do not operate a 'replacement as new if the vehicle is written off in the first 12 months after first registration

What's more, they offered a derisory initial settlement figure - increased by about 35% after some robust negotiation. So, if you're insured with Admiral, stick to your guns.

With no GAP insurance, and an enforced early finance settlement - thanks to Admiral's stubborn refusal to initiate a 'nil balance invoice' which would have substituted a similar vehicle (one of their own low mileage fleet cars offered by Chevrolet UK at CAP price), thus obviating the need for a costly settlement of the agreement - allied to my son's excess and uninsured losses, things looked bleak.

I don't want to expose Chevrolet UK to potential requests for similar assistance - so all I will say is that their further generosity has enabled my son to take delivery of a brand new replacement car - which, without their kind assistance he would not have been able to afford.

So, thank you Chevrolet UK, and thank you Mr Mark Terry - a rare Managing Director, indeed, who even took the trouble to respond to my email when he was attending the Geneva motor show.

In an age of apparent corporate greed and general shenanigans - 'so shineth a good deed in a naughty world'

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 27 Mar 2011 15:30
A thank you to Chevrolet UK - oldroverboy

I know it's after the event, but having the auto-law policy that LucyBC promotes would have put you in a stronger bargaining position as the policy will go to the MIB for you with regard to the uninsured driver. Furthermore it works for you, not your insurer!

Secondly, Aveo's in common with the other Chevrolet's are not selling that well, witness the big discounts at dealers and the £3-4000 quid off at car supermarkets on pre-reg cars, ( i have an epica vcdi 09 plate, bought aug 2010 £6745 instead of £16000 and an aveo 1.4 lt 09 plate bought dec 2009, £6299 instead of £10500)

But nice of Mark Terry and Chevrolet and hopefully your son is fully recovered.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 27 Mar 2011 17:05
A thank you to Chevrolet UK - primeradriver

Sometimes having a car from a manufacturer who is struggling a bit can be an advantage -- it makes the dealers take more notice of the customers they do have.

I've often wondered why Daewoo are still fighting to establish themselves in light of Kia and Hyundai struggling to meet demand these days. Their cars are pretty good; fundamentally reliable and well-made, competitively priced even at list and the Korean stigma is not what it was these days anyway. Ironically I suspect they may have turned the corner rather quicker if Daewoo hadn't gone splat and they'd stuck with their original name.

I certainly wouldn't turn my nose up at an Epica (I see it as a rather more attractively-styled, cheaper and more interesting alternative to the Vectra) and I've nearly bought a used Lacetti as a second car on a couple of occasions. Nowt wrong with them.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 27 Mar 2011 19:13
A thank you to Chevrolet UK - oldroverboy

primeradriver, you're right, got my lacetti sw dec 2007, half price! was 1 year old at the time of purchase, ex chevrolet car, lt was a good deal, but chevrolet will have a harder time convincing when products from the GM/vauhall stable. would you pay £10000 for an aveo when you can get a new 2011 corsa for £7995? Or £12000 for a cruze when you can get a current astra pre-reg for £9995. someone at chevrolet has badly miscalculated prices. By the way my epica returned 45mpg at motorway speeds with 4 people and boot full of bagage going from west wales to london M4! I'm keeping it as long as economic!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 27 Mar 2011 19:27
A thank you to Chevrolet UK - carl_a

would you pay £10000 for an aveo when you can get a new 2011 corsa for £7995?

Oh come on OldRoverboy, your comparing the discounted price of one brand to the RRP of another, we all know that cash prices are different from the RRP.

Kia Cee'd and Hyundai i30 are 9k cars, Aveo's are 7k, Corsas are 8k. Manufactuers(especially Ford and Citroen) put up the RRP beause it makes customers think they're getting a great deal when they take 20% off for VAT.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 27 Mar 2011 20:03
A thank you to Chevrolet UK - primeradriver

Agreed -- no-one would pay £12000 for a Cruze, but then no-one would pay £16000 for an Astra either. (No-one with any sense anyway).

But £8000 for a heavily-discounted Cruze vs £10000 for a heavily-discounted Astra? Either sounds reasonable to me.

Then again, I don't pay more than £5000 for cars anyway so it's all academic.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 27 Mar 2011 20:16
A thank you to Chevrolet UK - oldroverboy

would you pay £10000 for an aveo when you can get a new 2011 corsa for £7995?

Oh come on OldRoverboy, your comparing the discounted price of one brand to the RRP of another, we all know that cash prices are different from the RRP.

Kia Cee'd and Hyundai i30 are 9k cars, Aveo's are 7k, Corsas are 8k. Manufactuers(especially Ford and Citroen) put up the RRP beause it makes customers think they're getting a great deal when they take 20% off for VAT.

point is in the case of cruze or aveo it's a fictional RRP, got to be really "unaware"? to pay list price for these cars but vauxhall list prices are silly too, but ford and all. only some upmarket cars will get you a small discount, but don't forget, there are people out there who do pay full list!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 27 Mar 2011 22:43
A thank you to Chevrolet UK - gordonbennet

Thanks for relating the help that the MD of and Chevvy gave to your lad Taxedout...and for highlighting one of many reasons why cheap insurance is cheap.

They needn't have helped out so well done them.

On the subject of Chevvy or indeed the Daewoos before them, their earlier cars might have been a bit rough and ready, though i drove many Leganza's and found them a good car, but their newr models are good cars, i especially found the Cruze very pleasant, could live with one of those.

One thing i really like about all of them is their auto boxes, even the tiny Matiz has a proper auto box which is a pleasure to drive, unlike much of the European competition that shoves a half baked contraption, the automated manual, which even in the best of them is barely driveable and i wouldn't give you a thankyou for one.

Badge snobbery (which seems to be getting worse as image becomes the most important thing in many lives) unfortunately keeps the brand unloved by fashion junkies, but bought well especially lightly used they make a good bet.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

We give you the low down on how to save on insurance, little-known tricks and tips, what insurance groups mean and how to use insurance aggregators to beat insurers.

Insurance group finder and how to save on insurance

From which small car to buy at which price point to the best UK-built cars, our Top 10s have the lot. Click now for your shortlist.

Unsure of what to buy? Our Top 10s are here to help you....