unfortunate Christmas - Damaged rear quarter

[John.]

If the panel is replaced professionally I would expect zinc weld-through primer to be used and all joints to be treated in a similar way prior to top coat........in short if it's done right you'll have nothing to worry about.
Sounds like you're not going to let this damage put you off the car, good on you!
All the best.

[hunker7]

OK, I need to take a car in for inspection with one of their local shops. Anything I need to know? Is there any talking to the body shop to push things in my favour or not?

[hunker7]

OK, not sure I want my car anywhere near there now. Read some reviews and they're shocking. I know it's just for inspection, but anyways

[hunker7]

As expected insurance isn't interested much in helping me. They want me to pay £750 excess which I might get back later as other party havent admitted liability (They haven't not admitted it either).

so I've found an accident management company near me and they're coming to see me on Wednesday to discuss things further.

[Rikki Kitto]

Nightmare bro when you need a good body shop there is a few near where I work in Edgware who have done work on my S2 and all our vans

[4WDrifter]

Your accident management company will be able to tell with a fair degree of certainty if it is NOT your fault. For what it's worth, my advice is then hand the whole thing over to them, take their courtesy car, they won't need you to pay the excess, they will tell your insurance company to keep out of it, they will fight YOUR corner with the other party's insurance company and if your accident management company take you on because they know you are not at fault, they will just tell the other insurance company that their hire car meter is running, point out the facts, quote the case law and the insurance company will try to deal as quickly as possible.
DO NOT pay the excess to you own insurance company and claim off them and sit back expecting them to reclaim their payout from the other party's insurance company because now you've made a " claim" and your premium will go up at renewal, your no claims bonus might be protected but your premium isn't, so they bump up the premium and still give you 50% discount. They say you'll get it back when the other insurance company returns their payout to you to them but behind the scenes they've agreed an offset of your payout for one where they claims partys are reversed. So instead of the other driver's insurance company paying for your repairs your own insurance company pays for them up front and then gets their money back from YOU by way of increased premiums. The whole thing is warped.

[hunker7]

I already told insurance I am not giving them a penny of my money. If they decide to take my case on as it wasn't my fault, I will close the case with my insurance because I haven't agreed to anything, haven't signed anything so they can **** off Horrible industry.

[John.]

take their courtesy car........... The whole thing is warped.

Agreed, when my S2 got damaged I said I didn't need a courtesy car, my thinking behind this was (other than the fact I had other cars I could use instead) it would make the claim higher and higher claims means long-term everyone's insurance will go up.........I think if I'd taken a courtesy car the claim would be sorted very quickly........instead of 6 months.

[hunker7]

I don't have a choice, only have 1 car and have 15 mile daily commute early morning and late nights. But I am not out to get what I don't deserve, just want my car fixed. Not going to claim for whiplash and what not.

[4WDrifter]

How did you get on?

[hunker7]

All details passed onto the manegament company, claim cancelled with my insurance now just waiting for paperwork to come through.

[4WDrifter]

Good!

[hunker7]

Really hope it goes smoothly and I get my car fixed in near future.

[4WDrifter]

Better chance this way mate.

[Vorsprung durch Technik]

Fingers crossed for you Janis.