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        General >> Insurance Matters/Advice >> Insurance advice - Admiral Car Insurance
        
(Message started by: mondeoman on Dec 3^rd, 2010, 6:34pm)

Title: Insurance advice - Admiral Car Insurance
Post by mondeoman on Dec 3^rd, 2010, 6:34pm

Hi,

This is a new experience for me and not a good one!
Some of you have seen my car and chatted to me at Harewood House this year, so you may have a bit of an idea about the worth of the car?

The issue is someone reversed into my car whilst it was parked on a public road and they have claimed liability.

My insurance company (Admiral) have been given two repair quotes for front wing (crumpled) and bumper (crack) approx £930 and £870.

1. They claim car (2.9 24v Ultima N reg) is not worth repairing even though it only has 72k miles, leather in excellent condition, two set of tyres (brand new winter Conti set to 15inch alloys) and protected by Wax oil at cost of £240.

2. They are offering me:
Market Value £700.00
Less Excess £100
Settlement figure £600.00

They will also not allow me to but the car back and it has to be written off.

3. They have cancelled by insurance as of 24:00 tonight and did not tell me over the phone. It was lucky I checked my emails tonight.

I welcome any advice as I've never had to make a claim before and I do not wanted to loose the car, it means to much to me.

Many Thanks,

A very sad Simon
:'(

Title: Re: Insurance advice - Admiral Car Insurance
Post by amigafan2003 on Dec 3^rd, 2010, 7:41pm

Ask them for a "payment in lieu of repair".

They pay you the £600, car doesn't get written off, you sort the repair out yourself.

I've done it with both my old Sierra and the missus'es Mondeo.

You'll have to argue with them - if they get shirty tell them you're going to raise a complaint with the ombudsmen.

Title: Re: Insurance advice - Admiral Car Insurance
Post by gozz on Dec 3^rd, 2010, 8:33pm

They can't take the car away from you Simon without your agreement,it belongs to you,they always 'come the old soldier' and are noted for being bloody silly,take amigafan's advice.I've had trouble over the years,they even took away one of our cars to a crushing compound before we had made any agreement with them as to it's outcome >:( don't worry mate,it ain't gonna happen 8)
GOZZ.

Title: Re: Insurance advice - Admiral Car Insurance
Post by mondeoman on Dec 3^rd, 2010, 8:46pm

The thing is the guy on the phone started quoting me auto trader prices for 2.0 Ultima. I told him to compare apples with apples and the cheapest he could find was £1000 and higher mileage etc than mine!

Title: Re: Insurance advice - Admiral Car Insurance
Post by TiberiuS on Dec 3^rd, 2010, 9:29pm

Yep, I feel your pain, insurance is a nightmare :(

Many years back when our Capri got totalled, insurance offered £650 and wanted to write it off. Haggled for nearly a year over that, got an agreed valuation from Capri Club for £2,500 because it was restored and near mint condtion - sent a huge gallery of pre and post-accident photos, receipts from the restoration, endorsement from the indy garage who used to service it, after all that we got just over £2k and got to keep the car too. Money got used for other things and car is still sitting in our garage with damage 14 years on still waiting to be restored, but you get the gist ;)

Worries me about my old bus, when I renew the insurance (Direct Line) I ALWAYS put the value at £5k becuase of the condition+mileage and what I know I'd pay to get another in anywhere near that mileage/spec and to spend on it to get it into that condition, I KNOW they charge me extra because of that and at 26 my insurance isn't cheap to start with. Yet when I get the documents it always says Value = Market value, no mention of the £5k value that I disclosed, the condition of the car carries no weight at all..market value in my case means around £800 - £1200 if I was really lucky.

An old car is an old car, no matter how much it means or how much it is worth, to you. Sad fact of life :(

Bruce.

Title: Re: Insurance advice - Admiral Car Insurance, Re:
Post by Toriitom on Dec 3^rd, 2010, 9:36pm

Hi Simon,

I have an appointment with the DVA (NI) for 20th December to have a VIC carried out on my Ultima Est. This is because I had a small accident earlier this year (documented in another thread on this forum).

My insurance company paid me almost £850 for my M reg car but they did not tell me they were putting a marker on my car until I taxed it at the beginning of November.

It has been through its MOT in October (2nd attempt after getting the couple of things repaired). So make sure that Admiral does not put a marker on your car - it should not cause you any bother when taxing it but if you sell it on, the new owner would have to get a VIC.

Why I mention this is because Endsleigh did not know the value of a 95 Scorpio, as their Glass's guide did not cover vehicles over 10-year old. I also referred them to an article from the Ombudsman regarding the value of vehicles that were involved in accidents. http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/publications/ombudsman-news/22/issue-22-motorinsurance.htm

This same article was send to Admiral away back in 2003 when my wife's Mondeo Est. went on fire and Admiral disputed the value of the car. They initially offered about £300 for the car and took off £250 access, left me with less that the scrap value. I fought them on this matter and eventually got £1200 for it (albeit the book value of the car was £1500 but it only cost me £1000).

Never agree the initial offers from insurance companies as they always try to lessen their losses. Do not listen to their cries of 'your car is not worth £?’ stand your ground and quote them what the Ombudsman said.

Hope this helps

Tom

Title: Re: Insurance advice - Admiral Car Insurance
Post by mondeoman on Dec 3^rd, 2010, 9:58pm

But this will not cost them a penny as it will all be claimed against the other car as they are totally at fault and accepted liability. Why they doing this since only about £180 more and the car could be repaired.
Who are they work for, not me?

Thanks for input Tom

Simon

Title: Re: Insurance advice - Admiral Car Insurance
Post by gozz on Dec 3^rd, 2010, 11:34pm

Don't worry about a VOSA VIC check Simon,it's merely to make sure it's the same car and not ringed,cloned or cut and shut,it is NOT another MOT test,nothing at all to worry about.Further to whom do insurers work,only themselves,they are bomb proof,when their greed looks like being challenged,they just jack the price up,easy >:( The Scorp is on the cusp of being an agreed value classic,that will steady em !!
GOZZ.

Title: Re: Insurance advice - Admiral Car Insurance
Post by Toriitom on Dec 3^rd, 2010, 11:44pm

on 12/03/10 at 23:34:04, gozz wrote:

Don't worry about a VOSA VIC check Simon,it's merely to make sure it's the same car and not ringed,cloned or cut and shut,it is NOT another MOT test,nothing at all to worry about.
GOZZ.

Gozz, just to clarify, I was not implying that Simon WOULD need a VIC or a MOT test. A VIC would only happen if Admiral decided to write-off his car and notify the DVLA. I am having to get a VIC because my insurance company decided to place a write-off marker on my car. I wrote that because I thought that Simon should know what the insurance company can do.

Tom

Title: Re: Insurance advice - Admiral Car Insurance
Post by gozz on Dec 3^rd, 2010, 11:50pm

Yes Tom I know you were making Simon aware and trying to help,there was no intention this end to 'shoot you down',just continuing the encouragement which I know he needs at this time 8)
GOZZ.

Title: Re: Insurance advice - Admiral Car Insurance
Post by mondeoman on Dec 5^th, 2010, 3:04am

This just get from bad to worse.....

I find out ONLY by email that they have cancelled my insurance for the car and stopped me from driving it, without seeing it etc. I had been speaking to the claims guy and at no time did he mention this! If I had not checked my emails, by chance then I would then be driving an uninsured car! >:(

They were quite happy for me to drive the car around until they did to write the car off!

Can they do this as the claim is being challenged by me?
I'm going to write a letter of compliant about the handling of my claim but that will take weeks to sort out. At present I have no car to drive to work on Monday and the cost of a hire car will again be more than the disputed difference between repair and value of car.

Cheers,

Simon

Title: Re: Insurance advice - Admiral Car Insurance
Post by gozz on Dec 5^th, 2010, 10:46pm

That's all out of order,if you haven't signed anything even if the assessor had been to see it,and you say they haven't,then things should remain status quo,they are quite obviously clairvoyant as well as useless.
GOZZ.

Title: Re: Insurance advice - Admiral Car Insurance
Post by amigafan2003 on Dec 6^th, 2010, 8:40pm

Ombudsman time I think.

Whatever you do do NOT let the car out of your sight if you want to see it again.

Title: Re: Insurance advice - Admiral Car Insurance
Post by PJDavis on Dec 6^th, 2010, 10:39pm

Time to batten-down the hatches. I agree with Gozz, you haven't signed anything and the car still belongs to you as long as you haven't agreed a settlement. Your current insurance on the vehicle WILL-NOT end until you have agreed a settlement, therefore you should still be insured to drive, and I would push this point! For goodness sakes don't let ANYONE take the car away under ANY circumstances.

This could and should be a lesson to us all.............perhaps you should mention that you have strong links on the internet with vehicle peers owning and using cars in the same class that all need insurance, and the fact that you are keeping your peers in contact with what is happening in your own case! Maybe it'll make no blasted difference, but, you-know, some people take notice of this 'bad-press'. I'd say fight them as hard as you can. The 'flipping' insurance companies make me so sick! Devils they are.

Title: Re: Insurance advice - Admiral Car Insurance
Post by gozz on Dec 6^th, 2010, 11:12pm

Very true in all respects PJD,I know the manner in which you would like to express yourself in these matters,but we have to observe common decency if we are not in the boozer ???
GOZZ.