MySwag.org The Off-road Camper Trailer Forum
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: LesNJules on October 25, 2011, 05:38:47 PM
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I recently had the pleasure of some keyhole running into the front of our car at bunnings.
The mongrel just drove off nobody seen anything BUGGER
Rang the insurance company Suncorp explained what happened.
Ouch i have to pay $ excess
Went to repairer for a quote no problem done.
Here is where it gets a bit strange
access er rings me today and offers me a cash payout for the repairs said that they could not guarantee the repairs due to
the condition of the paint work asks if i wanted to except this figure?
so i did my Pauline Hansen imitation Please explain? From what i could work out they would pay x$ to me then it would be
up to me to engage the panel beater myself.
Several things sprung to mind.
is this normal practice ?
does this terminate my vehicle insurance?
What if the repairs cost come to more then the cash offer?
what do you all think
So put on your robes and hand down your verdict .
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get a couple of quotes to compare to the offer the assesor is offering. What sort of car is it and what condition is it. Could you imagine a paint shop trying to match a faded and crazed paint job with fresh paint. That could be their concern.
can you post up some pics of the damage and general condition of your car.
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yeah matching paint would be a problem on the old Lux but i'm not really that concerned about the paint matching it has enough bush stripping to worry about that i would just like it straigtened
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Doesn't sound too good!!
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Hey mate.
I have had this happen to me also. Mine was with my 2005 TD Prado that was damaged in a hail storm. I took the vehicle to get a number of quotes for the insurer and also because I moved from Tumut to Bathurst during the repair period.
It was only because I spoke to the panel beaters and knew what the quotes were that I was able to make an informed decision.
As soon as AAMI made me the cash offer I smelt a rat. They offered me $5000 cash for a settlement and the end of their liability for the claim, informing me that this was great for me because I wouldn't have to pay the excess and would have cash in my pocket. Also the car was to be put on a register to say it had un-repaired hail damage in case I insured it with another insurer and tried to claim for the damage at a later time.
I told them I didn't want to settle, they were very persistant and indicated that they would be sending out an assessor as the quotes seemed excessive. Out of the three quotes they chose the cheapest (naturally) however it was from the panel beater in Tumut and I was now living in Bathurst, so I refused to take the vehicle back there unless they were paying for accommodation etc for the duration of the repair (3 weeks).
Also I discovered that their preferred method of repair was Paintless dent removal (where possible) this was supported by the Bathurst panel beater (he had their guidelines for quoting repairs) and he had quoted for this the Tumut provider hadn't. So I argued with them using their own policies.
The assessor arrived looked at the car and agreed that the Bathurst quote was with in guidelines and it was unreasonable to send the car to Tumut for repair. He also indicated not to accept the cash settlement.
The repair cost $17k, 12k more than the settlement offered. This I would not have known without doing my home work.
The assessor was good enough to tell me that;
a. The insurance company tries to limit its liability by paying a reduced amount direct to the customer, in the hope they will take the cash.
b. More importantly AMMI and many other major insurers guarantee their repairs for the life of the vehicle.
With your vehicle being an older car the cost of colour matching and doing a good job would be considerable also the fact that the they would be liable for the repair in the future makes them want to settle with some cash.
Get the vehicle repaired, make them pay in the knowledge that this is what you pay your insurance for. They are hoping that the settlement they have offered you is more attractive than you having to find and pay the excess.
The excess in my opinion is money well spent.
Regards
Jas
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A HUGE THANKS JAS
Sound like very good advice
The sneaky bastards not wanting to honor what you pay for.
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Now worries mate.
Sorry about the novel. This was just an honest account of my experience when dealing with AMMI for my repairs. I am with Shannons now and had a totally different experience (positive) recently when the mother inlaw >:D reversed into the Adventra.
They asked for one quote from the panel beater of my choice, and approved the repair same day once they recieved the quote.
Regards
Jas
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No apologizes needed
that the type of response I'm after
keep them coming
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Hope you're not with AAMI ... they've not got the greatest reputation.
... but yes, get more quotes and don't even mention insurance!
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We are with Suncorp at the moment but will be looking around seriously after this.
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And they wonder why they get such a bad wrap! Blardy Scum Buckets! You pay good money for them to uphold their end of the "contract", just as they would if it was the other way around (and don't think they wouldn't). >:(
Never settle for less than ... A: what you pay for B: what you deserve C: what you are lawfully entitled to ... even after the "repair".
You might be "just a number to them" but you certainly aren't stupid and tell them so! Do your homework and if they continue with this angle ... I'd also make it known that the underhanded way you were approached by their representative (insert the offenders name here) is offensive to you and if they continue treating you, their "valued customer" this way, you would seriously consider taking your insurance $ elsewhere (not a serious threat in their eyes) and telling all your friends (all 7000 or so of us) to do the same. Maybe throw the word "Ombudsman" in for good measure if you don't get better treatment.
Their repair warranty doesn't end when you give them the "flick" either ... it's a "lifetime warranty on repair" remember.
Do Bunnings have carpark security camera's? I'd be asking them so you can try to find the offender. They'd only need the date and approximate time and of course a description of your car and where it was in the carpark. If they don't ... who else around them does? You might just get lucky. ;) You'd probably still need to pay the excess up front, but once they have the offenders details, they will pursue them relentlessly, and you'd generally get your excess back after repair (I believe).
Kit_e
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but once they have the offenders details, they will pursue them relentlessly, and you'd generally get your excess back after repair (I believe).
Kit_e
Very true, even if you only get a rego number your insurance company will persue them because utimately it will be their insurance that have to pay for the repair to your car (assuming they have some of course).
Regards
Jas
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I believe the damage causing driver is legally liable ... insured or not ... and it then becomes the insurance companies problem to get them to pay ... not yours. You pay them to money to take the "risk" of insuring you regardless ... no matter what happens (within your PDS rules and regulations of course).
Kit_e
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AAMI and APIA are both part of SUNCORP
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Kit e i agree But the other party didn't have the decency to leave a note or hang around to own up to there mistake
also Bunnings does not monitor there car park i asked that question .
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AAMI and APIA are both part of SUNCORP
Really? I will have to loo k that up and check. I loath Suncorp. That Coles quote looks better all the time...........
Thanks for the heads up.
Looks like I have to ditch AAMI, as well as a heap of others.
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Really? I will have to loo k that up and check. I loath Suncorp. That Coles quote looks better all the time...........
Thanks for the heads up.
Looks like I have to ditch AAMI, as well as a heap of others.
They are also Shannons, Vero and Just Cars. All part of the Promina Group.
Cheers
Dan
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AAMI and APIA are both part of SUNCORP
Are you sure???? or are they underwritten by Suncorp which is slightly different.
Cheers.
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@ NOMAD Really? I will have to loo k that up and check. I loath Suncorp. That Coles quote looks better all the time...........
Thanks for the heads up.
Looks like I have to ditch AAMI, as well as a heap of others.
Why do you loath Suncorp?
I use them have been good with Yasi claims unlike most other companies.
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@ NOMAD Really? I will have to loo k that up and check. I loath Suncorp. That Coles quote looks better all the time...........
Thanks for the heads up.
Looks like I have to ditch AAMI, as well as a heap of others.
Why do you loath Suncorp?
I use them have been good with Yasi claims unlike most other companies.
Yep we with suncorp too & have never had a problem
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The quick cash settlement is a tactic the insurance companies also used after the recent floods and cyclone. They get in quick while your still emotional and offer you a quick settlement which is a fraction of what you're actually due. They seem like great guys and you see on the news how they're on the ground after these disasters "helping". If you don't accept the first offer it can take months to get what you are due, if you do accept the first offer and later realise how underpaid you were it takes lengthy legal action to maybe get some more.
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@ NOMAD Really? I will have to loo k that up and check. I loath Suncorp. That Coles quote looks better all the time...........
Thanks for the heads up.
Looks like I have to ditch AAMI, as well as a heap of others.
Why do you loath Suncorp?
I use them have been good with Yasi claims unlike most other companies
My personal treatment from Suncorp has been abysmal.
Two years ago a car backed into me at a carpark, whilst I was stopped wating for another car to park.
The driver of said car span an absolute load of BS in his claim. The result was that Suncorp ended up chasing me for money even after I had made my own claim. I was being hounded daily by them, even though I was insured by them as well...................go figure.
Additionally, even though Noosa wasn't affected by flooding, they tried increase premiums on my home, business premises by nearly 40%. Even as they were refusing to pay claims to those poor bastards. Thats why I loath Suncorp.
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I think the first thing any insurance co. does with any claims, is to get their lawyers to find a way of getting out of paying.
Another thing. Have you ever noticed that some of the tallest buildings in your city are owned by Insurance Companies.
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We have had Suncorp insurance policies on everything even had our home loan through them
Previously had no problems at all, we were quite happy with them.
I think that maybe sometimes larger company's lose sight of the human factor
and become more obsessed with there profit. Not about helping the people they take the premiums off of.
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Tell Suncorp....f off... old insurance trick.
They get out of the whole thing cheaper...its' best to get 3 quotes from good beaters...then hit Suncorp up.
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Hope you're not with AAMI ... they've not got the greatest reputation.
Not many of them do... although I've never had issues with RACV where others have.
I'd tell AAMI to ram their cash offer in their rectum.
You pay shed loads for insurance and they take the risk - this time they lost. - its up to them to fix it.