Insurance payout possible options?
Insurance payout possible options?
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Discussion

Mark Conway

Original Poster:

34 posts

144 months

Sunday 9th November 2014
quotequote all
Setting the scene. A car is in an accident and will either be repaired by the insurer, written off and value of the car paid to the customer or the car is bought back by the customer.

If the car is bought back, what payment is made from the insurer to the customer? And how is this calculated?

Magic919

14,542 posts

231 months

Sunday 9th November 2014
quotequote all
Value of car less value of salvage.

Mark Conway

Original Poster:

34 posts

144 months

Sunday 9th November 2014
quotequote all
Magic919 said:
Value of car less value of salvage.
Thanks for this. Do you mean value of car less the damage costs?

SV8Predator

2,102 posts

195 months

Sunday 9th November 2014
quotequote all
No "salvage value" is not the same as the "repair cost".

It will be written off because the "repair cost" is more than the car (pre-you spinning it off the road) was worth.

The "salvage Value" is what the damaged car is now worth. In its damaged state. Now.

Mark Conway

Original Poster:

34 posts

144 months

Sunday 9th November 2014
quotequote all
SV8Predator said:
No "salvage value" is not the same as the "repair cost".

It will be written off because the "repair cost" is more than the car (pre-you spinning it off the road) was worth.

The "salvage Value" is what the damaged car is now worth. In its damaged state. Now.
Ahhh ok. So basically, car worth £5k. Repair cost £4k. Write off. However car now worth £2k so that's how much insurer pays driver?

SV8Predator

2,102 posts

195 months

Sunday 9th November 2014
quotequote all
Ummm.... No....

If you haven't got a classic agreed value policy, then the "was worth" (pre-accident) is the trade market value. I think you'll be very lucky if the assessor thinks it's worth £5K.

I also think that your current salvage value will be less that 1K, not 2K. But that's to your advantage, as presumably you want to buy it back.

The insurance company (if the car gets written off) will make you an offer. Don't take the first offer, fight your corner and show examples for sale just now that are in similar (pre-accident) condition. Once you have agreed an pay-out figure, you ask to buy the damaged car back from them. This salvage vale will be subtracted from the pay-out figure.

Don't let them take the car away from you before everything is agreed.

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

156 months

Sunday 9th November 2014
quotequote all
Mark Conway said:
Ahhh ok. So basically, car worth £5k. Repair cost £4k. Write off. However car now worth £2k so that's how much insurer pays driver?
Closer, but either you're still not quite there, or you're not explaining your understanding.

Salvage value for buy-back is usually calculated as a %age (say 10%) of the pre-damage value, so £500 for a £5,000 car. The insurer would pay out £5,000, but if you want to keep it, you effectively "pay" £500 for it, so you'd get £4,500 in your hand.

If the salvage value was £2k, then you'd get (£5k-£2k)=£3k.

Mark Conway

Original Poster:

34 posts

144 months

Sunday 9th November 2014
quotequote all
SV8Predator said:
Ummm.... No....

If you haven't got a classic agreed value policy, then the "was worth" (pre-accident) is the trade market value. I think you'll be very lucky if the assessor thinks it's worth £5K.

I also think that your current salvage value will be less that 1K, not 2K. But that's to your advantage, as presumably you want to buy it back.

The insurance company (if the car gets written off) will make you an offer. Don't take the first offer, fight your corner and show examples for sale just now that are in similar (pre-accident) condition. Once you have agreed an pay-out figure, you ask to buy the damaged car back from them. This salvage vale will be subtracted from the pay-out figure.

Don't let them take the car away from you before everything is agreed.
Thanks for the tips smile.

Mark Conway

Original Poster:

34 posts

144 months

Sunday 9th November 2014
quotequote all
TooMany2cvs said:
Closer, but either you're still not quite there, or you're not explaining your understanding.

Salvage value for buy-back is usually calculated as a %age (say 10%) of the pre-damage value, so £500 for a £5,000 car. The insurer would pay out £5,000, but if you want to keep it, you effectively "pay" £500 for it, so you'd get £4,500 in your hand.

If the salvage value was £2k, then you'd get (£5k-£2k)=£3k.
Ahhh ok. So basically, car worth £5k. Repair cost £4k. Write off.

However car now worth £2k so insurer pays driver £3k?

Essentially this is the same as if the repair cost was £3k then they would have happily repaired it but £4k was too much. Correct?