Accident

[Proberts]

Need a bit of advice please.
I received my new T6.1 on Tuesday, Wednesday morning someone living in the street pronged the front bumper breaking the plastics behind the number plate. I suggested to him than rather go through insurance and as I was going to buy gloss black front plastics, that he would buy them instead and save his no claims and possibly mine as well even though my van was parked up and I was in the house. The cost of the gloss black is roughly £300 give or take and he said his excess was only £200 so go through insurance. What would you do in this situation, go through insurance or would you pay the £100 difference yourself. I'm thinking a very silly man for not paying the £300 and saving his ncd.

 

[TrevorK]

You could suggest to your neighbour that you are going to put the claim through a claims management company, so they will go direct to his insurance company and your NCB will not be affected. He might cough up the other £100.
Don't forget to tell your insurance company anyway.

 

[True Romance]

Go through insurance. Too many tales of people negotiating there own deals only for the other half to back out. Avoid the hassle.

 

[Salty Spuds]

Go through the insurance. You don’t know what other damage may be lurking. Parking sensors/radar/airbag sensors etc. it’s not that simple anymore.

 

[Gavinda]

If he's adamant he wants to use his insurance theres not much you can do, they're very unlikely to involve a claims management company which is good for everyone involved just ensure that.

1. They use a VW approved bodyshop using genuine parts.
2. Check for other damage to sensors etc.
3. Provide you an equivalent vehicle to use.
4. Push for compensation for your inconvenience, this will usually be a few hundred quid.

Personally, I wouldn't inform my own insurance company as this could and probably will increase your premium next year. They will usually ask if you've been involved in any incidents, not your vehicle so technically you're not going to be lying.

 

[Ayjay]

Exactly what @Salty Spuds said above.

 

[Proberts]

Thank you everyone. Going on that, I will go through insurance. The parking sensors have been alerting me even though there's nothing there but I thought because the grill is broke, it's probably loose but yes, if there is a problem, then it'll get sorted too.

 

[sparkywig]

It cost £1472 to repair mine after I had some front end damage, so I wouldn't go with the cash.

 

[Salty Spuds]

Thank you everyone. Going on that, I will go through insurance. The parking sensors have been alerting me even though there's nothing there but I thought because the grill is broke, it's probably loose but yes, if there is a problem, then it'll get sorted too.

Don’t let the 3rd party’s insurance handle it either. Make sure it goes to a VW dealer & get a written schedule of what’s required. Don’t let them do any repairs until you’ve approved the schedule.

 

[Bigsidavies]

I’d go through your own insurance. If it’s not your fault (which it isn’t) then you won’t pay the excess (you will initially but you’ll get it back). That way you ensure it’s done at your garage (VW approved) and not his.
Also, you can then visit the garage and ask them to paint your grilles gloss black for a few extra quid while it’s in there.

 

[Ayjay]

As I reported on here at the time (here: An accident damn it), my accident on the last New Years Eve finished up with a £4K bill and it certainly didn't look anything like that much until you got below the surface. IIRC, recalibrating the radar was over £200.

 

[Salty Spuds]

As I reported on here at the time (here: An accident damn it), my accident on the last New Years Eve finished up with a £4K bill and it certainly didn't look anything like that much until you got below the surface. IIRC, recalibrating the radar was over £200.

A neighbour reversed in the rear of our daughter’s Audi A3, it looked like a slight dent & scuffs to the rear bumper. The neighbour said to get an estimate & she’d pay it without going through the insurance. Daughter took her car to the Audi dealership she bought it from, they estimated £750 to repair & respray the bumper. The neighbour said this was too much & went through the insurance. My daughter handed her car over to Audicare, Audi’s in house claims management company. Who were actually very good. The final bill came in at £4.5k!!!

 

[Proberts]

Thank you everyone. I have never claimed on insurance in 40 years of driving so its all new to me. I have the 5 day drive away insurance with VW so I'm guessing they will send it to VW anyway but I will insist on it.

As I reported on here at the time (here: An accident damn it), my accident on the last New Years Eve finished up with a £4K bill and it certainly didn't look anything like that much until you got below the surface. IIRC, recalibrating the radar was over £200.

My better have a a bump last year, very minor. Cracked bumper and bonnet sensor. It rises in a bump. We found out yesterday it was over £6k which was ridiculous. No wonder premiums are so high if the repair centres are charging that amount. New bumper, painted and sensor reset. Crazy.

 

[Proberts]

My better half I meant.

 

[Mixersmate]

If you go through the insurance, ask the body shop if you can pay a few quid on top in cash and have the replacement factory plastics painted gloss black before they refit them.

 

[Bigsidavies]

A neighbour reversed in the rear of our daughter’s Audi A3, it looked like a slight dent & scuffs to the rear bumper. The neighbour said to get an estimate & she’d pay it without going through the insurance. Daughter took her car to the Audi dealership she bought it from, they estimated £750 to repair & respray the bumper. The neighbour said this was too much & went through the insurance. My daughter handed her car over to Audicare, Audi’s in house claims management company. Who were actually very good. The final bill came in at £4.5k!!!

It’s no surprise insurance premiums are so high the way the pricing is inflated for insurance jobs.
Someone reversed into our old A4. Damaged bumper and dent in rear quarter panel. New bumper and repair to small dent and repaint was over £2k and that was 5 years ago. Was a £500 job tops.

 

[Skyliner33]

It’s no surprise insurance premiums are so high the way the pricing is inflated for insurance jobs.
Someone reversed into our old A4. Damaged bumper and dent in rear quarter panel. New bumper and repair to small dent and repaint was over £2k and that was 5 years ago. Was a £500 job tops.

Couldnt agree more.

 

[dubber36]

@Bigsidavies Out of interest, did that £2k include a courtesy car, transportation of your car, storage, admin costs...? It's not just the cost of the repair with insurance, It's paying the wages of everyone involved in the process.

 

[Bigsidavies]

@Bigsidavies Out of interest, did that £2k include a courtesy car, transportation of your car, storage, admin costs...? It's not just the cost of the repair with insurance, It's paying the wages of everyone involved in the process.

No. We drove the car until it went for repair. It was literally a car park scrape. If I’d done it myself I’d have driven it like that forever as it was our scruffy workhorse.
Didn’t need a courtesy car as we had 3 vehicles.
Just repair.