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  • Extensive hail damage

    My tsi is just over a month old and has been extensively damaged by yesterdays hail storm in Melbourne. Huge hailstones have smashed the windscreen, damaged the bonnet, roof area, passenger door and rear corner panel. Bonnet and roof have sustained the worst with the surface looking like a golfball. Divets every 2-3 cm.
    I am comprehensively insured, but am worried it won't be will be deemed a write-off. If it is, AAMI will replace the car for a new one, but the last thing I want is a brand new car with 4 non original panels. I could just cry!!!
    Does anyone have any experience in this area and does anyone know whether the insurers are likely to try and repair the car instead of replace???
    ~Nic~
    Deep Black Mark VI Comfortline 118 tsi - manual/sports pack, MDI

  • #2
    Hey Nic

    I'm not far off from where you live and i guess i got lucky as soon as it started hailing, i quickly drove home and parked the R32 inside the garage luckily escaping damage !

    Having worked in insurance previously but for another insurer, judging by what you have outlined, i have a strong feeling that the car will be written off as a repairable write off. Not sure about AAMI's policy but with the company i was with, if a brand new car is written off within the first two years of insurance, you have the choice of it being replaced with the exact same model or the closest match including all on road costs and it will obviously be brand new. You may also have the option of being paid out but you might want to check with AAMI. In some instances the insurer is unable to find you exact same match in which case you would get lucky and the next model up, perhaps a GTI

    Hope that is of any help and if you have an other questions feel free to ask!!

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    • #3
      thats a real shame.

      I got my car in the car port quick smart. It was a funny sight with 2 cars under a 1 car car port i tell you! That weather was intense!
      VW: it aint just a car, its a way of life
      There are few things more satisfying in life than finding a solution to a problem and implementing it
      My Blog: tinkererstales.blogspot.com.au

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      • #4
        Dint Buster

        Sounds like nothing that a good 'dint buster' couldn't roll out.

        No need for new panels with panel shop spray paint job creating a disparity in paint texture & thickness. Generally, the White VW paint has an orange peel texture, which would be difficult to replicate from a panel shop spray paint.

        I had someone land a good fist four times into the bonnet of my GTI. Dint Buster simply rolled them out with no spray painting. Only thing that was replaced was bonnet clips. The bonnet was not even removed. Can't tell any difference from pre-malicious damage bonnet. These guys work miracles.

        Requirement for rolling out dints is that dint has to be a depression into the panel, which is what all your hail damged dints should be.

        Only other thing you'd require is new windscreen. Hopefully no water damage.

        Cheers.
        WJ
        Last edited by WhiteJames; 07-03-2010, 10:41 AM.

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        • #5
          .... and a healthy little kickback for the dealership. Wink wink.

          Seriously though, I bought the VW insurance because it offered the best price/feature balance. Under-30 turbo owners might be out of luck though.
          GTI MKVI Candy White | 5 door | DSG | ACC | 18" Detroits | Leather | Electric Seat | Sunroof | RNS510 | Dynaudio | Park Assist | RVC | MDI

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          • #6
            Originally posted by nicandlance View Post
            My tsi is just over a month old and has been extensively damaged by yesterdays hail storm in Melbourne. Huge hailstones have smashed the windscreen, damaged the bonnet, roof area, passenger door and rear corner panel. Bonnet and roof have sustained the worst with the surface looking like a golfball. Divets every 2-3 cm.
            I am comprehensively insured, but am worried it won't be will be deemed a write-off. If it is, AAMI will replace the car for a new one, but the last thing I want is a brand new car with 4 non original panels. I could just cry!!!
            Does anyone have any experience in this area and does anyone know whether the insurers are likely to try and repair the car instead of replace???
            Sorry to hear this news. Such bad luck. I heard Rowville was one of the worst hit suburbs. Sure was a freak storm. Best of luck with repairs etc.
            The .:R Registry
            Driven Threads- Are you driven?
            [/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR][/SIZE]

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            • #7
              I really don't want the repairs.... I'm hoping they write it off and replace it like they keep spouting on their ads. I'm of the firm belief that a car is never the same once panels are replaced etc... Who wants a month old car with 4 replacement panels? Not me....
              The roof is bombarded with pelt marks and so is the bonnet.

              Guess I'll just have to wait and see....
              ~Nic~
              Deep Black Mark VI Comfortline 118 tsi - manual/sports pack, MDI

              Comment


              • #8
                Sorry to hear the news, hopefully gets sorted soon.

                Hail damage looks bad but would be easily fixed these days, and a lot better than having a crash etc.

                Hopefully it is a write off anyway.
                Last edited by G-rig; 07-03-2010, 01:13 PM.

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                • #9
                  Dint Buster

                  Originally posted by WhiteJames View Post
                  Sounds like nothing that a good 'dint buster' couldn't roll out.

                  No need for new panels with panel shop spray paint job creating a disparity in paint texture & thickness. Generally, the White VW paint has an orange peel texture, which would be difficult to replicate from a panel shop spray paint.

                  I had someone land a good fist four times into the bonnet of my GTI. Dint Buster simply rolled them out with no spray painting. Only thing that was replaced was bonnet clips. The bonnet was not even removed. Can't tell any difference from pre-malicious damage bonnet. These guys work miracles.

                  Requirement for rolling out dints is that dint has to be a depression into the panel, which is what all your hail damged dints should be.

                  Only other thing you'd require is new windscreen. Hopefully no water damage.

                  Cheers.
                  WJ
                  This hail was so intense it collapsed part of the roof on Docklands stadium. Even praying to Mother Mary McKillop won't help repair the hail damage in Melbourne yesterday and she has more pulling power in the miracle area than dint busters.
                  You know you are getting old when you cancel your order for a 3.6 CC and buy an Icelandic Gray TDI CC instead.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Options

                    Originally posted by nicandlance View Post
                    I really don't want the repairs.... I'm hoping they write it off and replace it like they keep spouting on their ads. I'm of the firm belief that a car is never the same once panels are replaced etc... Who wants a month old car with 4 replacement panels? Not me....
                    The roof is bombarded with pelt marks and so is the bonnet.

                    Guess I'll just have to wait and see....
                    I feel for you, especially after the wait for your car in the first place.

                    If they do classify it as a repairable write off, maybe you can negotiate to keep it until your replacement arrives if there is not a similarly specced vehicle available in the reasonable future.

                    Quick Nic. Stick some GTI badges on it before the assessor arrives

                    On another note, Every cloud has a silver lining. It AAMI decide to replace it you will know exactly where to go for a window tint.

                    Keep on smiling even though it must be hard.
                    You know you are getting old when you cancel your order for a 3.6 CC and buy an Icelandic Gray TDI CC instead.

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by nicandlance View Post
                      I really don't want the repairs.... I'm hoping they write it off and replace it like they keep spouting on their ads. I'm of the firm belief that a car is never the same once panels are replaced etc... Who wants a month old car with 4 replacement panels? Not me....
                      The roof is bombarded with pelt marks and so is the bonnet.

                      Guess I'll just have to wait and see....
                      Shame to hear about your car. Hopefully they give you a new car, but IMHO I wouldn't be too worried about little more than panel damage if they don't do new for old. While you may not like the idea of new panels, at least they're purely cosmetic and not structural. I'd be more concerned about getting new for old on a small fender bender where the cosmetic damage may be insignificant, but chassis rails and structural integrity have almost inevitably been compromised in some way..

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        The shine has defiantly been taken off the excitement of getting my new Golf... I feel really flat.
                        5 panels have been affected.... one month old and it looks like a wreck.
                        It will never be the same... I don't have a lot of faith in the whole idea of getting repairs done.

                        I guess AAMI are pretty safe in saying they will replace a new car that has been written off, because the car is worth around $32 thousand and it would have to be pretty bad to cost that much in repairs.

                        I'm sure they will do just about anything to avoid replacing it...
                        Hoping for a replacement but not high hopes. Don't think AAMI will really care too much if I'm not happy...
                        ~Nic~
                        Deep Black Mark VI Comfortline 118 tsi - manual/sports pack, MDI

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          The point is the rest of the car is perfectly fine, companies will repair a fair bit before replacing it.

                          Make sure you are 100% happy with the repairs if that is the outcome, and you may be surprised it is as good as new (just the mental thing knowing)!

                          Otherwise sell it if you're not happy.

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                          • #14
                            Don't think I could afford to sell it although it's a nice idea. I struggled enough to find the money for this one...
                            ~Nic~
                            Deep Black Mark VI Comfortline 118 tsi - manual/sports pack, MDI

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                            • #15
                              I was sitting in the Netball/Hockey stadium in Melbourne (the Cage) for the WNBL grand final and the noise was so loud it sounded like you were standing next to a jet engine - couldn't hear a thing for about 5 minutes - then a few skylights got punctured and the roof started leaking...

                              A guy at my work got his car hail damaged and it was a brand new turbo Astra worth 40k (this was years ago). They didn't right it off. Instead they replaced all the panels that could be replaced and on the roof they drilled holes through the centre of each dent them pulled the dent up a bit then put a rivet in the hole and bogged over. The result was actually pretty damn good and you couldn't tell the car had been repainted as I think they pretty much painted the whole thing. Personally I would have sold it they day I got it back but the reality is if you had the choice between accident damage and hail damage I'd take hail damage - its non structural and you don't have to worry about panel alignment - the repair is asthetic and done right should be hard to spot.

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