Hi

Please can anyone, with experience in dealing with insurance scum bags, help me out.

My beautiful low mileage LE was shunted from behind this morning and pushed into a car in front. The rear is caved in, boot wont't close, and the front is a mess - bonnett buckled etc.

Now it wasn't my fault. The offender's details have been given to the insurance company etc.

How do i stop them writing off my LE? Book price is probably £3,000 even though it was mint condition and 50k on the clock.

Advice appreciated

Sorry to hear about your LE

Firstly, don't accept any offer they make you straight away.

Make sure they know it's an LE, as it's worth more than 3K.

Find any photos, service history, receipts, etc that you've got.

Look for similar LE's for sale and keep the adverts to show the insurance company what it's worth.

Don't back down and good luck

I think the answer to your question of "How do you stop them writing it off?", is probably, "You don't".

You can always buy the car back once they have written it off, i think there are a couple of different classes to this ie c or d...
Fight for as much as you can then buy it back.

Not sure you have any other choice.

Good luck.

if the front AND rear is crunched, you will struggle to prevent it being written off - pretty sure Carlt will confirm this

You now need to focus your attention on getting the correct settlement amount.

The insurance company WILL offer you a pathetic amount as their first offer. It will be based on the cheapest LE they can find (actually, it will be based on the cheapest 20vt, because they will not be able to find a cheap LE, so they'll quote Glass's guide saying the LE is worth x% more than a stock 20VT)

The first offer I had when I bent my first Coupe was just over £3k. It was based on a car they had found in Autotrader. I tracked the car down and found that it had no service history and "a funny knocking noise from the engine when it got hot"

In the end, I invoked the terms of the insurance, which effectively said (as most will do) that the insurance company would place me in a position identical to how I was pre-accident. In my case, it meant they needed to find me a car with full service history, a fresh respray and a few mods (all declared). Their final offer was about right - £6k - almost double their first offer.

If you need any help, just PM me

Sorry to hear about your misfortune.

I guess the first thing to do is get quotes for the repair. By the description of the damage, the insurance company will tell you it's beyond economical repair, and will want to make you an offer. If you accept this offer, or negotiate a better offer - the car gets 'written-off' (cat D or C).

But, you can come to some arrangement whereby they offer you a cash settlement for the damage, and it doesn't get written off. You are then left with a damaged car and some money that may or may not be enough to put the car back on the road.

I'm absolutely gutted. The LE seats and interior is absolutely mint - not a sign of wear.

Was your insurance company Highway Nigel?

This is going to be fun

There was a silver one on here that sold for just over 4k and it had done more than 100k.

Another LE dies a moments silence is needed.

Not sure how many are left now. Someone should get some DVLA info on them.

Really sorry ljw

Hope it all goes well with the insurance

sad news!

you should get 5k+ for an LE IMO!

do you think the dvla would give that info, I'm sure somebody sent them a letter/email a while back but for the total number of coupes?

you must be gutted, I know I would be

there can't be many LE's left now

Another one!

Jeez if it is possible I would try to repiar it. However if it is dead you need to let it go Which I would imagine will be practically impossible.

To help you start I suggest you sell the "mint" seats to me

Edit: No I tried to be funny and move the thread a little but its not working hence the edit a minutes silence is being observed in my office currently

and if the gearknob is mint, i'll buy that

I hate this bit. An engineer will inspect the car and the insurance will give salvage or at best trade. an LE will make little or no difference to the value in real terms. you MUST collate any proof you have of any works done, so you can make a better case you were an enthusiast rather than it being just a car, as this can help creep values up when fighting. Make sure you get a valuation from the club to contest the trade value, as this can help a little too.
Trade is car - prep costs (£1000) and a warranty (500ish) and profit of say (£1200) So even at £4k you could be looking at £2k - and the cost of repair and parts will kill it.
Best you can do is hold out and fight for enough to replace it.
.....hows your neck??

Where is the car now?

In my work car park. It still drives - going to drive home in a minute and take some pics.

The worst thing is I normally work from home, haven't worked in the office for 9 months - this was my second day back in the office!

Thanks to everyone who's posted

Probably with Carl already

Hey fella - it might just work out ...i know what it feels like..
8 months ago -
My little 1999 NA got mashed by a caravan...i was gutted ...but i got £3,200 - bought it back for £320
MOT'd VIC to do etc...
Took the dosh - never claimed for whiplash cause it didnt sit well with me...
Didnt have a bun fight of much with the insurers, haggled once and that was it
Mine had 90k on the clock...

Anyways - after getting the bruised one back I took the dosh and bought a well priced PLUS !!!

So after all the crappy feelings i look out the window at a sweet PLUS and a slightly crumpled NA - i will take my time and put the NA back on the road again when im ready..(Possibly, however the longer i have the plus and look at the NA i wonder if i shouldnt just break it and pour the love on the plus..I am such a tart.. )

Anyway to sumarise...keep your chin up (But dont wobble it around if youve got whiplash)

Things might just work out....

then again it might all go terribly wrong...

I'm not convinced this is a write off. Have a look at the pics.

Pics

If they do write it off I'm definately buying it back

100% write off.

Boot floor is nasty means its a £6000+ repair.

grim reaper has arrived!

That was one nice looking car. Sorry for you!

For the benifit or doubt, here's some prices from the audatex system, jobs we did last year, or the previous.

All prices are the prices we have been paid for at various points, they do change here and there.

Front:
Bonnet £488
Bumper £512
Grille £76
Fogs x2 £134 each
Bumper foam £37
X-member £367
Headlamp x2 £191 each
Rad £117
Aircon rad £134
Slam panel £161
Bonnet Catch £34

So thats the front at the minimum.

Rear:
Back panel complete £342
Back Bumper £176
Boot floor £766
Rear foams £46
Boot lid (they will want it changing) £146

So thats a few bits. Then add 10 hours to remove skirts and load onto a jig @ £45 per hour just for measurment purposes.

Could probably add 50 hours labour and paint EASY so, 2k+

I'd say at least £6000 plus vat.

I dont think they can LEGALLY write it off, as your not at fault. I THINK that you can demand its fixed, as the other person caused the fault, so ask.

Ros

Not worth playing those games though Ross, they just come along, measure up, slap a cat b on it, and it never sees the road again. They aren't stupid.

Oh that's just great

Well unless I find a 50k silver LE then I'm gonna keep it and fix it.

The only car I'd replace the LE with is a M3 CSL and I don't want to spend £30k right now.

Yeah anno. Its difficult to argue when there is £6k involved

Ross

Mines got 52k, seats aren't quite as nice, same car though, for sale in the near future.


You could try and swindle a repair, means going to a normal bodyshop and supplying all new bits, having the floor jigged etc etc, save where possible. Be the same repair afterwards, just alot cheaper. Just down to finding someone willing and interested in doing it.

Jesus that is upsetting

You weren't joking about the seats though where you. PM me if you cannot find a way to bring it back. Though personally I would really try though Carl has the experience.

What Number is it?

Number 1123

It's such a waste as it was a perfect car. Owned it for 5 years, stamped up to the eyballs by Powerfiat etc

I simply can't let it go. Think I'll get it repaired even if it'll cost me £6-7k