car insurance overvaluing car

[kimba69]

Our car was involved in an accident and the insurance company have repaired a car worth about 1000 with an 1100 repair!!. we were told by the garage that the car was being written off so looked at new cars only to find they had repaired it. The car is valued at 1000 on the internet and the insurance claim it is worth 1500. this does not make economic sense and would have prefered the car to be written off. is there anything i can do?

[NORMANTHEDOG]

not really,your car has been repaired now.

[kimba69]

the garage was told to stop work on it until the dispute was resolved but they ignored this and continued, presumably to make money for themselves

[bednobs]

i dont see what your problem is really, its not up to you to run the insurance companies business for them, and as you now have your car repaired, you are in no worse position than you were previously

[kimba69]

well seeing as i pay my premiun every month that makes me the customer and seeing as i was told it was being written off on more than one occasion and put a deposit down on another car i do have a problem. I also think the company has broken its aggreement in its policy of repairing cars with damage to more than 60% of its valus by repairing to 80% there have also devalued it further. I am sure if it was written off they would have not given me �1500. I can see why so many people don't buy insurance

[tali1]

kimba69 I agree with you on this mismanagement of YOUR money - happened to me - i refused to let car be repaired as it was totally uneconomic (they were prepared to re-shell at 3k cost)- got media involved - and they panicked and i got value of car.
This uneconomic stupdity equals rip off insurance premuims.

[kimba69]

tali 1 what did u do? they were supposed to stop repair but carried on regardless. since having it it has also MOT run out so now have to mot car which should have been written off. I am thinking of making complaint to financial omnbusman. Even the guy who returned the car from garage thought it was rediculous

[flip_flop]

Contractually you have agreed to allow your insurers to pay for the car to be repaired, replace your car or pay you a cash amount equal to the loss or damage.

In this instance they have chosen to repair your car.

You have fulfilled your part of the contract by paying for the insurance, they have fulfilled their contractual obligations by paying for the repairs.

[bednobs]

i still dont really understand - you have your car repaired to the standard it was before you had the accident. So what about needing an mot? they would have made it road worthy in the repair, and the mot would have ben due anyway! You are in no better or worse position than you were before the crash.
I really dont understand why you are annoyed, or did you crash the car on purpose?

[sausagechips]

sell the car or part ex it for the other one.
Stop moaning and get on with it. I agree insurers take the p*** but at the end of the day there not going to do anything about it.

I had an accident and they told me they where going to repair it, on the day it was meant to be returned repaired i rang the garage and they told me it was a 'total loss'. Not much you can do I am afraid.

[JB]

Having worked in the insurance industry for more years than I care to remember (over 10 in motor claims) I can assure you that the insurers will have taken the most economically viable option. In this case, to repair!
Internet valuations are notoriously inaccurate, and your insurers will no doubt value the vehicle based on trade guides + their own matrix for repair costs/salvage costs.
One of the main principals of insurance is to ensure that you are returned to the same financial position that you enjoyed prior to the loss. In your case, you now have your car back, repaired and needing an MOT (which it needed anyway!) If however, the INSURER rather than the garage confirmed that the car was a total loss, then you are in a somewhat stronger position to argue that you would finacially be at a loss (given that you have paid a deposit on a new car) if they do not now honour their decision to write off the vehicle. PHEW!

[gouldc]

Wow - being a fraud investigator, this claim stinks.

Why are you so determined to get this car written off? Most people want the car repaired. You also seem very clued up.

The 60 to 80% repair costs is a guideline. Under existing rules, any insurer is actually obliged to repair the vehicle up to 100% of it's value if the policyholder so wishes.

If I had this claim, you'd be on the end of a very long investigation as I would seriously think you'd tried to get the car written off on purpose - what insurer are you with - if you;re with us. I'll track you down like the dog you are

[kimba69]

yes we are clued up and not stupid. we also know the value of the car from Glass's valuations which is the journal the insurance and motor trade industry use. The garage who repaired it (which might I also add is the main dealership for our make of car also thought it was ridiculous that it was being repaired. It is also funny that since this the examiner of the car has not been contactable by the insurance company. perhaps he is getting a back hander from the garage for putting work there way !! It is funny how people always accuse the car owner for fraud and not the insurance co,mpany esp as enevitablt they are always the ones to win out of the situation. No wonder so many people don't insure there cars

[gouldc]

Glasses guide is just that - a guide - it is based on national averages, and as anyone in the trade is aware, different vehicle retail for different prices in different areas.

Glasses can be absolutely miles out on different vehicles too - strap a turbo to a boy racer car and you can throw the guide out of the window!

The main dealer was most likely hoping to have the car written off so they could sell a new car.

Insurers won't pay out over the value of the vehicle in repairs without a very good reason.

[JB]

Kimba - you say the garage that carried out the repairs (despite being told not to) are now saying that they think that repairing it is ridiculous? And you are accepting their opinion, even though you suspect them of being in cahoots with the motor engineer. Seems to me that the garage are telling you whatever they think that you want to hear.
You should have (ideally) waited for a formal conclusion to your claim and all of this would have been avoided.
The insurance industry is very heavily regulated and monitored, and the very nature of insurance means that it is driven by statistics, not human emotions. Rest assured that your insurer has not decided to repair your car just to hack you off!