My GLC was stolen and recovered crashed

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stote

New Member
Joined
Jul 8, 2019
Messages
24
Location
london
Car
GLC
Dear all ,
I need some help , last Wednesday night my GLC was stolen at approximately 04:20 am , police eventually found the car crashed and abandoned not to far from home ; I reported car stolen at 07:20 am ,police only informed me at around 09:30 am that they found the car, gave me an address where the car was kept a police pound awaiting forensic; insurance informed and asked me to inform them when car will be released , I managed to get a friend to drive me to the police pound , where I was informed that the car was not drivable as the front and driver side were completely destroyed and I wouldn’t be able to see the car, no date for the release, I called back the insurance and they started asking questions like if the car has wheels , doors, seats, etc , obviously I mention that I didn’t see the car still the lady insisted in writing that I didn’t answer the question, 5 minutes later I received an email that due to the damage my car would be uneconomical to repair and they instruct coopart to collect the car , now I’m confused as to what should I do? They need my car documents? What kind of payment they do?
anyone here had same situation with write off?
also I have a cherished plate as the car registration what should I do to removed before they scrap the car?
 
Sorry this has happened to you. As far as what to do is concerned firstly put your private plate on retention, you can do this online. Secondly, you need the facility to remove any personal items from the vehicle before it disappears. Remember the car is still owned by you (unless on pcp) no matter what has happened to it. Thirdly you have to provide all the documents requested by your Insurers.( Presumably you won't want to buy the salvage back). Finally Insurers will make you an offer in settlement, payment usually by bank transfer. Make sure that the settlement offer is reasonable by comparing cars for sale of similar age, spec and mileage, so that you can dispute, if necessary, their initial offer.
 
Ouch, not nice, sorry to hear.
As regards access, if it's been cleared by forensics, you should have access to your car asap. Not sure why you've been advised what you explain. Be quick though as yards / breakers can move quickly if you do have personal effects still in there.

When it comes to valuing yours, they may (initially) value it at the infamous book price.
Grab some similar cars from AT as thats the cost to you to replace your car (give or take), not some hypothetical book value. It's a better starting place for that discussion.

How old was the car (under a year?)
If it's on finance, do you have Gap insurance?
 
Oldguy57's post is spot-on.

The insurer will ask you to hand over the V5C, service book (if not digital), and both keys.

Remember that the car is yours until you agree the value with the insurer and hand-over the V5C.

Get the plate on retention before you hand-over the (old) V5C. The insurer might want you to also send them the new V5C (with the car original plates) when you get it in the post.

Also, while you can take your time negotiating with the insurer, the police might get edgy and ask that you remove your car from the pound or pay storage charge. If it gets to that, you'll need to check with your insurer if they will cover any recovery-related costs that the police might impose.

And last, I don't usually recommend employing the services of accident management companies, but if your insurer starts being awkward, you may need to consider this option. You should be able to use the service offered by MB, if you have Mobilo cover.
 
Sorry to hear of you car being taken. One question : what is it worth £ ? They wrote it off without even seeing it. I appreciate it take very little to write off a modern car these days but they do seem to have jumped a few steps.
 
Sorry to hear of you car being taken. One question : what is it worth £ ? They wrote it off without even seeing it. I appreciate it take very little to write off a modern car these days but they do seem to have jumped a few steps.
I thought that too. I thought, crikey is that what they do these days, just write cars off without seeing them? I always thought they sent someone out to inspect them but luckily I've never had to claim (touch wood etc etc)
 
Sorry to hear of you car being taken. One question : what is it worth £ ? They wrote it off without even seeing it. I appreciate it take very little to write off a modern car these days but they do seem to have jumped a few steps.

I thought that too. I thought, crikey is that what they do these days, just write cars off without seeing them? I always thought they sent someone out to inspect them but luckily I've never had to claim (touch wood etc etc)
Although the OP didn’t get to see the car, based on the description given to the OP:
I was informed that the car was not drivable as the front and driver side were completely destroyed
Doesn’t sound too promising?

Couple that with the usual hire car until the claim is resolved etc, and pethaps they felt it was a constructive approach (or maybe they got more info than the OP was aware of - eg direct from the police?)

Either way, not sure I would want it back after that unless it was something unique/irreplaceable etc :)
 
Sounds odd its been written off without an assesor having looked at it.
Then again we are in Covid times.
Remember insurance companies are a business and they exist to make money.
Its cheaper and more effecient for them to write it off than to arrange assesor, arrange a garage than to write you a check.
BUT the car has still not been assesed for them to determine a)if a write off or b) its condition pre crash and value for payput.
The are not following rules here.
You should call them and clarify. Co part will be there in an instant.
 
Sounds odd its been written off without an assesor having looked at it.

If the car is to be written off it is cheaper for them to do it quickly.

Once written off the policy is typically cancelled immediately and that means expenses such as travel and hire car costs are terminated.

Chances are they have sufficient information to make the decision.

The are not following rules here.
You should call them and clarify. Co part will be there in an instant.
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The rules as far as your own insurer are concerned - are what they make them to be.

It's more complicated if it is a third party insurer making the decision.

Hire car fleets are depleted at the moment and demand for hire cars has gone up - so the cost of a replacement car at the moment is high. If there are likely to be delays becase of covid in getting the car released and rep[aied then the costs could be high.
 
to get a value put the reg number into we buy any car and add £2k
also look at auto trader for identical models...don't accept their 1st or even 2nd offer...
 
Yes get the plates on retention,get down the pound and insist you take you personal things from the car at the same time remove the plates and put the originals in the car take a photo
 
Another thought is that the insurance companies have made good money during Covid, many policy holders not driving at all but still paying premiums = less claims = more profit.

So juts writing stuff off costs them less . Still do not know how much OP thinks the car is worth.
 
When mine was stolen the police recovered it and advised the insurers directly who took it off to a Copart like place in Essex without me knowing anything. When I went to the police station to pick it up they told me it had gone. Insurers decided it was a write off and that was it until I went to the yard and took it back with a broken door lock and busted ignition lock plus the damage the yard did to the windscreen removing the VIN plate.
 
to get a value put the reg number into we buy any car and add £2k
also look at auto trader for identical models...don't accept their 1st or even 2nd offer...
I think that adding a % might work better.
 

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