Non-fault accident and left with non road worthy car! Accident exchange avoid at all costs!

[Kellyn]

Hi all this is my first time posting here so sorry if it's in the wrong place!

 

Basically to try and make things as short as possible, my car was rear ended by a milk/foodstuff tanker whilst stationary at a roundabout. Tanker wasn't stopping and had basically saw a gap (but not me!) visible minimal looking cometic damage to rear.

Liability admitted

My insurance company didn't want to carry out structural tests and dragged their heels a bit, and their approved repair centre was not BMW approved.

Decided stupidly to contact a BMW body shop who directed me to accident exchange. They phoned me and quickly supplied a stupidly expensive hire car. They took my car to the body shop.

Hear nothing on what the repairs where ( in my initial email to the body shop I stated damaged I had spotted and I did ask for checks of suspension/structure due to the impact/ size of tanker) I contacted the body shop directly, they then sent an estimate which did not include I phoned both claims handler and the body shop and questioned this and was told the third party did not authorise anything else to be done. I asked for reconsideration and was told I would have to pay for any tests. No contact other than a text saying I my car was ready, spoke to both body shop and accident exchange and was told my car was 'roadworthy and my hire car had to be removed, in ither words accept the car or have no car. Reluctantly agreed to have the car delivered to my place of work. On inspection noted rear carpet damage to boot (this was not caused by the accident and has 'appeared' in between!) rear high brake light non functional rear washer jet non functional, sunroof rear still damaged.

Wrote on the delivery sheet and took a copy to say non happy not fully check above faults noted.

Driving home to collect son from nursery tyre pressure Sensor comes on I check tyres all fine and pressure car doesn't feel right. Limp home (very short distance overall) try phoning claims handler and they basically wash there hands of it, body shop closed (have call log)

Booked in to local garage for free check, they say alignments out funny wear to rear tyres. Next day have alignment booked in new tyres ordered in an effort to get the car safe. Tyres arrive the next day they spot both rear coils are sheared! Write a report for me stating not road worthy and due to accident at this point it's midday body shop that carried out the repairs is shut, no point phoning accident exchange! File a complaint with them via email.

Wait until Monday and my husband drives me to the bodyshop for a personal visit. Ask for a full report in what repairs where carried out, after seeing no tests for road worthiness being carried out throw part of my rear coil on the table they admit they never carried out any checks and that they messed up, blaming the third party as they had no authorisation from the third party!

Agreed to take car back and jig it for 'free' and apparent look at getting the other items sorted (all funnily located on the rear of the car!) the drive my car despite it being not roadworthy to there garage 27 plus miles away)

I receive a call to say the third party won't pay for any extra repairs as the examiner (all from the third party) state the coil has some rust (the car has been driven above and two three other appointments and sat for three months now!)they say the sunroof had screws loosed even though I have my initial email stating I manually closed the roof and I did not want the interior of the car damaged) carpet is now apparent wearing due to age (looks more like scorch marks made during repairs. Brake light on rear and washer jet not even considered. I was told the bodyshop have repaired the light and washer jet. They want their hire car back this Monday and I either have to pay for new springs or have a car driven back I presume with two rear broken springs. They say as good will they will only charge me 109.00 plus vat per spring, phoned a few mechanics who say that they are pretty sure they are huffing labour in the price check ebay springs range from 40-80 PER SET.

I was asked by the body shop to write a letter of complaint so I did with ten appendixes supporting it. Nothing.

I am frustrated as I will now get a car with lots of defects, not sure if there are any more hidden, all the checks have been through the third party and claims handler doesn't push it at all I appear to have to do all the pushing and have been informed I will have to go through the small claims courts!

I must add the following:

My car was MOT'd 3-4 weeks prior to the accident no note of any spring wear - I've hustled this garage for years and they will always highlight any issues

My car was at a local garage 4 days prior to the accident (different garage) who drive the car and he is our neighbour and he would have noted problems straight away!

My car is regularly serviced (last service was a few thousand miles early!)

I have emailed the FSO but heard nothing, accident exchange have washed their hands of this.

Find out from other posts that the garage is financially linked to accident exchange!

Not sure what to do so any advise would be great, I don't want to pay for the tears and certainly not to the body shop but it looks like unless I pay I will be completely car less!!

Spoke to mechanic who said it is extremely rare that both coils would go at the same time likely to be accident related given the impact force and is happy to come and inspect and write a report which will mean I have two reports. Surely the third partys engineers report is flawed and biased at saving money as they failed to carry out any basic full checks the first time? What about the garage they admit negligence but not in writing (verbally in front of me and my husband and on the phone hence the 'good will' gesture.

This has really begun to affect my health due to the stress.

I have contacted the mail today who are a little interested watchdog with no reply and the local newspaper who are really keen to publish a story.

I will phone my own insurance and ask for help, as they are not open today but will I expect get a flat and rightly so I told you so!

PLEASE USE ACCIDENT EXCHANGE AT YOUR PERIL!

I have been give a car not road worthy could have caused smother accident/death of me and my 3year old snd recieved 3 points and a fine for my brake light.

I now have the joy of a unroadworthy car Monday and a nice bill to get the car safe!

 

Please if you have any thoughts let me know we are very desperate now!

[SuperVillain]

Accident Exchange's goal is to make money through providing a hire car. The repairs are subsidiary to this and they palmed this off to the third party insurers from the start, so they won't deal with it now. Don't waste your time trying to get them to sort it.

 

Focus on the BMW garage and the third party insurers. Who are the third party's insurers? Obviously they will be paying for any repair work resulting from the accident and as such they will have to authorise these repairs. The problem is it seems that BMW are confused themselves as to what damage is accident related and what is wear and tear.

 

The vehicle needs to be re-inspected and any remedial repairs to be authorised by the third party insurers. When you took your car to the local garage you say they wrote a report confirming it was not roadworthy due to accident damage. Have the third party insurers seen this report?

 

If not ring them up, tell them about it and ask for one of their engineers to review the report and get it sent over to them.

[Kellyn]

Well thanks for your reply super villain!?!

The saga continues...i managed to drag the issues out until today with the coil springs and had to pay the garage £279 ish pounds for parts only. Initially intened to get a local garage to fit them but due to standard upgraded suspension which can only be brought through BMW had to opt for that. As 'good will' they re aligned the car and repaired the washer jet and light. Apparently the garage is certain this (washer jet) occurred before hand as 'several washer fluid colours' where found in the rear footwell' and someone tried to block the pipe - although I was told by my garage that they tried to stop the leak and didn't charge me for this or inspecting the car. Cannot explain this sure it was not there before and they state the rear foot well was wet - again would have spotted that/service reports.

Supposed to have the car back today after they replaced the springs however got a call to say the cars broken down on the motorway!! Front calliper seized. I hit the roof, where were the road checks/general safety checks? What do they actually do!? Has everything been left for me to discover? My through are it's been stood around with no usage for three months (in which rubbers perish and the like) but again the is now apparently 'really rusty' they've done all they could and that sort of rubbish.

So for the second time they have put me or tried to, in a unsafe/un checked car. Apparently they don't check every nut and bolt blah blah. Just seems their failure to carry out proper check initially have been laid at my door as now third party don't seem to entertain any claims. The calliper is I believe just due to being stood that rests at the body shops door. But there was a hint/mention of steering rack wear as a possible cause, dreading the car coming back and I told my husband I had a feeling there would be more issues! Rant over!!

Anyway don't trust the garage have done all they said concerned there is more damage.

I spoke to my insurance who said they cannot help take over the claim but will phone the third party which they did. My insurance Swiftcover deserve a huge thank you as by rights they have no need to help.

They has suggested I go through the third party as you have directly. I'm wasting my time with BMW like you said they cannot seem to make their minds up or support me in any way, after challenging the rear coils they seem to change their tune all the time, after briefly talking to and hanging up on accident exchange they state that my contract is with the garage they only handle the car hire. Now the body shop state this is true I have been deceived, as this was not what I was told previously.

I shall be phoning third party directly and requesting a post accident report. I have been warned off this by the body shop, but I can't see why, if the body shop missed so much to start with and I have not driven the car in three months (other than to garages for repair!)now and get it booked straight in to another garage it can be classed as happening after the accident. The body shop have admitted negligence already so their report is flawed surely; and the third parties report is flawed as they also failed to spot damage.

Getting the old coils sent back with the car - unless they go 'missing' all of a sudden.

I have a accident repair centre approved by my insurance company a stone throw away from where I work so will be having a chat with them (it was booked in with them before I cut my nose off to spite my face) they had also estimated for the sunroof and took some photos, hoping they might have some still.

Thanks for your advise and anything else you can add I'd gratefully try.

Again health is suffering 3 months of battling I'm classified as 'disabled' and the stress is a massive factor (no I work full time and don't claim a penny!). Will be a laughing stock at work when they ask where my car is!

Apparently according to the body shop they have restored my car to its to pre accident condition? Really? Boot carpet damage by I believe the body shop, £600 on rear tyres and coils, now a 'unseized' calliper, complete with other items I'm sure and a £2000 sunroof repair. Amazing! Hope they do me a favour and have an accident in it - with a 40 ton lorry!!

Thanks Spraymaster! Thanks accident exchange! What would I do without you? Oh use my competent insurer!

Edited January 28, 2014 by Kellyn

[9000Parts]

The lesson here is that if you are totally non-fault in any accident then DO NOT use a claims management company. Inform your own insurer there has been an incident but make sure they know it is for information only.

 

Approach the other parties insurer and if its clearly their problem they will get stuff sorted and sorted quickly. By playing their game they save a lot of time, money, etc so they are usually very willing to deal direct.

 

Would also be tempted to approach somebody like VOSA to get their opinion on accident repairs. If VOSA are interested they will normally want to inspect the vehicle at the place it was repaired at (same as with a suspect MOT) and if the garage know they being a bit naughty then they know VOSA will pick this up pretty quickly.

 

You would need to convince VOSA not that they have repaired the car badly but that they have either failed to notice serious issues that make the car dangerous or blatantly ignored the issue. Neither of which will go down well with the inspector.

 

A good round of press/social media involvement can yield some decent results too.