Car insurance repair - seems pretty odd to me. Opinions please

LOL!

Hey chaps, got a question for you:

Back last year, just after Christmas, my car was dented by an unknown assailant in an Asda car park. This is the dent - not exactly huge as you can see.



Well, since I reckoned I had buckley's chance of finding this person, I got a quote off a local body shop who said he would fix it (with a new wing) and also deal with several bad scratches as well, for the princely sum of £500. I've had work done by him before and he's okay.

Enter well-meaning nephew who persuaded me to report it to my insurance company as they would see to it the security at Asda located the incident on their CCTV and bob's yer uncle! so I reported it. Fine so far.

This morning I had a phone call from a rather cryptic young lady, who I could barely understand as she spoke so fast. But she was saying she was going to book my car in for repair. Great! ..... in Sheffield! Huh? SHEFFIELD????

Not too sure about that. I mean, suppose there are problems - it's an awfully long way from me, around 120 miles. She said it would be 'alright' as they take the car there on a truck and they would be supplying me with a loan car in the meantime! But nevertheless, I'm really not happy. I mean, do insurance companies usually tote a car 120 miles to have a small dent repaired?

And while I'm not exactly enamoured of the idiot who bashed my car and drove off without leaving their details, I can't really feel comfortable about the possibility of them being stuck with a bill for probably a couple of grand or even more. It's outrageous.

What's your feeling?

 

A lot of insurance companies these days use what they call 'recommended repairers'. They may not have a 'recommended repairer' in your area and the one that is 120 miles away may be the nearest. You could ask the insurance company if you get 3 quotes, would they consider a repairer more local to you based on the most competitive quote. You may also be able to get a loan car from the garage as well .............. Just my thoughts.

 

Ah thanks, pal! However, I did suggest that and the answer was firm "NO"!

 

..... It used to be submit 3 x competive quotes up to a certain value and get the repairs done based on the cheapest quote. Over that value an assessor comes out and does a quote for repairs, looks at market value of car etc., and sends his report to the insurance company. The insurer then asked you to book the car into one of a number of garages local to you. You take it in, the invoice was sent direct to the insurance company, you pay any insurance excess to the garage and you take your car away. Things have changed. So long as you get a hire car for the entire time your car is in for repair I would be happy.

 

I was lucky? got run in the back of on way to Airport Roundabout their fault, foreign driver. Not too serious could still open the tail door to get cases out. Rang insurers, Churchill, from airport, noisey outside on mobile i remember. They suggested my local ford main dealer and that is where it came from. Came back to a hire car and a week later my own car back.
Not so easy in your case as there is no one else to pay or blame. £500 seems ok that is what I would have gone for. Usually ins companies have a premium loading of anything from £250 upwards so you would have paid this anyway and may not have got the other marks sorted.

 

By booking your car in for repairs they have admitted liability.

Most insurance companies will have "approved" repairers which means they get preferential rates as they basically determine the hourly rate for labour .

Just as with our chosen insurance companies we do not have to use our insurance companies "approved" repairers. We are entitled to choose where and by whom our cars are repaired.

So write to them stating that while you see they accept liability and appreciate they are prepared to repair that A,the repairer is much to far away and B ,you take an immense pride in you car and want it repaired by Your chosen repairer .