KwikFit dropped my Car off their ramp - help me nail them please

[Muttzz]

I took my car to kwik Fit for it's annual MOT & service and they dropped it off their ramp causing extensive damage.

 

First of all they told me the damage was "superficial" and the car safe to drive.

 

They next informed me that the car was not worth repairing as the damage costs were greater than their valuation of it at £1,300.

The car is an 04 plate Suzuki Ignis Sport (rare model) and as such would cost me approx £4,000 to replace like for like.

 

Having now revalued the car at £2000 (scrap value) they have offered to repair the car (which I am not prepared to accept given the risk of damage to the suspension / chassis etc) or give me £2000 plus £1,000 as compensation for the 'inconvenience'. Said inconvenience includes failing to provide me with a courtesy care for the first 4 days.

 

I feel that they should pay me the cost of replacing the car i.e. pay me a minimum of £4,000. Do I have a legal right to insist on this?

To say that Kwik Fit have been less than apologetic / customer oriented is an understatement!

[raydetinu]

They or their insurers should put you back in the position you were before the incident and compensate you for any inconveience and costs, hire car, incienddental expenses, time etc.

You can have the car repaired at place of your choosing ( trust ) or a replcement.

Suggest you shop around for a similar car of that age, mileage etc. so you have a base on which to argue.

[heliosuk]

The insurance company either yours or Kwik Fit insurers, should put you back into the position you were before before the incident. This means on a car this age you should be recompensed as to it's value. Insurance companies deal in money not cars. So the value of the car is not what it costs to replace but the value of the car as a trade sale, i.e. what you would get to trade in. And that is all the liability they have in reality. But then you can add inconvenience or loss of use etc but you might be dissapointed. These things are termed if you did not know already as consequential loss, usually an add on in insurance policys.

 

Personally I'd take the £3K on offer and run as that seems to me as an exceptional offer on a 2004 car, especially what it is. Fighting it will delay the payment on a good offer and give a lot of grief.

[raydetinu]

I take issue with that Helio, the injured party as it is of no fault of theirs should not loose out at all, and as you said yourself should be recompensed so they are in a the same position before the incident.

i.e a car fiited with a super duper body kit, damaged beyond repair,the owner would expect to be suitably compensated including the mods, not just the resale value.

Ok different if it was his own insurers, probably have fight on then, unless he had agreed a minimum value in advance.

[pistachio]

Can you prove the car's value (real value, not theirs)?

[sailor sam]

I take issue with that Helio, the injured party as it is of no fault of theirs should not loose out at all, and as you said yourself should be recompensed so they are in a the same position before the incident.

i.e a car fiited with a super duper body kit, damaged beyond repair,the owner would expect to be suitably compensated including the mods, not just the resale value.

Ok different if it was his own insurers, probably have fight on then, unless he had agreed a minimum value in advance.

 

While I fully agree with you, if the OP hadn't declared the body kit ect to his insurers, I doubt whether they will persue a claim for said items. I fear that the OP will have to seriously negotiate with the garage unless he wants to perue the matter in court. I think that the compensation should be calculated by the cars's value (as per Glass's guide) and then add the value of the body kit on top. However, if the garage are confident of repairing the car to it's pre-incident condition on the basis that it is subject to an indipendant inspection, I think that would be a reasonable offer.

[heliosuk]

This is exactly my point. The insurance, be it yours or Kwikfit will base the payout on the trade value of your car, not what it would cost you to buy the equivalent car etc unless of course you have an agreed value.

So for example, my little starship has in excess of 200,000 miles and the book price is probably zero yet it has £1K worth of LPG conversion on it. Makes no odds unless I have an agreed value. The condition and history of the car is exceptional and to get an equivalent in same condition ( disregarding mileage) I'd have to fork out £4 grand. So I'd be offered a notional amount and then argue the toss for subsequential loss, i.e. LPG conversion and exceptional condition, probably having to go to court.

 

Cars rareity values only kick in for classics which with respect, the Suzuki does not. If indeed it is that rare and classic then you should have an agreed value ( like my motorbike) but in this case I don't think the insurance will agree to even do it.

 

The amount offered seems rather fair to me which is why I say take it whilst it's on the table.

[raydetinu]

Disagree again, that may apply if claiming of your own insurance but not a third parties, they must put you back where you were before the incident, thats what TP cover is all about, if at all possible or at least the a monetary equivalent. Why should you loose out at all , not your fault. If TP insurers wont play ball just Kwik fit to court.

Why should OP claim on his insurance and put NCB at risk.

[heliosuk]

Read the post Ray!

Kwikfit insurers will take the same stance. They further put the claimant back in the same position by paying the value of the car, i.e. what he would be paid if he traded it in.

[gbjadyy]

im not sure what the arguement here, the owner should inform his insurance who will then contact kik fits insurance and an offer will be made based on it market value as long as the mods were also insured unless he is successfull at claiming uninsured losses ( maybe hard with that one though if the mods were not insured as this means they shouldnt have been there) you really cant go telling kwick fit that you want this much or that much because you will achaive nothing, just inform your own insurance