Buying back an insurance written off car. Question

[Baldbloke]

Someone reversed in to the passenger side of my other halfs car. They have accepted fault. No quibbles.
As it happens, both parties are with the same insurance company.

The insurance companys authorised garage has had a quick shuftie at the damage yesterday and are now submitting the report to the insurance company.

Garage says the car may be written off by the insurance company. Don't know yet. We'll have to wait and see.

It is a 2009 For Fiesta Zetec. Roughly 80,000 miles.

Prior to the incident, in the last few months it has had a new cambelt, new exhaust, new battery and sailed through the mot without any issues being highlighted. Essentially a keeper.

I heard that sometimes you can buy back a written of car from the insurance and get it repaired the repairs done independently.

Questions are: Would the same insurance company actually be willing to insure it after it had been wtitten off and if they did, at what sort of premium?

We are hoping they do not write it off though. She knows it is reliable, knows its service history and looking for a replacement would be a nightmare for us. We know nothing about cars. It'd be a reall stressfull time for her to look for a replacement and we could end up buying a lame duck.

 

[Iamzod]

Best to ask your insurer, many years ago I had a van it the side of a Rover 220SDi.

Just dented the door skins & bent the front regulator & lock mechanism so the door wouldn't open from inside, no other damage.

Insurer wrote it off & gave me £1400, bought it back for i think £25 stuck 2 ebay doors on it & carried on, insurer had no issue, just wanted photo's that it was fixed as they considered no opening door a safety issue.

 

[Baldbloke]

Best to ask your insurer, many years ago I had a van it the side of a Rover 220SDi.

Just dented the door skins & bent the front regulator & lock mechanism so the door wouldn't open from inside, no other damage.

Insurer wrote it off & gave me £1400, bought it back for i think £25 stuck 2 ebay doors on it & carried on, insurer had no issue, just wanted photo's that it was fixed as they considered no opening door a safety issue.

That sounds encouraging. Thank you.

You bought it back for £25? Insurance premium didn't sky rocket? My greedy little eyes are starting to light up

 

[Resident]

Your insurer will probably insure it again however you will see an increase as with all collisions, fault or not, they go up.

You will also be obliged to inform any potential buyer that the car was previously written off including which category the write-off was recorded under. This obviously affects it's sale value also

 

[Iamzod]

That sounds encouraging. Thank you.

You bought it back for £25? Insurance premium didn't sky rocket? My greedy little eyes are starting to light up

No, my insurer don't raise premiums for non fault claims, or didn't when I had the last one about 8 years ago and when I actually worked for them, it wasn't used as a rating factor.

 

[SilverTongue]

2009 Ford Fiesta Zetec.

Definitely a write off no may be about it.

The buy back cost will be a percentage of the valuation that you are given, this will likely be non-negotiable as it will just be the amount that the insurance company will get from their salvage agents. So for example if they are going to get paid £1500 by their salvage agents, they aren't going to let you buy it back for less than that.

Expect your premiums to increase both based on the accident and the fact that you will be insuring a previously written off car.

cambelt, new exhaust, new battery and sailed through the mot without any issues being highlighted

will not make a massive difference to the valuation as this is considered basic maintenance and insurers expect the vehicle to be maintained, the number of people who used to argue over the fact they wanted the £600 they'd had just paid to get the car through its MOT included in the valuation was just laughable

 

[mid_gen]

will not make a massive difference to the valuation as this is considered basic maintenance and insurers expect the vehicle to be maintained, the number of people who used to argue over the fact they wanted the £600 they'd had just paid to get the car through its MOT included in the valuation was just laughable

I think OPs point is that the car is otherwise reliable and has had money invested in it and has value to then, regardless of market value.

 

[Baldbloke]

I think OPs point is that the car is otherwise reliable and has had money invested in it and has value to then, regardless of market value.

True. I'd much prefer it was repairable and keepable. It is/was very reliable. Looks like w'ell possibly be disappointed though. It will be so much stress for the missus to find another car at an affordable price. (She gets stressed buying a packet of crisps. Gawd knows what the hassle of buying another car is going to be like
The money invested, well, I get that this is just an expected cost of maintaining a vehicle and keeping it roadworthy.

It does sound like the buy back is not that much of a great option.

Insurance company no doubt will advise in a few days.

 

[Tinders]

Definitely a write off no may be about it.



Expect your premiums to increase both based on the accident and the fact that you will be insuring a previously written off car.

No, premium will not increase if insuring a previously written off vehicle. But yes accident, fault or no fault, will result in increased premiums.

Its well worth trying to buy the car back, it will cost you a couple of hundred at most. One thing tho, instruct the garage that its at, they they dont let the insurance company/copart take the car away, until the claim is settled. Once its at Copart, it will get battered and they will nick anything remotely valuable, even stuff like spare tyres etc.

 

[Iamzod]

But yes accident, fault or no fault, will result in increased premiums.

Not always true, depends on who is underwriting the policy. Not all insurers load premiums for non-fault claims.

But yes, if Copart get their hands on it then it's a goner. I've known of a car valued at £18k get taken away by these clowns after it was shunted up the rear but repairable for a couple of £k. By the time Copart had got their greasy mitt's on it the damage done wrote the car off as they had damaged multiple panels, there was interior damage, some bits missing from the audio system, damage to all 4 wheels. The owner ended up taking the insurer to court & won.

It was an ST220 with a load of custom audio equipment hence the value even though it was well over 10 years old, insurer pre agreed the value though & then tried to get out of paying out £18k for an "Old Mondeo".

 

[Baldbloke]

instruct the garage that its at, they they dont let the insurance company/copart take the car away, until the claim is settled. Once its at Copart, it will get battered and they will nick anything remotely valuable, even stuff like spare tyres etc.

But yes, if Copart get their hands on it then it's a goner. I've known of a car valued at £18k get taken away by these clowns after it was shunted up the rear but repairable for a couple of £k. By the time Copart had got their greasy mitt's on it the damage done wrote the car off as they had damaged multiple panels, there was interior damage, some bits missing from the audio system, damage to all 4 wheels. The owner ended up taking the insurer to court & won.

It was an ST220 with a load of custom audio equipment hence the value even though it was well over 10 years old, insurer pre agreed the value though & then tried to get out of paying out £18k for an "Old Mondeo".

Crikey. That's a horror story. This Copart crowd seem to be absoloute vultures.

Clearly my Mrs car is not in the same league but nevertheless, she is very fond of it. Thanks for the warnings.

 

[Gregvivi0401]

Crikey. That's a horror story. This Copart crowd seem to be absoloute vultures.

Clearly my Mrs car is not in the same league but nevertheless, she is very fond of it. Thanks for the warnings.

You need to be very careful wit Copart they are bunch of cowboys.