Run away van! Insurance or no insurance.

[alistermorton]

I must say that on the couple of occasions were I've had a bike written off by a driver running into/turning across me (effectively giving me no chance) I've not had an increase in premium (well, other than the usual inflationary increase) as the cost has been borne by the other party's insurer (even in the case of the last one where the driver turned out not to be insured). But on the one occasion when I was to blame (rode into someone) the premium leapt up.

 

It did help on one occasion when the two witnesses were policemen in the police car that was approaching with the mobile disco going that I was stopped for.

[Junior8]

I don't knowif other old timers were taught the same but years ago handbrakes were unreliable and I was told if parking on a slope if facing downwards to turn the front wheels into the kerb and leave it in reverse and if facing the other way to leave it in first. Mind you that was when we still used engine braking, changed down for junctions etc etc. No doubt thinks are different thesedays!

[gareth]

I'd say keep it out of the hands of the insurers if at all possible. The slightest excuse to whack your premiums right up is all they need to stiff you for as much as they can. As others have said, you might have a protected NCD, but even if you've got, say, a 70% NCD, if they double the basic premium before discount you'll still end up seeing your premium doubling even after discount - and if you're on one of those policies where the discount steps back down one notch if you make one claim, it'll more than double. Insurance underwriters and brokers aren't charities - they're in it purely and simply to make money.

 

If you can find a decent local bodyshop, get a quote from them, making sure you tell them that it isn't going through the insurance and that you'll be paying personally. Some bodyshops have two pricing structures - one for private customers, and one for insurers (who they know will just pay whatever they're asked).

[pete10uk]

Were keeping it away from the insurance companies.

 

The neighbor is being excellent, almost happy to leave it as is, as long as we can get the door to open and close. I've insisted we get it sorted properly so will get it to a good body shop for him and try and at least mark it look like it didn't happen.

 

Lesson learned, make sure it's in first and pointing to the lien even if 'it's almost empty!

[James Remo]

Came back to the van (parked on street outside my house) to see a big dent in the side, lady left her details, was going to pay for repair without insurance, her son persuaded her to go through insurance, so nowt to do with my insurance company. When I received my renewal - her insurance company had informed my insurance company - so my premium went up. Wasn't in the same country when the accident happened, but still paying for it.

[pete10uk]

Maybe TRESemmé will be evicted from number 10 and let Mr Corbyn make every thing public again, so we're not screwed at every opportunity!

[Yorkie]

I don't knowif other old timers were taught the same but years ago handbrakes were unreliable and I was told if parking on a slope if facing downwards to turn the front wheels into the kerb and leave it in reverse and if facing the other way to leave it in first. Mind you that was when we still used engine braking, changed down for junctions etc etc. No doubt thinks are different thesedays!

My driving instructor told me about pointing the wheels and leaving it in gear when I learnt in 2003/4, I since moved to Sheffield and have observed a couple of times what can happen to a fully laden vehicle with a properly applied handbrake is on a steep hill. Unnerving to say the least.

[pete10uk]

, I since moved to Sheffield and have observed a couple of times what can happen to a fully laden vehicle with a properly applied handbrake is on a steep hill. Unnerving to say the least.

 

You know the cause of the issue then!

 

Them there Sheffield hills played their part.

 

It's not the first issue on our road no will it be the last, just didn't expect it to happen to me, when I have any kind of loading in the van I always turn in to the kirb and make sure it's in a low gear.

[sunray]

I had a little bump in the snow 5 or 10 years ago. I took pictures and left my details, we spoke on the phone and I asked him not to put it through the insurance.

 

4 days later my insurance contacted me asking for an accident report regarding the completed repairs: replacement of complete tailgate including wiper glass & lights etc, rear wing, complete bumper [all 7 bits of it], alloy wheel and 2 rear tyres.

 

My pictures showed a tiny dent, which I reckon the dent man would have been able to sort with ease, to the front wing which was still there after repairs.

 

I was more than happy to cover any cost of repair for the damage I had caused but as it had not been addressed in the repair I denied any involvement and never heard any more.

 

 

 

 

On a completely different situation I was accused of damaging the front wing of a car, I genuinely I don't think so but there was pre-existing damage to the shared vehicle I was driving which would have been the same place, I said to get a price for the replacement plastic pre-coloured wing, I refused to pay the £900 for a very rusty and knocked about old car. Asked a couple of garages for repair estimate from pics, both confirmed the price as correct but said the car wasn't worth more than £150 & £180, I offered £200 as write off value of the car [for scraggage] which they refused then they stupidly admitted they had no insurance and asked if I'd be prepared to say the accident happened much later - after they took out insurance.

 

Bearing in mind I was still not convinced I had caused the accident, or that it had actually occurred, I suggested I would include a copy of the phone calls recordings with my accident report for their insurance claim.

 

Do I sound heartless? I hope not, I simply hate such obvious fraudulent claims. Sadly I have had several accidents in the 45 years I've been driving and settled them coolly and quickly, either directly or through insurance. I reversed a trailer into a car which had driven into a blind spot, it was obviously a write off so we loaded the car on the trailer, I took it to the nearby scrap yard, took the guy home via my ATM and paid the agreed nominal top-up on scrapyards cash. As it happens he was on his way for an MOT which he didn't think it would pass and he didn't seem upset about the situation.

 

Maybe TRESemmé will be evicted from number 10 and let Mr Corbyn make every thing public again, so we're not screwed at every opportunity!

 

And the cost of everything & public borrowing will rocket... just like always.

[paulears]

If you query it with the insurance company for advice - be aware they will record the incident against your record - AND - share it. My wife was told she bumped somebodies car when she parked, and didn't remember doing it. The people claimed a scratch and wanted her details. When she got home she thought she might have been scammed, so called her insurance company - and they advised her not to put the claim in. The other person did not make a claim. Six months later, I renew my van insurance and when they checked the details, they mentions her accident. What accident? The one she telephoned them. The insurance forms always ask have you had an accident in the last 5 years - I said no when they asked about her. They asked if I was sure. Her no claim had generated an accident report attached to her file and certainly shared with my van insurance company.

[pete10uk]

I had a similar thought when I called vw to get a price for the replacement door, they passed me onto "their body shop" only to be asked a load of irrelevant questions, I ended up saying I'll sort it as they were asking names, addresses, who was involved, insurance details. Don't think it was vw but an accident management company.

 

Told them nothing as I felt it would be logged somewhere.

 

I think on my renewal I'll just go third party cheep option. Obviously if I kill someone or cause a mass pileup I'll need covering but for bumps and scrapes I can't see a situation I'll personally claim.

[timsabre]

I think you'll find that 3rd party only insurance is either unavailable or more expensive than fully comp. Was for me anyway. Asking for 3rd party only insurance must flag you up as a careless loony in an old banger or something.

[danburns]

In the past (although for Car not van) I was told by the insurance "advisor" that Third Party with Fire and Theft was actually cheaper than Third Party cover only - might be worth checking if that's still the case now.

[kerry davies]

Just renewed on the car, told that TPFT was more expensive but after whining like a dog about a 25% rise in premium they halved the original quote. I do have 10 years plus NCD and tend to stick with one broker but I have found that in the last 20 years all the "norms" of vehicle insurance have gone out the window.

 

Where I live the rule used to be that if you had a head-on up a lane it was "knock-for-knock" and you paid your own costs but since No Claims Discount protection and other such add-ons became popular everything becomes negotiable, to some extent.

 

Couple of years back I was rammed by an uninsured driver up a lane and it took a lot of moaning but in the end I did not suffer increased premiums or loss of NCD. They just took the Golf in, gave me a loaner and did a great job on the repair.

[sandall]

Bang like a bomb going off about midnight last night, followed by a car alarm. This morning 2 tow-trucks (& a rather confused RAC man) arrived outside the house. First truck on the scene got to take away a Land Cruiser with a very sad back-end. The street tree now has the bottom few feet of bark badly gashed & is surrounded by piles of glass & Perspex. Presumably another case of "the hand-brake was on when I left it". The good news is that at least this one didn't demolish my front wall again.