Advice on possible write-off

Bongoplotter · Post by **Bongoplotter** » Sun Aug 31, 2014 8:38 pm

Left our Bongo "safely" parked in a car park at the bottom of a hill today. VW parked at the top of said hill didn't put his handbrake on, and you can guess the rest. Have arranged to drop off our Bongo with Ian Taylor in the morning, as I wouldn't allow anyone else to mess with it, but as the rear bumper, boot, driver's side lights, and driver's side wheel arch have all taken quite a hit, I have a nasty feeling that the insurance company might make things difficult. It's a 1996 Bongo with 147k on the clock, but we love it to bits want to keep it going forever. Does anyone have any advice on buying back write-offs, please? Many thanks

Gasy · Post by **Gasy** » Sun Aug 31, 2014 9:03 pm

It's your car
Not the insurance company's
You have the write to keep it ( buy it back )

Post by **Simon Jones** » Sun Aug 31, 2014 9:10 pm

Start looking on eBay, Autotrader and the For Sale section to get an idea for what it will cost to replace it on a like for like basis. Presumably, you'll be claiming against the VW's insurance so try to screw every last penny out of them as it was clearly not your fault.

Gasy · Post by **Gasy** » Sun Aug 31, 2014 9:12 pm

Was it a vw camper
Maybe a bit of owner envy

scanner · Post by **scanner** » Sun Aug 31, 2014 10:23 pm

As gasy says it is YOUR car, NOT the insurance company's. Do not let them try and convince you otherwise.

All they are required to do is put you back in the position you were before the damage occurred - no better and certainly no worse.

Do you have Legal Cover as part of your insurance (almost everywhere seems to include it these days unless you specifically opt out)? If so, use it, you have to inform your insurer of the incident but you do not have to claim through them. Just tell them the vehicle was hit whilst parked and unoccupied and use the Legal Cover to pursue the other driver's insurer.

Bongoplotter · Post by **Bongoplotter** » Mon Sep 01, 2014 6:05 pm

Gasy, you could be right, I hadn't thought of that

Whatever the reason, Mr VW driver has not reported the incident to his insurers, so today has been more than frustrating. Apparently it will take five working days to even be allowed a courtesy car because he hasn't given notification

Scanner, yes we do have legal cover - thanks for the advice

scanner · Post by **scanner** » Mon Sep 01, 2014 6:09 pm

Bongoplotter wrote:Mr VW driver has not reported the incident to his insurers,

Go to the Police!

Did you by any chance get pictures or have an independent witness?

scanner · Post by **scanner** » Mon Sep 01, 2014 6:12 pm

Gasy wrote:It's your car
Not the insurance company's
You have the write to keep it ( buy it back )

One slight correction.
You don't buy anything "back" as it's still yours. The insurer pays you a settlement less "salvage value".

Bongoplotter · Post by **Bongoplotter** » Mon Sep 01, 2014 7:04 pm

The car park belongs to a garden centre - there was apparently a witness, who reported it to an employee straight away. The witness then disappeared, but the garden centre employee went out and took photos on his phone. Hugely grateful that he did, as when we arrived back, the VW had been moved back up the hill, and the driver was inspecting the damage on his van. He didn't make any effort to come and speak to us - I had to approach him.

Snoozie · Post by **Snoozie** » Mon Sep 01, 2014 7:12 pm

Cheeky barsteward.

Glad that someone got some photos for you.

scanner · Post by **scanner** » Mon Sep 01, 2014 8:07 pm

Bongoplotter wrote:The car park belongs to a garden centre - there was apparently a witness, who reported it to an employee straight away. The witness then disappeared, but the garden centre employee went out and took photos on his phone. Hugely grateful that he did, as when we arrived back, the VW had been moved back up the hill, and the driver was inspecting the damage on his van. He didn't make any effort to come and speak to us - I had to approach him.

You definitely need to contact the Police and tell them what happened. He could be guilty of an offence.

From http://www.staffordshire.police.uk/info ... collisions

This advice only refers to collisions where no-one is hurt or suffered only minor injury. If you are involved in a collision where a vehicle or property is damaged, you must stop and give your details to anyone with reasonable grounds for requesting them.

If you are involved in a collision where no injuries have occurred, you need to exchange the following details with the other people involved:

registration numbers of your vehicles
details of the drivers involved
details of the registered keeper if they are different from the driver.

If no one has been injured, and all the drivers involved are willing to exchange details, you don't have to report the matter to the police.

It may be private land, but that doesn't mean it is a "public place" if there is no barrier or other means of keeping the public out.

scanner · Post by **scanner** » Mon Sep 01, 2014 8:15 pm

Specifically this..

Q. The driver involved in the collision failed to stop, or left without giving their details. What should I do?

A. Failing to stop if you are in a collision involving injury or damage to property is an offence. If a driver fails to stop or leaves the scene of a collision without giving details, you should notify the police as soon as possible, or in any case within 24 hours, giving:

the time, place and nature of the incident
details of the car and if possible the driver
their direction of travel when leaving the scene.

The police will advise you on what to do next.

scanner · Post by **scanner** » Mon Sep 01, 2014 8:35 pm

Park behind a lamp post next time

http://i.imgur.com/FUrZChk.gif

Colin H F · Post by **Colin H F** » Mon Sep 01, 2014 8:53 pm

wow how lucky was she

scanner wrote:Park behind a lamp post next time
http://i.imgur.com/FUrZChk.gif

Bongoplotter · Post by **Bongoplotter** » Mon Sep 01, 2014 9:43 pm

Scanner, you really have set me thinking now. How do you park behind a lamp post? Infront of, at the side of, or underneath I can visualise, but behind????

One lucky lady in that video clip

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