Car insurance (Write off) advice pleaee.

RedAsABeetroot

RedAsABeetroot

Well-known member
Hi. Our car has been involved in a low speed accident (non-fault).
It went into the insurer's approved garage for repair 2 weeks ago for repair. My wife rang up for an update today and was told it's been written off. Insurance company haven't told us this yet.
Ever since the accident I've had an auction house ringing up and writing to us about collecting the car (even though it was in the garage).
I feel I'm being ripped off as it feels like the first thing my insurance company have done is "sold" my car before they've even assessed the damage. I have 2 quotes for repair of £400 and £1020 and so I'm at a loss as to why it's being deemed a write off.
Any similar experiences or advice welcome.
 
RedAsABeetroot said:
Hi. Our car has been involved in a low speed accident (non-fault).
It went into the insurer's approved garage for repair 2 weeks ago for repair. My wife rang up for an update today and was told it's been written off. Insurance company haven't told us this yet.
Ever since the accident I've had an auction house ringing up and writing to us about collecting the car (even though it was in the garage).
I feel I'm being ripped off as it feels like the first thing my insurance company have done is "sold" my car before they've even assessed the damage. I have 2 quotes for repair of £400 and £1020 and so I'm at a loss as to why it's being deemed a write off.
Any similar experiences or advice welcome.
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As long as you aren't too attached to the car, you will probably be better off having the car written off and getting a settlement. I think settlement offers tend to be above market value these days.

Do your research, check what you think your car was worth. Add 20% and don't accept anything less
 
A lad i know had his deemed a write off, he insisted on a second opinion and paid a trusted mechanic he knew to inspect. Not all companies will let this happen mind. He was told it would cost around £1600 to repair and it was doable. He was lowballed by insurance on offer. Repaired the car was apparently worth over £3.5k trade which they’ll use. This is all anecdotal, just what he told me. I can’t say it is fact tbf. Better people than I will know more.

He claimed he would not take no for an answer and got the mechanic to put it in writing and eventually the insurance company and their repair agent agreed it was now repairable within reason and it was repaired by their agent. The process though took 4 months and he only had a hire car for 4 weeks so had to get by relying on family till sorted. The car is as good as it was prior to the accident now. Don’t accept everything they tell you, Check and double check what needs repairing against cost of repair and price up elsewhere with the list of identified repair need. The insurance will try and sell to someone who repairs write offs if they can and part cover their payout, hence lowballing offers to start with use the info to negotiate whatever is agreeable to yourself.
 
Had one written off in the floods a few years back.

Did a load of research on what it would cost to buy a like for like replacement in anticipation of a massive haggle with the insurance company. Came up with a figure, rounded it up a bit as my target settlement and prepared to do battle.

Their first offer was £500 more than my figure. Bit their hand off.
 
I recently had an old vauchall astra wrote off and they didn't even look at it. I paid £600 for it off a mate. Someone reversed into it and dented my front bumper.

They sent me a settlement for £2400 within a week. Then a scrap company came and collected. It was NEVER even assessed for repair
 
I had a car written off financially....I got the car repaired it was mainly cosmetic and then got it re MOT'd and insured again. I then traded it in on a scrappage deal
 
Chutney said:
Had one written off in the floods a few years back.

Did a load of research on what it would cost to buy a like for like replacement in anticipation of a massive haggle with the insurance company. Came up with a figure, rounded it up a bit as my target settlement and prepared to do battle.

Their first offer was £500 more than my figure. Bit their hand off.
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The replacement to this car had it's bumper knacked when it was parked on Byker Bank and another card handbrake failed causing it to run down the hill into another car which shunted into mine.

When in for the repair the garage rang to ask if I was attached to the car. They'd found further damage to the body work and assumed the insurers would write it off. Said I couldn't care less so they told the insurers the truth and were gobsmacked when they agreed to pay to have it repaired.

Not sure how helpful that is, like, but that's my varied experience of the whole write off scenario. The insurers aren't struggling for cash, that I do know.
 
Nobby_Barnes said:
I had a car written off financially....I got the car repaired it was mainly cosmetic and then got it re MOT'd and insured again. I then traded it in on a scrappage deal
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PS I seem to remember you can get the settlement amount and at the same time buy the car back for a nominal fee £50 get it repaired yourself...
 
Nobby_Barnes said:
PS I seem to remember you can get the settlement amount and at the same time buy the car back for a nominal fee £50 get it repaired yourself...
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I think this depends on the insurer. Id heard this also but my insurer wouldn't sell that Astra back to me. I wouldn't have even got it fixed. It was still driveable. Would have been sound for what I used it for which is a 3 mile journey to a construction site.

Would have just banked the settlement.
 
Chutney said:
The replacement to this car had it's bumper knacked when it was parked on Byker Bank and another card handbrake failed causing it to run down the hill into another car which shunted into mine.

When in for the repair the garage rang to ask if I was attached to the car. They'd found further damage to the body work and assumed the insurers would write it off. Said I couldn't care less so they told the insurers the truth and were gobsmacked when they agreed to pay to have it repaired.

Not sure how helpful that is, like, but that's my varied experience of the whole write off scenario. The insurers aren't struggling for cash, that I do know.
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Weirdly this is exactly what happened to ours. This is what's frustrating me. It was a low speed impact with minor damage (new wing). I'd say the insurance company think it's been hit at 100mph+ except for the fact they aren't talking to me.
 
RedAsABeetroot said:
Weirdly this is exactly what happened to ours. This is what's frustrating me. It was a low speed impact with minor damage (new wing). I'd say the insurance company think it's been hit at 100mph+ except for the fact they aren't talking to me.
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The hilarious thing about this one was that all three cars were unoccupied, but I still got ambulance chasers ringing me claiming that one of the other drivers was sufferering from neck pain and did I maybe want to make a claim as well.

Was useful at renewal time as I was able to tell my insurers I was sacking them off for selling personal details to claims chasers. Always nice to add irrefutable evidence to a "fúçk you".
 
Chutney said:
The hilarious thing about this one was that all three cars were unoccupied, but I still got ambulance chasers ringing me claiming that one of the other drivers was sufferering from neck pain and did I maybe want to make a claim as well.

Was useful at renewal time as I was able to tell my insurers I was sacking them off for selling personal details to claims chasers. Always nice to add irrefutable evidence to a "fúçk you".
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I must admit based on my current experience I'll be avoiding my insurance company in the future. I'm definitely going to put a complaint in to them cos they've been P 4 NTS.
 
It knacks your next premium. My mums partner's vauxhall simply had a smashed rear window and the car was 'wrote off'

His insurance has now doubled

On the subject of cars (apologies for hijackin the post) ive just bought a fiesta with alloy wheels off marketplace (never again) and discovered theres no locking wheel nut .. im guessing im pretty much screwed now if i get a flat tyre

Person ive bought the car is not answering my messages
 
A couple of years ago when we had a load of snow my wife skidded going round a round about and the car hit the kerb. I spoke to the insurance company (call centre in Scotland) an hour or so later and they said the car was a write off. It was still on the back of a Ron Perry truck going up the A19 at the time and hadn’t been looked at by anyone. The industry is a huge scam!
 
66% of the value is the rough guide for a vehicle to be written off. Non availability of parts is still an issue, which then increases storage costs, which then increases the likelihood of a write off. Engineers don’t always come out nowadays with a clipboard to inspect damage, images can be sent from the recovery truck driver to be assessed by claims handlers, who can settle a claim within 48hrs. Early settlement reduces insurer overheads for storage, replacement hire car etc.
 
RedAsABeetroot said:
I must admit based on my current experience I'll be avoiding my insurance company in the future. I'm definitely going to put a complaint in to them cos they've been P 4 NTS.
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Have a look at Honest John there are a few questions in the Ask HJ section about how to avoid having a vehicle written off.
People suggesting you might get a good price are overlooking the fact you won't find an equivalent vehicle for the money you get.
 
Back in 2020 my legally parked car was hit by a passing delivery truck, scraping the drivers door and taking the wing mirror off.

Delivery company took full liability. My insurance company picked up the car and after a few days declared the car a complete write off and gained a pay out to the full value of the car (£1600). The car would have been cubed but considering the situation at the time (lockdown) and my own personal circumstances (needed a car for work and for moving house) I argued to get the car sent back to me.

When asking why it was a write off considering it was just a replacement wing mirror and some body work repair the reasoning of the insurance company came back that due to the age of the car, and taking a look at all the other cosmetic issues of the vehicle the repairs would not add value to the car, so best to write it off.

I got the car back, alongside the pay-out, arranged for the repairs myself, and got another two years out of the car.

All fine until recently when I used the car as part of an exchange deal for a new car, where I was offered one amount for the car, agreed it, and then as the dealer was doing the paperwork, came across this episode in the car's history which I had completely forgotten about and significantly revised down their offer as part of the deal.
 
Davey_C said:
It knacks your next premium. My mums partner's vauxhall simply had a smashed rear window and the car was 'wrote off'

His insurance has now doubled

On the subject of cars (apologies for hijackin the post) ive just bought a fiesta with alloy wheels off marketplace (never again) and discovered theres no locking wheel nut .. im guessing im pretty much screwed now if i get a flat tyre

Person ive bought the car is not answering my messages
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Get it to a local garage, theyll weld a nut on and remove them, far better to do it before you have an issue.
 
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