insurance claim or pony up myself!?

[Thekwango]

i'm sure this'll cheer some folk up on here.....but yesterday i manage to become close personal friends with a coping stone atop a pillar.
already spoke with a local sprayer and he's went 'nuh uh - needs a new door matey' so wondering if it makes more sense to go down the route of insurance - i've only 3 years NCD due to most of my driving all having been done under fleet insurance so a quick google shows that my annual premiums won't really change a huge amount if i do claim and go back to square 1.

p.s. the pics seem to not look as bad as it does in real life!

what say you motoring aficionados- insurance claim or nay?

 

[Vince]

I had far worse than that repaired without a new door. Second opinion before scouring all the normal places for a replacement door In the same colour?

 

[BUDFORCE]

Can you not just eBay a new door?

 

[Vince]

Can you not just eBay a new door?

It's always an option, one thing of note a lot of new vehicles for whatever reason have the barrel and mechanism riveted Into the door with really poor access. A new door isn't always easier than a good repair.

 

[Thekwango]

I had far worse than that repaired without a new door. Second opinion before scouring all the normal places for a replacement door In the same colour?

sadly a second opinion involves quite a bit of driving/phone calls/emails due to living in the ahole of nowhere in Northern Ireland. i did have a quick squizz on ebay for a replacement door but missed out by a day on one for 130 quid plus 30 postage. unfortunately time is not on my side - insurance is due for renewal on the 6th. so i either have to claim pretty pronto on the current insurance or tell a porky pie and claim on the new (if that's the route i take)

i've one more relatively handy place to visit to see about a quote for repair but i'm on the road with work tomorrow then potentially flying over to england for a funeral at some point this week so time is really at a premium.

It's always an option, one thing of note a lot of new vehicles for whatever reason have the barrel and mechanism riveted Into the door with really poor access. A new door isn't always easier than a good repair.

hmmm didn't think about that. car is 6 years old so maybe/hopefully that won't be an issue!

Can you not just eBay a new door?

yea as per above i had a butchers but nowt kicking about sadly.

 

[IAmATeaf]

With only 3 years won't you lose all of it if you claim?

 

[Vince]

sadly a second opinion involves quite a bit of driving/phone calls/emails due to living in the ahole of nowhere in Northern Ireland. i did have a quick squizz on ebay for a replacement door but missed out by a day on one for 130 quid plus 30 postage. unfortunately time is not on my side - insurance is due for renewal on the 6th. so i either have to claim pretty pronto on the current insurance or tell a porky pie and claim on the new (if that's the route i take)

i've one more relatively handy place to visit to see about a quote for repair but i'm on the road with work tomorrow then potentially flying over to england for a funeral at some point this week so time is really at a premium.


hmmm didn't think about that. car is 6 years old so maybe/hopefully that won't be an issue!


yea as per above i had a butchers but nowt kicking about sadly.

For reference a 2011 clio has all its lock and mechanism riveted into the door with basically no access. A "quick" door swap ended up being a bloody nightmare.

 

[Thekwango]

With only 3 years won't you lose all of it if you claim?

aye but makes little to no difference on the cost of a quote.

For reference a 2011 clio has all its lock and mechanism riveted into the door with basically no access. A "quick" door swap ended up being a bloody nightmare.

yea I did a bit of googling after reading your post and there's a fair few 'horror' stories. think i'll just give the insurance crowd a call any way to see what their advise is too.

 

[Jony27]

You phoned up nu-finish in Antrim?

 

[Thekwango]

You phoned up nu-finish in Antrim?

I haven't no, they're about 35 ish miles away which normally wouldn't be an issue but i'm goosed this week for time. i'll maybe register it with the insurance co then give those folk in antrim a call in the morning when i'm out and about.

 

[Vince]

aye but makes little to no difference on the cost of a quote.

yea I did a bit of googling after reading your post and there's a fair few 'horror' stories. think i'll just give the insurance crowd a call any way to see what their advise is too.

Probably a wise bet, its fine if you don't really care too much and don't mind butchering the door a little. Changing a door on a lot of modern cars has been turned into an absolute nightmare it's like car makers are making it deliberately harder. It's the easiest thing in the world in everything up until about the year 2k then they hit us with rivets all over the place and hidden under the inner door skin. Interested to know what comes of it though, to me that looks like the first bodyshop just didn't want the job.

 

[Thekwango]

Probably a wise bet, its fine if you don't really care too much and don't mind butchering the door a little. Changing a door on a lot of modern cars has been turned into an absolute nightmare it's like car makers are making it deliberately harder. It's the easiest thing in the world in everything up until about the year 2k then they hit us with rivets all over the place and hidden under the inner door skin. Interested to know what comes of it though, to me that looks like the first bodyshop just didn't want the job.

to be fair to the local place it actually looks a lot worse in real life. the 'dent' is about a foot long and maybe 2 -3 inches deep. I've logged it with the insurance co - they advised to ring round as many places as possible and get quotes (for repair as well as replacement). I can then either claim through them and they'll authorise one of the quotes or I can let them take over and arrange the repair/replacement. they were actually rather surprisingly helpful - even though i'm not renewing my insurance with them.

I'll email a couple of places this evening and see what comes of it.

genuine thanks to everyone for all the advice and help thus far.

 

[On Holiday]

 

[Thekwango]

What I'd do is run some quotes on a comparison site with and without the claim listed and compare the difference

Unfortunately as you've already informed the insurance, it will most likely be noted now.

yea I'd already done that first thing this morning before ringing the blood suckers! was only seeing 20-40 quid differences when I added or removed my NCD so it's not the end of the world if I have to claim. but thanks for the advice nonetheless.

 

[kindai]

That looks quite easily doable by a half decent smart repair man in a van tbh.

 

[Burned_Alive]

yea I'd already done that first thing this morning before ringing the blood suckers! was only seeing 20-40 quid differences when I added or removed my NCD so it's not the end of the world if I have to claim. but thanks for the advice nonetheless.

Did you add the fault claim as well as removing the NCD? Because that could make a difference when combined.

 

[jpaul]

That looks quite easily doable by a half decent smart repair man in a van tbh.

maybe not - the side impact bars look as though they are part of door skin .. is that how its done now ?
https://youtu.be/0_KHa3pr5Rc?t=154
otherwise I would have said have an attempt at DIYing. and pushing from inside.

 

[DB_SamX]

Had a similar dent and scratches (on a crease over my wheel arch) repaied by a bodyshop for £300. I was impressed by the finish!

 

[weathmatth]

Did you add the fault claim as well as removing the NCD? Because that could make a difference when combined.

Yeah be careful when applying for new insurance down the line, as no doubt the incident will be logged on the database and could potentially increase your quotes, or void your insurance if you don't initially declare it.

 

[Nasher]

If you didn't actually claim it might not be. You can ask for your history later on and see.