Insurance repairs
Author
Discussion

holmsie

Original Poster:

416 posts

255 months

Wednesday 5th October 2005
quotequote all
Just a quick question please.
My car is currently in harrogate waiting for crash repairs to be done, but my insurance company phoned to say they would like to move the car to somewhere they can control. They are suggesting a sports car company called "broach hill" or something. Anyone heard of them? Also, is it possible for me to insist the work is done at an actual tvr dealer, i.e. harrogate?
Thanks

anniesdad

14,589 posts

267 months

Wednesday 5th October 2005
quotequote all
It's your car....you say where it gets repaired.

They can only suggest where they think it should be repaired.

ads

1,369 posts

286 months

Wednesday 5th October 2005
quotequote all
Agree, I just told the insurance company Where I wanted it repaired, they can't argue, especially if it wasn't your fault.

holmsie

Original Poster:

416 posts

255 months

Wednesday 5th October 2005
quotequote all
That's what i would have thought. Unfortunately the accident was my fault but nobody else was involved. Ideally i would rather it was repaired at harrogate but just wasn't sure where i would stand on this.

anniesdad

14,589 posts

267 months

Wednesday 5th October 2005
quotequote all
To reiterate - Its your car....it gets repaired where you say. Blame does not come into it.

That is that.

holmsie

Original Poster:

416 posts

255 months

Wednesday 5th October 2005
quotequote all
Thanks guys. I'll have a word with them.

anniesdad

14,589 posts

267 months

Wednesday 5th October 2005
quotequote all
There is one reason they want to move it to somewhere they can control.....labour cost.

http://broachhill.com/arc.htm

their website said:

Broach Hill Garage's Accident Repair Centre boasts the area's most modern and technologically advanced bodyshop.

Our experienced staff in the ARC are available for every type of vehicle repair.

The facility has been chosen as the preferred venue for accident damage repairs by many of the major insurance companies, including Direct Line, Zurich and Norwich Union..

We also offer a full 24-hour recovery service. We employ only fully trained operatives and utilise a fleet of modern, fully equipped recovery vehicles


Any of these perchance?

>> Edited by anniesdad on Wednesday 5th October 12:45

>> Edited by anniesdad on Wednesday 5th October 12:47

hallmark

129 posts

252 months

Wednesday 5th October 2005
quotequote all
Generally the insurance companies like to place cars at "approved" facilities. There are advantages for you - they can self-authorise the work and there will be no arguments or disagreements about any of the costs.

But the "approved" companies usually have to pay a large backhander to become approved, which is why most smaller specialists don't bother.

If you're sure that you will get a better job done at Harrogate then you can insist it's done there, but it will likely take longer and be more hassle than just going with the flow. After all, you're not picking up the tab are you? So it doesn't matter if the insurance co get fleeced by their "approved" repairers!

alloypearltam

9,586 posts

272 months

Wednesday 5th October 2005
quotequote all
Why dont you call them and ask them what their experience is of repairing glassfibre vehicles.

If there is any sort of hesitation, you can use this when you speak to your insurance company. As has been said elsewhere on this thread you have the right to have your vehicle repaired wherever you want regardless of whom was responsible.

Our A Class was in an accident 2 months ago and although the insurance company wanted to send it to some other repairer they basically said I couldnt have a replacement vehicle. At the end of the day I am sure your chosen repairer would be more than happy to give you a vehicle in return for the business.

bluebottle

3,498 posts

269 months

Wednesday 5th October 2005
quotequote all
Insurance companies have their pet companies they prefer to send vehicles to(For financial reasons) but if the Company you want to send it to is on their approved repairers list, they cannot stop you from using them. After all, its YOUR car.

I have just got my P&J back today after 9 weeks without it cos some numpter drove into the side of it. This happened 2 days after our family car was smacked good and propper up the backside.
I sent the family car to a local approved repairers but after 4 phone calls from the insurance company whinging on about it i gave in said to them that if they wanted to send it somewhere else to be repaired on therir heads be it and they could explain to Oval why the were taking it off them, and that if i wasnt happy with the repair they would get the car back. Well they got the car back twice.
I dug my heels in with the Griff and wouldn't let them take it else where.

rfisher

5,063 posts

312 months

Wednesday 5th October 2005
quotequote all
I would always insist on a TVR dealer for GRP repairs.

You will get a load of grief when you sell or trade the car if it wasn't repaired at a TVR garage.

gazzab

21,637 posts

311 months

Wednesday 5th October 2005
quotequote all
I work in the ins industry and can assure you that the approved body shops thing is really more to do with 'brand', the policy promises (eg loan cars), making it easier for their inspectors to ge to the cars etc....
The ins cos do get fleeced though - they feel they can drive value out of the bodywork cos but they dont. We all know that a repair paid for by you is cheaper than an ins job.

holmsie

Original Poster:

416 posts

255 months

Thursday 6th October 2005
quotequote all
Thanks everyone for the replies. I'll probably be speaking to the insurance guy tomorrow so i think i'll be insisting on the car staying at harrogate. Didn't realise that his preferred garage was a citroen one!!! (not that there's anything wrong with citroens of course ) The car is due a service as well anyway and i was hoping harrogate could do this at the same time as the repairs and kill 2 birds with one stone so to speak.
Thanks again!!

chris.

anniesdad

14,589 posts

267 months

Thursday 6th October 2005
quotequote all
A good point was raised about fibreglass as of course a large number of repairers won't go near them.

As for insurance companies paying more than retail. In my experience it's the other way around, for example, a private customer I know was quoted £45ph labour for a small job (£400), but it was reduced to £33ph when the insurers became involved.

Plotloss

67,280 posts

299 months

Thursday 6th October 2005
quotequote all
When a dear lady reversed into the front of my parked chim (and then offered me £40 as if that would cover it!) her insurance were insistant that I took it to an Aston Martin specialists.

After a few arguments they realised that Astons are metal and TVR's arent.

Muppets.

holmsie

Original Poster:

416 posts

255 months

Thursday 6th October 2005
quotequote all
Harrogate phoned me this morning to tell me that they have been given the go-ahead to do the job. I hadn't even spoken to the insurance guy so i assume when he actually inspected my car yesterday he decided himself that the job would be best done at harrogate. Good chap!!

nelly1

5,665 posts

260 months

Thursday 6th October 2005
quotequote all
My Tuscan is currently under repair at Austec, and while there, I saw a Chimaera having its' back quarter panel being repaired for the second time (the first being at a 'typical' insurance-approved repairer).

You would not believe the awful state of the bodged glass-fibre work !!!
It may have looked ok just after the repair, but over time the true quality of the work shone through all too brightly !!

There's NO substitute for a decent repair, especially not to save an insurance company a few quid!

....let's not kid ourselves, they'll put you premium up by the same exorbitant amount following the claim, no matter who does the repair....