robrado974 1 Posted January 19, 2014 Nice to see you getting the car sorted stone , good news . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stonejag 10 Posted January 28, 2014 Mixed news... Got a copy of the assessor's report and he's classified it as repairable, with a repair cost of £1230. Which I'd be really happy with as a cash settlement since the damage is only superficial. However after looking at the underside while it was up on the ramps, there's an awful lot of old damage to the floor pan and seams which makes me worry about how much of another car would have to be welded in if I got it resprayed. I don't want to just cut and run but I'm not sure it'd ever be 100% straight even with a lot if money piled into it. I know how much hard work would have to go into a shell transplant but it's looking like a better and better option the more I accumulate dings. Dunno :shrug: Would be a better end result to spray a bare metal body with everything removed, but is it worth the hassle? Could probably find a decent uncrashed shell for less than the settlement. What to do? Stone Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Goldie 2 Posted January 28, 2014 You could get a clean shell or just buy another, strip it down, make your car out of two, collect a load of spares and sell on thing you don't need.. Not a quick option but ultimately you will end with the car exactly how you want it.. BEst of luck with which ever way you go.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Roger Blassberg 0 Posted January 28, 2014 There's a good body/paint shop in Harpenden - (Prestige, part of M Chapman's St Albans based organisation, call Mike on 01727 844 179) They did wonderful things to mine a couple of years ago for very reasonable money. I hope it turns out to be repairable. Best wishes RB Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dox 23 Posted January 28, 2014 A good opportunity for a syncro conversion? The problem with a shell swap is that it will need some repair and paint and you wont want to bolt on all that rusty running gear with aging bushes and sundries etc Before too long the bill will reach 5 figures........ A difficult decision to be sure :) Good luck with what ever you decide to do :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stonejag 10 Posted January 28, 2014 Roger: I know about Prestige - Mike lost all of my further business with a long string of incompetence followed by cheating me out of £600 for the warranty claim on their faulty work. It'll be a cold day in hell before he sees another penny from me. Syncro, eh? It already spiralled out of control, that might be a step too far :lol: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stonejag 10 Posted February 19, 2014 Lots of messing around later and the claim processing company have finally heard back from the at-fault party's insurers. Based on the assessor's report they're going to pay for the cost of repairs. Wasn't best pleased to find this out by getting a phone call from their 'preferred' (i.e., crap) body shop asking me when I was booking the car in! :censored: Rang them up and let them know I'd be going to the body shop of my choice instead (a work colleague used to work their and vouched for them) since I'd popped over on Saturday to let them have a look and do me a written estimate. So today of course I got a voicemail saying that since my body shop wouldn't agree to their terms and conditions, I had 'no other choice' but to use their approved repairer... Obviously this is bollocks - provided the quote comes in under the assessor's estimate then the third-party insurers will still pay it - but it means less kickbacks for the claims handlers from not using pattern parts / cheap paint / cheap labour. Millions of reviews of this place complaining of poor colour matches, cheap parts and overspray so it's obviously not going there. What's the fastest way to convince them to stop arguing? I was going to go with a suggestion I ring the ombudsman, then raise a small claims case against them via the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations / Unfair Contract Terms Act, but maybe there's a shortcut? Basically I just want to be the customer - if they arrange it through their own workshop then I have no comeback over quality issues since the contract will be between the claims company and the body shop and I'll just have to accept whatever I'm given. Don't understand why more people don't kick off about this, their selling practices are outrageous. No wonder insurance is so expensive... Stone Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Portent 0 Posted February 19, 2014 (edited) I'm afraid the ombudsman will probably not help here. I had something similar recently (I'll save it for another thread when my car is fixed in a couple of weeks - it wasn't my Corrado luckily) while claiming from a third party insurance and the ombudsman couldn't get involved due to there being no contract between me and the other insurance company. They could only get involved in matters between me and my own insurance company. However there is no harm phoning them for advice. If it were me I would be writing some VERY strongly (but polite) letters stating that it is not up to your bodyshop to agree to their terms and that at no point have you agreed to be bound by their conditions either. Ask them to evidence where this agreement between you and them was signed (which of course they can't) and advise them that their bodyshop is not an acceptable solution in this case. You are claiming against them to cover the costs of your loss and expect it to be covered in full (on your terms) otherwise you will be seeking legal advice which may result in a further increase in the overall cost of the claim. You may have legal cover on your own insurance policy (or even your house policy) so that is worth checking. I am no lawyer obviously so don't know the legal position here. However I have successfully sued a cyclist in the past (they settled a week before the court hearing) and have just won my case against a hit and run driver on my unattended car after some strongly worded letters to their insurance company. So I'm happy to look over any letter if it would help. EDIT: Don't bother phoning them anymore. Start writing recorded delivery letters with deadlines ("Please respond within 14 days", etc). It is easy for a large company to dismiss phone calls but writing a letter shows you're more serious with your intent. It also starts to build a case in preparation for legal action if it goes that far (and the company will know this). EDIT 2: Did you claim from your own insurance (who then claimed from the third party) or directly from the third party's insurance (which is what I did)? Edited February 19, 2014 by Portent Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vw rule 19 Posted February 19, 2014 Sorry to hear about this Stone, hope your elbow is ok and hope you get your car all sorted. Si Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stonejag 10 Posted February 20, 2014 Aaaaaargh. Despite me giving them all the details, including a name and contact number, it turns out they rang a different body shop (next door to the one I specified), who don't do credit repairs :bad-words: So it's probably OK. Or it may not be. Getting to be past caring by now, to be honest! Si: thanks, test results showed 'moderate' compression to the nerve at my elbow so it'll probably take a minor op to relieve the pressure. Either three or four of the tendon grafts in my fingers have torn, getting an ultrasound in two weeks to find out how many :( Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
robrado974 1 Posted February 20, 2014 What an absolute mare you are having !!! . Hope this gets sorted for you soon . Insurance companys .......enough to make any normal sane person come close to loosing it . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Portent 0 Posted February 22, 2014 Doesn't surprise me that the company got it wrong. With my recent claim they sent an assessor round to the third party car and then reported back to me that they could find no damage on the rear of their car. I had to remind them that the driver had hit mine with their front, not the back, and insist they send the assessor back round again. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stonejag 10 Posted March 4, 2014 Hah, classic! Nice of them to check both ends :bonk: Finally dropped the car off at lunchtime today - I gave them the panels on Friday, in the hire car (no sense in messing up my leather, right? :)) and it was great to see them all in primer already. Even better, he'd blended in my US side markers on the front bumper and welded up the holes on both wings, they look mint, really looking forward to seeing them fitted! Shame I couldn't get the bonnet damage covered (would most likely have tipped it over the write off limit and I didn't want to push my luck) as all the rest of the front end will be mint now. If anybody has a cheap Blackberry one they could deliver to Bedford tomorrow then now's your chance! With any luck the injury compo will cover the rest of the respray with the other mods I wanted (Audi A6 door handles, smoothed rear seams and roof) so it won't be such a patchwork forever! Had a hand ultrasound today which wasn't very encouraging so I should be able to kick off the claim after I see my surgeon on Friday. I'd cross my fingers if they worked properly... So nice to drive it again after six weeks off. In love again :luvlove: Stone Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ralphead 0 Posted March 4, 2014 Glad to hear it's going a bit better for you now. My advice regarding an injury claim is to keep a diary and write down EVERYTHING and record every phone call you can. My car was written off by a Transit up the back of it five years ago this summer, not a Corrado thankfully. Following this my wife has at least two forms of cranial nueralgia (impingement) and a TMJ (Temporal Mandibular Joint) location disorder, or put simply almost constant jaw disclocation. Thanks to an arrogant, uncaring NHS we have not had a formal diagnosis. Nor a conclusive medico-legal report thanks to incompetent, bungling lawyers (now sacked), and so no compensation. I have been her carer for nearly half a decade and have racked up over £10k in lost earnings and expenses relating to her care in that time. Not trying to put the scares on you. Just don't ever assume it's a cut and dry case however simple it appears. Keep every reciept, note and recording if you want to come out the other side somewhere near square one. Keep on top of the NHS if you have to use them. A copy of all your medical records is invaluable. Get them before the case starts so you can see what bs has been written about you by docters with a thorny stick up their ar5e. Remember your lawyer and whoever does the medico-legal report will read this stuff and judge you on it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stonejag 10 Posted March 8, 2014 Thanks for the advice - going to be quite a long-running claim so I'm hoping they'll just try to buy me off so they can close it ;) Finally got the car back yesterday! :cheers: Looks so much happier for a bit of machine polishing and fresh paint...pretty happy with the colour match too. Shame the bonnet's so bad (twisted, dented, keyed) as it's letting it down now. On the bright side he had some paint left so offered to do a bonnet for £80 when I get one :D Anyway, celebratory pics: Just need to wire in the side markers and get shot of the rest of the rub strips and I can relax for a bit now. I also discovered that if you park a car with fresh paint under a tree the birds will try and make it less shiny for you :lol: Stone Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
n3p 3 Posted March 9, 2014 Can't beat fresh paint :) glad it worked out for you Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
