Insurance/ Incident Advice Needed.

[GordonTarling]

Having just had a total loss claim with Direct Line settled, I can tell you that the most you'll get is the Glasses guide retail price, with an allowance made for mileage. I tried arguing for a higher value, but the best I could get was a slightly improved 'mileage' adjustment. You do need to ensure that the valuer is using the correct model and options though - he couldn't work out why my 'saloon' car would have had seven seats! The whole process was somewhat shambolic and I don't think I'll be renewing with them when the time comes.

 

[LisleR]

Did you pursue it further?

I'm in a similar situation. My insurers have valued my damaged vehicle at Glass's guide value with an adjustment for mileage and specification. I'm planning on making a complaint to the FOS in an effort to get an increased valuation.

I don't know about now but in the past Mercedes often used to go "over book" as the trade said.

 

[Hi-Ho Silver]

I guess this is the reason for why insurers like to press the 'motor legal protection' option at the time of taking out a policy?

I have absolutely no problem with fighting my corner for as long as it takes. I hope that my insurer would be capable of supporting me with any reasonable action I may choose to take but as we all know, if they can get out of it, they'll invent a reason for doing so which no sane person could comprehend. This being the case, I'd presume that Direct Line would be able to find a replacement car with exactly the same spec, condition and similar mileage for the price they'd offered me for mine in lieu of a cash settlement. Bearing in mind that my car was first registered by MB in 2011 on a '10' plate and that it has 12,000 miles on the clock. When I was looking at other examples so that I could price my car for sale, none of the cars advertised at the time had anything close to that mileage. Okay, it's not everything but my car was absolutely spotless inside and out, so that must also be taken into consideration.

This is all hypothetical as I don't know that they're intending to write my car off. At a rough guess, it'll cost Direct Line thousands to repair my car and to sort out all of the other issues, so a write-off could be an easy route out of this for them.

25+ years of holding a stainless driving record might also count for something? Time will tell and I will take independent legal advice regarding this issue, should the need arise.

Is there any way of having a 'what do to if an insurer...' sticky thread with tips and links to helpful sites and resources or would that constitute giving legal advice and be against forum policy?

 

[Dryce]

Chances are - it wont actually get to court and the other side will fold.

It seems to be an industry culture.

You have to wonder about the dirty cheap and nasty mentality that takes to do this so cynically and consistently.

 

[markjay]

I suggest that instead of looking at dealer adverts, you print out ads by private sellers from Autotrader.

This weakens the insurer's position that the dealer forecourt prices include warranty and other betterments.

Private sale prices of good examples are likely to be higher than Glass's.

 

[Hi-Ho Silver]

Update:

Check Mate.

Someone calling from a Blocked number, who claimed to be calling from Direct Line, asked me to confirm my details with them before they would talk to me.

Working on the basis that they called me, I asked them to confirm their 'details' because I could not be certain that they were who they said they were. My car registration number is public information, so that could have been a start. I asked them what the call related to and was told that they could not share any information with me until I passed their security check.

This may seem a little pedantic or obstructive on my part but why would I divulge a list of personal information, just because someone who called me asked me to?

They're going to call me back tomorrow... (where's the 'check mate' emoticon?)

 

[John]

I think it is fair enough if they initiated the call. You always have to prove who you are when you phone them...

 

[LisleR]

I had the same thing, I asked them to confirm the claim number before I spoke to them. To be fair the person that called gave me his name said I could telephone him if I preferred.

 

[Hi-Ho Silver]

Okay, I realise this is all a bit blow-by-blow but someone out there could benefit from knowing how Direct Line have behaved in this instance.

I called Direct Line back today. They confirmed that they had made a courtesy call to ensure everything was okay and to ask if I had any questions.

No news about my car yet as it hasn't been inspected by their engineer. What I wouldn't give to watch their process in person.

 

[Hi-Ho Silver]

Latest news. The insurance engineer says it's worth fixing, so it's now with MBs Maidstone repair centre.

 

[paulC180]

Talk about ambulance chasers, my wife had her car driven into by another driver, my wife was stationary at the time and the other woman reversed into her, done the door in. This was Jan 2011, even now we still get calls asking if she would like to make a claim for injury, my wife works as a nurse as has told these muppets till she is blue in the face she was not injured, but they still phone her once a week to try and get her to claim. We have an american culture legal system coming to the UK with no american perks. No wonder our blood* premiums are so high. Crazy world people, crazy.

 

[Hi-Ho Silver]

Okay so my insurer (eSure) has increased my premium by about £40 because after 26 years of driving without any claims or incidents etc, i'm now considered statistically more at risk of making another claim because someone hit my car and because I claimed on their policy (Direct Line)!

Direct Line quoted me over £1,000!! My insurer, just over £320.

 

[GreetMe]

^ Exactly what I was (eventually) told would be happening to me at renewal time in December.

 

[Hi-Ho Silver]

Of course, such a prediction is completely improbable. However, if I should ever need to claim again, this would prove their prediction correct. It's a double-bind.

 

[Hi-Ho Silver]

I have my car back. It looks as good as new...again!

Thanks to MB repair centre in Maidstone for their perfectionism and to Lookers MB, Hove for their support and great service.

 

[snail]

Of course, such a prediction is completely improbable.

Yes, using your sample of 1. The insurers on the other hand have statistics on thousands of cars, which if your assessment of the reason for the increase is correct will show that there is an increased risk of a second accident.

£40 doesn't sound much, are you sure it's solely due to the accident and not a general increase?

 

[Hi-Ho Silver]

Apologies for not considering the statistical improbability drive employed by insurers. Of course the probable risk of me ever having another reason to claim on another persons insurance remains the same as it was before I claimed this time. 26 years, no claims, convictions etc etc....

Direct Line (who the other person was insured with) had quoted me more (£360) than my current insurer before the claim (£270). After I had claimed, DLs quote rose to £1,129.76p.