Insurance wars

[micksylver]

My wife (in her car) was shunted while waiting at a red traffic light, spun her car & pushed it forward into the one in front. She is mainly OK, a bit stiff, toughing it out and keeps saying she is fine. Sent her to the doctors for a check-up, where she says they made her feel like a benefit cheat.

The car is now a write-off and we have had the first (20% down) offer.

How I laughed! This seemed to upset the gentleman on the phone, even more so when I told him I had already sourced pricing on equivalent make, model, age & mileage and that his offer was woefully low.

At his request I have forwarded details of the nearest equivalent models for sale and pricing. So now we wait for their next insulting offer.

Ho hum!

[Whealie]

Mick,
Every morning at 6am I start to look for news stories for the Insurance Times website. I ma a former editor of the magazine.

I am currently the British Insurance Brokers' Association business journalist of the year but I have, in the past twice been consumer journalist of the year (once broadsheet, once tabloid).

I was best man at the wedding of a very senior Mail on Sunday personal Finance journalist and, in fact set him up with his wife, who went to uni with my wife.

Let your insurer know what good mate you and I are. And let me know the name of the insurer.

Apart from thinking you have a very sad mate, they might just think seriously about making a reasonable offer.

Otherwise, one morning, when I am looking for web stories, this tale might just make the news, or I might pass it on to the Mail on Sunday.

[stuart]

I wrapped my camper truck up in August and the insurance company are stalling like a shower of t**ts, this week, four months on I phoned them and they said that they had written last week and asked for a copy of the MOT certificate, when I pressed them they confirmed that they had sent the request to where I lived three years ago despite confirming a change of address repeatedly, I guess the job description requires a special kind of stupid.

[Sharribee]

Mick,
Every morning at 6am I start to look for news stories for the Insurance Times website. I ma a former editor of the magazine.

I am currently the British Insurance Brokers' Association business journalist of the year but I have, in the past twice been consumer journalist of the year (once broadsheet, once tabloid).

I was best man at the wedding of a very senior Mail on Sunday personal Finance journalist and, in fact set him up with his wife, who went to uni with my wife.

Let your insurer know what good mate you and I are. And let me know the name of the insurer.

Apart from thinking you have a very sad mate, they might just think seriously about making a reasonable offer.

Otherwise, one morning, when I am looking for web stories, this tale might just make the news, or I might pass it on to the Mail on Sunday.

not someone to mess about with are you Whealie

[Mutley]

Good luck on getting anything like a sensible offer Mick.

I ended up accepting a pittance for mine last year after getting fed up with the insurance co. messing around with low offers.

TA! Shel

[micksylver]

Cheers Whealie! I'll pm you some details over later. Thanks.

Stuart & Shel - I feel your pain! Have been here before and found that persistence and keeping the channels of communication open has, so far had a 1 out of 2 success rate. On the 2nd occasion I was still sending supporting information regarding the claim only to be informed my insurers had rolled over and taken 50:50 settlement despite 5 witnesses who said that the other driver was at fault!

Still keeping optimistic on this one and making sure I stay calm and reasonable on the phone - so far!

[Whealie]

not someone to mess about with are you Whealie

My daughter went out with £30 in vouchers the other day, just cos I complained to Norwich Union about my pension.

Knowing how and when to complain is quite a lucrative skill.

[Jacqueslemac]

He's not wrong. I used to head up the Norwich Union press office and we had to deal with Whealie and nasty people like him.

[Austin]

They aren't all bad.... 3 years ago my really nice land rover 90 was nicked off my drive - nice metallic paint job, a few chequer plate additions, discovery gearbox (faster) and tweaked turbo with big intercooler (went like stink - well for an LR it did), alloy wheels and chunky tyres, bull bar, roof rack etc etc. You get the picture you will have seen similar blinged up LRs around.

Insurance company offered me a settlement based on a standard LR, I quickly reminded them of all the additions I had told them about and scoured the ads for a LR of similar spec. Plus told them about the tools and all the bits in the back that went with it. Next week their offer had increased by over 50% to a sum higher than I had in mind and higher than I paid for the thing in the first place. Swiftly accepted before they changed their mind. I think they had added VAT on or something where they shouldn't have. Who cares, I was pleased, but bought a crappy discovery instead - which I have still got and is OK really as it has cost me nowt but tax, fuel and 1 service year since.

Good luck with the settlement.

[micksylver]

Quick-ish update:

Forwarded details of real cost of replacement vs offer from insurers .......

and waited ......

Sent a second email, mentioned receipts/costs for taxi's, doctors exam .......

and waited ......

Phoned the claims department - no response - didn't even pick up. Sent a 3rd email pointing out wasted week, added scans of receipts, and lack of phone response - poor for a 24 hour a day, 7 days a week call centre!

and waited, but not very long ....

Phoned again. Complained about lack of communication. Apparently the agent dealing with our claim transferred off the team dealing with it (between speaking to me one night and prior to receipt of 1st email the next morning!), hence none of my emails had been read. The team were now aware of this (cos I told them) and would forward my information on. I should hear from them Monday/Tuesday with an update.

and waited ......

Today (Tuesday) they phoned me. Offer improved, but still not enough and no mention of out of pocket expenses. Asked how they came to the new offer "average value of comparable vehicles, taking into account the model information supplied by yourself". So I asked if they would forward to me details of the example vehicles used so I could check their calculations - "I'll ask but I don't think they will do that". So 4th email sent re-iterating points already made and confirming details of todays phone call.

and waiting ...... patiently ....... for now ........