w124 e300td insurance 'total loss' write off

[purplebod]

Hello all

the short version is...

I pranged my beloved diesel estate. It is a 1994 M reg with about 175,000m on the clock. Previously in good condition for its age, and it has had whatever it needed (recently suspension)at an independent mercedes garage. It has always been well serviced, since I always intended to keep it forever. Insurance company engineer saying it is uneconomical to repair. They have given it a value of £1600 (off Glasses guide). It needs a value of £3600 to be economical to repair. I know I couldn't buy one as good with FSH for much less than £4000, if I could find one at all. The engineer has said they will review the value if I can provide them with evidence to support it. Any help or suggestions for what to do gratefully received.

It is currently at trusted mercedes independent (not an approved repairer) so they can't just take it away...
I really don't want it written off. I really do want it back.

 

[Sp!ke]

You need to provide examples of cars in a similar spec and condition and the prices they have sold at. The easiest way to do that is to look at completed auctions on Ebay.

The advertised prices on websites and magazines will also help but that price isnt necessarilly the sale price.

 

[neilrr]

Take a cash settlement & keep the car. Fix it using 2nd hand parts.

 

[IanA2]

Take a cash settlement & keep the car. Fix it using 2nd hand parts.

As above, could you get it back into good useable condition with the cash they've offered?

 

[Druk]

Pictures of damage required............

 

[purplebod]

Thanks Neilrr and IanA2. Currently, the insurers are saying there is no provision for this. If I accept any money from them, they will own the vehicle. Whether there is any room for negotiation is unclear.

 

[jamesfuller]

Thanks Neilrr and IanA2. Currently, the insurers are saying there is no provision for this. If I accept any money from them, they will own the vehicle. Whether there is any room for negotiation is unclear.

There is room for negotiation! As previously mentioned, details of previous sales and maybe contacting a couple of the well known Mercedes sales specialists for a valuation would be worth while.

Who actually priced up the repair costs? The insurance company or the specialist?

Its probably going to be a case of getting the value nearer a true replacement cost and the repair costs lower.

 

[purplebod]

not sure if this will work, as I am new to this whole thing, but hopefully, you should be able to see pics here

http://[URL=http://s1269.photobucket.com/user/purplebod/media/photo06561_2_zps3a6701ff.jpg.html]

[IMG]http://i1269.photobucket.com/albums/jj587/purplebod/photo06561_2_zps3a6701ff.jpg[/URL][/IMG]

 

[jamesfuller]

The good news is the damage could be a lot worse. The wing will probably straighten out fine in the right hands. Just a bonnet, lights and straighten the slam panel.

If all else fails and the insurance company wont play ball, it wouldn't be that expensive to get it repaired and stump up the money yourself. A much better way to go than to lose it and have to try and replace a nice 124.

This is still in the back of my mind after my 124 was involved in a crash a couple of months back and may turn out to be the only way to keep the car!

 

[purplebod]

It is a bit more involved than that sadly, as it has pushed the front bit (can you tell I am not a mechanic!) back, and the radiator too... Engineer's quote over £4500 (how he arrived at that number I have no idea). Garage quote using new parts (as they have to in an insurance quote...)£2600 ish.

[/URL][/IMG]

 

[renault12ts]

Given the rust it was going to need at least one new wing.

 

[Druk]

Take it to a smaller coachworks and see what they say. You'll get secondhand bits off ebay or new from Eurocarparts. There's a good grille here for sweeties if required. It needs a bonnet and wing and headlight and radiator. All of that unbolts in less then an hour.

 

[trapperjohn]

Ian Walker is breaking a 124 facelift estate same as yours. Give him a ring on 01772 681210. Bonnet, wings, radiator headlight unit all good on his donor car.

Give him a ring after 0930 weekdays and Saturdays. He is based in Kirkham, Lancashire.

 

[purplebod]

I have found some examples of similar cars for sale and have sent these off to the engineer. However, I won't be holding my breath. It is all very well having a car that will go on forever, but I really don't need this amount of hassle and stress with insurance company every time it gets pranged. Will be fighting them as they have handled the claim so badly that it is now becoming a matter of principle! An agreed value policy may be the way to go in future...

 

[jamesfuller]

That could be fixed easily by a small body shop using second hand/pattern parts. I would guess at £6-800 with paint. If you are that worried about keeping the car you could always just pay for the fix yourself. I know that is the whole point of insurance but they have no interest in keeping an old car on the road, and simply they don't understand that you cant just go out and buy another one the same! (and don't forget you may still have to pay the excess if you did claim)
It may prove cheaper to pay now than all the hassle of buying another car that could turn out to be not as good as the one you had!

I don't know if you have seen my thread about what happened to my 124. http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/driving-incidents-roadrage/161199-someone-crashed-into-230te.html
The claim is still in progress, but one way or another I will be keeping it on the road in good condition.
Every department or company I talk to is from the start lectured on the importance of this and that I shall no way accept it being written off.

 

[purplebod]

That could be fixed easily by a small body shop using second hand/pattern parts. I would guess at £6-800 with paint. If you are that worried about keeping the car you could always just pay for the fix yourself. I know that is the whole point of insurance but they have no interest in keeping an old car on the road, and simply they don't understand that you cant just go out and buy another one the same! (and don't forget you may still have to pay the excess if you did claim)
It may prove cheaper to pay now than all the hassle of buying another car that could turn out to be not as good as the one you had!

I don't know if you have seen my thread about what happened to my 124. http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/driving-incidents-roadrage/161199-someone-crashed-into-230te.html
The claim is still in progress, but one way or another I will be keeping it on the road in good condition.
Every department or company I talk to is from the start lectured on the importance of this and that I shall no way accept it being written off.

Hope it all works out for you. Sounds terrible. As for me, I will, if necessary, pay for the repairs myself. It is a principle thing now with the insurance company. They are wrong about the value, have mishandled the claim from the beginning, and have now sent me a letter asking for the v5, mot and keys to the car! They haven't even made an offer yet. needless to say, I won't be sending them anything. I already have a complaint in motion against them as it took the over 5 weeks to get round to looking at the car, only to then say it was uneconomical to repair. Don't think the ombudsman will look very favourably on that, even if I do lose the valuation battle...

 

[IanA2]

Is the Ins Co a one that most of us would have heard of?

 

[jamesfuller]

Hope it all works out for you. Sounds terrible. As for me, I will, if necessary, pay for the repairs myself. It is a principle thing now with the insurance company. They are wrong about the value, have mishandled the claim from the beginning, and have now sent me a letter asking for the v5, mot and keys to the car! They haven't even made an offer yet. needless to say, I won't be sending them anything. I already have a complaint in motion against them as it took the over 5 weeks to get round to looking at the car, only to then say it was uneconomical to repair. Don't think the ombudsman will look very favourably on that, even if I do lose the valuation battle...

That seems a bit worrying, they want the V5 and keys without sorting out an offer. If I am right in assuming the insurance assessor knows where the vehicle is stored at present! I would speak to the proprietor of the workshop where its stored and just double check they know not to release the car without your personal authorization and to phone you if anyone tries to remove it!

 

[Tinytots]

My son's car got hit and the engineer gave a low offer and said the same thing. I printed off ads for the similar cars from auto trader, Gumtree and a few local rags and they nearly doubled the offer.

I bought the car off the insurance company for £50 after pay out.

Good luck.

 

[janner]

I know I couldn't buy one as good with FSH for much less than £4000, if I could find one at all..

Four grand for a 175,000 mile W124 with rusty wings?