Storm damage

[StuBeeDoo]

My X3 got damaged in the storm yesterday by what looks to have been a flying roof slate. 

I've informed the insurance company and am waiting for the bodyshop's estimator to contact me.  It looks like it's going to need the n/s/f wing and the bonnet replaced;- both have deep gouges in.  TBH, on a <6year-old car I wouldn't want them filled.  If it had been my old E46, I wouldn't have bothered getting it fixed - but that was rust-ridden anyway.  ::)

£450 excess, plus my premium will go up next year, and my NCD entitlement will drop.  .....And yes, I know I could have had the NCD protected.

TBH, there are a couple of small areas on the bonnet which could do with attention anyway.  There's a tiny area on the front PAX door that could do with a smart repair and the same on the driver's mirror.  I'm going to try to negotiate to have them done while it's being repaired - and a full machine polish for good measure.

In 42 years of car ownership my cars have only rarely been garaged and this is the first time anything like this has happened to any of them.

I've been through worse.  In the storm at the beginning of 2005, the roof got blown off our house (and our neighbours either side).  That was a real nightmare!

[X5Sport]

:cry1:  As long as you and yours are safe......the rest is fixable.

Seems we’re in for another blow in the South & East tonight and then again on Sunday 

[StuBeeDoo]

[quote="X5Sport"] :cry1:  As long as you and yours are safe......the rest is fixable.[/quote]

Preeeeecisely.
I'm taking it for the estimate & discussions on Monday lunchtime.

[gs223]

It's not right but I couldn't help laughing: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... html#video

[Reusch]

I’m assuming a slate of your property?

[StuBeeDoo]

[quote="Reusch"]I’m assuming a slate of your property?[/quote] No.  The car was parked upwind of our house.  I didn't notice the damage to the car until I got to work.  By the time I got home any evidence there might have been where the car had been parked was long-gone.  Unfortunately, as my insurers have no-one to claim from, it's going to be an "at fault" claim. 

I hate insurance, it's legalised robbery.  :rant:

[kenniff]

So you gave these guys some money - (a few hundred?). If your car gets nicked tomorrow they'll give you pretty close to what its currently worth.  Seems a good deal to me.

If you really hate them then just insure Third Party only.

[StuBeeDoo]

[quote="kenniff"]If your car gets nicked tomorrow they'll give you pretty close to what its currently worth.[/quote]If my wife's experience with a write-off is anything to go by, on Monday morning they offer roughly 60% of the market value.  You tell them to get stuffed.  Late Tuesday afternoon they come back with 70%.  You tell them they're not trying hard enough.  Thursday morning;- "80%???"  Getting closer.......  By Friday afternoon a supervisor comes back with 85% and no matter how hard you push they won't go beyond that figure.  Wednesday afternoon the garage took their courtesy car back because the insurer won't pay for it this long after the claim went in, so you're now juggling one car between two of you because you need one each for work.  When you finally get the funds in your account you have to buy in a hurry so you're unlikely to find the replacement you'd really like.  And, in any case, because the insurer wouldn't pay-out the full market value you have to settle for an older, or lower spec, or higher mileage replacement - or raid your savings for £3000 to make-up the short-fall.

Sounds perfectly fair to me.  Not.  :rant:

[kenniff]

So go for third party only cover. Stick the extra money you've "saved" in a bank account every month. See if its enough to replace your car when it gets nicked / written off by an uninsured or unknown third party.

You were offered 85% of what you thought it was worth. If you had evidence it was worth more you presumably would have presented it to them? Adverts of similar models, statements from dealers, an independent assessment from Institute of Automotive Engineer Assessors? If the insurer don't accept your evidence you can take them to the ombudsman. Did you do that?

I can understand being unhappy with a provider's performance. It could well be that your insurer wasn't a good one - obviously they do exist. The cheapest one you can find is not always the one who is best at paying claims.  I've had bad service in a restaurant before, but I haven't given up eating out in general and I don't consider all restaurant owners to be robbers .

[StuBeeDoo]

I never buy insurance from a name I don't know.  Over the last 10 years I've stuck with eSure and recently LV.  A couple of years ago I did actually get quotes for TPO and they were actually slightly more expensive.  ???
[quote="kenniff"]You were offered 85% of what you thought it was worth. If you had evidence it was worth more you presumably would have presented it to them? Adverts of similar models, statements from dealers, an independent assessment from Institute of Automotive Engineer Assessors? If the insurer don't accept your evidence you can take them to the ombudsman. Did you do that?[/quote]

You are making far too many assumptions without knowing the full facts.  .........And, in any case, I didn't make the original post as any kind of comment about either insurers in general, or my personal choices of cover.  It was meant to be about only having owned the car less than 3 months before it got damaged.    It most certainly wasn't an open invitation to debate the can of worms that is the insurance industry.

Subject closed.