I've got a little problem with my insurance,

I took my insurance out through a broker last year and in Feb of this year my car got scratced and makred in a car wash. I left the car wash and went to the Gym, on return to the car I noticed paint missing off the front wing and scratches all over the bodywork.

I went straight back to the car wash and there was another guy havging a chat with the forecourt manager as he had just come out of the car wash and the same happened to him, the manager took digital photos of both our cars and I contact my insurance broker who told me to contact Axa directly and arrange for an inspection, car ogt inspected and repaired as I am fully comp.

It cost around £600 for front end respray and mopping of rest of car. No Shell Petroleum have denied any liability and said that 65 other people used the car wash that day and no one else had any problems, I have als olost that other guys phone number....

I have writtne back to Axa and told them that they need ot fight my claim and point out lots of mistakes in Shell's statement, i.e. the engineer's report is not dated and a few other things.

The problem is that I am not going to get my 3rd years bonus until this is sorted out and the way Axa are going it is going to be a long time, also my insurnace broker said that as I have an outstanding claim I will loose my current two years bonus, which will put me back to 0 years discount.

My insurance is due up in less than two weeks time, what is the best way to approach this? my view is I could pay the £600 claim and then start legal proceedings against Shell Petroleum myself to claim the monies back.

If i was you, i would keep pushing your insurance, keep onto them all the time, call them a few times a day, i am sure they will sort it soon enough.

I wouldnt bother starting legal proceedings with shell, for the pure fact they are such a huge company, you prob wouldnt get anywhere.

As for them saying that they had another 65 people use the car wash that day, i do not believe that. If you wanted, im sure you could get a digital print out of exactly how many cars really did use the car wash, might be worth putting this idea to your insurance.

I would only pay the £600 as a last resort, i.e on the day your insurance expires. Then instead of legal proceedings with shell, just send a report, letter, photos, receipts to them and see what the out come is.

mgg,

Sorry, it was Shaw Petroleum, not shell. I beleive they own a handfull of BP garages and the one I used in Huddersfield was one of them.

I can't leave it to the last day before I settle as my insurance brooker could say that they are not willing to give me my 3yrs discount, I'd rather sort this out now, the way Axa have been going then this is not going to get sorted out for a while, plus they have up to 8 weeks to respond to my complaint.

SOrry to hear about this event mate. I live in Mirfield near hudds and will stay well away from that garage. Good luck with your claim.

SOrry to hear about this event mate. I live in Mirfield near hudds and will stay well away from that garage. Good luck with your claim.

I weill no doubt get some money out of them, even if it is just a couple of hundered quid, but I've ended up forking over £600 out when the insurance company should have fought my corner, oh well, live and learn. At least I get to keep my 3 years bonus...

Sorry to hear of your problems :(
But you may well find that there is a disclaimer about damage to your car in the car wash, thus you use it at your own risk so its either out of your pocket or you throw away your ncb if your not protected (personally id just pay for it out of my own pocket and not use auto carwashes again on my scoob, which i dont btw!) damn even the mondeo gets washed by hand :eek:

Tony:D

Yeah sadly most carwashes hve a disclaimer posted up near the intructions of use :/

I wonder if those disclaimers would stand up in a court of law? surley there should be some rights for the consumer? I'd be very suprised that they could put a little bit of a statement on a 2"x2" bit of paper and say well, the machine fcuked your car up but we did say theat we were not responsible.

I am going ot ask them for their service maintenance records and if I fail to get any moeny out of them then I'll stand outsaide the car wash for 1 whole weekend tellling motorists my story, hopefully that will even things up a little :)

Oh!, I would never have taken my scooby through, it was a golf.

Did they give you the pics?

Jen