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[catengineman]

Hi, All

Well I had a bit of a bump in my car which was not my fault (honest) the third party admitted fault and my car was removed for repair, All good I thought
1, the other bloke admitted it was his fault
2, my insurance company acknowledged that it was his fault
3, my insurance company waived the excess
4, the assessor came and we agreed that the damage to the rear door and spare wheel was part of the accident
5, my car went away

1A, I have my car back! delivered while no one was there to accept it. (even though a day was arranged)
2A, The repairs are rubbish
3A, The car was filthy
4A, A telephone call to the insurance company's approved repairer left me with no doubt that they were a waste of time. I got told that the spare parts were on back order?
5A, Five phone calls to the insurance company and still I have not had any contact from the assessor. Though I am told he will call me after every call I make (he is busy at the moment)
6A, Checked with Honda about parts and availability they are obtainable within three working days?

Has any one out there any help or advise for me?   All I want is for my car to be repaired so that it is in the same condition it was before the (#####) hit the rear end, Yes the car drives straight now but as for the gouges, scratched and red paint on the rear and spare I am not happy.

I have sent several e-mails to the insurance company complaining but still nowt happens and if I contact the garage they just say the repairs were to assessors satisfaction.

Oh I have full NCD been with the same company for five years and that company is "Hastings Direct" will not be staying with them!

R,

[GaryM]

Hi Catengineman - I know how feel mate!

Keep pestering them - but it will cost time and money!
I honestly think that cheap insurance companies - the likes of Hastings etc. etc. are only cheap if you don't make a claim.  I think your "peeing in the wind" trying to get a satisfactory conclusion to your claim though. :(

regards
Gary

[nhp651]

many years ago( in my young free single and carefree days ) I pranged my Austin Healey 3000 which was insured with CIS Co operative insurance.
It was shipped from pillar to post to have repaired, ( twisted Chasis) but in those days no one had a jig to square it up on.
In the end I received a letter from them one friday morning saying I could either have 3 grand payout or 2100 and the wreck back.
I opted for the  3 grand and rang them up to verify this. I also asked where the car was being held as I had left some personal bellongings in it after the crash.
there was a very pregnant silence from the insurers?
when I asked what was the problem I was told that the car had been SOLD to someone who wishd to restore it 2 weeks before I had received my payout offer, and they had NO record of who had bought it from the garage where it had lain.
I blew my top and they finally agreed to give me 2 years free insurance on what ever car I bought next.
there was an ending to the tale in that I saw the car up for sale about 8 years later in the midst of the 80's Thatcher boom times for 30k and rang up about my belongings and was told that it was there, stood on the mantle piece of their house waiting to be clamed, which I did, and had a drive of the old girl once more for old times sake.
Who says there's never a happy ending??

[catengineman]

Some news!
An assessor is coming to view the car  but I will be in Gibraltar so I have to now arrange for my wife to have a FULL day OFF work so that she can be available to let the chap see the car.

So things are moving slowly this rate I may have a repair by the time I scrap the car

Oh by the way the assessor has to come down from Liverpool  to Suffolk?

R,

[alan colson]

Call in an insurance ombudsman. That's what they are there for, to sort out your type of problem.
Alan

[grasshopper]

Insurance - legalised gambling, necessary evil, etc, etc.

Biggest bit of advice I can give you DO NOT USE internet / telephone only insurance companies - I'd rather pay that little bit extra and use a local broker everytime.
The bit extra you might get charged pays dividends when you need to claim, change details / vehicles, add extras.
Think about it, somewhere to actually go to discuss your problem and let them do the waiting on the phone, writing letters etc.

I know I use a local broker - and so do most of the Taxis in town - just because of the personal touch and they're so efficient. I've had accidents dealt with on my little 'fleet', numerous windscreen claims, malicious damage claims - and it's somewhere in town I can nip to use their loo and get a coffee.....it's all good for me.

[Shipmate60]

I have a mate who runs a bodyshop so all the family go there.

Bob

[cos918]

Some news!
An assessor is coming to view the car  but I will be in Gibraltar so I have to now arrange for my wife to have a FULL day OFF work so that she can be available to let the chap see the car.

So things are moving slowly this rate I may have a repair by the time I scrap the car

Oh by the way the assessor has to come down from Liverpool  to Suffolk?

R,
[/quote

You are entitled to a full repair using genuine Honda parts and not inferior after market parts. You are entitled to wantry on this work. The workman ship has to be to the same quality as the manufacture . All this cost money which the insurance company hate giving away.
So if i was you i would take some high quality photos of the bad repair. and contact your insurance company and insisit  that the repair is done properly as mentioned above. if they dont agree tell them that you will get your solicitor involved and pass them on the bill. If they aggre to get the work done make sure you see the receipt from the body shop to make sure they have used guinea parts and not cheep parts. if the have used cheep parts refuse the repair as in a few years it will rust, or not look wright. Don't give these company an inch as you are entitled to a proper repair that why you pay a premium.

john

[Shipmate60]

One catch-all phrase to be wary of is "of the same condition before the accident".
The main problem with Insurance Companies Approved Repairers is that the Insurance Companies have driven down hourly rates and times for repairs that they cut corners.
Locally we have had 3 huge body shops close due to this.
The Insurance companies try to force you to use their Approved Repairers by making it difficult not to use independent repairers and you have to pay and claim the cost back.
Most independent repairers know this and will make allowances for payment.
The main problem arises when the repair isn't as good as it should be. The repairer is reluctant to accept responsibility as this costs them even more money.
Good luck with the dispute.
This is true for ALL companies not just the "cheapie" ones. The worst offenders are the biggest and best known.

Bob

[catengineman]

I'm off to work on Sunday night (for a whole month  :'( ) so now I have to rely on the wife to see the chap coming down.

R,