After accident advice needed

[eugopnosaj 0]

Hi guys i really need your help and advice. As some of you know my car had been in an accident where the passengers door got damaged. Initially the engineer instructed by the solicitors dealing with my claim valued my car at £1800 and the cost of the repair at £1361.88, this included:

 

New Parts

 

N/S outer door handle,

N/S/F door moulding,

N/S quarter moulding,

Door foil

Sound pad

 

Repair Parts

 

N/S rear quarter panel

Rear bumper

Wax

Final check and QC

 

Paint

 

New and repaired areas to match and blending as required

 

At the bottom in the comments areas he's put 'Door to door skin not available, probable problem with mouldings as well confirmed with VW dealer bodyshop. Cost of repair based on second hand door'.

 

Now due to the broken CV joint the car couldn't go to the repair garage until Tuesday (it was due to be collected Monday) and they phoned and spoke to me on Wednesday and asked about the use of a second hand door since new ones were unavailable, He also said that he needed to do a second valuation on the works required, I gave them permission to use a second hand door and he said that he'd get his parts guy looking for one.

 

So today whilst at a meeting I get a voicemail from the solicitors saying that the garage wasn't going to repair my car and that I was just going to get a cash in lieu sum based on the cost of repair. I phoned them as I didn't quite understand and she said that it'd be the cost of repair less VAT which didn't make sense to me. I asked her why it didn't include VAT because when I went to get it repaired I'd have to pay VAT and that would come out of my pocket! She said that wouldn't be the case....

 

So I got a letter from my solicitors saying all they were going to offer me was £1134.90 which is the ex VAT sum on the report from the engineer instructed by the solicitors which has just made me so angry!

 

I went to pick my car up from the garage and had a word with them and he said that 'strictly speaking they weren't allowed to tell me' but they valued the work needed at around £1800!!

 

I'm just so angry I don't know what to do. I can't even get the car repaired for the measly sum they're offering as its less than the overall cost inc VAT. I don't understand.

 

What should I do next, I'm so lost, this whole week has just been terrible :(