Beware of putting in an insurance claim if you're not prepared to accept the consequences - make sure you go in with both eyes open wide...
I claimed with Direct Line following a not-at-fault accident on my 1999 saloon (some total arse scraped his works van against my car while it was parked up by the side of the main road in Earlston, then fecked off without leaving insurance details).
They eventually (after a week) arranged an appointment at their local body repair shop. I took the car in there, and they spent all of 5 minutes looking at it and taking photos. The inspector then told me that Direct Line would be in touch.
About another week later, I got the call from the inspector at the local garage to say they would be writing the car off, and that it was worth just under £1,000 pre-accident - but this amount would be docked a couple of hundred (as an aside, I'd modified the car with a stainless steel exhaust and forgot to tell them, so they wanted another £300 on top), meaning I'd be left with about £300 for the car. He also wouldn't argue with me about the value (I went on Autotrader and got a bunch of adverts for 1.8 LX saloons from 1999 and all were higher than £1,500). He said they use Glass's guide as their bible of car worth, and wouldn't shift on that for love nor money.
I was outraged at the stupidly low figure I'd be left with - not withstanding the fact that I'd also be losing my 2 years' No Claims Bonus - and called Direct Line to cancel the claim. That's fine, they said, and I'd be getting my 2 years' NCB back.
So I called my new insurance provider (like I'm going back with Direct Line after all the sh*t they put me through) and told them that I'd arranged with Direct Line that they can call and collect the NCB. However, after a couple of weeks trying and being told by Direct Line that the claim wasn't closed out, they gave up and called me back to say they wouldn't give out the NCB.
I called Direct Line and was told that the claim was still outstanding pending unpaid fees. I told them that I'd paid the bloody fees weeks ago (this is me thinking about the back-dated additional insurance premiums from the time I had the exhaust fitted, which I paid up with much disgust). They told me that the claim was being held open by their "Total Loss Team", who they told me I needed to call (they wouldn't transfer me) as they don't share the same computer systems...
So I called them and got no answer - except the call went through to a mobile voicemail box (except there's no personalized greeting on it) so I hang up.
I tried again and again and kept getting through to this mobile phone voicemail account, and all of a sudden, I get an answer - from the extremely irate person whose mobile phone it is, that doesn't have anything to do with Direct Line and never has
So I get back on the phone to their helpdesk and demand to be put through to the Total Loss Team. Miraculously, they can actually do that this time, and hey presto, within 2 rings, I get through to some woman who doesn't understand what the hell I'm so pissed off about. I demand to know why I don't have my NCB back and she says it's due to unpaid fees. I told her I'd paid the bloody fees, and she says she can't tell that as they don't use the same system as the helpdesk does. So she sticks me on hold and calls the helpdesk back, and confirms with them that I'd paid the fees.
But then she comes back on the line and tells me that there's still an outstanding charge of £52 for the cost of the vehicle inspection. I told her that I was there 5 minutes and the guy didn't actually lay a finger on the car, he just took some photos. I also told her I could buy a digital camera for less than £52, and write down the words "write off" for free. She wasn't buying that, and told me that I don't have to pay the £52, and they'd give me back my NCB, but the accident would go on my record as being an "At fault accident" rather than a "Non fault accident".
So I offered to pay the bloody £52 if it meant they piss off and not bother me ever again, and was going to give my card details over the phone - and then she tells me I have to send a cheque. A CHEQUE. I don't have a cheque book and haven't for years. She said a postal order would also do. So I have to pay the Wifely Person £52 and then get her to send them a cheque.
Two weeks later, I finally get my NCB back from Direct Line, but they don't say whether they gave up waiting and marked it down as an "At fault accident" or if they actually cashed the cheque and marked it down as "Non fault accident" so I had to call their sodding helpdesk again. Finally got told that it was all clear and the accident was marked down as "Non fault".
Net result - my insurance for last year cost me more than £1,000, when it should have cost about £680, and I still have a scratched up MOT fail car sitting outside my house, gathering dust and looking miserable.
Insurance companies are utter, utter bastards, and they don't care about you in the slightest. To them, you are a cash cow. They literally get money for nothing.
Think very carefully about what value they will give you for your car, and work out whether it's really worth claiming. I would bet that it isn't.
look at the gap between the back pannel & the boot lid.
