Insurance Gone Mad

[david63]

This morning when Mrs63 was out in the car some stupid person idiot who was driving his van too fast on a bend clipped the rear view mirror of the car. I took the car to the garage this afternoon to see how painful it was going to be to have it fixed, "It need a full new mirror - sir" was the response. Stupid question number one "How much will that be then?" I ask. "Well with all the technology these days just over £500" I am told. OK it could have been a lot worse as it really was only the mirror and not another sign of any damage anywhere.

So I come home and think to myself that we pay car insurance so let's claim off them.

All was going well until the bit where the engineer will have to see the damage and agree the cost of repair and that will take seven to ten days - "... but you can have a hire car for up to 21 days".

There is one part plus the cost of fixing it - I am taking the car in next week and an hour later will be diving away with the job done.

Can someone explain how they can justify the cost of sending an engineer out to look at the damage and giving me a hire for the time it takes is more practical than just sending me a cheque after it has been done - the cost of the hire car will be more than the actual job, let alone the cost of the engineer going out to see the damage!

[oldbluefox]

But by the time you pay your excess and budget in the increase in premium next year (and probably for years afterwards) unless it is a major issue you are probably better to forget insurance anyway.
Mind you £500 for a mirror? It's a rip off whichever way you look at it. (See what I did there?) Unfortunately nowadays they have to wink and blink, twist and turn and glow hot and cold all at the same time.
My sympathies David. I am presuming you meant the wing mirror as the rear view mirror is inside the car. I take it van man did a runner.

[david63]

by the time you pay your excess

£50

increase in premium next year

Goes up too much I change company

I am presuming you meant the wing mirror as the rear view mirror is inside the car.

Well I suppose you could call it "door" mirror as it is not on the wing.

I take it van man did a runner.

I doubt he even knew he had done it.

What I find annoying is that insurance companies are constantly bemoaning the fact that claims are costing more and more but in cases like this they are bringing it on themselves

[Stephen]

£500 for a mirror . What are you driving a Lamborghini. Someone is fleecing you and the insurance company.

I am assuming you meant you drivers door mirror as the rear view mirror is in the car.

[towny44]

David, be careful now that you have contacted your insurance co., even if you don't claim from them they will more than likely record the claim on your record.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Well it cost me £160, plus fitting, for a new plastic lens for my rear light cluster when I broke it. Car part prices are crazy.

Plus as David's mechanic says it's all the tech. Mine have the mirror, the repeat indicator, the electrics to adjust it, the electrics to fold them in, and one of them has the sensor for the outside temperature. And that's what I know about.

But as for the insurance - my wife lost a mirror to a motorist who whacked the car and didn't stop. Her insurance company paid up quickly, didn't dock her no claims (it's protected) and didn't increase her premium.

Mine, for my car, on renewal, wanted 50% more.

They argued that stats showed someone who'd made a claim was 50% more likely to make another. That it wasn't her fault didn't shift them. Nor that her company hadn't charged her more.

Even when I said she is only one driver in the car and I'm the other and haven't made a claim, and actually she'd driven my car once in five years didn't shift them.

So as David says, I moved company, to another one who didn't load the premium, even though I declared the accident.

[Stephen]

Just buy one on line from a breakers yard and get your local mechanic to fit it if you can't do it yourself, and you'll still save a fortune.

[david63]

Just buy one on line from a breakers yard and get your local mechanic to fit it if you can't do it yourself, and you'll still save a fortune.

That might prove somewhat difficult as I doubt that there will be many, if any at all, in the breakers yard due to that fact that the car has only been on the market for six months!

[towny44]

Just buy one on line from a breakers yard and get your local mechanic to fit it if you can't do it yourself, and you'll still save a fortune.

That might prove somewhat difficult as I doubt that there will be many, if any at all, in the breakers yard due to that fact that the car has only been on the market for six months!

Clearly a case of faulty workmanship, surely a wing mirror should be built to withstand prangs from white van men nowadays, you deffo need a compo claim form.

[Kendhni]

I would have said best not to mention it to the insurance company. One of the risks they assess these days is 'the likelihood to claim' - so anyone that even enquires about claiming may see a premium rise. It really is any excuse to up premiums.

[Keechy]

I forget now if it was house or car insurance, but when I was renewing it, I was asked if I'd ever had an incident which I hadn't claimed for. No doubt if the answer is "Yes," it's going to cost you more. Is it the same if the repair /replacement costs less than your excess?

[david63]

Common sense now seems to be kicking in.

Had a call last night from the "engineers" to arrange to see the damage. As there will not be an engineer in the area until next Monday and the car is being fixed on Thursday I was told to pay for it and then submit the claim to the insurance company.

Why do I have a deep seated feeling that it is not going to be that simple?

[david63]

Insurance have "paid up" - one down, one to go!

[Stephen]

That was quick David.
I always thought they are quick to take your premium but drag their heels looking for the slightest excuse when it comes to paying out.

[GillD46]

That was quick David.
I always thought they are quick to take your premium but drag their heels looking for the slightest excuse when it comes to paying out.

That has not been our experience. Nor do we pay any premium. We had to claim for missed flights last month, they agreed the claim, and the money was in our account the next day - with no proof required whatsoever.

When having to cancel, the repayment takes no more than a week. And payment for minor ailments - dental work in the USA before we joined Denplan - was also paid within the week.

I really can't complain, and dread getting too old for the policy!