How long to sort a basic insurance claim?
Discussion
A year ago a van - delivering Amazon stuff reversed into my car. No problem, he admitted it, said it was his fault and showed me his insurance - it was a hired van and the documentation indicated insurance was in place. It was all witnessed by one of my neighbours who saw the whole thing.
Phoned my insurance co, who had the car collected and taken off to a local repair shop. I collected it a couple of days later, paid the £400 excess and went away happily. I hadn't needed the car so no hire/loan car was needed or supplied. All pretty straightforward. Total cost of the repair was £900.
Except the van's insurer said they didn't insure it, someone else did. The someone else denied it and said the van's insurer did. At least according my insurance company. This has gone on for a year now.
Is this just disorganisation, or is something else going on? On renewal my premium increased by £15, which didn't seem much.
Phoned my insurance co, who had the car collected and taken off to a local repair shop. I collected it a couple of days later, paid the £400 excess and went away happily. I hadn't needed the car so no hire/loan car was needed or supplied. All pretty straightforward. Total cost of the repair was £900.
Except the van's insurer said they didn't insure it, someone else did. The someone else denied it and said the van's insurer did. At least according my insurance company. This has gone on for a year now.
Is this just disorganisation, or is something else going on? On renewal my premium increased by £15, which didn't seem much.
My car was hit,got details off driver,my car repaired within 2 weeks,according to letters from my insurers took the other lot about 12 months to finally pay up.
It was open n shut case that it was their responsibility to pay as my car was parked at the time.
Just glad that my insurers had to deal with the hassle,not me.
It was open n shut case that it was their responsibility to pay as my car was parked at the time.
Just glad that my insurers had to deal with the hassle,not me.
eldar said:
A year ago a van - delivering Amazon stuff reversed into my car. No problem, he admitted it, said it was his fault and showed me his insurance - it was a hired van and the documentation indicated insurance was in place. It was all witnessed by one of my neighbours who saw the whole thing.
Phoned my insurance co, who had the car collected and taken off to a local repair shop. I collected it a couple of days later, paid the £400 excess and went away happily. I hadn't needed the car so no hire/loan car was needed or supplied. All pretty straightforward. Total cost of the repair was £900.
Except the van's insurer said they didn't insure it, someone else did. The someone else denied it and said the van's insurer did. At least according my insurance company. This has gone on for a year now.
Is this just disorganisation, or is something else going on? On renewal my premium increased by £15, which didn't seem much.
Sounds like the van was on MID through the hire firm, but the hire excluded insurance - the courier's insurance were on risk. Except the courier's insurance are of the opinion that the hire firm's insurance should cover it.Phoned my insurance co, who had the car collected and taken off to a local repair shop. I collected it a couple of days later, paid the £400 excess and went away happily. I hadn't needed the car so no hire/loan car was needed or supplied. All pretty straightforward. Total cost of the repair was £900.
Except the van's insurer said they didn't insure it, someone else did. The someone else denied it and said the van's insurer did. At least according my insurance company. This has gone on for a year now.
Is this just disorganisation, or is something else going on? On renewal my premium increased by £15, which didn't seem much.
You've got three choices, really.
1. Your insurer shrugs and pays. At-fault on your record.
2. You curse, shrug and pay.
3. Legal o'clock.
Your insurer's not going to go for 3, not for £500 on top of your excess. So do you fancy going small claim on it? Put the courier as the defendant.
Sounds like your insurance co. can't be arsed to chase it. £500 Is not worth the effort for them.
You should get your excess refunded when the third party pay up. You need to make a right pain of yourself to your insurer. Pester them weekly for progress updates.
If the company named by the third party as insurer claims that they are not the third party's insurer, then your claim should bounce straight back to the third party. Any claim handled by the insurer is handled on behalf of the insured. Your insurer should simply claim directly from the third party. Any argument between the TP and his insurer isn't your problem.
You should get your excess refunded when the third party pay up. You need to make a right pain of yourself to your insurer. Pester them weekly for progress updates.
If the company named by the third party as insurer claims that they are not the third party's insurer, then your claim should bounce straight back to the third party. Any claim handled by the insurer is handled on behalf of the insured. Your insurer should simply claim directly from the third party. Any argument between the TP and his insurer isn't your problem.
Do you have the driver's details. If so, write directly to him giving him 7 days to settle your excess before warning him that you will make a small claims court claim if he doesn't. And then after 7 days, do just that. It's cheap, painless, and all online.
That'll put the purring domestic killing machines amongst the rats with wings.
That'll put the purring domestic killing machines amongst the rats with wings.
Thanks for the advice. Unusually for PH, I've actually followed it. 
I've had a conversation withy my insurer who has managed to rediscover the missing bits, and the 3rd party has now agreed to pay up in full. Should be sorted in a couple of weeks.
The cynical side of me thinks it smacks a little of 'The cheque is in the post. We'll see...
I've had a conversation withy my insurer who has managed to rediscover the missing bits, and the 3rd party has now agreed to pay up in full. Should be sorted in a couple of weeks.
The cynical side of me thinks it smacks a little of 'The cheque is in the post. We'll see...
I had a car run into the back of me last Sat evening. I phoned the insurance company on Sunday morning. The damage was only cosmetic (plus new exhaust pipe) however due to the cost of repairing it and the age of the car it was considered a write off. Within an hour the 3rd party insurance company phoned me admitting full liability and offered me a price for the car I was happy with. By Monday morning the money was in my bank account.
I have replaced the exhaust pipe so still have a good reliable car to drive around in, albeit that the back bumper is rather mangled (I will replace this when I can find a suitable second-hand one) and money in the bank too.
After reading so many horror stories on PH this has restored my faith in human nature thanks to 2 good insurance companies and an honest and responsible driver (even if they can't see a bloody great car stationary in front of them!).
I have replaced the exhaust pipe so still have a good reliable car to drive around in, albeit that the back bumper is rather mangled (I will replace this when I can find a suitable second-hand one) and money in the bank too.
After reading so many horror stories on PH this has restored my faith in human nature thanks to 2 good insurance companies and an honest and responsible driver (even if they can't see a bloody great car stationary in front of them!).
An Update. The 3rd party insurer did eventually accept liability and the claim was settled with my insurer, no fault on my behalf. Got the claim settlement details from my insurer. Excellent. Now I can claim my excess back.
Phoned them, and they deny a)they settled the claim and b)according to MID someone else was insuring the vehicle, and MID is never wrong, so phone up the insurer named on MID.
I phone up the insurer named on MID. They say it is the insurer that has admitted liability and MID is not definitive in identifying a particular insurer on a specific day.
Phone my insurer again, and they confirm they have been paid and liability 100% accepted as they originally said.
Where next?
Phoned them, and they deny a)they settled the claim and b)according to MID someone else was insuring the vehicle, and MID is never wrong, so phone up the insurer named on MID.
I phone up the insurer named on MID. They say it is the insurer that has admitted liability and MID is not definitive in identifying a particular insurer on a specific day.
Phone my insurer again, and they confirm they have been paid and liability 100% accepted as they originally said.
Where next?
Phone your own insurers back and say you have not had your excess refunded and as far as you're concerned if they have been paid by the 3rd party insurers, they should forward your excess. Politely but firmly state if they don't, you'll send a letter before action and then immediately file small claims action against them. Personally, I'd draft the letter before action on the day you phone them and post it straight away, and wait a week and file for small claims court a week later.
Otherwise, who else refunds your excess? The only contract you have is between yourself and your own insurers.
I am amazed at how many people accept being fobbed off, insurers do this all the time and only deal with it when it escalates. Seriously, it works.
Otherwise, who else refunds your excess? The only contract you have is between yourself and your own insurers.
I am amazed at how many people accept being fobbed off, insurers do this all the time and only deal with it when it escalates. Seriously, it works.
Wiccan of Darkness said:
Phone your own insurers back and say you have not had your excess refunded and as far as you're concerned if they have been paid by the 3rd party insurers, they should forward your excess. Politely but firmly state if they don't, you'll send a letter before action and then immediately file small claims action against them. Personally, I'd draft the letter before action on the day you phone them and post it straight away, and wait a week and file for small claims court a week later.
Otherwise, who else refunds your excess? The only contract you have is between yourself and your own insurers.
An excess is an uninsured loss which is recoverable from the TP. The key question is by whom.Otherwise, who else refunds your excess? The only contract you have is between yourself and your own insurers.
IF the OP's insurer obtained the full cost back from the TP insurer it should be refunding the excess back to the OP.
If 100% TP liability is established prior to settlement then some insurers will waive the excess in the first place..
Example - http://www.admiral.com/car-insurance/advice/how-th... & http://www.admiral.com/magazine/guides/motor/seven...
Wiccan of Darkness said:
I am amazed at how many people accept being fobbed off, insurers do this all the time and only deal with it when it escalates. Seriously, it works.
It depends on who you're dealing with. As in any other business environment there are good and bad companiesGoing in all guns blazing is not necessarily the best approach. Never make any threat unless you are going to act on it.
I think it should take about a week max in this day and age.
The last claim i had took 4 weeks because the accident management company and the guy assigned to my claim was a total knobber.
He thought he could offer me a quarter of what the car was actually worth despite what the inspection said and said he would 'make me accept it'
Another was because they were going to insist on putting the claim through as a 50/50 even though I was stationary at the time and a teen on her phone shot straight through a red light and hit the wing at around 60mpg. if I had moved forward about a metre I reckon I would have been killed or spent several months eating hospital food.
The at fault driver called her boyfriend and the first thing he said was ' have you been talking at the wheel'
Eventually they found in my favour and I am no longer with the insurers.
The last claim i had took 4 weeks because the accident management company and the guy assigned to my claim was a total knobber.
He thought he could offer me a quarter of what the car was actually worth despite what the inspection said and said he would 'make me accept it'
Another was because they were going to insist on putting the claim through as a 50/50 even though I was stationary at the time and a teen on her phone shot straight through a red light and hit the wing at around 60mpg. if I had moved forward about a metre I reckon I would have been killed or spent several months eating hospital food.
The at fault driver called her boyfriend and the first thing he said was ' have you been talking at the wheel'
Eventually they found in my favour and I am no longer with the insurers.
I'd suggest using a brief. In essence your claim is not against the other driver's insurance company but against the other driver. A letter to him, along the lines of: Please not I hold you responsible for damage caused to me car on day/date/time/place. Say how much you are out of pocked and that you will claim from him unless you receive full payment within n weeks.
There are proformas online.
There are proformas online.
Yet another update! Following the advice here (whatever next!!) spoke to my and the alleged their insurance companies again, with no progress.
So decided to write to the driver, as advised. Started the letter, and the postie visited.
And there was a cheque for the full amount of my excess from some company I've never heard of! Turns out they are the holding company for my insurer.
So result. Only taken 18 months!
Thanks for the advice
So decided to write to the driver, as advised. Started the letter, and the postie visited.
And there was a cheque for the full amount of my excess from some company I've never heard of! Turns out they are the holding company for my insurer.
So result. Only taken 18 months!
Thanks for the advice
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