Driver runs into back of our little Skoda at traffic lights with next to no damage

[pmcgsmurf]

If it were me I would just forget about it and do something else with my time. The damage is so tiny that it's really not going to affect the value of the car - and it may be that this is why the insurer is "giving you the run around". The problem is that the self inflicted stress of the likely "battle" with the insurer or the third party may have a much bigger unseen impact on your own wellbeing/health than a mark on an inanimate object is worth fighting over.

Trust me, no stress for me.

I am though not going to forget about damage caused to my stationery car by a careless driver.

I'm not really interested in how small the damage/mark is.
As the garage says, until we remove the bumper it is an "estimate".

 

[Atavus]

They much prefer to use their authorised repairers. They then give them carte blanche pretty well as they trust them (even if that trust is a bit misplaced at times).

 

[219]

One other way to do it , if you feel you have enough evidence, a clear admission of liability from the other party , is just to put the car in and pay for the repair yourself .

You can also demonstrate that you have been patient and reasonable with the insurer , but have waited long enough .

Then raise an action in small claims court against the other driver ; he will be forced to either pay himself , or invoke his insurance.

I think it costs about £35 to raise the action .

You could write to him first and tell him this is what you are going to do unless they respond within 5 working days

 

[pmcgsmurf]

I think the admission of liability is there given that the insurance company already called about the driver running into me.

I'll see how I feel at start of week, well maybe later as I have some end of month accounts to run and supplier payments to do.
Then I'll get the ball rolling to get the thing fixed.

 

[markjay]

If it were me I would just forget about it and do something else with my time. The damage is so tiny that it's really not going to affect the value of the car - and it may be that this is why the insurer is "giving you the run around". The problem is that the self inflicted stress of the likely "battle" with the insurer or the third party may have a much bigger unseen impact on your own wellbeing/health than a mark on an inanimate object is worth fighting over.

That varies from one person to another.... I paid good money to a paintless dent repair specialist to remove micro-dents that I could only see when viewing from a specific angle in bright sunlight... but once seen it cannot be unseen. There's no commercial logic to it, but if it bugs you then you just have to get it sorted. And in this case, it was someone else's fault, so why not let the other apart insurer pick up the bill?

That said, in the past there were occasions where I did let it go when my car suffered minuscule damage by another driver, when I knew I wasn't going to get it fixed anyway (I.e. old car etc).

 

[pmcgsmurf]

Still not got anywhere, just rung them and got some bull about difficulty getting an engineer out from Audi Glasgow.

Their excuse is I took it to Stirling and Audi Stirling don't do insurance work (correct) so it has to go to Glasgow.

Told them they have till Friday after this I'll fix it myself and pay for a hire car and claim them for it.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Still not got anywhere, just rung them and got some bull about difficulty getting an engineer out from Audi Glasgow.

Their excuse is I took it to Stirling and Audi Stirling don't do insurance work (correct) so it has to go to Glasgow.

Told them they have till Friday after this I'll fix it myself and pay for a hire car and claim them for it.

Pontoneer said something similar lately, how does it work? Is it a Scottish thing?

 

[pmcgsmurf]

Pontoneer said something similar lately, how does it work? Is it a Scottish thing?

Not really, worse case scenario I have the repair done, £300, hire a car for the couple of days, £60.
Send them the receipts for £360 asking them to reimburse me.

If they refuse I then take them to the small claims court as a last resort.

Or I just get my insurance to chase them as I've already informed them of it.

I may even get s claims company involved.

Whatever pans out it is just about letting them know I'm not chasing "them" anymore.

 

[pmcgsmurf]

Interesting, had a call from the insurer this morning with them pointing out I had given them today as the deadline.

Few minutes later ca call from Audi Glasgow, they are arranging for an engineer to come out to sort out the repair estimate, after approval they will collect the car and delivery this back after the repair.

Details sent to them, just waiting to here from the assessor/engineer now........

 

[pmcgsmurf]

Update from the engineer/assessor, they have sent the "estimate" off to the insurance company, keen to highlight it is an estimate only, no amount for the rear crash bar which will be assessed once the bumper is off.

£755.15 + vat.

So quite a bit up from £250+ vat estimate I had to repair.

 

[pmcgsmurf]

Remember me.

Car picked up on Monday by garage and transported to their place on a trailer.

Just before this a courtesy car was provided by Enterprise.

Call this afternoon to say it was ready and delivered back about an hour later.
New bumper fitted as they could not do an adequate repair in the old one, that will push the price up.

Fully valeted as well which was nice bonus.

 

[bob6600]

Excellent result!

 

[markjay]

They much prefer to use their authorised repairers. They then give them carte blanche pretty well as they trust them (even if that trust is a bit misplaced at times).

In Aviva's case, their authorised repairer is Solus, a national network of accident repair centres, which Aviva fully-owns... so this is how they have dealt with the trust issue

If I ever end-up needing to make a claim on my own policy, I will just pay the £200 additional excess and get the car repaired where I want (dealer, or trusted indie). I am aware that Solus is operated as a separate business (even though it is owned by Aviva), but I would still be suspicious as with regards to who their ultimate loyalty lies with - the customer, or their owner? Hmmm....

 

[glojo]

Something that I have ALWAYS insisted upon and yes, sometimes insurance companies do not like it but I have ALWAYS insisted that our car gets repaired ONLY by an authorised Mercedes Body repair shop. (they give me a free pen ) being serious for a second, insurance companies sometimes use body-shops that are perhaps more interested in getting vehicles in and out of their body-shops as quickly as possible as opposed to doing a good job.

If any insurance company tries to put pressure on us for opting for the approved repair shop, I simply tell them that our car has a warranty that insists the repairs are carried out in the manner we want and always let the assessor know that before the accident the car did not have any body-filler and that is how you want it returned..... (no body-filler), Yup, I know, these approved places would never dream of plonking filler into a crease.

One incident our poor car was involved in was when a woman left her car parked without applying the handbrake and the thing rolled down a slight incline into our vehicle. This woman tried running back to her car and drive off but thankfully she was detained until my wife arrived back at our car. Details were exchanged, my wife was also very kindly given names of two independent witnesses, I informed the guilty parties insurer and thankfully they were more than co-operative. After 48hrs this kind insurer had not heard from the 'guilty' driver, but because we had those two independent witnesses, the insurance company admitted liability on behalf of their insured and everything was taken care off.

My advice.... Never take a cash payment for a repair as if it is more serious than it might look... You are up the creek.

ALWAYS try to get an independent witness or two Take photographs.

Always use an approved workshop even if your car no longer has mobilo cover as to get that Mercedes approval the repair shop has to earn it.

Never, ever take anything at face value, trust your instincts and never get brow beaten