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Given the choice, would you take the cash and buy a new one, or buy it back and fix it?
No claims discounts are applied against the premium calculated, so the claim will ramp up the premium massively, then they apply the discount to that - reality is you will be paying higher premiums for years - not just in this car, but any other car you are issured on.Why will it cost less in the long run?
Yes definitely the way to go.Last year someone decided to open there door hard onto the rear wheel arch of my 2009 QP leaving a big deep vertical dent. I took it to 'HB Panelcraft' in Preston and they repaired and resprayed the whole panel for £800. They did a fantastic job. BMW and Jaguar Landrover main dealers use them as a recommended body shop up in the North West. So I agree with the other comments , find a great body shop and they will do the repair at a fraction of the cost.
Given the choice, would you take the cash and buy a new one, or buy it back and fix it?
Update: driver did have insurance and Zenith have picked it up.
Anyone recommend a good bodyshop in the St Albans/Hemel/Luton/Herts area?
Liability is indisputable (CCTV footage) - that's why Zenith is accepting the claim.Has the other driver admitted liability? If so, my experience would be deal with Zenith
C
Interesting. How do you go about that? Just call up Zenith and quote the claim ref - and both the car registration numbers?Because Zenith will be desperate to avoid paying Aviva's bill (which will be Aviva's costs plus screaming great mark up on everything they do). As an example when mine was hit, my insurance company (bearing in mind I'm their customer paying them money) were talking about a like for like car being something like a Vauxhall Astra because of the age. The other party's insurer gave me a 911 turbo (first) then an A8.
Now it my just be because my insco were **** poor, but Aviva want to lower their costs and then make as much profit from claiming back from Zenith. At least that's my understanding and experience of a couple of other liability claims we've had.
C
Liability is indisputable (CCTV footage) - that's why Zenith is accepting the claim.
Why do say it would be better dealing direct with Zenith than with the claims handler at Aviva?
Might be worth calling them direct thenDon't have details of the driver. BTP urgently want my statement for their case against the driver (for leaving the scene of an accident).
Zenith haven't been in touch - just hasn't worked its way through the system yet.
I'm just trying to get as much information, advice and angles on this so I'm ahead of the curve.
- and I REALLY appreciate everyone's input here!
How much of an issue is at having a Cat N declared (that's the new Cat D - non-structural damage write off).Buy back cost of car will be around 20% of valuation I think. So you will get the difference in payout minus any excess.