On 21st January I found that some *nice person* had stolen the front bumper/lights section of my horsebox leaving me with this mess

I informed the police immediately, and then rang my insurance company to let them know I would be making a claim. They told me to leave it with them to organise an approved repairer and they would be in contact. The repairer then contacted me to arrange to collect the lorry (after they asked me to drop it in to them - yeah with no lights/indicators - right!!), and told me they were in Gloucester which is a good 70 miles from me.

They duly sent a recovery truck that night - brilliant I thought. I then found out that they were a CAR repairer not a commercial repairer.

Last Thursday (5th Feb) I was told it was ready for collection, so went up to get it.

When I arrived a man came up and said that he just had to put a footplate on the front of it - which he had just taken off his brothers lorry as he hadn't been sure what had gone in the hole in the middle of the bumper!!!

Standing there I was quite sure that the bumper was wonky. I went into the office and found notices on the walls stating that if you were not happy with repairs you should contact your insurance company.

I have taken my lorry to my mechanic for him to have a look. He is 99% certain that it is a repaired, not a new bumper. On the drivers side where the wonkiness is, it is structurally weak and can be moved about a lot. If it wasn't repaired, but new, then something has happened to it to make it like that. The bumper itself is not straight, it is not just that it has been put on wrongly. They also completely missed out some parts that need to be fitted behind the bumper.

I have contacted the insurance company to complain, and have been told that the garage have to have the chance to rectify the problems.

I really don't want it to go back there. They are going to have a cob on anyway that I have dared to complain about them, and I'm worried! They don't even work on commercial vehicles.

Besides all that it's another 140 miles and loads of fuel for the journey.

Can the insurance company (Highway) insist that it goes back for rectification? Or is there some way that I can have my own choice of repairer from now on?

Thanks for reading.

The insurers can insist that the work is rectified by repairers of their choice but you should not have to be put to any expense and if you have suffered any expense so far then you should recover it - subject to excess and any provision in the insurance contract.

Keep photos all the time.

Write to the insurers inform them that the work is substandard and say why. Give them 7 days to have the shoddy work sorted out or else you will go to your own repairer and sue them for the money.

Include a quote for the job from your own repairer. make sure that it is a quote for a good acceptable job to you.

Then send it all of and do precisely what you have threatened to do.

If you are not prepared to go ahead with your threat then don't bother in the first place.

Do not deal with anyone on the phone without recording the call.

Get a call recorder.

Thank you very much for your reply.

I sat last night and wrote a letter to the insurance company, cc to the repair center, outlining the problems and what the vehicle needs for rectification, enclosing photographs of when I bought the horsebox in November 2008, and after repair.

Will see what happens next.