Another Insurance Topic

[GLPoomobile 958]

I'm really not sure what to do about my crashed Saab 9-3.

 

As it stands (literally) the car cannot be driven due to the front o/s suspension damage. I don't want the insurers to take the car away as I feel (from other people's experiences) that this will leave me backed in to a corner, but I don't feel there is much alternative as a full in depth assessment of the damage cannot be done until it's taken to a garage, and to do that means it'll need to be towed. Once it's towed to a garage, if they write it off I've then got the weaker hand as I don't have the car in my posession while I fight for suitable payout. If I do want the car back I'd have to pay to get it towed back.

 

So far as I can see I have two options, and either one is going to be a gamble. What would you do?

 

1 - I could repair the main damage myself. This consists of the front alloy (simply swap to the spare wheel in the interim), control arms and ARB link (I can get pattern parts for circa £150 and they look pretty simple to swap from the guide I've read). This would mean that crucially the car would be driveable, which not only opens up my options, but also reduces the amount of work to be quoted for the repair, so lessening the likelyhood of a write off. Once moveable, I can get it in to our carpark, on axle stands and have a closer look at the damage. My main concern is structural damage, but I know that there are specialists that do a bulkhead repair on these (it's a "common" failure - the bulkhead splits at the welds due to weak design and the steering rack being bolted directly to the bulkhead) for as little as £400. If I can keep any structural repairs to under £1k whilst taking on any component replacements at my own cost I'll stand a chance of it not being written off.

 

The gamble here is the damage could be more extensive than I think, and it's going to cost me money to find that out. Plus, it may never be the same again after being repaired. It's not in the greatest condition anyway, so it may just not be worth the bother.

 

 

2 - Accept it is a write off (I spoke to an independant Saab specialist down the road this afternoon, and he says based on the brief description of the damage, the age and mileage, it'll be a write off, which is what I suspected anyway). Take the money and buy something else (I did actually really enjoy my one week in the 9-3, and would happily have another).

 

The gamble here is how much out of pocket am I going to end up? I declared the value as £2k. Book value on normal 2.0t SE is something like £1500 privtae to near £2000 trade, but this is an Anniversary Edition, of which only 175 made, and almost top spec. I have found 2 Anniversary models for sale, both at £3.5k (adverts saved), and many other examples of SEs, HoT Aeros, TiDs of same age at over £2k. There's also plenty out there for less though! This particular car has a higher than average mileage at 136k, and has it's flaws (but was mechnically very good).

 

Even if I fight, and by some miracle get them to agree to a £2k payout, I'll only see £1700 due to the excess.

 

Need to make a decision soon as that's 2 weeks it's been sat doing nothing now.

[Daviewonder 533 3 Cars]

Are there no Saabs at the scrappy that you could get the wishbones and link off of? At least then you could get it moble for next to nothing so you can have a better look.

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

How much does the car owe you? If it is £2k or thereabouts I would let them write it off, take the payout, chalk it to experience, and go buy another one. You haven't had the car long enough to be that attached to it.

 

Maybe consider trying to buy the salvage to swap any interior bits or other options that are specific to the model to another 9-3 you buy?

[GLPoomobile 958]

Hmmm, thinking about it like that Tom, that's not a bad idea.

 

The one single positive in this is I hadn't had it long enough to invest any additional money in to it, and you're right, there is no emotional attachment. The only money I'd spent apart from petrol in the tank was £35 on a new roof aerial (arrived in the post after the accident - talk about rub salt in the wounds). If I get another 9-3 I'll probably have to use it at some point as they seem to disintegrate with alarming ease

 

How's the value of scrap metal these days?

Edited October 15, 2010 by GLPoomobile

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

There you go then, you pay a lot for insurance so let them pay a lot to you for a change.

[johnnyboy666 195 1 Cars]

is it worth loosing your excess and ncb over? assuming there was no other cars involved, could you not just take the cost of repairing it yourself? possibly with donor parts as said above?

[Alastairh 47]

Just let them take it.

 

I've unfortunatly been in this situation a few times (hence my sig). My Nissan was written off, a cheque was sent in the post (£500 more than i paid for the car) and then the car was delivered back to me FOC. It returned with a flat tyre which after a few heated phone calls and holding there 23 grand Mondeo in hostage, they replaced the tyre.

 

Try buy it back though, probably the easiest thing you could do is chuck the items on to make it rolling again and then ebay it. I bet you would get a £700? for it as it is. Maybe sell it to that Saab specialist?

 

Al

[GLPoomobile 958]

I've got another question, and would really like to be armed with some info before I call the insurers tomorrow.

 

I had to pay £190 to have the car recovered at the time of the accident, as it was late at night. This was done through the AA, but the plan was that they'd pay and invoice my insurers, but the local pickup company had been given completely the wrong info when they arrived and I had to agree to pay them up front and then reclaim through the insurance, which I did as I was just desperate to get home with the car.

 

If I add this invoice to the claim, will they simply take that on the chin (as if it had been business hours they'd have arranged the recovery anyway) or will they deduct it from the settlement? i.e. they agree on a £2k settlement, minus the £300 excess, minus the £190 recovery leaving me with £1510? As always I remain sceptical and cynical about what I'm going to end up with. But it would be nice if I could end up with the £2k I paid a week earlier minus the £300 excess (even nicer if I can come out better than that! ).

 

In fact, surely the whole point of having an excess is to cover expenses like these (?)

[muddatrucker 125]

When I wrote off my Xsara (against a curb!) I had it recovered, I paid and claimed it back, but I think they told me they'd only pay a maximum amount (which was less than I paid at £60).

 

I'm the kind of guy that once a car is falling/fallen to pieces, I start to hate it! so would let them take it.

[jackherer 543]

But it would be nice if I could end up with the £2k I paid a week earlier minus the £300 excess (even nicer if I can come out better than that! ).

 

You will lose the insurance premium you have just paid too, if the car is written off I believe the policy is then cancelled. I assume if it is repaired then the policy stays in force.

[Alastairh 47]

How did you get on with it all mate?

 

Al

[GLPoomobile 958]

Still in progress. On the one hand, my insurers are f***ing useless. I've called twice this week to ask a simple question, which the dopey Welsh biffers can't answer, so they say they'll get my claims handler to call me. The lazy twat still hasn't called back. I think I'll call Flux tomorrow and ask them to sort it out for me, which I guess they should be anyway.

 

On the other hand, I was pleasantly surprised to recieve a letter at the start of the week offering what I paid for the car minus the £300 excess. First offer, and no arguing required

 

I'm not going to buy the car back for the simple reason that it's hassle I don't need. Yeah, I could maybe lesson the financial hurt, but it's a burden I don't need right now.