mykp

I was involved in an accident just a little under a month ago, not my fault I was stopped on the motorway and somebody rear ended my Forester.

Not too much damage done but dealing with the insurance companies afterwards is proving a right PITA.

The insurance company I use, are using another company to sort out all the legal issues and the repairs and there proving difficult to deal with.

First off they took ages, partly my fault as I was on holiday when this happened, and after a half dozen calls they phoned me back.

They have suggested a repair centre which is not only 20 miles away, but a repair centre which I have had the misfortune to have used before when someone smashed into the front of the wifes car. Up shot of this accident was I had to take the car back 5 times to get it sorted and even then it wasnt right and I had to get a local shop to finally sort it out.

So I am extremely louth to send my Forester there.

Am I within my right to refuse this as they are being really funny about me saying I dont want to send my car there, I spoke to them last week and they said they would return my call, they didnt. I have just phoned and have been told that because I refused their centre I would have to sort my own repairs out and then claim the money back from the insurance company I did ask for another company locally but the next centre was in Barnsley, i'm in Macclesfield. Plus they said I would have to take the car for inspection myself. Not on as i'm self employed and if i'm running about doing stuff the insurance company should be doing I aint earning any money

All of which I am not to happy about.

So my question is this are they jerking me about, or are they within their rights to do this?

Simon 69

You do not have to use their approved repair centre (be that your insurers or a third partys insurers). You will, however, almost certainly lose the associated benefits, such as a loan car.

Simon

mykp

thanks for that,

To be honest a hire car is inconcequencial as long as my car is fixed, right and first time. In my experience insurance approved places are all about, get em in, get em sorted, get em out. As fast as possible and as cheap as possible, even if its not right.

plus if the repair shop is local I can walk home.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

I would ring your insurers and explain WHY you don't want to use the centre they have chosen.

Alcazar

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

right, im insured with ecar, and when i was smashed into earlier this year, the first thing i did after reporting the accident to insurers (as the car was driveable) was get myself to jase @ scoobybits, as its only he i trust.

i told my insurers i wanted him to do the work, not any approved places etc, and the chances were he would be cheaper anyways.

insurers said "fine, ok" and put me through to a company called 'helphire', who through 'angel assistance' had me a car sorted for as soon as i wanted. i think what went in my favour was the fact the accident was blatantly not my fault, and the insurers on both parts agreed this very quickly.

regardless of that, helphire would reclaim the costs off the liable parties insurance anyways, so it didnt matter whos fault it was.

as my car was ugly to drive, i asked if i could have a hire car while i took mine to scoobybits to wait an be repaired. they agreed, as the damage was to the side of the drivers side, and possibly put me at greater risk if another collission happened. something like that.

quick phonecall to both parties (helphire/angel assistance and jase) and a time/date was arranged.

dropped my car off with jase for an assessor to check the damage, and took my hire car out for a spin

passat 2.0 dturbo. nippy for a 6 ton barge. this was after they tried their best to get me a car as close to a scoob as possible, apparantly a prestige car

now as the assessors had come and agreed on the damge, costs etc, car was ready for stripping. i even got a call from the repair team on my policy to thank me (seriously!!) for taking the car to jase as he worked out cheaper than their own approved garage. dunno how that worked.

helphier even replaced my hire car within 24 hours after the turbo blew up on the pasat lol. lost a days work, but had someone come and collect the car, and drop another off - mazda3 with a rev happy engine.

so all in all my experience was the best of a bad situation, and the car was away for three weeks max with jason. bar that few hours i wasnt without a car at all.

try helphire, i believe they do a 52 week thing, where you sign the agreement letting them claim the costs off the liable party, so if its not your fault for definate, you'll be ok like me.

pm me if you have any other questions, this was just a round up, kind of

andy

mykp

Andy,

that who I am having the trouble persuading, Angel Assist.

I am going to give them another chance tommorow.

I have explained the situation with there choice and they werent at all happy. Maybe they have to do some extra work to sort this out.

If I go with someone local it will be cheaper as, I walk most places for my job so dont need a hire car (after the back of cr@p I got last time especially. A 1 litre, would be quicker to push, Corsa) and also the repair will be cheaper locally.

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

hmmm, not sure then. they seemed only to happy to help me out. from remembering, i believe it was they who got in touch with me. then i think i told them of my intentions of going elsewhere repairs wise, and i think that then led me to helphire.

try helphire, what have you got to lose?

sorry its a bit sketchy but im sure thats the order of how it developed...

mykp

That'll be next on my list then if angel are no help.

cheers mike

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

no, no im called andy, not mike or brian

joke

hope it goes well... Welcome to HelpHire Group PLC should be os assistance (pardon the pun)

dantastic

Its your car and you have the right to say who does the repair work, get quotes from 2 different garages that you would allow your car to be repaired at, and send them to your insurance company, they should then give the go ahead for you to take it to one of them, that's how it worked out for me in the past, in fact you can get what they call a pro former quote which i did and the insurance then send you a check to cover the cost of the repair then its up to you if you put it in or do the job yourself, I'm going back a few years here so things may have changed these days.

Neil..

iTrader: (35)

As has been said, you can use whoever you want to repair yuor car.

If it wasn't your fault, then you are entitled to a courtesy car of similar size to yours (no crappy Ka or Corsa), and you do not have to pay any excess, nor lose any of your no-claims bonus.

If you need any other help/advice, speak to Pete Higham (SMACS) and he will pass on my number to you.

Neil.