Why car insurance is so expensive

[USER1999]

A young lady drove into the back of my ten year old merc last thursday. Just driving in traffic, and her foot slipped off the brake pedal. Accidents happen.

So, I took her details, and when I got home, reviewed the damage. The boot lid looked a tiny bit bent, and there was a hair line crack in the bumper, about 2" long.

So, I phone my insurers, as you are legally obliged to do, ah, sir, you can't drive it, you need a hire car. What?, you are flipping kidding.

Took it to a body shop, so my insurers could authorise the repair. Now I want the trim stip done as it looks untidy.

Drove home afterwards, and a mate came round who knows a bit about cars. He pinged the strip back into shape in about 20 seconds, and to me it looks fine.

Trouble is, it is now booked in to be fixed, where they will paint the whole tailgate, replace the trim, put on a new bumper, it will take a week, and I will get an equivalent hire car for the duration.

Daft. Once the trim is fixed, it is in ok condition for a ten year old car. From about 2 ft, you can't see any damage at all.

I will now have an immaculate rear end (ooh, er), and the front of a wreck. The off side wing has chronic tin worm, the front bumper has a hole in it, and the wheel arch liners nearly drag on the road.

Probably going to cost £1500, and will be close to writing my car off.

 

[medwayjon]

Chris, the e-class suffers with the wings going as you know.

Shame you arent local to me, I could have got the whole car fully re-done at the insurance firms expense, wink wink.

 

[USER1999]

I am thinking of asking them to do the front wing, as it is a mess, and the whole near side was done two years ago when I parked next to a low wall, and forgot when driving off, with somewhat spectacular results.

 

[Imurg]

I remember 18 years ago when a woman pulled out from a side road without looking and took out my front bumper and nearside wing, headlight and trim.

Her insurance coughed up for it but the bill back then was around £600. God knows what it would be today.

 

[USER1999]

It is about a grand a panel, plus the mirror, which will be 250 odd, plus paint, which is another 100 per litre, plus labour, and then whopping great loads of vat.

 

[medwayjon]

Because the insurers will pay it, the repairers rip the backside out of it.

My painter charged me £420 Labour + Parts which equated to a total of £430 to completely re-build the front of a 2001 pug 306.

It needed the chassis jigging, a new bumber, bonnet, slam pannel, battery tray, headlights, foglihgts, hockey sticks, radiator, battery tray, 2 wings, side repeaters and a bonnet catch.

Once this was done he charged me £200 for the paintwork.

The total cost was £1050, the insurers repairers quoted over £3500 for the same job.

 

[USER1999]

Insurance, you have to have it, so they can rip the arse out of it.

Very few other industries can work out what it cost them to run their business, and then just pass it on to the customer.

 

[rgs]

AS an isurance claims handler in Ireland i can see your point Murph however the bigger problem, cetainly in Ireland, and now beginining to happen in the UK is the Personal Injury aspect of claims.

The biggest problem we face is Judges failing to take cognicance of the possibility the claimant is negligent, judges generally dismissing any logical and rational propositions put forward by the defence and finally awarding excessive damages relative to the injuries received.

 

[USER1999]

The first question my insurers asked, 'was any one injured?' and the second and third question. They are like a bunch of vultures, you can't have an accident and not be injured, not claim from the 3rd party for stress, injury, loss of sex drive, whatever. It is pathetic. It worries me people fall for all this blame culture rubbish.

 

[billyg]

The thing that gets me about these minor prangs is that even in a circumsatance such as Mogs you will go down as being involved in an accident, the insurance company will act to reclaim it's costs for repair from the lady but Mog will go down as having made a claim.

Goodbye NCB

Hello increased premiums and all the big discounters not wanting to touch Mog with a bargepoll.

If Mog doesn't declare his incident in future insurance quotes he risks invalidating his policy by not declaring.

Meanwhile there are thousands out there with no insurance, road tax or indeed MOT just buzzing around like floating mines just waiting to ruin one of our days.


The system is pants

bill

 

[Imurg]

There's plenty out there without licences as well.

Approx 40 new drivers per day get their licences revoked having picked up 6 points in the 2 years since they passed their test.

Apparently, new research shows a significant number never reapply for a licence.

And thats on top of all the others who don't bother in the first place.

 

[USER1999]

Got protected no claims, but it is bound to impact on my renewal. Pain in the bottom really.