Insurance - the joke without the laughs
Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2003 9:24 pm
Don't know if I posted about my bump here, but on the 3/11 someone went into the back of me at traffic lights at low speed. I made the mistake of reporting it to my insurance company and it's got me nothing but stress ever since. Today is the engine car of this long train of stress, so harshly have I been treated that I've actually shed tears of sheer frustration and anger at one point. Please read, cos this is a story which needs to be heard I think.
As of monday it will have been 4 weeks since the accident, and my car hasn't improved at all. It's still damaged. I've spent a week without it for nothing, and to top it all it's now officially a write off. What a joke.
OK, here's my day...
I got a phonecall at 9am off the accident repair centre to inform me that my car's been classified a "total loss". This met with some disgust from my end, and a prompt phonecall to my insurance company.
Spoke to an operator, who put me on hold.
35 (!) minutes later I got through to someone, who put me on hold again.
10 more minutes of classical music, and I'm through to someone in the assessment department who says he's got to put me through to someone else.
Phone ringing for a couple of minutes, nobody answers, back on hold.
Confused operator picks up, informs me that I'm back with the claims department and he'll put me back through to insurance. By this point I'd had enough, so I decided to let rip at being on the phone to f*****g Cheltenham, at day time rates for 45 minutes and demanded that they sort this out and get back to me instead of putting me on hold again. A note is passed on.
No call back.
Right, time to call head office, to be put on hold AGAIN. I laid into the first person I spoke to, demanded to speak to someone who actually knew what the f**k was going on and wasn't going to put me on hold again. "I'm tired of listening to f*****g classical music" I told her.
FINALLY after an hour by this point, I got through to someone who knew what was going on. I was told that my car had been confirmed as a write off, or "uneconomical to repair" as she kept telling me was the correct expression (who the hell cares it means the same f*****g thing ffs!). Anyway, at least I got some sense from her. She politely informed me that I'd get the value of the car back - £550 - minus my excess - £500 - and whatever they decide to charge for my car!!! Finally, that Minty was to be towed from the repair centre that day.
Down goes the phone, straight into the shower and some clothes for me, and ten minutes later I was at the repair centre swapping my Corsa for Minty. No way would I let some company who'd probably charge me holding costs and a recovery fee take my car away! The cheek of it!
So off went a mechanic to fetch my car, and my "wreck" of a Polo rolled onto the forecourt. I have never seen anything so sad in all my life. It was filthy when it went in but it had been covered in salt during its stay there, and had obviously leaked as the windscreen was clouded up. It drove home as if it felt violated by the whole thing, kind of like a family pet coming home from an operation at the vets.
At least the car's back in my posession. That's where it's staying too while I sort this mess out. No way are they getting my car, they'll have to prise the keys from my cold, stiffened corpse and forge the signature to transfer ownership. IT'S MY GOD DAMNED CAR.
My advice to anyone who has a bump is sort it yourself. I've had nothing but stress, confusion and worry off my insurance company who seem determined to get their mits on my pride and joy for peanuts.
NOBODY seems to care at my insurance company, and this whole sequence of events is driving me slowly up the wall. All of you with old cars, get TPFT DON'T BOTHER WITH FULLY COMP IT'S A WASTE OF TIME AND EFFORT. As of next year I know I will be going TPFT and I'm not going anywhere near my insurance company if I have a bump.
Next week, once I've calmed down, I'll chase quotes on getting it fixed on the cheap. Time to scour the scrappies and make some phone calls.
In the meantime this has caused me so much distress I'm behind with my Uni work. It's solved NOTHING.
I will name and shame my insurance company once this is over with. My hope being that nobody else ever has to go through the pointless stress I've had to deal with, not only today but throughout the last 4 weeks. Check out my post about courtesy cars for more!
I'm definately keeping it, and I'm hoping to get that G40 conversion next year. The GT lump has got to go. I'm even thinking of taking it off the road in favour of a runabout (another Polo of course!) so I don't have to deal with courtesy car nonsense. My car needs serious TLC.
As of monday it will have been 4 weeks since the accident, and my car hasn't improved at all. It's still damaged. I've spent a week without it for nothing, and to top it all it's now officially a write off. What a joke.
OK, here's my day...
I got a phonecall at 9am off the accident repair centre to inform me that my car's been classified a "total loss". This met with some disgust from my end, and a prompt phonecall to my insurance company.
Spoke to an operator, who put me on hold.
35 (!) minutes later I got through to someone, who put me on hold again.
10 more minutes of classical music, and I'm through to someone in the assessment department who says he's got to put me through to someone else.
Phone ringing for a couple of minutes, nobody answers, back on hold.
Confused operator picks up, informs me that I'm back with the claims department and he'll put me back through to insurance. By this point I'd had enough, so I decided to let rip at being on the phone to f*****g Cheltenham, at day time rates for 45 minutes and demanded that they sort this out and get back to me instead of putting me on hold again. A note is passed on.
No call back.
Right, time to call head office, to be put on hold AGAIN. I laid into the first person I spoke to, demanded to speak to someone who actually knew what the f**k was going on and wasn't going to put me on hold again. "I'm tired of listening to f*****g classical music" I told her.
FINALLY after an hour by this point, I got through to someone who knew what was going on. I was told that my car had been confirmed as a write off, or "uneconomical to repair" as she kept telling me was the correct expression (who the hell cares it means the same f*****g thing ffs!). Anyway, at least I got some sense from her. She politely informed me that I'd get the value of the car back - £550 - minus my excess - £500 - and whatever they decide to charge for my car!!! Finally, that Minty was to be towed from the repair centre that day.
Down goes the phone, straight into the shower and some clothes for me, and ten minutes later I was at the repair centre swapping my Corsa for Minty. No way would I let some company who'd probably charge me holding costs and a recovery fee take my car away! The cheek of it!
So off went a mechanic to fetch my car, and my "wreck" of a Polo rolled onto the forecourt. I have never seen anything so sad in all my life. It was filthy when it went in but it had been covered in salt during its stay there, and had obviously leaked as the windscreen was clouded up. It drove home as if it felt violated by the whole thing, kind of like a family pet coming home from an operation at the vets.
At least the car's back in my posession. That's where it's staying too while I sort this mess out. No way are they getting my car, they'll have to prise the keys from my cold, stiffened corpse and forge the signature to transfer ownership. IT'S MY GOD DAMNED CAR.
My advice to anyone who has a bump is sort it yourself. I've had nothing but stress, confusion and worry off my insurance company who seem determined to get their mits on my pride and joy for peanuts.
NOBODY seems to care at my insurance company, and this whole sequence of events is driving me slowly up the wall. All of you with old cars, get TPFT DON'T BOTHER WITH FULLY COMP IT'S A WASTE OF TIME AND EFFORT. As of next year I know I will be going TPFT and I'm not going anywhere near my insurance company if I have a bump.
Next week, once I've calmed down, I'll chase quotes on getting it fixed on the cheap. Time to scour the scrappies and make some phone calls.
In the meantime this has caused me so much distress I'm behind with my Uni work. It's solved NOTHING.
I will name and shame my insurance company once this is over with. My hope being that nobody else ever has to go through the pointless stress I've had to deal with, not only today but throughout the last 4 weeks. Check out my post about courtesy cars for more!
I'm definately keeping it, and I'm hoping to get that G40 conversion next year. The GT lump has got to go. I'm even thinking of taking it off the road in favour of a runabout (another Polo of course!) so I don't have to deal with courtesy car nonsense. My car needs serious TLC.
