'Accident Management' companies
Discussion
How does this work then? I'm on the verge of ringing one I've had recommended to get the lowdown, but thought I'd see if PH had any wise words before I do.
Essentially, no-fault claim, car gets fixed, comparable hire car provided whilst car being fixed, no cost to me, hey presto?
But what if other party should decide to dispute liability? What if they are successful in so doing? Is this a gamble that the management company are content to take on, or could the costs come and land in my lap at some point in the future?
Essentially, no-fault claim, car gets fixed, comparable hire car provided whilst car being fixed, no cost to me, hey presto?
But what if other party should decide to dispute liability? What if they are successful in so doing? Is this a gamble that the management company are content to take on, or could the costs come and land in my lap at some point in the future?
Had the bloke who slid his Transit van into the back of my daughter's Swift while she was waiting at a roundabout been a decent sort, then I'd have been more than happy to let the insurance companies take care of things.
But seeing as how it took him almost a month to even contact his insurance company and even then questioned why my daughter was stopped (despite there being 6' long skidmarks on the tarmac from his n/s/f wheel)that I was more than happy to hand the whole thing over to a bunch of professional rottweilers who were working solely on behalf of my girl and getting her car fixed with minimal disruption to her everyday life.
But seeing as how it took him almost a month to even contact his insurance company and even then questioned why my daughter was stopped (despite there being 6' long skidmarks on the tarmac from his n/s/f wheel)that I was more than happy to hand the whole thing over to a bunch of professional rottweilers who were working solely on behalf of my girl and getting her car fixed with minimal disruption to her everyday life.
.Around three years ago my then 2 week old car was hit while parked outside a client's by a truck - the driver wasn't looking and reversed into it, taking a huge chunk out of the rear quarter.
He was being very obstructive, despite several witnesses so I called Accident Exchange who arranged for my car to be collected, taken to a repairer of my choice, an identical hire car was provided within an hour and in two weeks, my car returned and the hire car collected. No expense, no hassle, Great service. I've no idea nor do I care what happened to the third party.
Why would I choose the hassle way instead of that?
He was being very obstructive, despite several witnesses so I called Accident Exchange who arranged for my car to be collected, taken to a repairer of my choice, an identical hire car was provided within an hour and in two weeks, my car returned and the hire car collected. No expense, no hassle, Great service. I've no idea nor do I care what happened to the third party.
Why would I choose the hassle way instead of that?
sorrel said:
Around three years ago my then 2 week old car was hit while parked outside a client's by a truck - the driver wasn't looking and reversed into it, taking a huge chunk out of the rear quarter.
He was being very obstructive, despite several witnesses so I called Accident Exchange who arranged for my car to be collected, taken to a repairer of my choice, an identical hire car was provided within an hour and in two weeks, my car returned and the hire car collected. No expense, no hassle, Great service. I've no idea nor do I care what happened to the third party.
Why would I choose the hassle way instead of that?
Because guess who paid for the hire car? Yep the insurance company. They now have to put up premiums up to cover the cost of the hire car. Do that several thousand times, and everyone pays more for their insurance - even you.He was being very obstructive, despite several witnesses so I called Accident Exchange who arranged for my car to be collected, taken to a repairer of my choice, an identical hire car was provided within an hour and in two weeks, my car returned and the hire car collected. No expense, no hassle, Great service. I've no idea nor do I care what happened to the third party.
Why would I choose the hassle way instead of that?
As has been adequately explained here, Accident Management companies inflate claims costs a lot. It isn't just by getting you into a like-for-like car at a rate which nobody in their right mind would pay, it's also the fact that they'll sell details of your accident to all and sundry... this is valuable information to the ambulance chasers etc.
People use the convenience as an excuse but lets be frank; if they bought the right insurance in the first place rather than the cheapest provider found in sixty seconds on a comparison website they'd probably be paying less, enjoying better service and getting a courtesy car anyway so what's their complaint?
It's lazyness, that's all. And the Accident Management Companies are making a killing, and everybody is suffering inflated premiums as a result.
People use the convenience as an excuse but lets be frank; if they bought the right insurance in the first place rather than the cheapest provider found in sixty seconds on a comparison website they'd probably be paying less, enjoying better service and getting a courtesy car anyway so what's their complaint?
It's lazyness, that's all. And the Accident Management Companies are making a killing, and everybody is suffering inflated premiums as a result.
BritishRacinGrin said:
As has been adequately explained here, Accident Management companies inflate claims costs a lot. It isn't just by getting you into a like-for-like car at a rate which nobody in their right mind would pay, it's also the fact that they'll sell details of your accident to all and sundry... this is valuable information to the ambulance chasers etc.
People use the convenience as an excuse but lets be frank; if they bought the right insurance in the first place rather than the cheapest provider found in sixty seconds on a comparison website they'd probably be paying less, enjoying better service and getting a courtesy car anyway so what's their complaint?
It's lazyness, that's all. And the Accident Management Companies are making a killing, and everybody is suffering inflated premiums as a result.
So when my wife's claim was disputed, and the other parties insurance would not provide a car to a woman with two pre-school kids, who's husband was working away from home, and who's own insurance employed a management company to deal with the claim, you think she should be left without a car because the insurance company didn't provide a courtesy car anyway? People use the convenience as an excuse but lets be frank; if they bought the right insurance in the first place rather than the cheapest provider found in sixty seconds on a comparison website they'd probably be paying less, enjoying better service and getting a courtesy car anyway so what's their complaint?
It's lazyness, that's all. And the Accident Management Companies are making a killing, and everybody is suffering inflated premiums as a result.
Cheap insurance = Management company provide the car, to be paid for by the party at fault.
Expensive insurance = Insurance company provide the car, to be paid for by?
Do you think these costs are not recovered because you spunked another £100 on the premium?
The claim was found in our favour after 8 weeks of driving an Alfa 159 as a replacement for our Volvo S80. We bought another S80 as the Alfa was bloody horrible to drive, and did nearly half the MPG.
You've missed the point completely, the problem with Accident Management companies is that they artificially inflate the price of the courtesy car so that it is several times as expensive as just walking into Enterprise and hiring a like-for-like car. I have seen 1,500 pound claims blown up to well over 10k mostly on hire cars, it's ludicrous. If your insurance company is providing a courtesy car it'll probably come from the approved repairer, usually for up to two weeks before liability for further hire costs becomes an issue. Who said anything about paying 100 more on the policy? I said that the right policy could well be cheaper, people just need to look harder and know what insurance product they're buying.
BritishRacinGrin said:
You've missed the point completely, the problem with Accident Management companies is that they artificially inflate the price of the courtesy car so that it is several times as expensive as just walking into Enterprise and hiring a like-for-like car. I have seen 1,500 pound claims blown up to well over 10k mostly on hire cars, it's ludicrous. If your insurance company is providing a courtesy car it'll probably come from the approved repairer, usually for up to two weeks before liability for further hire costs becomes an issue. Who said anything about paying 100 more on the policy? I said that the right policy could well be cheaper, people just need to look harder and know what insurance product they're buying.
But the insurance companies don't care..... They've all got deals in place or their own acm and pass their own third party claims to these.If they really wanted to get rid off the costs all they would need to do is include like for like in the premiums....
Insurance companies dont help themselves....We had non fault accident in a 911 which was written off, rang his insurer said if you deal with it quickly and efficiently I wont get a hire car etc....ignored my calls from then on, got accident management company involved, cost of hire car £21K, written off car £20K....they are stupid.
When I called to report an accident, the "press option 3" took me to a claims management company, which I didn't really realise. I also didn't properly read the small print and only later realised that a person on the board of the claims company, was also on the board of the hire car company. Which goes a long way to explaining the extortionate amounts of money for the hire car which was a nasty old car, being charged the earth for. I'm just fortunate that the 3rd party paid the hire car claims, which exceeded the repair value of the car.
I would never use them again unless I absolutely had to, and am cross with myself for not twigging what was going on.
All very corrupt!
I would never use them again unless I absolutely had to, and am cross with myself for not twigging what was going on.
All very corrupt!
paulrussell said:
Because guess who paid for the hire car? Yep the insurance company. They now have to put up premiums up to cover the cost of the hire car. Do that several thousand times, and everyone pays more for their insurance - even you.
Well, for that service, I don't mind. My premiums aren't that high and the peace of mind knowing I don't have to deal with the third party or their deliberately obstructive insurance company trying to wriggle out of paying is reason enough (even without a hire car)for me to continue using accident management companies if I need to. Sorry if that offends anyone here. Edited by sorrel on Thursday 29th May 09:29
gazza285 said:
So when my wife's claim was disputed, and the other parties insurance would not provide a car to a woman with two pre-school kids, who's husband was working away from home, and who's own insurance employed a management company to deal with the claim, you think she should be left without a car because the insurance company didn't provide a courtesy car anyway?
Cheap insurance = Management company provide the car, to be paid for by the party at fault.
Expensive insurance = Insurance company provide the car, to be paid for by?
Do you think these costs are not recovered because you spunked another £100 on the premium?
The claim was found in our favour after 8 weeks of driving an Alfa 159 as a replacement for our Volvo S80. We bought another S80 as the Alfa was bloody horrible to drive, and did nearly half the MPG.
There is no absolute right to a temporary replacement car let alone a like for like, even where liability is accepted.Cheap insurance = Management company provide the car, to be paid for by the party at fault.
Expensive insurance = Insurance company provide the car, to be paid for by?
Do you think these costs are not recovered because you spunked another £100 on the premium?
The claim was found in our favour after 8 weeks of driving an Alfa 159 as a replacement for our Volvo S80. We bought another S80 as the Alfa was bloody horrible to drive, and did nearly half the MPG.
Credit hire is very expensive, did you not consider paying up front for a cheaper hire?
pork911 said:
gazza285 said:
So when my wife's claim was disputed, and the other parties insurance would not provide a car to a woman with two pre-school kids, who's husband was working away from home, and who's own insurance employed a management company to deal with the claim, you think she should be left without a car because the insurance company didn't provide a courtesy car anyway?
Cheap insurance = Management company provide the car, to be paid for by the party at fault.
Expensive insurance = Insurance company provide the car, to be paid for by?
Do you think these costs are not recovered because you spunked another £100 on the premium?
The claim was found in our favour after 8 weeks of driving an Alfa 159 as a replacement for our Volvo S80. We bought another S80 as the Alfa was bloody horrible to drive, and did nearly half the MPG.
There is no absolute right to a temporary replacement car let alone a like for like, even where liability is accepted.Cheap insurance = Management company provide the car, to be paid for by the party at fault.
Expensive insurance = Insurance company provide the car, to be paid for by?
Do you think these costs are not recovered because you spunked another £100 on the premium?
The claim was found in our favour after 8 weeks of driving an Alfa 159 as a replacement for our Volvo S80. We bought another S80 as the Alfa was bloody horrible to drive, and did nearly half the MPG.
Credit hire is very expensive, did you not consider paying up front for a cheaper hire?
There was no push for an overpriced hire car - or an outlandish "neck injury" claim either.
Once again a demonstration of mites knowledge being spouted as fact throughout this thread.
Credit Hire is expensive. This week alone I've got a bill for £90000 for hire of a Focus. We won't at it but it costs me money to dispute and settle
It reasonably.
Insurers incur cots of c£1700 on average we fault claim. The income of c£350 per non fault is too today's the cost. Remove the cost and I'll happily lose the income as it's a 4:1 ratio against me.
Credit Hire is expensive. This week alone I've got a bill for £90000 for hire of a Focus. We won't at it but it costs me money to dispute and settle
It reasonably.
Insurers incur cots of c£1700 on average we fault claim. The income of c£350 per non fault is too today's the cost. Remove the cost and I'll happily lose the income as it's a 4:1 ratio against me.
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