Car insurance claims.

[Rev]

As I'd posted on a different thread, someone recently reversed into my car in a car park. 

To cut a long and boring story short, the other drivers insurance company has since contacted me, admitted their clients liability, and offered to take over the claim from now on, fix the damage and offer me a courtesy car while mine is repaired. 

I've not claimed on car insurance for over 25 years, is this approach normal?

I've forwarded the letter onto my insurance, but haven't heard back, is there a disadvantage I'm not seeing by taking up their offer?

It will mean I don't have to declare a claim when it comes to renewal, for instance.

 

[Mostyn6]

It still goes on the database. Biggest scam going. 

[Rev]

33 minutes ago, Mostyn6 said:

It still goes on the database. Biggest scam going. 

In what way? 

It does seem easier to let them take care of it,  what am I missing?

[Mostyn6]

You still have to declare non-fault accidents and it still affects your premium. Even if no claim. Its their get out clause if you dont. 

[Boycie]

It’s cheaper for their insurance company to take care of both claims. They don’t get their pants pulled down by your company regards repair costs etc.

Makes no difference to you if theirs no other injury claims?

[QuitYourJibbaJivin]

8 hours ago, Mostyn6 said:

It still goes on the database. Biggest scam going. 

My insurance once told me that because I’ve been involved in accident where I wasn’t at fault, I’m more likely to be involved in one where I am and that’s why my premium was going up ?

[Mostyn6]

3 minutes ago, QuitYourJibbaJivin said:

My insurance once told me that because I’ve been involved in accident where I wasn’t at fault, I’m more likely to be involved in one where I am and that’s why my premium was going up ?

in 2012 a bloke drove across the front of me, from the left on a roundabout (Normanton island to Manor Road), I was going straight over, he tried to go right. A copper witnessed this. The bloke asked to pay privately and avoid insurance. The copper asked me if I wanted to prosecute for "Driving without Due care and attention". I argued that if he's broke the law, it shouldn't be my decision!

Anyway, the damage to me car was new bonnet, wing, bumper, and light and paint match, about £1300. So the bloke couldn't pay. It went through insurance. The two insurances companies agued. The copper went AWOL. My insurance came up for renewal, and cos I had an open claim, my insurance jumped from £400 to £1900 to renew, so I had to change insurers!

Skip forward 3 years, and the exact same thing happens again! On a roundabout in Coventry, an old boy went right as I was going forward and side-swiped me!

My next renewal, I couldn't get many quotes, it transpired after some ringing around, that in the database the insurance companies use, the first accident was entered as my fault. I obviously kicked off and demanded an investigation! They came back eventually and said they'd corrected it, and they were sorry, however from 2013 to 2016, I'd been paying a bigger premium than I should have!

[RadioactiveWaste]

For something like that, yes, just take up the offer, it will maybe make a small difference but as it's been flagged now you won't get any benefit from not doing it.

Car park bumps tend not to be viewed the same as incidents on the open road. It's also clearly no fault on you. 

The way insurance "works" is on cumulative risk factors, the car, your age, how long you've been driving how many claims you have (etc) and how many not your fault incidents also goes into it. If you have 1, no real change in the risk,you have 2 or more (that aren't your fault!) The magical computer program starts upping the risk anyway. It's logically not fair, but then insurance companies work for profit not fairness...

What you really don't want to do is have an accident that's entirely your fault in a single vehicle incident like I did on ice 12 years (and still annoying premiums) ago.

 

[Boycie]

2 hours ago, Mostyn6 said:

in 2012 a bloke drove across the front of me, from the left on a roundabout (Normanton island to Manor Road), I was going straight over, he tried to go right. A copper witnessed this. The bloke asked to pay privately and avoid insurance. The copper asked me if I wanted to prosecute for "Driving without Due care and attention". I argued that if he's broke the law, it shouldn't be my decision!

Anyway, the damage to me car was new bonnet, wing, bumper, and light and paint match, about £1300. So the bloke couldn't pay. It went through insurance. The two insurances companies agued. The copper went AWOL. My insurance came up for renewal, and cos I had an open claim, my insurance jumped from £400 to £1900 to renew, so I had to change insurers!

Skip forward 3 years, and the exact same thing happens again! On a roundabout in Coventry, an old boy went right as I was going forward and side-swiped me!

My next renewal, I couldn't get many quotes, it transpired after some ringing around, that in the database the insurance companies use, the first accident was entered as my fault. I obviously kicked off and demanded an investigation! They came back eventually and said they'd corrected it, and they were sorry, however from 2013 to 2016, I'd been paying a bigger premium than I should have!

Well, to be honest, if your insurance went up to £1900 and you thought by just swapping insurance companies would make the risk on record go away you were a bit naive.

They all look at the same database, that ought to have been sorted at the time as higher premiums would have been expected.  I’d have been on it like a dog with a bone.

My missus (named driver) once had a minor bump and the other driver claimed on my insurance, we didn’t as there was no damage to our car, they claimed whiplash and the lot, no damage to our car btw.
A year later our insurance had gone up due to that accident “I” had that resulted in a 8k payout that they never consulted me about.  Anyway, I digress, they had it down as I was driving!  It took some sorting, but I got it sorted.

I hate insurance companies me.

[Mostyn6]

1 minute ago, Boycie said:

Well, to be honest, if your insurance went up to £1900 and you thought by just swapping insurance companies would make the risk on record go away you were a bit naive.

They all look at the same database, that ought to have been sorted at the time as higher premiums would have been expected.  I’d have been on it like a dog with a bone.

My missus (named driver) once had a minor bump and the other driver claimed on my insurance, we didn’t as there was no damage to our car, they claimed whiplash and the lot, no damage to our car btw.
A year later our insurance had gone up due to that accident “I” had that resulted in a 8k payout that they never consulted me about.  Anyway, I digress, they had it down as I was driving!  It took some sorting, but I got it sorted.

I hate insurance companies me.

when I went to renew, the claim was still in discussion, and although they knew I wasn't at fault, they actually advised me to look elsewhere. That doesn't justify them putting me "at fault" in their database when, after they dug out the file, I wasn't. My insurance company at the time (Swift, I think) basically said that I wouldn't get a refund even if the claim was settled. Nobody is gonna give away £1500 to stay with an insurance company!

[Boycie]

1 hour ago, Mostyn6 said:

when I went to renew, the claim was still in discussion, and although they knew I wasn't at fault, they actually advised me to look elsewhere. That doesn't justify them putting me "at fault" in their database when, after they dug out the file, I wasn't. My insurance company at the time (Swift, I think) basically said that I wouldn't get a refund even if the claim was settled. Nobody is gonna give away £1500 to stay with an insurance company!

The buggers!

[PistoldPete]

8 hours ago, QuitYourJibbaJivin said:

My insurance once told me that because I’ve been involved in accident where I wasn’t at fault, I’m more likely to be involved in one where I am and that’s why my premium was going up ?

It’s true. They don’t know how many miles you drive. If you tell them you only use it for the weekend shopping , but you have multiple accidents ( even if not your fault) they might suspect you are using your car a lot more than you say. 

[Rev]

I decided to take them up on their offer to sort it, told my insurance company who closed my claim, then heard back from the other parties insurance. 

Then it got bizarre, to my mind at least, I had to ask the lady to repeat what she'd said, as I couldn't quite  believe it.

As a thank you for keeping their costs down, they will make a payment of £300 to me once the work has been carried out to my satisfaction!  

No wonder insurance is so expensive.

 

[Boycie]

36 minutes ago, Rev said:

I decided to take them up on their offer to sort it, told my insurance company who closed my claim, then heard back from the other parties insurance. 

Then it got bizarre, to my mind at least, I had to ask the lady to repeat what she'd said, as I couldn't quite  believe it.

As a thank you for keeping their costs down, they will make a payment of £300 to me once the work has been carried out to my satisfaction!  

No wonder insurance is so expensive.

 

Winner winner car park sinner!