Hit a fox last night...
Discussion
... At 60 mph. Front of car (bumper assembly that contains air intakes etc) subtly remodelled: nothing obvious (mainly crazed paint and a small crack) but I want it put right.
Do I claim on the insurance? 20 years-plus no claims - what's the impaact? Am I back to square one, or do I lose a bit of what I've earned? (If I claim there'll be an impact on two other cars as well.
) I guess the insurers won't think - 'oh this is something that could happen to anyone, like a stone-cracked windscreen.'
What I'd LIKE to do is get it done and I'll pay... but if it's a new front bumper assembly it's gonna cost - ouch.
Do which involves the least pain? Help me choose my options please...
Bloody fox... Well at least it came off seriously worst.
Do I claim on the insurance? 20 years-plus no claims - what's the impaact? Am I back to square one, or do I lose a bit of what I've earned? (If I claim there'll be an impact on two other cars as well.
) I guess the insurers won't think - 'oh this is something that could happen to anyone, like a stone-cracked windscreen.'What I'd LIKE to do is get it done and I'll pay... but if it's a new front bumper assembly it's gonna cost - ouch.
Do which involves the least pain? Help me choose my options please...
Bloody fox... Well at least it came off seriously worst.
You might have no NCB to lose but if you do make a claim then for the next X amount of years, when you get a quote and they ask "have you made a claim?", you'll have to admit you have... And they'll shaft you in the bot-bot.
From the info you've posted, I'd just get it blown over. Unless you want to furnish us with more info?
From the info you've posted, I'd just get it blown over. Unless you want to furnish us with more info?
My mum hit a (large) hare and similar damage occurred. I bought a tatchem approved replacement bumper off eBay for £45, got it painted for 100 and fitted it myself. Total cost was less than the excess would have been alone, and there won't be any future price increases to the policy because of a claim.
Sorry, but because you have had an accident you are statistically more likely to have an accident in the future and so you represent a higher risk to the company and justify a higher premium so the shareholders can have sandwiches from Pret at the AGM instead of the local sandwich bar.
also why does nobody care about all the flies that get killed
also why does nobody care about all the flies that get killed
Some years ago I hit a fox at speed on the M45 motorway. One hell of a bang. It smashed in through the front of the engine bay, breaking the lower plastic part of the front bumper and ripping out the bottom mount of the radiator. Fortunately the radiator was still intact, albeit hanging on its hoses, so I was able to drive home.
Makes you realise how much damage it would do if you hit something big.
Makes you realise how much damage it would do if you hit something big.
If the car is of reasonable value and the condition is otherwise good, then I disagree with everyone else- I'd claim, stomach the small increase in premiums and enjoy having a correct colour match, decent fit and finish, and assurance that any further damage is properly repaired.
That is, unless, you have stupidly signed up for a massive excess in an effort to bring your premium down?
Also, why don't you have protected no claims bonus?
That is, unless, you have stupidly signed up for a massive excess in an effort to bring your premium down?
Also, why don't you have protected no claims bonus?
I depends very much on how much the excess is, plus how much the repair would cost to put right and that the no claims will be lost/reduced. I wouldn't necessarily consider that just because a repair is done via your insurance that it will be done properly with good colour match. There are plenty of posts on here to the contrary and a colleague who has been unfortunate enough to have his last two cars damaged and then repaired by the insurance approved bodyshop will testify.
If the whole front end is trashed then maybe I'd see your point, but if it's just a front bumper, then paying privately may well be the best solution...we need pictures OP.
I once hit a fox and her 2 of her cubs in my old MG Metro...made a hell of a bang, but only put a bit of fur on the anti roll bar and some blood on the front spoiler. Considering how s
te the car was and how many other problems I had with it this was a surprising result.
If the whole front end is trashed then maybe I'd see your point, but if it's just a front bumper, then paying privately may well be the best solution...we need pictures OP.
I once hit a fox and her 2 of her cubs in my old MG Metro...made a hell of a bang, but only put a bit of fur on the anti roll bar and some blood on the front spoiler. Considering how s
te the car was and how many other problems I had with it this was a surprising result.Well done for killing one of those wretched little creatures, hateful animals.
Personally I see a couple of options
A. If you're not that worried about it and the car still functions but has a mangled bumper, just leave it.
B. Pay for it out of your own pocket with either repair or replacement bumper of Ebay etc
C. Claim on insurance, higher premium next year which will probably equate to the same cost of you repairing the car yourself, it will only cost you once to repair/replace the bumper, where as raised premiums could last a few years.
I would either go A or B I wouldn't even consider C for the reason I stated, it may cost £500 to repair the bumper once, but it could cost you £500 more for next years insurance premium, then £400 extra next year and so on and so forth.
Personally I see a couple of options
A. If you're not that worried about it and the car still functions but has a mangled bumper, just leave it.
B. Pay for it out of your own pocket with either repair or replacement bumper of Ebay etc
C. Claim on insurance, higher premium next year which will probably equate to the same cost of you repairing the car yourself, it will only cost you once to repair/replace the bumper, where as raised premiums could last a few years.
I would either go A or B I wouldn't even consider C for the reason I stated, it may cost £500 to repair the bumper once, but it could cost you £500 more for next years insurance premium, then £400 extra next year and so on and so forth.
we need you round my way..I am going to have to invest in a bb gun to sort the little buggers out!..all attracted by nextdoors chickens..
discussing the large number of foxes in the area with one of my neighbours the other day. He said 'well, you would think they all would have gone back to the countryside since the hunting ban'..I chuckled, he didn't..I am 99% sure he was serious..
discussing the large number of foxes in the area with one of my neighbours the other day. He said 'well, you would think they all would have gone back to the countryside since the hunting ban'..I chuckled, he didn't..I am 99% sure he was serious..
Edited by billzeebub on Saturday 5th November 00:26
Ozzie Osmond said:
Some years ago I hit a fox at speed on the M45 motorway. One hell of a bang. It smashed in through the front of the engine bay, breaking the lower plastic part of the front bumper and ripping out the bottom mount of the radiator. Fortunately the radiator was still intact, albeit hanging on its hoses, so I was able to drive home.
Makes you realise how much damage it would do if you hit something big.
Bloody hell a Fox at speed! What was he driving? a Porsche canine perhaps, maybe he had to swerve when his big hen went. Makes you realise how much damage it would do if you hit something big.
I wiped out a deer when I hit it as I was driving my Dolomite Sprint however it only dented the valance slightly, I was lucky, the deer was not.
trackerjack said:
Bloody hell a Fox at speed! What was he driving? a Porsche canine perhaps, maybe he had to swerve when his big hen went.
I wiped out a deer when I hit it as I was driving my Dolomite Sprint however it only dented the valance slightly, I was lucky, the deer was not.
Foxes drive classic convertibles usually. Most favour the healey 3000, which they like to wear string backed driving gloves while driving.I wiped out a deer when I hit it as I was driving my Dolomite Sprint however it only dented the valance slightly, I was lucky, the deer was not.
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