Owned car for 20 minutes. Now written off.

[kooky guy]

Hi all,

I needed a car to use while I do some work on my Range Rover, so yesterday collected an 2.6 Omega Estate that I bought on Ebay very cheaply.

The car was actually much better than I expected and I'm quite attached to it already. It drives beautifully!

Sadly, just 20 minutes later whilst stopped at a traffic queue, a child filled Range Rover Sport smashed into the back of me. The lady immediately admitted liabiliity and apologised profusely but the damage was done.

I think we both agreed that we wanted to avoid the insurance company route - me bacause I know I'll get stiffed for the next 5 years on premiums despite my previous (non fault) accident being over 20 years ago. Unfortunately, I've just been to the local body shop to be quoted at least £1500. Pretty much 3 times what the car cost so a very definite write off insurance wise.

It seems to need a bumper, exhaust and tailgate, but I think I could live with it if just the bumper was replaced and have already found a second hand one on ebay that would probably do.

What is the best way to approach this? She's gone off for a week's skiiing so is unreachable this week. I'm guessing that her Rangey is going to cost far more to repair so she may end up going the insurance company route anyway which I assume will remove any of my options. I guess if she goes this route it wouldn't make any sense for her to settle with me separately so I'll get sucked into the insurance vortex anyway?

My original plan was to use the car while I repaired my Rangey and sell it on for what I paid for it (actually I was hoping for a small profit as it really is/was in fantastic condition with just a couple of easily resolved niggles) but I actually really like it now and am/was seriously considering keeping it in addition to the Rangey.

I don't want to rip anyone off and I want to try and avoid being penalised for the next x years because of something that was completely not my fault.

Any suggestions as to the best course of action for me?

Grr!!!

[steveo3002]

how about offer for her to pay what you paid and walk away from it?

[sc0tt]

If you paid £500 for the car ask for £500. Whats the issue?

[anonymous-user]

See if she wants to buy the car off you for what you paid for it?

[Adam205]

Whether you involve the insurer or not, you'll still have to declare a non-fault accident and it will still cost you at renewal time.

If you had wanted to keep it all hush, not writing about it on a public internet forum would have been the best way to proceed.

[falkster]

Best to never avoid insurance companies. Even if she admits liability now 12 months down the line you get a letter saying you've reversed into someone and failed to tell insurance they admit liability straight away.
It's happened to a work colleague and he was stung very badly!

[cuprabob]

Bit disappointed, 6 threads in and nobody has asked if she was fit :-)

[andrew]

how does going skiing make her unreachable ?

[davepoth]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-6-VAUXHALL-OMEGA-ESTAT...

This one?

You're right, bloody good deal - it's a heavy car so it's probably worth almost that much as scrap.

Obviously it's worth more than you paid for it, but I don't think it's "fair" to charge the lady the actual market value considering you didn't pay actual market value.

So I'd go with the price you paid, plus any extra costs you have on it up to now (I guess there would be some insurance cost too, a full tank of petrol?) which is going to be about £350. Flog the car on for scrap (I reckon you'll be somewhere around £150 for that) and then get back on eBay.

[AdamD]

falkster said:

Best to never avoid insurance companies. Even if she admits liability now 12 months down the line you get a letter saying you've reversed into someone and failed to tell insurance they admit liability straight away.
It's happened to a work colleague and he was stung very badly!

Get it backed up by a signed and dated account from the lady, insuring yourself against that happening?

I'd be reluctant to inform my insurer - when a third party caved in the back of my old car in static traffic (having a domestic and not paying attention) my insurer loaded my policy 10% for years - cost hundreds of pounds in additional premiums and I had a car written off as it was uneconomical to repair - left a very sour taste.

[thinfourth2]

Or you could go down the whiplash route

Not saying it is right but fk-it

[ZOLLAR]

AdamD said:

Get it backed up by a signed and dated account from the lady, insuring yourself against that happening?

I'd be reluctant to inform my insurer - when a third party caved in the back of my old car in static traffic (having a domestic and not paying attention) my insurer loaded my policy 10% for years - cost hundreds of pounds in additional premiums and I had a car written off as it was uneconomical to repair - left a very sour taste.

Policyholders don't have the right to admit or accept liability on behalf of the insurance company.

[kooky guy]

There's always someone who quotes the public forum thing not very helpful, but thank you anyway.

So is the concensus of opinion that I should report it to my insurance co regardless of what she decides to do? Presumably that will still load my renewal premiums?

And there was I foolishly thinking that 2013 just couldn't be any worse than 2012.

[kooky guy]

thinfourth2 said:

Or you could go down the whiplash route

Not saying it is right but fk-it

Know what you're saying but that very definitely isn't me.

[Adam205]

AdamD said:

Get it backed up by a signed and dated account from the lady, insuring yourself against that happening?

I'd be reluctant to inform my insurer - when a third party caved in the back of my old car in static traffic (having a domestic and not paying attention) my insurer loaded my policy 10% for years - cost hundreds of pounds in additional premiums and I had a car written off as it was uneconomical to repair - left a very sour taste.

Just because you don't like the consequences doesn't mean you should lie to your insurer. Next year i'm going to tell them I'm 40 because I don't like the price they're quoting me with my real age.

[HTP99]

sc0tt said:

If you paid £500 for the car ask for £500. Whats the issue?

All very well but she'll have to inform her insurance company of the accident if there is damage to hers and they'll want to know how it happened, she tells them she drove into the back of the OP and then her insurance company will get his insurance company involved, so whatever happens his insurance company will find out, unless of course there is no damage to hers but I doubt it.

[kooky guy]

HTP99 said:

All very well but she'll have to inform her insurance company of the accident if there is damage to hers and they'll want to know how it happened, she tells them she drove into the back of the OP and then her insurance company will get his insurance company involved, so whatever happens his insurance company will find out, unless of course there is no damage to hers but I doubt it.

There was a fair bit to hers so I suspect it will go through insurance in any case.

Is there a time limit for notifying my insurance co? I'd like to speak to her first to check what she wants to do, but she's only just flown out today.

I will write up a statement in the meantime. Should I show it to her or just hold onto it ready for forwarding to the insurance co?

[V8RX7]

Ask for £500 - that's far less than the damage done.

Repair it yourself and keep it.

If she goes through insurance - you do the same.

It's YOUR car - they can't force you to write it off.

They can only refuse to pay to repair it if it's cheaper to buy a replacement (which is £500+)

[carreauchompeur]

This is only ever going to end up with her using her insurance company, if there's that much damage to yours it's clearly going to be a good few quid needing spent on the RR.

[kooky guy]

carreauchompeur said:

This is only ever going to end up with her using her insurance company, if there's that much damage to yours it's clearly going to be a good few quid needing spent on the RR.

Think you're right. Just writing it up now. Mine actually cost £550 - still a bargain, but apparently even a new unpainted bumper costs more than that!! Can see why our premiums are so high.

Ok, apologies for the newbie questions but I've not had to make an insurance claim for a very long time so I'm unsure how this works. Will they just automatically write it off and I will have to hand it over to them, or could I ask them for a settlement and keep the vehicle?