Not a good day - someone hit the back of my car!

[fatdazza]

If you can get them closer to £7k a bit of haggling could see you in a 2005/6 model, which wouldn't be a terrible outcome, although I appreciate you'd sooner it hadn't happened at all.

Not sure how important the 180 engine was to you but this 320 is loaded and only has 71k showing.

320 looks nice, but mpg may be a bit low for me

 

[Mac1]

Total bummer, but as stated before buy it back...No brainer..

 

[V12]

My last car that got written off was initially valued by them at 4200. They finally paid me 5600 for it.
I bought it back for 480 even though their first offer for buy back was 1100.

Someone must be able to recommend a decent body shop near you that can quote you on the job.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using MBClub UK

 

[grober]

A good body shop would put that on jig and pull it out--- however the effectiveness of the repair will depend on whether the boot floor is distorted/ the rear wheel arch welds may have " sprung" leading to leaks / the rear tailgate frame has not distorted= the back door will never shut properly again. You should be able to get the parts to sort - rear lamp cluster and entire rear bumper assembly from a breakers yard--- far more "frontal write offs" than rears normally But the painting and finishing to an adequate standard is usually the killer. Remember also when you come to sell, the car will have a certain "damaged repairable " flag opposite its name reflecting its resale value. Personally I think I would take the money and look for another car but really depends on the extent of any hidden rear damage do your sums very carefully.

 

[jimmyca69]

Sorry to hear this - is there any scope to look to buy it back with a view to breaking good bits and selling on? In meantime get cheap runaround for work?

 

[nick mercedes]

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Get a second quote from a normal bodyshop, and get your car repaired.

£5k to fit a rear wing, rear bumper and rear light is a tad over the top.

Expect the repair to cost around £2k and take around 4 days.

 

[nick mercedes]

They have offered me the car for £1890

Take the £6300, buy it off them for £1890, I've got a man who'll repair that for £1500 (to as good a standard as it was in pre-accident) and trouser the £2900 that's left.

You get to keep the car you know, and get the best part of £3k to put towards your new house.

 

[Dieselman]

A good body shop would put that on jig and pull it out--- however the effectiveness of the repair will depend on whether the boot floor is distorted/ the rear wheel arch welds may have " sprung" leading to leaks / the rear tailgate frame has not distorted= the back door will never shut properly again.

No way has that impact done damage anything like that severe, it's a glancing blow on the corner, so a press with a dolly or a pull on a jig will see it all back in position with the outer wing skin needing replacing to get rid of the crease.

A proper panel beating bodyshop may fix it without the need to replace the wing at all.

 

[Mac1]

Take the £6300, buy it off them for £1890, I've got a man who'll repair that for £1500 (to as good a standard as it was in pre-accident) and trouser the £2900 that's left.

You get to keep the car you know, and get the best part of £3k to put towards your new house.

Ta Dah!!!!

As I said No Brainer...

 

[Yogib]

7 years ago someone went up the back of my wifes car(fortunately she was fine), they wrote it off and was gutted. They gave us 1k payout and the guy who looked at it from the other drivers inurers said take the money as we cannot legally take the car from you. Having checked this out we asked our insurers what we needed to do and they said if it passes it's M.O.T they were happy to insure it as it has been passed as road legal. We did this kept it 6 months and then sold it so for a change an isurance claim worked out well. Agreed the damage or value are not the same but we were well chuffed

 

[Deleted member 65149]

Not as easy a call to make as some others suggest.

You know the car well and you're happy with it. So hunting down something suitable to replace it could be difficult and even then it may have underlying problems that you're not aware of until a few months in.

Buy back and get it repaired has the potential to be financially beneficial and with the least amount of effort for you. But there is the matter of it going on the car's record thereby possibly affecting the sell on price later. But if you plan to hang onto the car for a while, that effect will reduce with time to become negligible. There's also the concern you will always have that the work hasn't been done properly. But with any car you buy second hand you have no way of knowing for certain whether or not it too has had major work carried out in its past.

I'd say it's certainly worth taking the car to a couple of local places for estimates so that you can then make a final decision. Not too far from you is a place that I can thoroughly recommend - Peterborough Trim Repairs - Peterborough's #1 Car Body Repairers Chris Clark and his son Steve are true enthusiasts as well as being brilliant at their jobs. The repair they did to my CLK rear wing was amazing. The only downside to using them is that they're so good you may have to wait a bit longer than other places. The quality of their work is reflected in a slightly higher price than some backstreet bodyshops, but more than worth it.

 

[bassist]

Having just picked up on this thread, I am not at all surprised that Robinsons came up with a staggering quote.
My daughter popped her CLK 280 into the rear of a Citroen with minimal noticeable damage to hers and almost nil to the Citroen. The quote from Robinsons just a tad under £2000. Alternative via Insurers £650 and it is a factory AMG bodykit. The lower mesh grill, undamaged originally "suddenly" became indented. My theory was a size 9 shoe.
Work carried out by a firm in Haverhill. Well finished and quicker than suggested with OEM parts. Even had a courtesy car, although the insurance didn't cover it there was no charge.

Get it and fix it !! for the least amount possible.
Good Luck

 

[fatdazza]

Not as easy a call to make as some others suggest.

You know the car well and you're happy with it. So hunting down something suitable to replace it could be difficult and even then it may have underlying problems that you're not aware of until a few months in.

Buy back and get it repaired has the potential to be financially beneficial and with the least amount of effort for you. But there is the matter of it going on the car's record thereby possibly affecting the sell on price later. But if you plan to hang onto the car for a while, that effect will reduce with time to become negligible. There's also the concern you will always have that the work hasn't been done properly. But with any car you buy second hand you have no way of knowing for certain whether or not it too has had major work carried out in its past.

I'd say it's certainly worth taking the car to a couple of local places for estimates so that you can then make a final decision. Not too far from you is a place that I can thoroughly recommend - Peterborough Trim Repairs - Peterborough's #1 Car Body Repairers Chris Clark and his son Steve are true enthusiasts as well as being brilliant at their jobs. The repair they did to my CLK rear wing was amazing. The only downside to using them is that they're so good you may have to wait a bit longer than other places. The quality of their work is reflected in a slightly higher price than some backstreet bodyshops, but more than worth it.

Thanks for the advice. I will contact them tomorrow and see what they can advise.

 

[fatdazza]

Today just gets better.....

Spoke to the insurance company who said they will not budge on their offer of £6300.

They also told me that they will take the courtesy car off hire from next Wednesday. Finding a car in such a short timescale will be near impossible.

Waiting for my legal advice to call me back......

What with sorting out the new house, new baby due in December, and Accountancy Exams in December, this is killing me.

 

[V12]

Ridiculous, my insurance company helped me stick to my guns against a 3rd party not admitting liability.
I had the courtesy car for a LONG time and it cost the 3rd party insurers a stack of money because they didn't sort out their end.

 

[grober]

Today just gets better.....

Spoke to the insurance company who said they will not budge on their offer of £6300.

They also told me that they will take the courtesy car off hire from next Wednesday. Finding a car in such a short timescale will be near impossible.

Waiting for my legal advice to call me back......

What with sorting out the new house, new baby due in December, and Accountancy Exams in December, this is killing me.

Under the circumstances----- take the money--- the motor trade is stagnant--- this time of year is quiet--- you are a cash buyer---- bound to be something out there for you?

 

[Dash1]

Under the circumstances----- take the money--- the motor trade is stagnant--- this time of year is quiet--- you are a cash buyer---- bound to be something out there for you?

As usual, excellent advice from grober, this is definitely the route to follow in my opinion as well, especially given your current circumstances. Put it all behind you and start again, you certainly don’t need the anxiety and stress with the new baby due in December and sitting exams. Good luck and I hope everything turns out for the best.

Best Regards,

Dash1

 

[horatio]

£6300 buys a lot of Merc at the moment, just look at it as an excuse to buy a fruitier model!

I know where your coming from though. My car is worth naff all but to replace it with a car in as good condition would probably mean buying a much newer car and then spend more cash ironing out niggles ££££.

 

[No Name Benz]

Insurance Companies Are For Themselves

Hello Sir,

How I feel for you! I know just how it is.!
Back in 2009 I myself had an experience with THE INSURER, when I lost my beloved Megane Sport to Mr Frosty ( ice to us all). Yes it can be repaired but will cost more than the 60% of the cars value and so we're going to keep it, fcuk you, heres some money get yourself another one.
Listen, its the same story all round. I've been though the headache, heartache, upset and torment this brings. Its the insurers that should pay us for all the torture we go though. In reality their doing us a GREAT BIG FAVOUR.

WHAAAAATTT???? Yep, I heard you. And you heard me.

We become very emotionally attached to our cars, and sometimes don't even realise it.We cannot see beyond the pail. There has been a lot of good opinions you have read in your replies, and you may have seen that most folk say 'TAKE THE MONEY'. DO! Because there ARE PLENTY of Benz out there as a replacement. This is a great time of the year to buy, as traders want rid of what is now to them old stock. Lots of room for negotiation, even on what seems an already good bargain.

It's now time to take five minutes and gather your thoughts and think lateral. Forget about the loss you are suffering, and think forward. I know you wanted to keep yours a long time, so get another and keep that a long time. Go to a car checking web site, or even the AA's car check web site, pay them a small sum, and have your potential next car checked. Find an independent mechanic or AA mechanic to be with you when when you decide to buy the car.

I searched high and low for a replacement for my Megane, and it was a complete pain, till I found this BENZ crying out to me. So I told THE INSURERS to fcuk off, took the money, and Benz and me are very happy. I will never buy anything other than Benz now. You too will be happy.

Honest! IT'S NOT WORTH THE HASSLE!

I wish you good luck and good fortune.

NoNameBenz.

 

[fatdazza]

Hello Sir,

How I feel for you! I know just how it is.!
Back in 2009 I myself had an experience with THE INSURER, when I lost my beloved Megane Sport to Mr Frosty ( ice to us all). Yes it can be repaired but will cost more than the 60% of the cars value and so we're going to keep it, fcuk you, heres some money get yourself another one.
Listen, its the same story all round. I've been though the headache, heartache, upset and torment this brings. Its the insurers that should pay us for all the torture we go though. In reality their doing us a GREAT BIG FAVOUR.

WHAAAAATTT???? Yep, I heard you. And you heard me.

We become very emotionally attached to our cars, and sometimes don't even realise it.We cannot see beyond the pail. There has been a lot of good opinions you have read in your replies, and you may have seen that most folk say 'TAKE THE MONEY'. DO! Because there ARE PLENTY of Benz out there as a replacement. This is a great time of the year to buy, as traders want rid of what is now to them old stock. Lots of room for negotiation, even on what seems an already good bargain.

It's now time to take five minutes and gather your thoughts and think lateral. Forget about the loss you are suffering, and think forward. I know you wanted to keep yours a long time, so get another and keep that a long time. Go to a car checking web site, or even the AA's car check web site, pay them a small sum, and have your potential next car checked. Find an independent mechanic or AA mechanic to be with you when when you decide to buy the car.

I searched high and low for a replacement for my Megane, and it was a complete pain, till I found this BENZ crying out to me. So I told THE INSURERS to fcuk off, took the money, and Benz and me are very happy. I will never buy anything other than Benz now. You too will be happy.

Honest! IT'S NOT WORTH THE HASSLE!

I wish you good luck and good fortune.

NoNameBenz.

Thanks for taking the time to post. I understand your point about not getting attached to the car.

My whole gripe is that I was not at fault, it was the other person's fault and his insurance company have admitted that.

Now through no fault of my own I will now be out of pocket. I have to chase around searching for a new car and his insurers have only given me one week to find another car. They were quite happy to provide me with a courtesy car straight after the accident, while my car was assessed. They then decide it is uneconomical to repair (fair enough - I accept that), but then they appoint themselves Judge and Jury, to decide the value of my car (and yes I can understand the concept of book value etc), and they then say that the hire car they provided will be taken off hire next Wednesday. I have to work weekdays so only have Saturday and Sunday to find a car. In my mind this cannot be right.