Car Vanadlised - Insurance Advice

[iancooney]

Hi,

Long story short - someone has taken a key right down the entire driver side of my car, and back up again. The entire length. And its deep - horrible mess. Police have been contacted so that I could obtain a crime case number.

The existing paint on my car (which is overall in excellent condition) is very good, but obviously I now face a situation of repair.

The market value is in the region of £6000.

I had the chat with my insurers today, Zenith, and went through the entire story. Clearly I would want a full respray as the paint needs to match panel to panel - not ideal but the correct course of action.

Their black and white stance is that as the car is not over 25 years old it is deemed by the DVLA not to be a classic. As such a full paint repair would mean that the car had to be treated as salvage? This is ridiculous as it is pristine condition bar a mess down one side.

An assessor is to be sent out the view the damage but I was told the above "to prepare myself".

Anyone had a similar situation? I don't know what to do.

[DanThe]

They will always try and worm their way out, your problem will be the insurers dont value the car high enough, find adverts for similar condition cars and show them, if they believe the value to be £6000 they wont have a problem paying out for it to be painted

[Mitchen]

Well it depends on how much they believe the cost of a respray to be, against the value of the car.

I had an Audi TT written off in the past for similar reasons.

A full respray done properly at one of the insurers body shops, you're looking at 2-3 grand? That's almost half of what you've valued the car at, which is an instant write off. Maybe you can find a cheap independent body shop and show the insurers quotes.. although I wouldn't be comfortable with a place that's charging me £800 for a full respray.

With E30's unless we've got a properly valued tech sport or M3, then we need to understand that the industry doesnt value them like we do.. therefore any accident or paint work damage is probably going to end in a write off.,

[Gavla]

do you have any pictures?

Have you investigated using a professional detailer? Amazing results are achievable by doing a scratch repair...if possible...

[iancooney]

I just assumed it couldn't be done, great news if the localised damage can be repaired”¦

[Carmo13]

If you don't mind the car being written off, you could get as much money from the insurance company as possible, then buy the car back from them. I think it cost me around £180 to buy mine back from my insurance company.
Then you should have plenty to get a re-spray, and probably a bit left over to fix any other problems.
Then you will have a mint car that is cat D, maybe cat C
It may affect the re-sale price, but I wouldn't mind if I was buying it as long as there were photo's of the damage.
All part of the cars story.
Not ideal I know but a glass half full way of looking at it.

[RetroAde]

If the car is written off and you disagree with the value go back to them with 3 live adverts for similar cars, ideally priced where you value the car. If on this evidence they don't budge threaten the ombundsman and legal advice, although normally by now they realise you're not a mug and raise their offer.

Also try and negotiate a cash settlement, might be a bit lower but no Cat D record.

[DanThe]

A full respray done properly

at one of the insurers body shops

Unfortunately those two quotes dont go together at all, I would never let any insurers repair my car, only ever go to places you trust and know will do the work properly and exactly how you want it doing.

[Mitchen]

A full respray done properly

at one of the insurers body shops

Unfortunately those two quotes dont go together at all, I would never let any insurers repair my car, only ever go to places you trust and know will do the work properly and exactly how you want it doing.

But usually at an insurers body shop, you get a warranty, you get to view the results and give the thumbs up before the insurer closes the claim etc. meaning they're usually not some mickey mouse back street body shops, they're established, reputable businesses... in my experience anyway.

[iancooney]

Will see what the assessor says, and post on here. Thanks for the various offers of advice.

Very sad this evening

[Carmo13]

Also try and negotiate a cash settlement, might be a bit lower but no Cat D record.

Can anyone confirm if this is actually possible. I would have thought the insurers are obliged to declare a damaged car?

[DanThe]

Also try and negotiate a cash settlement, might be a bit lower but no Cat D record.

Can anyone confirm if this is actually possible. I would have thought the insurers are obliged to declare a damaged car?

In my experience this only happens when they are giving out Cat C or D, ive just repaired a Cat D car and the insurance company have reduced the owners cover to 3rd party only until he has put it through a VIC test, this is the first ive heard of this, other Cat C's/D's ive been involved with in the past have never had the VIC demanded by the insurance company like this

But usually at an insurers body shop, you get a warranty, you get to view the results and give the thumbs up before the insurer closes the claim etc. meaning they're usually not some mickey mouse back street body shops, they're established, reputable businesses... in my experience anyway.

You dont get chance to inspect any metal work or anything under the paint, even the paint process, this is where you get fobbed off, unless they are having to uphold a manufacturers warranty I wouldnt expect quality work
I used to work at "insurance approved body repair shops" and ive seen how they operate, I was told not to lap joint 1/4 panels because it takes too long, just butt weld it and use more filler

[German-Whips]

My E30 was rear ended in May and managed to get a cash in Lieu settlement, above market value of the car, and got to keep the car free of charge, and the car had NO marker put on it at all.

If you do a vehicle check on it will come up clean.



They will try to wriggle out of it, but put the hammer down and get what you deserve and not what they desire. In my case, I took my E30 to my cousins specialist repair place as an own repairer route and had the estimator come look at it. He argued the car was worth E36 money as the E30 wasn't in the Glass' guide. I disagreed and he said he was not budging. I kept on disagreeing until he was forced to give me what I wanted for it.

Their incompetency and slow processing times cost them £6.5k hire car costs to put me into a hire car.

[RetroAde]

Also try and negotiate a cash settlement, might be a bit lower but no Cat D record.

Can anyone confirm if this is actually possible. I would have thought the insurers are obliged to declare a damaged car?

It is possible as I managed it when someone hit my Honda Del Sol in my street. Their bodyshop quoted £2500 writing off the car. I submitted live ads for similar UK spec cars well above their initial offer so rather than writing the vehicle off for what was essentially a parking dent the size of a 5p I was given a cash offer of £550 with no record against the car. My paint man did an excellent repair for £500. I'm guessing if there's any structural damage they might not make such an offer but this case like mine is basically about the cosmetic appearance of the vehicle.

[iancooney]

That's encouraging and a real option if they play ball”¦