Accepting insurance payout

bushmins

bushmins

bushmins

Soldato
Joined
30 Aug 2006
Posts
4,774
Not dealt with these things before, but reading up on them it seems i might be in for some bother.
My Ford Focus flight 53 plate 1.6 (about 60k miles) has been trashed and the insurers are saying its a beyond economical repair. Im guessing they will offer me no more than £1000 but when searching for similiar models they go for about £2000 to £2500.

Ive read up a bit on what to do in the event of not being offered enough, so im already getting ready for a fight.

Hopefully it wont come to that but does anyone have experience with low pay outs?
I know the damage wasnt too severe and could probably be fixed for less than the price it will cost me to buy a new car, do i get the option to take the car back or does it all depent on the insurance company?
 
Always refuse the first offer.
Provide evidence of similar cars going on open market for the money you think its worth.
Then see what they come back with...
 
Im a bit sketchy on this bit, but you can refuse them writing it off, and demand a repair, i think!
However, i think generally if there is a considerable amount of damage on a common car like the focus, then a write off is probably not the worst thing that can happen, provided you get the right amount for the car.
 
Malt_Vinegar said:
Im a bit sketchy on this bit, but you can refuse them writing it off, and demand a repair, i think!
However, i think generally if there is a considerable amount of damage on a common car like the focus, then a write off is probably not the worst thing that can happen, provided you get the right amount for the car.
Click to expand...

That is a myth. If it's non-fault, they 'may' be more accommodating when requesting a repair, but it obviously depends entirely on damage value and car value.
 
And ask them to offer a "payment in lieu of repair" - then the car wont be written off* and you'll be free repair at your leisure.

*assuming they'd have written the car off as "uneconomical to repair" and not as "unsafe to repair"

I've done it twice - once for my current Scorpio Cosworth and once for my old Sierra. Cheque accepted in both circumstances and I arranged my own repair and no cat d recorded against either car. However at all points in the proceedings I made sure I maintained ownership of the cars and never handed them over to the insurer or one of thier "approved repairers". Damage assessment was done at home for the Sierra and at my choice of garage for the Scorpio.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
olivercamos said:
That is a myth. If it's non-fault, they 'may' be more accommodating when requesting a repair, but it obviously depends entirely on damage value and car value.
Click to expand...

If it's non fault you're entitled to be back in exactly the position you were prior to the accident, no? So surely you have a LOT more leverage. Or is that a myth too?
 
NeverWinter said:
Did this when I had my Leon trashed, they politely said no... Couldn't get a penny more out of them.
Click to expand...

Weird, I have done this 3 times now and always got much more out of them. The last time i just spoke to the "engineer" on the phone, and told him all about the car, and he agreed with me and added £500 onto the value there and then.
 
Hxc said:
If it's non fault you're entitled to be back in exactly the position you were prior to the accident, no? So surely you have a LOT more leverage. Or is that a myth too?
Click to expand...

I dont think that is quite the wording of it, and it is what I thought but was proved wrong by a horrendous third party insurer. They have to give you enough money to put you back in to a similar position or repair. Along those lines, but they are not obliged to repair the car if you insist. :( IIRC
 
Malt_Vinegar said:
Weird, I have done this 3 times now and always got much more out of them. The last time i just spoke to the "engineer" on the phone, and told him all about the car, and he agreed with me and added £500 onto the value there and then.
Click to expand...

I was dealing with 3rd party insurer not my own, which is why I think it was a pain, it wasn't good. All sorted now though and car has been replaced by myself.
 
Spunkey said:
A 10 year old Focus for £2500 sounds very over valued. I'd expect a payout in the region of £900, based on trade prices.
Click to expand...

Considering I got a payout of £1300 for an 11 year focus about 18 months ago, with almost 3x the mileage in the OP, it doesn't sound that far fetched, hat being said, mine was a diesel Ghia, so more popular engine/higher trim level. I'd still expect in the region of about £1500 though.
 
I recently had to go through this.

Refused the first and second offers and they asked me to send ads for comparable cars. Did this and ended up with £4500 after an opening offer of £3200.

If it gets to the point of finding ads to send them don't cherry pick overpriced examples. Find ones that match your car as closely as possible and are fairly priced and they are more likely to cough up. Above all don't give up if you think you'd bring ripped off.
 
Blue160 said:
I recently had to go through this.

Refused the first and second offers and they asked me to send ads for comparable cars. Did this and ended up with £4500 after an opening offer of £3200.

If it gets to the point of finding ads to send them don't cherry pick overpriced examples. Find ones that match your car as closely as possible and are fairly priced and they are more likely to cough up. Above all don't give up if you think you'd bring ripped off.
Click to expand...

Did you give them private ads or trade ones? Finding it very had to find anything on private ads for just about any car. Got a few for the Flight though so if they offer me peanuts ive at leqst got some ammo.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom