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Hi everyone,
My car was broken into on Tuesday night with the intention of stealing it,but they didn't manage to start it, but they have twisted the door frame and broken drivers side window and tried to hot wire the ignition, but they failed, so it looks like it will be a write off, Does anyone know how this will affect my no claims bonus. The car was secured. Prior to this i had 9yrs+ no claims discount.
Would be grateful of Any information please as to how this will effect me.
Hi
I had my car stolen 3 years ago. The car was recovered the next day about 60 miles away. I remember being astonished that they got that far because there was very little petrol left in the tank. Anyway, I had to claim of my insurance and the car was written off. I wish now that I hadn't because i recieved £700 for the car but my insurance doubled to over £600 the following year. So in Northern Ireland anyway it does affect your no claims bonus. Wether you will lose it all or not I don't know.
Darn Sarf and at home in England's green and pleasant land
Posts
273
Re: Car theft and my No claims bonus.
Originally Posted by CG7
Hi everyone,
My car was broken into on Tuesday night with the intention of stealing it,but they didn't manage to start it, but they have twisted the door frame and broken drivers side window and tried to hot wire the ignition, but they failed, so it looks like it will be a write off, Does anyone know how this will affect my no claims bonus. The car was secured. Prior to this i had 9yrs+ no claims discount.
Would be grateful of Any information please as to how this will effect me.
There's a few points in you post that really need answering before any sensible advice can be given. I'm assuming, by the way, your insurance cover is "comprehensive"?
1. What make/model of car is it?
2. How old is it?
3. What roughly is its value?
4. What's the estimated repair cost?
5. Do you have an excess on your insurance policy?
6. You say you have 9yrs No-claims but in cash terms what was this worth off your last renewal?
7. Do you have a "Protected No-claims" clause or endorsement on your policy?
I think if you weigh up the estimated repair cost (including VAT), less any excess you'll have to pay yourself, less the net worth in cash terms of your No-claims at the last renewal you'll get a reasonably good idea whether it's economically viable to make a claim or whether to stand the repair cost yourself.
If you're unsure about the "Protected No-claims" situation vis-à-vis your policy it's also worth reading the policy (and any subsequent endorsements) to see if your insurance company is one of those who do allow claim(s) without it (them) affecting the No-claims bonus.
If the arithmetic comes out in favour of not making a claim it could be worth considering notifying your insurance company of the incident, but adding that you are not making a claim. I have seen and heard of policies which have a clause to this effect.
Jimbo 44 - always happy to help, but always willing to learn from being corrected too!!! Whilst any advice given may be based upon personal experience, please always be sure you seek guidance from a professional in the particular field.
Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark, but a large group of professionals built the Titanic.
A 'click' on the scales is always appreciated if I have helped. Many Thanks!
Hi, its a 1995 Ford Mondeo, probably worth 500 pounds (immaculate condition i have to say), probably looking at 700 pounds to repair the car, but they will probably write it off as total loss. unless they use 2nd hand parts, and its just a basic third party fire and theft policy. with a 100 pound excess,and my no claims is not protected, not quite sure what you mean by cash difference though. I couldn't afford not to claim due to the price of the repairs, I would have been without a car and need it to pick up my grandson from school,
I just wondered how many yrs no-claims i would lose.
Thanks anyway to you all.
cg7
Darn Sarf and at home in England's green and pleasant land
Posts
273
Re: Car theft and my No claims bonus.
Hi again CG7.
I'm afraid that, from what you've said, things don't look too rosy! If you think the car's only worth £500ish and the repairs could be £700 then, as far as the insurance company are concerned, it's a write-off. No insurance company that I have heard of and that are worth their salt will contemplate using second-hand parts.
As you say you're only insured TPF&T, I think you'd better check the policy wording carefully to make sure it's covered for attempted theft as well because in your case the car wasn't actually stolen.
You say you have a £100 excess so I'm afraid that, if you make a claim, you'll be that much worse off anyway and, as JonCris gas already said, your No-Claims will, at the very best, be reduced at the next renewal.
Jimbo 44 - always happy to help, but always willing to learn from being corrected too!!! Whilst any advice given may be based upon personal experience, please always be sure you seek guidance from a professional in the particular field.
Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark, but a large group of professionals built the Titanic.
A 'click' on the scales is always appreciated if I have helped. Many Thanks!
Exactly this happened to my wife's Fiesta last month - bent door frame, steering cowl smashed and ignition damaged. As it was attempted theft the claim was not covered by insurance, so it was a job for a big hammer, brute force and a friendly garage. The door will never be quite the same but at least it now opens and closes properly.
Did you have Ford do the quote for the work to be done for insurance purposes? If so, and a claim on the insurance will hit too hard on NCD (assuming they do cover the 'attempted theft' damage) it might be worth having a word with an independent garage and stress that you want to keep the price down. A second hand door (and firms are are around on t'internet who deal specifically with salvage parts so might have the right colour) might only cost around £50. Is the ignition itself or the steering lock damaged? Although it is sickening that this is through no fault of your own it might well be possible to get the work done for considerably less than main dealer prices.
About 6/7 years ago I used a website into which you put your requirements. Breakers who subscribed throughout the country saw my request for a suspension leg & hub for my old Senator & I received the very heavy parts within 7 days.......cost, at the time, including delivery £70
Hi there,
They fetched the car on thursday on behalf of my insurance company and I rang the garage on friday and they said they had sent in photo's etc to the insurer's and were waiting to hear back from them. but nothing as yet, will have to see what tomorrow brings. I just wondered what proportion of my no-claims i would lose. but the car will probably be a total loss and will write it off anyway. I have prepared myself for that because they have made such a mess of it
Standard loss, last time I knew, was 2 years' no claims.
Also I should point out that I recently wrote off a 1997 (R reg) Mondeo and they paid £1225 out... so your estimate of £500 value might be quite low. especially if it's in mint condition.
Lets hope your right then Stonehouse, 2 yrs is not so bad as i had 9 yrs before the attempted theft.
How long does it take for them to decide what they are going to do with the car, the garage has the vehicle at the moment, but will it be the insurer's who will tell me if its a total loss. or how long will it be before i can expect payment.
Hiya stonehouse,
Why did it take so long to get sorted, was there problems, only I really need either my car repairing or some money back, I have to pick up a child with disabilities from school 4 days a week. this will cause me real problems if it takes that long.
Any pointers stonehouse ??? or anyone, Oh by the way I am with the Post Office.
They will arrange for a replacement car while your claim is being decided; I would hope. However this is an "uninsured loss" normally and so you may have to pay the hire fees if your claim is not covered. Call your insurers and explain your predicament. It was remarkably quick to be honest compared to what I was expecting; there's a lot for them to get through and don't forget they're awaiting quotes from the Garage, they have to send out an Assessor to view the car and tell them what to quote for, they have to write a report to the Underwriting insurer... then it all has to go through finance.
In future however, I would STRONGLY advise you to get quotes for fully comp; they often charge a very small difference in premium and no matter how little your car's worth, can YOU afford to replace it tomorrow? If not, let the insurers do it for you.
If your insurance doesn't cover the cost of a hire car, then you're going to have to either hire one yourself or buy one I'm afraid...
Oh, by the way, I forgot to answer one of your questions: Your INSURER make decisions as to whether or not to proceed with repairs; all the Garage do is report the price for repairs (listed as required by the Assessor) to the Insurer. Your Insurer will make a PURELY COMMERCIAL decision whether to pay you for the car or to pay the garage for the repairs.
The garage of course have their own commerce to take into account; they may quote a lot more than is strictly necessary to repair the car because (a) they don't want the work, (b) they don't have time to fit it into the workshop, (c) <insert other p!sspot reason here>. It's not fraudulent but they may well induce the insurers to write off a car simply because it's not worth their time/effort etc to repair. You'll never be a return customer and the insurers will always be return customers...
Hi Tom,
again thanks for your reply, I have been fully comprehensive for yrs now, but to be honest a friend of mine had a L reg vauxhall cavalier, the car got hit outside her home, it was stationary at the time and that was a total write off (she was fully comp) and all she got back was 260 pounds once the excess was taken off, and i remember thinking to myself what a waste of time being fully comp, with my car being so old. it hardly felt worth the premium, so thats why i am only third party fire and theft.
anyway i cannot change that now.
Someone drove into my husbands parked car New Years Eve - he had a hire car on 2nd Jan and cheque end of last week - from the other side who were insured with Churchill.
Hi Gizmo,
I bet your hubby was fully comp with him getting a hire car, I have tried to ring the insurance company tonight because I haven't heard anything from anyone since friday, but its an 0870 number, so thought that i would wait till after six, but they were closed, very odd for an insurance company don't you think, it must be some small concern that the Post office have put me through.
Hi Gizmo,
I bet your hubby was fully comp with him getting a hire car, I have tried to ring the insurance company tonight because I haven't heard anything from anyone since friday, but its an 0870 number, so thought that i would wait till after six, but they were closed, very odd for an insurance company don't you think, it must be some small concern that the Post office have put me through.
Will have to see what tomorrow brings.
cg7
Hi CG,
No his ins is TPF&T but he claimed from the other ins side which was Churchill - don't know what his cover was. But churchill paid very quick.
Unusual for a call centre not to be open that time of night - usuallt till 8 at least.
Hope you have more joy tomorrow.
Hi all, really need advice
Just heard from the insurance company (well i rang them) and my car is a total loss category B. (whatever that means) So
I have to send all my documents to them before they will pay up, which is no problem, but they want my drivers licence ??? which has my former address on it, to be honest forgotten all about it until all of this happened, will it have any adverse effect on my claim, with it having my former address on it. shall i send a copy or the original drivers licence.
There is always something to worry about.
And they also want any repair bills i may have had over the last few months, which again i dont understand, and a written explanation of how all of this happened, they have the crime no. and the policeman's name. is this normal practice, does anyone know. !!!! Thankyou...
cg7
Car theft and my No claims bonus.
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Re: Car theft and my No claims bonus.
Originally Posted by CG7
or anyone, Oh by the way I am with the Post Office.
very odd for an insurance company don't you think, it must be some small concern that the Post office have put me through. 
