Thanks for the wake up call, Mum...

[rayray086]

Good luck with it Mickey.

[Preen59]

Good luck with it Mickey.

^^ What Ray said.

Don't back down from the insurer too easily too. Make sure you get what you believe is fair and don't let them walk over you.

[zz2]

far out that sucks Mickeys! hope it gets fixed asap

unfortunately when ever my parents come and tell me about my car getting damaged its because they did it... my dad took it out the other night and curbed my front right wheel

[Mrk_Mickey]

^^ What Ray said.

Don't back down from the insurer too easily too. Make sure you get what you believe is fair and don't let them walk over you.

It's do or die with them unfortunately, I know that all too well because my parents have let insurance walk all over them for a long time, and ever since I could comprehend finance I've been disgusted with it. TRUST ME when I say that won't be happening. I'm as stubborn as all hell with most things, and I'm sure all of you could just imagine what it would be like when my pride and joy is involved....

This is my argument: I was asleep in my home, with my car legally parked on the edge of my street that can fit four cars at once, when the accident happened. Therefore, your client who hit my vehicle is solely responsible and due to your decision to insure them that falls completely on you. It's my right to have my property restored to what it was before the incident occurred, and if that means extra expenses for you where supposedly deemed unnecessary, then so be it. i WILL have my vehicle restored to its previous condition at your expense and I WILL NOT be inconvenienced at any time while my vehicle is being repaired by not having a vehicle to use as transport.


Suck on that, NRMA.

[Preen59]

It's do or die with them unfortunately, I know that all too well because my parents have let insurance walk all over them for a long time, and ever since I could comprehend finance I've been disgusted with it. TRUST ME when I say that won't be happening. I'm as stubborn as all hell with most things, and I'm sure all of you could just imagine what it would be like when my pride and joy is involved....

This is my argument: I was asleep in my home, with my car legally parked on the edge of my street that can fit four cars at once, when the accident happened. Therefore, your client who hit my vehicle is solely responsible and due to your decision to insure them that falls completely on you. It's my right to have my property restored to what it was before the incident occurred, and if that means extra expenses for you where supposedly deemed unnecessary, then so be it. i WILL have my vehicle restored to its previous condition at your expense and I WILL NOT be inconvenienced at any time while my vehicle is being repaired by not having a vehicle to use as transport.


Suck on that, NRMA.

**Generally** speaking, the NRMA are pretty good. Just sucks you're with AAMI because their customer service is sht. If you were both with NRMA they'd e much more inclined to play ball with you.

[Mrk_Mickey]

I'm actually with just car (because of mods and i'm only third party anyway) but I don't think the NRMA actually know that...unless they've retrieved that information which I didn't think they were allowed to do, even in this case?

[The_Hawk]

I have been through a case where clearly the other party was at fault and hit me, while I was stopped at a set of lights, pushing me into the stopped car in front, pushing that into the stopped car in front of it... while doing 60... yeah right... Anyway, my car was a write off.

While I was comprehensively insured we hadn't got around to increasing the insurance value on the car after a ground up rebuild (stupid I know, but I was young), so I went direct to the other guys company (GIO) and said here is the value (which they didn't dispute) pay up.

The accident was the Friday, they came to assess on Monday and said give us a couple of weeks for the paperwork, then 4 weeks later when I ring them, the SAME DUDE, says "you're not insured with us, we are not doing anything for you"...

Long story short Lawyer + 1.5 years = $$

While I didn't get the full value, I did get much more than I would have got through my insurer, so in that respect I'm lucky. Also, the car was on the market at the time so I was on the hunt for a new car anyway and could afford to get a loan for the new one so it wasn't all bad.

Hopefully your case goes much more smoothly. As for who should be paying what, the current listings are -

While redbook isn't everything, here are their numbers:
* Private Price Guide $5,400 - $7,200
* Trade In Price Guide $3,200 - $5,000
* Average Km 195,000 - 325,000

Carsales currently have VR6's for $5,900 to $8,500 (there is ONE at $10,500 the rest are under $8,500).

If they don't want to fix it I would be aiming at the top end, offering $1,000 for the wreck and telling them you will fix it yourself. Then negotiate from there.


Oh, besides all that, while it will be nice to deal with the insurer if they pay up, the reality is your beef is with the individual driving the car, it's their problem how they pay for it. You can always get repair quotes, then write a letter of demand (registered through the court) and have it handed to them by the sherrif's office... It can take some time, but it can end up being your only option.

[Mrk_Mickey]

Cheers Aaron, I didn't know some of that so that helps

I've been told that the NRMA use glassguide.com.au for car assessments...and he told me the figure on my car privately is what redbook says the trade in is...basically I have three arguments: a) my car is insured for 7k written on paper so that should count for something, b) (this one was told to me by an NRMA worker who is a mate of mine) there is an identical VR6 on carpoint for 9,100 with more km's than mine, and that should give me a better value; c) provided I will need to replace the car, I'm going to NEED at least 6-7k in my pocket to buy one that won't fall apart.

[Mrk_Mickey]

I don't know if it's possible to actually insult me any further...

The assessor valued my car today and looked at the damage. He reckons my car is worth 4k so it will be written off.

Guess who's going to probably have to go to court, yaaayyy....

[mollins]

that sucks man.. 4k is ridiculous for such a nice vr6.. good luck mate.

[Mrk_Mickey]

Thanks dude If only I could win them over on the public's opinion eh

[Jarred]

Thanks dude If only I could win them over on the public's opinion eh

if only mate. Whole situation suck. evauluation is pityful too.

[BL33SU]

$4k

insult

[Treza360]

Seriously that's ****ed mate. Don't think I can read this thread anymore until everything gets sorted, so mad. Let me know when that happens so I don't have to get so pissed off all the time...
Cheers,
Trent

[The_Hawk]

At the moment you are at the mercy of the other persons insurer who wants to get out of this as cheap as possible.

Get the car independantly valued (by someone reputable (or a couple of people)) and serve the driver with a letter of demand for the repair value or if it needs to be a write off, the value - a reasonable salvage cost.
It costs about $50 to have it served by the sherrif, but it has a nice impact when delivered that way. This also means they have 30 days (or something like that) to respond. It will also will start a nice paper trail for if you have to go to court. Get all the quotes in writing, get the salvage values in writing. Get all the photo's of your car showing it's good condition.
Make notes of EVERYTHING that is said including time and date. This includes the short convo's with the insurer, the other driver, the assessor, the courts, EVERYONE.

At the end of the day if you front up in court organised, with all the facts, photo's notes, quotes and otherwise, there is a damn good chance they will have minimal information and will loose.

At the same time it's worth giving the insurer a chance to make good (although I wouldn't be waiting for them). In short come up with a number your happy with and put it to them. Remember that they will have to pay to go to court and the other driver will most likely have to take a day off work to be there too.

Lets say it's $7k - $1,500 salvage = $5,500 fo you to walk away with your "wreck". Do they really want to screw around for the sake of an extra $1,500 in cash?



At the end of the day put EVERYTHING on the other driver, not her insurer.