About 3 weeks ago, another driver backed into the front of our car whilst we were parked at a shopping centre. The driver left all details and has accepted full liability to insurance company. Claims were lodged by both parties and I was told to go ahead and get quotes to repair (given a choice of places to go to). Today I took car in for the repairs but was rung a couple of hours later and told it had been seen by assessors who have deemed it 'not cost effective' to repair. It is an old car and was covered for $1000 agreed value. Repairs are quoted at just under $2000. Insurers want to write off car and pay agreed value. My problems are these: the accident was not my fault so why should I loose a perfectly usable (roadworthy) car and gain an amount that won't re-purchase a new vehicle! This is our only means of transport and we do not have the $ to re-purchase at all. The driver at fault has accepted liability and is fully insured so why shouldn't my car get repaired! Can someone please explain this to me 'cause I don't get it and Hubby is going to hit the roof when I tell him. I appreciate that our cover wasn't huge, but the accident wasn't my fault and it is not my insurance that is the issue. The vehicle is a Diahatsu Applause, fully warranted, registered etc.
ralphdog1,
Jan 29, 9:08pm
Same or different insurance companies!
lyttelton2,
Jan 29, 9:26pm
We are with SIS, the other party is with AA (who, as it turns out, now own SIS).
lookoutas,
Jan 29, 10:24pm
Make a suggestion to the Insurance Co that you would like them to replace your car with an identical one. Sometimes we do repair cars in similar situations. Make a lot of noise - ring every day and whinge like hell, they will often settle up to your advantage, just to get you off their back.
lyttelton2,
Jan 29, 10:28pm
Thankyou, will try that one!
coolnzmum,
Jan 29, 10:35pm
Because it is not worth spending $2000 to repair a car worth $1000.Simple and I can't see any insurance company doing it.
lyttelton2,
Jan 29, 10:40pm
And I get this if it had been my fault, but I didn't ask for some other driver to write off my car, so why should I be the one left without a vehicle when I didn't do anything wrong!
kazbanz,
Jan 29, 10:40pm
But lyttleton -YOU chose to insure your car for $1000. If its replacement value was for example $3000 then in my view it should be insured for that much. I just can't see how you choosing to under insure yyour car is the fault of the insurance company.
pico42,
Jan 29, 10:59pm
I think kazbanz has hit the nail on the head. Why insure for an amount that won't replace the vehicle.
1cocochanel,
Jan 29, 11:30pm
I'm not following, the other party hit your car, right, they have insurance, and have admitted liability and offered to pay for fixing your car, right! OK, that part is very clear. Its got nothing to do with your insurance company by the way (you don't have to go through them you know) You go out and get the quotes, give them to the person who admits hitting your car and has offered to pay - they pay for your car to be fixed = problem solved. You are insured if YOU hit someone yourself, right! Soooo, the other car that hit you, Pays for the whole repair no matter how much it costs! So get on that jolly phone and start getting the person that hit you to pay UP !
1cocochanel,
Jan 29, 11:35pm
oh, and if the person that hit you, says that their insurance company doesn't want to cough up for your repairs, then you go direct to the person driving the car that hit yours and make them cough up, take them to small claims court if need be !You'll win, they have admitted hitting you and offered to pay for damages, its a no brainer.
lyttelton2,
Jan 29, 11:47pm
Thankyou, that is my way of viewing it too. The only reason my insurance company is so involved is because they are owned by the insurance company of the driver who hit me. (I'm SIS who is owned by AA)
lyttelton2,
Jan 29, 11:50pm
I did wonder if that was an option - take the insurance settlement and hit up the owner of other vehicle for the difference to repair or else turn down the settlement figure and go for the full amount from the other driver.
1cocochanel,
Jan 29, 11:58pm
I would definately not back down.! Tell your insurance company that its got NOTHING to do with your insurance policy !. The other driver admitted fault - He pays in full ! I'm appalled that they are using your insurance details to make a deal between themselves. I'm also disgusted at their underhanded tactics. If they don't budge - tell them that you will personally take the driver that hit you to small claims court YOurself, and ta ta. (start ringing around other insurance companys After your car is fixed, they certainly are not worthy of your patronage!) Good Luck !
1cocochanel,
Jan 30, 12:06am
Certainly don't accept any settlement as they will take that as ' full and final payment '!sneaky little so and so's. Demand that your car be fully repaired ! or take the driver to the disputes tribunal -here is the link for info for the disputes tribunal http://www.justice.govt.nz/tribunals/disputes-tribunal
marcos1,
Jan 30, 12:16am
Good luck with that one. OP.you will probably have to suck this one up. But , by all means jump up and down at your Insurance company. You never know.rofl.
richynuts,
Jan 30, 12:24am
Correct, friend of minehad no insurance, no rego, no warrant, (he was on his way to do this) yet he was paid out the market value from other vehicles insurance $2900for a mazda familia,all he was doing was sitting at traffic lights when a courier van crashed into him.
shane.64,
Jan 30, 12:26am
You might be able to find a independent value for the car.And get it on paper and send it to them.Your insurance should have nothing to do with it
ceedoubleyou,
Jan 30, 12:32am
Hmmm, me thinks it's your fault for under insuring your car. Ask yourself, why would an insurance company agree to spend $2k fixing a $1k car. A couple years back my daughters car was rear ended on the motorway, still drivable, but car was about 2 inches shorter. It was going to cost $2500 to fix a $4k car, so they wrote it off and shelled out $4k, couldn't buy an equivalant type car, daughter went from a '94 2L car to a '97 1.5L car.
marcos1,
Jan 30, 12:35am
OMG.it just gets better.
msigg,
Jan 30, 12:58am
why would you insure a car only worht $1000, two years premium svavings would buy it. third party YES always.someone at work was in this situation as well. his car was drivable but had a big dent in the side. he negotiated with the others insurance to keep his car and get some payout as well. He was happy in the end. You never win withinsurance companies. all the best.
curlcrown,
Jan 30, 1:00am
Hang on. You car is worth $1000, as you agreed. Why would you be intitled to any more than this! I can't see any problem. It is unfair and unreasonable to expext to have $2000 worth of repairs carried out on a $1000 car.
1cocochanel,
Jan 30, 1:13am
Who cares what the car is worth or what it was insured for, this is not the problem, the problem is. The numbskull that hit it has to cough up the money to fix his stupid mistake and pathetic driving skills by hitting OP's car!. He needs to put the car back the way it was before he hit it ! regardless of cost/value etc. Oh for petes sake.
duke250,
Jan 30, 2:08pm
I had the very same dilemma. Neighbor hit my parked car (probably while drunk). I tracked him down and gave me his insurance details, but because my car was only insured for $1000 and that was all the insurance was prepared to give me for it. I tried everything as my car was worth more then $1000 as it had a current wof and it has never let me down. But they didnt want to hear of it, so they only paid out $1000 (which they re cooped from the neighbors insurance company) they also took my car. Also keep in mind that we had the car insured with the same company for 8 years and never made a claim!
edit: This was with AMI <-- assholes they are
jsbike,
Jan 30, 2:17pm
Demand enough money to enable you to get another car of similar age/km/make/model etc. That's what you would do if you had no insurance, so what you had insured your car for is irrelevant.
Failing that, ring your insurance company, pretend to be a new client (or get a friend to do it), ask them the market value of your car. record EXACTLY what they say, who you spoke to etc, time of call etc. you could use this if they tell you your car is only worth $1000.
out of interest, what sort of car was it!
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