Vehicle Salvage

[Barry G]

Anyone have any experience of insurance salvage?
How is the amount charged for salvage determined?

[speewa158]

l know a bit about this after a recent trip through the centre .
On the way to Finke after an overnight at Chambers Pillar  l was in the lead on a really corrrrigated road . The UHF barked the news the 2nd party had lost his left wheel on the CT . As l couldn't stop or turn around l went on to town to get help . After 2 hours on the phone to RACV & being shuffled around to 5 other departments  . Ended up being put through to Outback Salvage in Alice Springs . They wanted to know exactly where the breakdown was , Old Ghan road / trail . As it wasn't on a road but a trail the roadside care on tug & CT didn't apply so your on you own BUCKO . The sting in the tail was a truck could come from Alice within 36 hours  to recover the CT at a prepaid cost o $2275 ., GEEEZZZZZZ that's a bit tuff .That was only to get the CT back to Alice then repairs would cost more . We managed to lift the CT remove all the parts that were broken , drive into Finke with the most generous help of Bill of the local council deport weld them up . The progress was a lot slower after that as the CT didn't have shockers & flapped around like a drunken seagull .
Do check with you insurance Co just what you are covered for  & where 

[Barry G]

Thanks Jamie, what is and isn't a 'road' can be a thorny issue. The car 'service' clubs are becoming really clever at exclusions and exceptions, as are insurance companies...
My querie is about the 'salvage' of vehicles deemed uneconomical to repair - as seems to be the increasingly common view of insurance companies about anything over 10 years old.
In such circumstances they seem to determine 'economic' based on the market value of a stock vehicle, however won't let the owner unbolt the extras they have added, such as luggage barrier and roof basket - which usually lives on my Subaru.  They even 'own' the rego I paid a less than a fortnight ago, and will also charge me to pay out. The balance of my policy.
What the car is 'worth' for salvage then includes my extras, so they are winning on all fronts.
I have just spoken with 'Rudi' at GIO and he tells me that I am entitled to buy the savaged vehicle from them, so that is at least a bit better than what I was told by the assessor.
I'll go and have a look at the car with my repairer tomorrow.  Hopefully that will help keep the insurance company honest!

[Mace]

Not that I've ever gone thru this process, but you will also have to consider future registration and any future sales processes given  if you purchase your own vehicle back it will probably be as a "repairable write off".

See:

http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/Registration/WhatHasToBeRegistered/Written-off+Vehicles/Registeringarepairablewriteoff.htm

It will be all about the sums involved, what you get as a payout, what the repurchase cost is, what the repair cost is, and what intrinsic value of goods you recover by repurchasing your vehicle, balanced against future registration issues. That said, you may pick up your old rig for a reasonable cost and it will be worth the effort.

You seem to be doing your sums properly,will be interested to hear how things go.

 

[doc evil]

l know a bit about this after a recent trip through the centre .
On the way to Finke after an overnight at Chambers Pillar  l was in the lead on a really corrrrigated road . The UHF barked the news the 2nd party had lost his left wheel on the CT . As l couldn't stop or turn around l went on to town to get help . After 2 hours on the phone to RACV & being shuffled around to 5 other departments  . Ended up being put through to Outback Salvage in Alice Springs . They wanted to know exactly where the breakdown was , Old Ghan road / trail . As it wasn't on a road but a trail the roadside care on tug & CT didn't apply so your on you own BUCKO . The sting in the tail was a truck could come from Alice within 36 hours  to recover the CT at a prepaid cost o $2275 ., GEEEZZZZZZ that's a bit tuff .That was only to get the CT back to Alice then repairs would cost more . We managed to lift the CT remove all the parts that were broken , drive into Finke with the most generous help of Bill of the local council deport weld them up . The progress was a lot slower after that as the CT didn't have shockers & flapped around like a drunken seagull .
Do check with you insurance Co just what you are covered for  & where 

Interesting...........as the old ghan road is gazetted,  one would assume it's covered.
As an aside, my insurance policy states "all gazetted roads and beach above the high water line".
RAC roadside also use the word gazetted however, I need to check that as its been a while since I read the fine print.............

[speewa158]

doc evil  You said you are/were covered on " all Gazetted roads " but is the Old Ghan trail a road as such . The word trail has popped in to the sentence though at Finke there are 2 signs 1 saying Old Ghan Trail & Ghan road  , both on the same post , pointing the same way . Do you reckon it might be a plan to " interoperate the meaning of the word as to how you want to read the answer . No couldn't be we pay the bills & get the cover ,,,,,,,,,,Don't we ,,,,,,,,,,,

[doc evil]

As far as I'm aware,  a gazetted road is one that appears on a map, has a name or is maintained.

[Barry G]

As far as I'm aware,  a gazetted road is one that appears on a map, has a name or is maintained.

Was my understanding as well.  IIRC it also neds to be on public land.

[doc evil]

Further reading has brought this little gem up from the Australian road laws...........yes it does exist

“A road is an area that is open to or used by the public, and is developed for, or has as one of its main uses, the driving or riding of motor vehicles.”

[speewa158]

           



                                     & Then,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[MR MAC GU]

Any accessory not listed on your policy is allowed to be removed. They are your belongings and are not covered by any insurance claim. Any accessory listed on your policy can not be removed as they are covered by the claim. Sometimes insurance companies will allow you to remove covered accessories but will decrease the pay out.

Salvage figures are worked out by vehicle valuers that go off recent auction prices at the damaged vehicle auctions. Pre accident condition and odometer reading are taken into consideration.

Long and short of it...if it isn't listed on your policy and they won't let you take it then report them to the police for stealing your possessions. It is blatant theft.


Sent from Behind you...BOO

[Beachman]

One of my mates drowned his 3 year old car at Nolans Brook (Got stuck in the middle and water got into the cab and into his computer under the dash) Air cleaner was still dry.

They towed the car the Weipa and phoned his insurance and who said visit the local insurance Asser in town.  He declared the car an unrepairable write off and the insurance paid a hansom sum as well as paying for a hire car/Accommodation from Cairns back to Brisbane.

My mate couldn’t believe how easy the whole process was. Mind you I’m a bit sceptical about his car being declared a unrepairable write off as seeing no water got into the air cleaner/motor.

[Barry G]

One of my mates drowned his 3 year old car at Nolans Brook (Got stuck in the middle and water got into the cab and into his computer under the dash) Air cleaner was still dry.

They towed the car the Weipa and phoned his insurance and who said visit the local insurance Asser in town.  He declared the car an unrepairable write off and the insurance paid a hansom sum as well as paying for a hire car/Accommodation from Cairns back to Brisbane.

My mate couldn’t believe how easy the whole process was. Mind you I’m a bit sceptical about his car being declared a unrepairable write off as seeing no water got into the air cleaner/motor.

Not the type of outcome I'm looking for.

[Rumpig]

Mind you I’m a bit sceptical about his car being declared a unrepairable write off as seeing no water got into the air cleaner/motor.

with the warranty guarantees they give on repair work, they write the vehicles off due to not knowing how the electrical components will fair down the track in the future. a friend had his vehicle written off in a similar fashion back at Easter time, the engine still ran fine and injested no water into it what so ever, though it did have some electrical issues under the dash after it's bath.

[Bird]

with the warranty guarantees they give on repair work, they write the vehicles off due to not knowing how the electrical components will fair down the track in the future. a friend had his vehicle written off in a similar fashion back at Easter time, the engine still ran fine and injested no water into it what so ever, though it did have some electrical issues under the dash after it's bath.

yep, mate has a grenade that has taken a deep bath, and has had heaps of electrical gremlins over the years.. and with cars having more and more computers and electrics, it will never be as simple as drowning a HT Kingswood.

[Barry G]

Spoke with my repairer and he is quoting $6,200.  The Monterey is insured for $9,000, so hopefully it will get the ok from GIO.
If so, I will be paying the difference to fit one of these:  http://www.4wdworld.com.au/Bull-Bar-for-Holden-Jackaroo.html
 

[nab]

When my Patrol was written off, I asked about buying it back and they gave me a salvage $$$ figure if I wanted to have first dibs. I said no way, thats way too much so let it go to auction. I registered at the auction and when my Patrol came up fair dinkum it sold for $50 more than the figure I was given!

While it was at the auction yard, I organised with the assessor to take all my non insured parts off - he had to be there so I didn't "steal" anything. I took heaps of stuff off - snorkel/uhf/stereo/other crap - and the assessor even helped me as it was starting to rain and he wanted to get out of there. All that stuff was listed on the policy but the assessor didn't care, he said take what you want, won't change the salvage price.

[Barry G]

When my Patrol was written off, I asked about buying it back and they gave me a salvage $$$ figure if I wanted to have first dibs. I said no way, thats way too much so let it go to auction. I registered at the auction and when my Patrol came up fair dinkum it sold for $50 more than the figure I was given!

While it was at the auction yard, I organised with the assessor to take all my non insured parts off - he had to be there so I didn't "steal" anything. I took heaps of stuff off - snorkel/uhf/stereo/other crap - and the assessor even helped me as it was starting to rain and he wanted to get out of there. All that stuff was listed on the policy but the assessor didn't care, he said take what you want, won't change the salvage price.

Which insurance company was that with?

[nab]

Police & Nurses, underwritten by Cuna Mutual. Happened in July 2008 in Adelaide. Had my $19k within 2 weeks.

[Barry G]

Anyone know how long Pickles take to get salvaged vehicles up on their web site?
They took'delivery' on Fri arvo.

[Bird]

Anyone know how long Pickles take to get salvaged vehicles up on their web site?
They took'delivery' on Fri arvo.

call em and ask

[Barry G]

call em and ask

Spose I could do that too, but never surprised by what swaggers know, so thought I'd ask here first.