non fault claim - write off? - please help

[219]

A car can only be 'written off' the books of an insurance company once an offer of payment has been made by the insurer AND ACCEPTED BY THE OWNER .

If the owner declines an offer he considers unacceptable , the 'writing off' process can be put off INDEFINITELY . I have done this myself .

Until or unless payment changes hands , the car CANNOT be written off .

Nor can any insurer dictate to you where and by whom your car can be repaired - as the owner , the choice of repairer is yours and yours alone .

 

[dtr]

Thank you for replies so far.

I got a quote from Redland Bodyworks for £1116. Does that sound fair, and would it make sense to force Direct Line to use them? I doubt I'll get much cheap in the rip-off Bristol, but Birmingham could be better.

Labour £385.00

Paints and materials £144.67

Parts required:
door assy £366.00
moulding £ 17.00
guard £ 4.95
Blackout door £ 5.95
Blackout door £ 3.30

Duty of care £ 3.75
Vat 20% £186.12

Total £1116.74

I believe the insurance company would be forcing me to sign some papers at their garage to allow them to do as they please with the car. This is not something I want to do.

P.S. The diesel or exhaust smell is really driving me nuts. It finds its way to the saloon unless I block the ventilator and open the windows. 100 miles like that last night didn't make me very happy. I know, I am quite a sensitive type. My local mechanic is booked up for the next week so they can't check it properly at the moment.

P.P.S. Is the A class meant to rock stable on the road, or can they wobble a little over humps and when breaking?

 

[Howard]

They will more than likely write it off with a quote like that.

Secondhand door , painted by friendly bodyshop is the way forward.

Secondhand Door £100 , paint £250 inc arch.

They bounce around all over the place , like a roller skate on top of a slinky.

 

[219]

I looked at an A140 'accident damaged repairable' , which turned out to be nothing more than a marginal scrape on an already rusty rear wheelarch , considering it as a runabout for SWBBO . Asking price was £700 with MOT to October - car was going to need tyres which , on costing them , made it less attractive ( along with it being white ) .

On further investigation , there is no shortage of these cars sub £1K , so I didn't bother with it . Hence I'd agree with Howard's assessment that insurers will try to push for a total loss then insult you with a poor offer rather than pay out that amount .

I'd shop around the breakers yards , but would begrudge paying anything like £100 for a door (£25 would be more like it) then get someone local to paint the door and fix the arch , keeping the whole bill (including door) under £500 .


Although the A was not unpleasant to drive , for that money I'll probably pick up another 190E or a W124 to replace her ladyship's somewhat impractical Hyundai Coupe with something with 4 doors and a bit safer .

 

[Howard]

Sub £1k A classes to be honest are a money pit.

You did the right thing.

Pay a bit more and get one that doesn't need everything doing.

 

[jonnyboy]

I looked at an A140 'accident damaged repairable' , which turned out to be nothing more than a marginal scrape on an already rusty rear wheelarch , considering it as a runabout for SWBBO . Asking price was £700 with MOT to October - car was going to need tyres which , on costing them , made it less attractive ( along with it being white ) .

On further investigation , there is no shortage of these cars sub £1K , so I didn't bother with it . Hence I'd agree with Howard's assessment that insurers will try to push for a total loss then insult you with a poor offer rather than pay out that amount .

I'd shop around the breakers yards , but would begrudge paying anything like £100 for a door (£25 would be more like it) then get someone local to paint the door and fix the arch , keeping the whole bill (including door) under £500 .


Although the A was not unpleasant to drive , for that money I'll probably pick up another 190E or a W124 to replace her ladyship's somewhat impractical Hyundai Coupe with something with 4 doors and a bit safer .

Easy seen you live up in Scotland Derek !!!!!

 

[Howard]

Good luck getting one for £25 , you want one that will need minimal work , not one that has been bashed around.

Plenty on Ebay actually for £60 ish ... plus postage.

If you want to save it you need to come up with a reasonable suggestion when the assessor comes.

Get a local bodyshop to give you a price to paint a door , and fix the scrape. Pop the door on yourself , it isn't hard. That way when he sucks his teeth and says 'im sorry sir .... ' you can say 'how about we do it this way ?' and show him your quote that you have had pre prepared.

You have to be a bit sensible , no assessor is going to stand brand new parts , fitted and painted at top rates , it's an old A class.

This is exactly what my friend with the w203 that Nick has mentioned earlier has done ..... result = his car is saved .

 

[timskemp]

They bounce around all over the place , like a roller skate on top of a slinky.

There's a little hump over a drain near me, at 50mph the A class would do a little hop over it, landing in a very crashy manner.

I enjoyed my year in an A class, a clever little car and very capable, just poorly executed and badly bodged for right hand drive. It was my first MB and I'm now on my third...

 

[Howard]

I have to say , i didn't mean my comment in a nasty way.

I love our little A class .

The LWB's handle a lot better than the SWB's

 

[219]

Easy seen you live up in Scotland Derek !!!!!

Going rate hereabouts .

Or £15 for a 190E front wing ; £10 for a W124 bonnet ; £25 was for a W124 door ; same price for W126 bumpers - complete with good chrome .

Above prices were all for good panels , free of damage or rust .

For £100 , I'd expect to buy a whole car to break !

 

[Howard]

Bahahahhahahah !

I just bought one to break ( with Nick ) and it was quite a bit more than that ..... it was Brabus'd up though

 

[A210AMG]

When ours was left in an NCP and someone did this and drove off... We were quote around £1600 for Mercedes to fix it...

I say 'fix' I mean just replace the door and spray it... as they cannot fix anything these days

By the time you add the labour for taking the trim off, spraying and refitting that's just silly.

One dent almost makes it a right off...

 

[Howard]

That's because MB ramp the price out of all proportion.

It's a nasty dink because its on the crease , but a good bodyshop would sort that for £250.

 

[dtr]

If anyone could recommend an affordable and decent bodyshop in Bristol or failing that in Birmingham I'd be most grateful.

I just spoke to Direct Line claims department. They must inspect the car first, and then it seems they *might* give some options such as 1. their own garage repair 2. write-off payout based on the market value 3. repair at my designated garage or a cash settlement.

No 3 sounds the best if I can get it (£1200 if I get very lucky for a change).

Should the car be written-off, what could I do to minimize my losses? Would you leave the car as is, or try to sort out the fume smell or do anything else?

Would it be sensible to buy 2005 new generation A160 CDI at around £4k? Or is Ford Focus C-MAX 1.6D Zetec a better choice? Nissan Almera Tino 2.2D? Golf Plus if that is even realistic around that price? It simply has to have plenty of headroom and half decent boot.

 

[Howard]

'Might' ?!!?? WTF ? IT'S YOUR CAR !! - while you can't insist to them what to do , you can steer them the way you would like the outcome to end.

I've told you how to get it sorted , just suggest that to the assessor , be nice to him and he'll help you out.

You aren't going to get £1200 , that is one thing that is certain.

They won't write it off if you present them with an alternative suggestion .

Wash the car before the assessor comes , so it looks like you really care for it , and give them the line ' I love this car , i don't want to lose it , so instead of writing it off , how about we do this ....' then you give them the (sensible) quote.

As to the helpful bodyshops , i can't help i'm afraid.

 

[nick mercedes]

If anyone could recommend an affordable and decent bodyshop in Bristol or failing that in Birmingham I'd be most grateful.

Would you be happy to use a bodyshop 2 hours from Bristol?

If so your car can be repaired for around £400, which should keep your insurance company happy.

 

[sopgeo]

Going rate hereabouts .

Or £15 for a 190E front wing ; £10 for a W124 bonnet ; £25 was for a W124 door ; same price for W126 bumpers - complete with good chrome .

Above prices were all for good panels , free of damage or rust .

For £100 , I'd expect to buy a whole car to break !

I'm going to come up to Ayrshire with a big trailer! Actually if those prices are genuine then I am totally serious.

 

[219]

These are prices I have paid for parts in recent years .

I have also been offered a full dark blue electric leather interior from a 500SEL for £100 , full black leather 190 Cosworth interior for £80 ( my pal james paid £40 for his !!! ) ; set of 15 hole alloys from the same 500 with nearly new Pirelli P6000's on for £100 - my pal bought them , then later sold me them for £80 ; 190E headlamp + indicator £25 ; 190 orthopaedic front seats £15 each ; 190 towbar £15 ; W124 towbar £30

Lots , lots more .

East of Scotland breakers charge similar prices .

Considering that most breakers pay no more than £200 for a complete car ( usually a lot less ) and still get much the same money back from the scrap metal merchants when they weigh it in after selling off what parts they can - the parts business is all profit for them , and many can make money just by weighing in after de-polluting - so they are happy to sell parts off for nominal prices . Quite a few of the breakers round here are old car enthusiasts themselves and like to help others out .

 

[dtr]

Would you be happy to use a bodyshop 2 hours from Bristol?

If so your car can be repaired for around £400, which should keep your insurance company happy.

I would be certainly willing if it helps to save it. Hopefully they could give an estimate from the photographs as I may not be able to drive down this far for the next two weeks.

The assessor will collect my car this Saturday, and then phone me up on Monday to discuss the progress. I can't see any point in delaying it any more. The fuel smell is becoming too overpowering [now I drive with all windows down regardless the weather], and to be honest that could be somehow caused by the accident. I will point this out to the assessor. Maybe I didn't have the car long enough, but I could bet the smell appeared after the accident and is getting stronger. This might be related to gearbox change as well (in which case it should be covered by warranty), but more likely the accident.

 

[Dieselman]

but I could bet the smell appeared after the accident and is getting stronger. This might be related to gearbox change as well (in which case it should be covered by warranty), but more likely the accident.

Not likely.