Advice please on badly repaired car via insurance claim
Discussion
Hello all,
I'll try to keep it brief, but my car was tapped up the back in August. Insurance contacted and the guy who was at fault did not dispute anything and his insurance company confirmed this in writing. All well and good.
I had my car repaired in early September by the repairer who my insurance company stipulated I use.
Repairs were poor, and car looked a mess. Long story but I rejected it there and then, in writing.
Car repaired again late September, but still faults present in paintwork and other areas. The group manager had overseen the work this time, so should have been better/fault free.
Again, reported this to insurer and have had car inspected by their engineer recently.
He made a report and agrees the car is poor-even a brand new bumper had been sprayed badly.
I was contacted again by insurer saying car has to go back a third time for work to be carried out to the same repairer, or to another site within the group, but this will still be overseen by the same group manager etc.
I don't want my car going there again, and have told insurance company of this. I now have a car that has had 'good' areas undamaged in the original accident that are now knackered by poor paint and laquer finish, poor prep of surfaces prior to painting etc, areas 'sanded' down and left (front wing clearly marked) and so on.
My thoughts are one of the following;
1-It goes to another company that I'm happier with to be fully rectified and fettled at cost to insurance company.
2-The insurance company 'buys' the car off me at an agreed value and sorts it out themselves-I go and buy another car etc.
I have now had a once nice car ruined by slack work and have been driving around in a car that does not look or work properly for the last 3 months. There has been a lot of aggravation and time wasted and I don't like using the car.
The insurance company have again put the ball back into the court of the bodyshop manager, but my question was how many times and how long is this saga going to go on? I've had enough of it.
I can see my car coming back with even more problems.
My priority is resale value, which at the moment will take a big hit due to the condition of the car.
What are my options/rights as far as consumer law goes? I feel I should be compensated in some way as well as having the work carried out properly. As I have said it has been 3 months since the accident.
Please let me know what you think with regard to my 'legal' position or any advice you have.
Thanks in advance
I'll try to keep it brief, but my car was tapped up the back in August. Insurance contacted and the guy who was at fault did not dispute anything and his insurance company confirmed this in writing. All well and good.
I had my car repaired in early September by the repairer who my insurance company stipulated I use.
Repairs were poor, and car looked a mess. Long story but I rejected it there and then, in writing.
Car repaired again late September, but still faults present in paintwork and other areas. The group manager had overseen the work this time, so should have been better/fault free.
Again, reported this to insurer and have had car inspected by their engineer recently.
He made a report and agrees the car is poor-even a brand new bumper had been sprayed badly.
I was contacted again by insurer saying car has to go back a third time for work to be carried out to the same repairer, or to another site within the group, but this will still be overseen by the same group manager etc.
I don't want my car going there again, and have told insurance company of this. I now have a car that has had 'good' areas undamaged in the original accident that are now knackered by poor paint and laquer finish, poor prep of surfaces prior to painting etc, areas 'sanded' down and left (front wing clearly marked) and so on.
My thoughts are one of the following;
1-It goes to another company that I'm happier with to be fully rectified and fettled at cost to insurance company.
2-The insurance company 'buys' the car off me at an agreed value and sorts it out themselves-I go and buy another car etc.
I have now had a once nice car ruined by slack work and have been driving around in a car that does not look or work properly for the last 3 months. There has been a lot of aggravation and time wasted and I don't like using the car.
The insurance company have again put the ball back into the court of the bodyshop manager, but my question was how many times and how long is this saga going to go on? I've had enough of it.
I can see my car coming back with even more problems.
My priority is resale value, which at the moment will take a big hit due to the condition of the car.
What are my options/rights as far as consumer law goes? I feel I should be compensated in some way as well as having the work carried out properly. As I have said it has been 3 months since the accident.
Please let me know what you think with regard to my 'legal' position or any advice you have.
Thanks in advance
Sadly I cannot offer much advice but have been in a similar position. I got fed up arguing with a bodyshop that couldn't give a s
t and a insurance company that supposedly should be working in my best interest who also couldn't give a st.
I ended up booking the car into another bodyshop and accepting that in the future I will NEVER rely on a insurance company approved repairer or let a insurance company take my car anywhere without my full approval.
t and a insurance company that supposedly should be working in my best interest who also couldn't give a st.I ended up booking the car into another bodyshop and accepting that in the future I will NEVER rely on a insurance company approved repairer or let a insurance company take my car anywhere without my full approval.
We had similar issues when our Sports Transit (current shape, racing blue, white stripes) was involved in a bad collision. Basically it ran over a Hyundai i10 at around 65-70mph. It took off, met the guard rail, ran down the guard rail, airbags deployed, the whole sherbang.
I went to see the van at the recovery yard, and it was a mess - the insurer nominated their repair centre where it would be taken to and assessed. I let it go there, because it was a no brainer that it would be written off. It wasn't!
Two months later it came back - new front end, new off side, airbags replaced, front 1/3 of the chassis replaced, new gearbox, and a £10.5k repair bill (I know as we had to pay the VAT on the repair). It was far from right, paint over spray, inner wings that were still crumpled, crash members not bolted in where the old ones were, in fact after the repair the whole front was still twisted, as could be told from the panel gaps behind the front wings.
It went back to the bodyshop again, came back two weeks later, better but still not right. It still had the dent in the lower dash where our engineers knee hit. I wasn't happy with it - so sold it back to the local Ford Dealer, and bought a new van.
I don't know what I'd do in your situation OP... put every issue down in ink, with photographic evidence to back up each point. Send it to the new repair centre (what have you got to lose?), deliver it there in person. Meet the manager, outline each point (draw on the car with a chalk pen perhaps?), then leave it in his hands. If it still then comes back bad, I think you need to tell the insurance company that you'd like the vehicle replaced with one akin to its pre accident condition. Go down the buy back route. Not sure if that would wash with them, but after three goes at repairing it, I think it puts you in control somewhat.
I went to see the van at the recovery yard, and it was a mess - the insurer nominated their repair centre where it would be taken to and assessed. I let it go there, because it was a no brainer that it would be written off. It wasn't!
Two months later it came back - new front end, new off side, airbags replaced, front 1/3 of the chassis replaced, new gearbox, and a £10.5k repair bill (I know as we had to pay the VAT on the repair). It was far from right, paint over spray, inner wings that were still crumpled, crash members not bolted in where the old ones were, in fact after the repair the whole front was still twisted, as could be told from the panel gaps behind the front wings.
It went back to the bodyshop again, came back two weeks later, better but still not right. It still had the dent in the lower dash where our engineers knee hit. I wasn't happy with it - so sold it back to the local Ford Dealer, and bought a new van.
I don't know what I'd do in your situation OP... put every issue down in ink, with photographic evidence to back up each point. Send it to the new repair centre (what have you got to lose?), deliver it there in person. Meet the manager, outline each point (draw on the car with a chalk pen perhaps?), then leave it in his hands. If it still then comes back bad, I think you need to tell the insurance company that you'd like the vehicle replaced with one akin to its pre accident condition. Go down the buy back route. Not sure if that would wash with them, but after three goes at repairing it, I think it puts you in control somewhat.
Thanks so far, and I've found some more out about my position/situation.
Any bodyshop tasked originally with the repair has a 'legal right' to first time rectification of areas deemed not good enough etc.
Once this has passed, and after a second visit there are still faults, then an engineer is usually involved. I had reservations about this prior to him coming, as he is employed by the insurance company at the end of the day.
However, so long as he takes photos (as good sign) etc then it goes on to the next stage.
I did ask insurance company about options moving forward, and 'usually' it either goes back again (does not have to though), or to another of their approved repairers (the same company but different site-same manager etc) or I can get the car repaired by someone of my choice, subject to a quote being approved beforehand.
A buy-back option was baulked at, as i suggested the repairer or insurance company are quite welcome to attempt to sell the car in its present condition.
To be fair, all involved at various levels at the insurance company have been helpful, but I still think you need to push things to get some answers.
And as a previous poster on this thread said, take plenty of pictures. Assume that your car will be treated as a canteen, abused and performing donuts in the car park and finally repaired by an idiot and you'll not be disappointed. Stay one step ahead!
I'm lucky that I've got loads of hi-res files of car just before accident, so I can prove that it did not have a scratch, or dent etc where there now is one, which I could see being a grey area potentially. I did state from day one that I've got loads of photos though.
Also, things like fitting new tyres have been put on hold-don't want to find a nail in a brand new one in a bodyshop for example.
And as well as photos, both before and after an accident, take pictures of things like wheels, exhaust and interior, as it is these things that have been messed up by overspray and solvents etc. I could prove this so it was not an issue, but could see it being a problem-"no, we haven't done that mate" is an overused phrase that you can't prove without evidence.
Also take photos of mileage and fuel readouts. Get this signed by bodyshop as correct.
You don't want to find the car has been used to 'nip' up the road for some dinner for the workshop, do you?
Even with me doing all this, and the miles (literally miles) being higher when collected, I still was told the car had not left the workshop at all.
Nobody could explain the higher miles...
It is that sort of thing which makes having evidence such a valuable thing.
We learn the hard way. I do feel sorry for anyone else in this situation though.
Good luck and keep posting.
Thanks again
Any bodyshop tasked originally with the repair has a 'legal right' to first time rectification of areas deemed not good enough etc.
Once this has passed, and after a second visit there are still faults, then an engineer is usually involved. I had reservations about this prior to him coming, as he is employed by the insurance company at the end of the day.
However, so long as he takes photos (as good sign) etc then it goes on to the next stage.
I did ask insurance company about options moving forward, and 'usually' it either goes back again (does not have to though), or to another of their approved repairers (the same company but different site-same manager etc) or I can get the car repaired by someone of my choice, subject to a quote being approved beforehand.
A buy-back option was baulked at, as i suggested the repairer or insurance company are quite welcome to attempt to sell the car in its present condition.
To be fair, all involved at various levels at the insurance company have been helpful, but I still think you need to push things to get some answers.
And as a previous poster on this thread said, take plenty of pictures. Assume that your car will be treated as a canteen, abused and performing donuts in the car park and finally repaired by an idiot and you'll not be disappointed. Stay one step ahead!
I'm lucky that I've got loads of hi-res files of car just before accident, so I can prove that it did not have a scratch, or dent etc where there now is one, which I could see being a grey area potentially. I did state from day one that I've got loads of photos though.
Also, things like fitting new tyres have been put on hold-don't want to find a nail in a brand new one in a bodyshop for example.
And as well as photos, both before and after an accident, take pictures of things like wheels, exhaust and interior, as it is these things that have been messed up by overspray and solvents etc. I could prove this so it was not an issue, but could see it being a problem-"no, we haven't done that mate" is an overused phrase that you can't prove without evidence.
Also take photos of mileage and fuel readouts. Get this signed by bodyshop as correct.
You don't want to find the car has been used to 'nip' up the road for some dinner for the workshop, do you?
Even with me doing all this, and the miles (literally miles) being higher when collected, I still was told the car had not left the workshop at all.
Nobody could explain the higher miles...
It is that sort of thing which makes having evidence such a valuable thing.
We learn the hard way. I do feel sorry for anyone else in this situation though.
Good luck and keep posting.
Thanks again
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