Quick question - Elephant insurance

[joebloggsVR69 0]

Just been on the phone to them to ask about details of my cover..

 

In particular, in the event that I have to take the car to be repaired for accident damage, can I go to any garage I like. They said 'No, it must be one of our garages' :x :roll:

 

Well, I'd rather not be insured with them if that's the case... I only trust a garage that I've used in the past, and not some dodgy elephant approved one. How would I know their work would be to my standards???

 

Has anyone else had to claim through elephant in the past, and did they actually force you to use their own garages? What was the work like? I'm imagining that their 'repairers' would end up breaking bits, and giving me a 2nd rate paint job..

[PhatVR6 0]

that's why I get 3rd party insurance.......

[Storm Monkey 0]

Try asking who is aproved in you're area, it may be the garage you prefere anyway. I am with elephant, but as yet have had no repairs made, so cant help there, but a lot of insurers work off of the same approved garage list. It tends not to be to thier advantage to use dodgy garages, as too many people would complain. My local aproved garage is about the best one around in terms of quality and reputation (even if thay are a ford dealership).

[Scott 0]

Total bo**ocks mate..... YOU chose what happens to your car in the event of an accident not the insurer! - Its your car not theirs!!!

 

Stick your foot down.

 

If it should happen you get quotes from their approved garages and then go somewhere you want the car repaired and come quotes.... I can bet you if its cheaper the insurance will allow it... failing that you can always pay the difference... but even better - DONT CRASH :lol:

 

 

Oh and Elephant are under written by direct line so I wouldnt touch them with a barge pole.... :mad:

[CorradoWannabe 1]

Oh and Elephant are under written by direct line

 

I got refussed insurance from Directline - cos the car had been lowered and i was not over 25 (!) yet Elephant insured me.. interesting.... :x

[Bobbywhacker 0]

I got right grief from some scottish robot woman at direct line when I told em I fitted by miltek.. never going with them ever again..... ever!!

[joebloggsVR69 0]

I got right grief from some scottish robot woman at direct line when I told em I fitted by miltek.. never going with them ever again..... ever!!

 

:lol: about as useful as the Elephant bird I spoke to today.

I asked her what the % refund was when I quit after x amount of time... 'I cant answer that' WTF?? useless bint :roll:

Then I asked her about running a 2nd car.. also couldnt help there! 'you'll need to speak to the other department'

Next I argued about whether I could use my own repairer 'No you cant...' - and so what if I dont like the quality of the repairs? She said (in not so blunt terms :) ) tough sh1t.

 

And so on, for another 10minutes

[pablo_vr6 0]

can you just take the money? instead of getting the car fixed?

[joebloggsVR69 0]

can you just take the money? instead of getting the car fixed?

 

I havent crashed it yet :lol: Just wanted to find out where I stand, in the event of damage

[crazymarcel 0]

I got right grief from some scottish robot woman at direct line when I told em I fitted by miltek.. never going with them ever again..... ever!!

 

:lol: about as useful as the Elephant bird I spoke to today.

I asked her what the % refund was when I quit after x amount of time... 'I cant answer that' WTF?? useless bint :roll:

Then I asked her about running a 2nd car.. also couldnt help there! 'you'll need to speak to the other department'

Next I argued about whether I could use my own repairer 'No you cant...' - and so what if I dont like the quality of the repairs? She said (in not so blunt terms :) ) tough sh1t.

 

And so on, for another 10minutes

 

She dint answer them questions, cause u wouldent have liked the answers. From my 1 Months ownership of my second car, the beast that was the jetta gx cost close to 400quid to insure for a year, canceling the policy after a month entitled me to a full 70quid refund, Running a second car on same policy is just not possible, or not from all the places i tried. The corrado cant be insured as a classic. yet.

 

My insurance company would not even tell me if i was entitled to salvage rights if my car was wrote off and no i cant pick where it would be repaired.

 

Although the amount of Corrado's i have seen written off, for really quite minor things is amazeing, too be honest anythin more then a small minor crash and ya car is gonna be totaled. Its quite sad really. Have just witnessed another green storm being bought for next to nothing, i wont say how much the last one sold for after the theft repairs were fixed.

 

I'm insured third party at min, although amount im spending on car, wondering if i can get an agreed value policy next renewel. I dont see any bonus from fully comp unless your a crap driver.

[joebloggsVR69 0]

I dont see any bonus from fully comp unless your a crap driver.

 

Well I'm forced to go fully comp, as the car is worth over £5k :wink:

[pablo_vr6 0]

you get to drive other cars - only reason I do it.

[joebloggsVR69 0]

I could drive other cars on my old TPFT policy on my Golf :?

[crazymarcel 0]

you get to drive other cars - only reason I do it.

 

 

yea spose there is that and if u need a new windscreen.

[chubbybrown 0]

Total bo**ocks mate..... YOU chose what happens to your car in the event of an accident not the insurer! - Its your car not theirs!!!

 

Stick your foot down.

 

If it should happen you get quotes from their approved garages and then go somewhere you want the car repaired and come quotes.... I can bet you if its cheaper the insurance will allow it... failing that you can always pay the difference... but even better - DONT CRASH :lol:

 

 

Oh and Elephant are under written by direct line so I wouldnt touch them with a barge pole.... :mad:

 

Scott is correct,you choose if you put your foot down and with regards to salvage its your salvage if they pay out,a friend had a range rover limo taken away after his payout after him saying he wasnt giving it up and got it back 3 weeks later after it had been through three sets of owners !!

with regards to any corrado,if it requires a shell its written off unless someone knows where theres a few new bodyshells stashed.

we bought 3 cavalier ones,still got one ina field,brand new under a cover waitign for the right Turbo diesel to come along.

 

Chubbz

[pablo_vr6 0]

you dont get much choice in NI for insurance and elehpant are WAYYY cheaper than anyone else.

[kvwloon 0]

I had no end of problems using Norwich Union Direct (never again!), due to using their sh1te Approved garages. All 'Insurance Approved' means is the repairers cut their margins (and quality of work) to the bone to get the approval of the insurance company as a cheap repairer of cars. It's a cut-throat business.

 

After the umpteenth failure of an NUD approved garage to do a decent job, took it to a place of my choosing, and they were sh1te too! Conclusion, you can't get the staff these days. IMO the end of properly trained apprenticed staff who took pride in their work and actually learnt real skills equals the situation where it's veeeeery difficult these days to find a decent bodyshop.

[joebloggsVR69 0]

it's veeeeery difficult these days to find a decent bodyshop.

 

Yep, lucky I know a top quality bloke who usually repairs bentleys and such like. He's not cheap, but his work is top notch. If I ever need to get repairs done, I'd get 1 quote from a VW repair centre, and one from my repairer - we all know VW charge silly money (and the insurers would never choose the VW option :wink: ), so I know at the end of the day my car would go to my bodyshop and be repaired properly

[crazymarcel 0]

Kvwloon : Did you try East Bilney coach works?

[JoeNose 0]

Good points. 'Insurance Approved' is worn as a badge of pride by many companies, but it usually means just what kvwloon says. A while back whilst looking for a bodyshop, I wandered into a place on Wirral specialising in classic car restorations. They had a Jensen Interceptor, a 60s Porsche and an E-type on the go, and I figured it was a safe bet that they knew their stuff. They did of course, took my car in and did a fine job. Give me a place like that over a big accident repair 'production line' any day.

[kvwloon 0]

Kvwloon : Did you try East Bilney coach works?

 

'Fraid not, the places I had trouble with were at Yarmouth and Norwich. Might give East Bilney a look soon though if don't find the right VR and / or keep the valver (some seriously crumbly paintwork on the front bumper letting the car down at the moment! Your'e not Insurance Approved though are you....aaargh! :wink:

[Storm Monkey 0]

Oh and Elephant are under written by direct line so I wouldnt touch them with a barge pole....

Elephant abd bell are the same group, (but quote different prices???) and are both part of Admiral. If direct line are in the same bunch, then it seems theres only one insurance company anyway!

[Madjackal 0]

Insurance companies have a list of approved repairers that they use because they can get parts and labour discounts. You do not have to use their approved repairer but if you don't they will not be able to provide you with a courtesy car and they will not be able to get involved in any disputes you may have with the way repairs were done.

 

Also repairs are usually guaranteed through the approved repairer.

 

I was insured with Elephant cos their premiums are low. I had an accident and my G60 was written off. I wasn't hugely impressed with their claims service. They told me things which were a load of shite not knowing that I worked in motor claims myself.

[Supercharged 2]

You giot a good price for the car tho! 8)

[Madjackal 0]

I did in the end but I had to write a letter of complaint to get a fair price. Let that be a lesson to all of you. If you write your car off and the insurance company offer you a grand for your £3000.00 car you can dispute the offer. Send some examples of your car or more than they are offering, (press cuttings, Autotrader pages stuff like that).

 

Make sure you complain about the offer as well, if you threaten to go to the ombudsman they will probably offer you more money because if the ombudsman sides with you you get your money and it costs the Insurance company £700.00 to defend.

 

By the way steve I looked at a VR with kev last night that black one i send you the link for.