Possible insurance write off - any advice?

Jul 22, 2020
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Hello all I posted the other day and had some amazing help so hoping for the same today.
basically we took our caravan out and unfortunately reversed into a tree, couldn’t see any obvious damage so put it into winter storage and then of course Covid happened so couldn’t get back to the van until this week.
to cut a long story short there was damage caused and it’s caused approximately £2000 worth of damage.
we’ve put a claim into the insurance company and they are sending their own engineer on Monday to check the value of the van, the amount they think it will cost to get fixed and to take photos. I’ve managed to find out the book price for our van and it’s coming in at around £2800 for a brilliant condition van.
Its sounding likely that the insurance company could write it off, any advice for getting the best price etc
 

Damian

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Mar 14, 2005
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You are basically at the mercy of the assessor who will have a good look at the van , and then depending on the estimated cost of repair against the possible value of the spare part value of the van and availability of spares they will make an offer.

It would have been much to your advantage to have recent service records showing that you have cared for the van, but you don't have those.

If the assessor and company decide it is not economical to repair then at best they will offer the market value taking into consideration condition.
 
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Jul 22, 2020
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So basically just accept what they offer? And what normally happens with the caravan? Do they take it or do they leave it with me to try and get rid off it?
 
Nov 11, 2009
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You could search the internet to see what other vans if this type are being sold at. It may give you an idea. I did that with a car write off and received an improved offer from the insurance. But the car had FSH and was in excellent condition.
As said above see what they say and offer. But the time between accident and claim has led to significant deterioration in the caravan which will have reduced its value to the insurer
 

Damian

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Mar 14, 2005
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So basically just accept what they offer? And what normally happens with the caravan? Do they take it or do they leave it with me to try and get rid off it?

If you feel the offer is too low you can always ask them if they can improve the offer, but have some examples of the cost of a similar van to replace yours.

If you accept the offer, the van becomes the Insurance property and they will have it removed, or they may offer you the van back at a cost for you to do the repairs at your own cost.
 
May 7, 2012
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I think a lot depends on who you are insured with. The assessor will give them a figure for the value of the van and the insurer will then make you an offer. The best insurers will offer that figure, but others might offer you less, and then see what they can get away with.
You do need to search the internet for your model and other similar ones to see what they are going for. Do remember however that dealers figures do normally leave some room for negotiation so the real price is a bit less than they show.
If you cannot agree, then you need to produce the adverts for similar caravans and produce them to the insurer in the form of an official complaint, and if you are still not happy complain to the Ombudsman.
 
Feb 9, 2009
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I think a lot depends on who you are insured with. The assessor will give them a figure for the value of the van and the insurer will then make you an offer. The best insurers will offer that figure, but others might offer you less, and then see what they can get away with.
You do need to search the internet for your model and other similar ones to see what they are going for. Do remember however that dealers figures do normally leave some room for negotiation so the real price is a bit less than they show.
If you cannot agree, then you need to produce the adverts for similar caravans and produce them to the insurer in the form of an official complaint, and if you are still not happy complain to the Ombudsman.
I agree entirely with Ray. When I owned my own Insurance Brokerage I always told customers who had a total loss to look in news papers and car magazines to find similar cars and let me have copies to get the best offer. This was before the internet so it should be easier now.
It also depends on the insurer. I always insured my cars with on insurer, who although not the cheapest, always gave a fair offer and dealt with claims fast. As with everything you get what you pay for
 
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