Sods Law

So today, I clean my MG TF and advertise it for sale on facebook



Alarm has just gone off. Sheepish neighbour at the door. "Sorry, I've just reversed in to your car"

Oh dear...

Maybe your insurance will write it off, and save you the trouble of trying to sell it!

Happened to me, only lost about £100 on my asking price :lol:

It will need a new drivers door as its scratched and creased. I suppose a dentless repair company might be able to fix it, but it would still need a re-spray. Then there is a scratch on the rear panel adjacent to the drivers door. But to be honest, that's it. Do you think they would write it off for that? I know if it were my fault, I could source a drivers door in the right colour and fit it myself. But would they bother with that? I know I was selling it anyway, but it ran faultlessly so it's a bit of a shame...

BTW, do I phone my broker (Lancaster) or go direct to my insurance company? Which gets the best results?

NikTheGeek wrote: BTW, do I phone my broker (Lancaster) or go direct to my insurance company? Which gets the best results?

Go to the other party insurance and ask them to sort it, don't bother with your own, that way it's less likely to be written off or if it is you'll be able to negotiate a better payout.

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Neighbour would prefer to pay and not go through insurance, so to be a good neighbour, I said I'd get a price first. He'll go through insurance if he has too. But its only a drivers door that'll be required now I've seen it in good light.

Anyone got any contacts to supply and fit a VGC startlight silver drivers door and swap the door card, electrics and key around? I draw the line at doing it myself since it wasn't my fault! See attached pic

thanks!

Nick

Best bet in my opinion is to take it to a few local body shops (not the main insurance ones!).

Discuss what you want doing, and see what price you get.

You are in for about £500 for a repair of the door and rear panel if not to bad.

Some may take on using a used door, but rear panel still will need re-spraying, so will not save much.

I got estimates for £800 for my TF which I was selling for £1300. Guy who did the damage (a bricklayer who droped bricks on it) didnt want to pay that, so handed it to his insurance. They got a bit snotty with me, wanting deductions for wear and tear and didnt have a policy of making it better than before the accident!, so I handed them over to my insurance company, who paid £1100, and also claimed my £100 excess from the builder.

If you implicitly trust your neighbour then deal directly with them, but if you have any doubts get your insurance involved regardless of what your neighbour wants. If it goes wrong in a few weeks time, your insurance will kick up a fuss about not reporting an accident at the time!
Had something similar about 15 years ago when someone backed into my Motorbike doing £1000 of damage. He didnt want to involve insurance companies. I got some quotes for him, and when I aproached him about 1 week later with them he denied all knowledge of the accident! Insurance gave me a roasting, but I still got paid from third parties insurance eventually! Could have been worse if he didnt have insurance at all, or given me a false address!

He's next door, so he can't really do a runner and I doubt he'll be funny. But I suspect it will cost more than he expects. If I tell my insurance company, would it drop him in it if he hadn't told his? In other words, should I tell him first if I decide to involve mine? I guess, either way, I'll have to decide tomorrow so that I have chance to inform them before too much time passes.

As they are playing ball, I would suggest getting a quote very quick, even if just a ballpark figure, just to see what their reaction is.

As you say they are not going to run away (no for sale board on their house is there? :dry:

But people can change when there is money at stake.

My TF needed rear wing and bootlid repairing/respraying and I had quotes from £800 to £1100 from local back-street bodyshops




Yes this was an insurance writeoff :omg:

MGFnTFbitz will supply and fit a door, they will more than likely have one in your colour and they have a regular mechanic who works for them who will swap them over. Think the doors are not too pricey either, so you may be able to get a bit more inconvenience money in your pocket.

Sundance