Car Accident - Local Authority Claim???

[Darkangelsdelite]

Right, i'm gonna play devils advocate here (and probably get a torrent of abuse as well)

Most insurers websites add a high voluntary XS automatically when you get a quote online, this is basically a marketing tactic to make the quotes look more competitive so i wouldn't be surprised if swift cover had a £500 default voluntary XS on their online quotes. Is it not possible you just simply missed it when you took the policy out? Reading the email from swift cover would certainly indicate this is the case.

Dont get me wrong, i accept that its also possible that they have got it wrong, however from experience (and i deal with more of these complaints than i can count) these complaints are usually down to the customer mis-reading the documents when the policy is taken out.

[spinningfish]

No abuse from me, don't worry!!

 

Everything and anything is possible, which is why I need to SAR them. I'm convinced it was £150, or I wouldn't have taken the policy out, however if I am wrong I will hold my hands up.

[spinningfish]

Hello, it's me again!!

 

A new query today...

 

My insurance company have advised me that they will provide me with the total loss settlement figure today, for my car which has been written off due to an accident.

 

I have been advised that I need to find sellers/advertisers who are selling the exact same vehicle, in case the insurers first offer is too low.

 

I'm having trouble finding the exact same variants of my car, so my question is can I use different variants i.e Hatchback instead of Estate, or lower trim levels??

 

Thanks

 

Spinning Fish

[xrchris]

Basically the closer you can get it the better.

 

What vehicle is it? Are you searching on the Autotrader website?

[spinningfish]

Hi Chris

 

It is/was a 1999V Renault Laguna 1.9 dTi Alizé Estate, with metallic paint. The mileage was above average at 147,000, but the pre accident condition was excellent.

 

I've looked at various car valuation sites, and to replace the car at a dealer price would be around the £2000 mark.

 

I've seen a few private ads for cars with lesser spec, or slightly less miles for well over the £2500 mark...

[Yorkyclaims]

The lesser spec should be OK. The lesser mileage cars not really.

 

Good Luck

[spinningfish]

Thanks Craig!!

[xrchris]

As Craig said if you can find similar models with a lesser spec and a good price then it can obviously make your case look better.

 

Might be better to wait and see what you are offered as you may be surprised at how good the settlement offer is.

[Darkangelsdelite]

There are lots of sites you can go to that will give you a rough idea of the value of your car (try the auto trader site, there's a link on there) Most insurers use the "black book" when giving prices for cars which is what the traders use. Could also try Parkers and Glasses guides to give you an idea but i think you have to pay a small fee for those.

[spinningfish]

Swift Cover are really getting on my wick.

I've emailed them four times for an update on my claim and got no response. You wait for nearly 20 mins to get through on telephone to be told you will be called back. No call back.

I sent a complaint email advising that if I did not get a response within 24 hours, I would report them to the Ombusman, and contact other Swift Cover customer who have been having problems with claims, (there are many!), and go to the media.

The following day, (21st Feb), I got an email response stating that they apologised for the delay and I would get a settlement figure, by email, by the end of that day. Guess what?? Bu99er all!

I sent another email to their complaints department, which states you will be acknowledged within 24 hours, and I re-iterated what steps I would take and gave them another 24 hours to respond.

Surprise, surprise... Still nothing.

I noticed some people have issued N1's against insurance companies when they mess them around. Anyone had any experience of this approach?

 

Thanks

[never shay die]

Darkangelsdelight, the Glass's Guide is the book used throughout the motor insurance industry, not the black book.

 

How long has it been since you made the claim? If more than 14 days then you should have had your offer by now as long as the claim is in order.

 

Get on the phone and ask what the hold up is. Let us know what they say. This should be resolved without the need for court action.

[wez1211]

You could be having problems with Swift Cover as they have just been bought by AXA.

 

wez1211

[spinningfish]

I had to write, threatening to issue an N1, for what I believe the value of the car was, and they have sorted it.

 

They are really cost effective option, but once you need to claim it is an awful experience - they don't respond to emails, you can't get thru by telephone....

 

I think the old addage of 'you get what you pay for' is true in this instance.

 

Thanks for your help guys and gals!

 

Case closed!!

[spinningfish]

Hello all.

 

My Swift Cover saga continues... I was due to receive £950 settlement figure, less excess, for my car which was a total loss.

 

I received only £744.40 from them today, which I believe has had the remaining year's policy figure deducted from it.

 

The problem I've got, is that I am still paying for the same policy on a monthly basis, it has been transferred to another vehicle, so are they actually entitled to make that deduction?

 

I thought that as the same policy is still in force, but on another vehicle, that they could not make this deduction.

 

Kind Regards

 

Mr Fish

[Yorkyclaims]

I agree. However, when you added the new vehicle on the policy was there a mid term adjustment??

 

Make sure that hasn't been deducted.

[spinningfish]

The new vehicle's policy cost slightly less - is this what you mean?

[xrchris]

Just in case you were confused,

 

A mid term adjustment (or MTA) is when you make a change during the period of the policy, ie change car on an annual policy. The insurer then issues revised documents to cover you for the remainder of that annual policy, making a pro rata adjustment to the premium (up or down) and adding any admin charge.

[spinningfish]

Ah ok. Thanks.

 

Well in that case yes, an MTA was made after the accident, as I needed to insure a replacement car, however, the policy number remained the same.

 

My login on my Swft Space still shows the original start date of the policy, pre-accident too.