This sounds too easy - minor car repair

Boxerboy55

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At 10am this morning I had the pleasure of watching someone ding my car in a hospital car park as he nose dived head first into the space beside my car.

His old Honda CRV had a “horn” type headlamp washer sticking up on the front corner of the bumper and it caught my wheel arch and marked 700mm along the LH wing and passenger door. Pretty minor stuff. Panels are dented. Some of the paint might’ve polished out.

After my very minor Blow Off, we swapped details and went about our business.

Around 1pm I popped in to a local body shop and came away with the Cheapest Quotation for a direct repair. Over £500. 3 days worth.

Around 5pm I rocked up to the gent’s door to discuss the way forward.
All very pleasant with each other (and his good lady).

Not surprisingly, the old chap wasn’t interested in forking out some hard cash, so we agreed he’d call his insurance company. I had both our details all neatly typed up this time. I expected him to call tomorrow, but he must have called right away.

7pm and I’d just started scoffing my tea, when I received an SMS from his insurance company, fully admitting liability and ready to “minimise my inconvenience”. Including a link to a 5 page letter containing both parties details and emphasising how easy this will be for me. NCD unaffected. No XS payment. Keeping me mobile if needed.

Closely followed by a phone call from a nice young lady wanting to get things wrapped up pronto, without involving my insurance company at all. And I can choose my own repair shop, that his insurance company has to authorise if I don’t want them to take my car away to their chosen repairer.

This all sounded So Easy that my alarm bells started ringing, so I stalled her request for more details so I could sleep on it - and go finish my meal. I will receive another call tomorrow morning after 10am.

The Culprit’s insurance company is Age Co Insurance Services (age co) or Ageas UK.

It’s a long time since I’ve needed to use a vehicle insurance company and it was never this easy. Have things improved so much in the 21st century?

Or would I find myself on thin ice by NOT contacting my insurance company?
 
Sadly, you are required as a condition of your insurance policy to notify them of any incident.

Which you should do, as information only.

You're lucky Ageas don't treat their policy holders so well.

Offer £1•5k under book, then add £1,250 for the extras, which they were told of, actual cost of £10,002 and no I'm not going to let them off with the £2.

A pox on their camels.

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Sadly, you are required as a condition of your insurance policy to notify them of any incident.
Read your policy first!

If you are not contracted to apprise them, and if your not claiming from them, and if you're happy to conduct your own affairs, why bother?
 
Read your policy first!

If you are not contracted to apprise them, and if your not claiming from them, and if you're happy to conduct your own affairs, why bother?

Knowing a bit about they work I’d be surprised if there’s not a little clause away in the T’s & C’s which requires you to do so.
 
After our car accident in France, we called our insurance in Germany, and got a very simple nothing for us to do unless you are at fault, only thing they offered to do was get us a hire car if needed, however as we use ADAC also we used them, they are brilliant, and that way did not have to touch insurance policy.
 
The speed of the settlement isn’t unusual these days. With a clear admission of fault, they want to get things sorted ASAP before you think about going through a claims agent which ramps the bill up somewhat. I’d be quite happy to go ahead from what I’ve read, tho’ I’d be using my own preferred body shop as they’re interested in giving you a quality repair whereas the insurers shop will have to give discount to the ins company and your best interests don’t enter their though process.

Never ever be bullied into going with an insurers recommended body shop....your car, your choice.
 
Say so in mine.

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So, it’s your policy, from your insurer, that requires you to inform your insurer of any incident that may befall your vehicle during the 12 months period of the policy. That’s very different to:

Sadly, you are required as a condition of your insurance policy to notify them of any incident.
 
The speed of the settlement isn’t unusual these days. With a clear admission of fault, they want to get things sorted ASAP before you think about going through a claims agent which ramps the bill up somewhat. I’d be quite happy to go ahead from what I’ve read, tho’ I’d be using my own preferred body shop as they’re interested in giving you a quality repair whereas the insurers shop will have to give discount to the ins company and your best interests don’t enter their though process.

Never ever be bullied into going with an insurers recommended body shop....your car, your choice.

Over here in Germany, we had to pay 300€ for the privilige of using our own dealer, however thankfully that law ends here on the 1st January 2019, but we still have to wait about 3 months for the French to cough up to the germans, they have to go through a green card thingy with a lawyer, thank god I still have the van.
 
So, it’s your policy, from your insurer, that requires you to inform your insurer of any incident that may befall your vehicle during the 12 months period of the policy. That’s very different to:
Ok, with my car/caravan/motorcycle/aircraft insurance policies I am required to intimate any incident which could result in a claim.

It is likely, a standard condition within the insurance industry, obviously I can only reference my own policies.

Personally, I would take up the 3rd party offer, and if I have a preferred body shop use them (as long as they are vat registered they won't care).

Is that better ?

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This is normal these days. I have had 5 non fault incidents in the last 8 years. I would always use your own choice of bodyshop though. Also try and avoid having a hire car unless you really need it. Some insurance companies will pay a cash alternative.
 
Thank you for the reassurance.

I’ve just enjoyed the follow up call from a lovely lady at AGEAS and everything is falling into place.

I can use my own repair shop.

I’ll get a prepaid loan car from local Enterprise yard whenever my car is booked in for repair.

As a wee bonus, she’ll pay the CDW, though their letter suggesed an outfit called questor-insurance.co.uk to buy cheap CDW cover.

AGEAS simply have to authorise the repair quote, then we schedule the job.

And within minutes, I received a call from local Enterprise hire car office asking when I want the car.

I’ve never seen anything move so fast.
 
I can use my own repair shop.

Are they a VAG Approved bodyshop? They'll need to be if you want to retain the 3 year paintwork warranty and the 12 year anti perforation warranty. I'm assuming here this is on your Skoda Kodiaq....?
 
I thought you had to disclose 'any material facts'.

Just answer the questions truthfully, when asked of you when entering into a contract of insurance. It’s not very hard to understand, though some bikermates struggle.
 
Had a no fault bump in the summer where bumped from behind as we were sat at traffic lights.

Once the red mist had lifted he turned out to be a decent chap and fully accepted responsibility there and then.

His insurers were on the phone the next day offering repair at no cost to me, using their bodyshop. However a mate used this facility a year or so ago and wasn't impressed by the workmanship.

So i politely declined and booked an appraisal at Sytner Mini/BMW in Tamworth. When I went I was told about Sytner assist, their own claims handling department. Basically i gave them the details of the bump, scanned them a copy of the other party's letter of admission from his insurer, and Sytners did the rest. Self authorised the repair there and then. Dropped my car in the next week, picked up a courtesy/hire car with CDW included, and left them to it.

Collected mine the next week, the repair is flawless and has BMW's warranty on it for as long as i own the car.

No cost, no hassle, simples. I have no hesitation in recommending the service.

The only actual cost came from my own insurer at renewal time when the new underwriters added £20 as I had been involved in an RTC. CNUTS!!!

I believe Sytner's also do VW, just a thought in case its of use.:thumb2
 


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