Kia Picanto - Car insurance payout advice | Motoring discussion | Back Room Forum

Mon 15 Apr 2024 20:07

Kia Picanto - Car insurance payout advice - Wayn

I am getting conflicting advice from friends about this issue. I am hoping somebody can end my confusion.

A couple of weeks ago I took my Mum out for her birthday. Another driver scratched the front passenger side near the bumper of my car as it was parked up. There are no dents just quite severe paint work damage. He sc***ed his car against mine. The other driver drove off.

Luckily there was 2 witnesses who got the other drivers reg number. Cut a log story short the other driver said he didn’t realise he damaged the paintwork on my car. He has however admitted liability. His insurance is paying out.

Last Thursday my car was taken away to have the paintwork done.

Today I been told my car has been put down as a total loss (not a write off). As it is only paintwork damage and not body work or mechanical damage, I don't understand why it has been put down as a total loss.

I have been told by the insurers I can either write the car off and receive payment to the value of the car or I can take a lower payment and get the car repaired myself.

I am getting conflicting advice from friends. Some are saying if I keep my car and get the repairs done myself the car will then be classed as a category S or category M and I will no longer be able get insurance on the car as it will be classed as written off. As it is only paintwork damage and not body work or mechanical damage, I don't understand that.

My questions are

If I take the payment to get the paintwork repair done myself will I still be able to insure my car when the insurance is up for renewal?

If I take the payment to get the paintwork repair done myself will my current insurance policy be voided?

If my car does get classed as category M or S will the stop me from selling it on the future?

Thanks

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Mon 15 Apr 2024 20:26

Kia Picanto - Car insurance payout advice - Adampr

Not a situation I've heard of before. The insurer would normally offer to write the car off and allow you to buy it back at a discount, rather than pay you some money to fix it yourself.

I suspect that they are actually saying they'll write if off in both cases and they are just confusing you with language.

The car would be Category N if it was written off. Assuming I'm correct, the answers to your questions are:

Yes, but it's likely to cost more
Your insurer is best placed to answer this.
No, but it will make it harder.

If you wish to sell the car at any point in the future, my advice would be to write it off and push hard for the biggest settlement you can get. Find equivalent cars for sale on Autotrader and send the insurers the details if necessary.

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Mon 15 Apr 2024 20:50

Kia Picanto - Car insurance payout advice - elekie&a/c doctor

I’m guessing it’s an old car if it’s been written off for a scratch on the wing . If the car is perfectly serviceable, I’d buy it back and either fix it or not bother. It’s likely it will be a cat N classification. Unfortunately cars seem to be getting written off these days for very minor damage. Can’t see any reason for not re insuring it , the company sometimes ask for a new mot .

Edited by elekie&a/c doctor on 15/04/2024 at 20:52

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Mon 15 Apr 2024 23:17

Kia Picanto - Car insurance payout advice - Andrew-T

Not a situation I've heard of before. The insurer would normally offer to write the car off and allow you to buy it back at a discount, rather than pay you some money to fix it yourself.

This is just semantics. You don't 'buy back' your car. When a car is a 'total loss' (or a write-off) insurers pay you their estimate of the market price of an 'identical' vehicle. As an alternative you can choose to keep the car for repair, when the insurer pays that amount LESS the car's sc-rap value (which the insurer would have got otherwise). When I did this 8 years ago I was paid £2275 instead of the write-off value of £3500.

It's up to you to find out the cost of repair before you decide which option to take. Or I suppose if the repair is pretty cheap you could avoid making a claim altogether, to prevent damaging your NCD.

Edited by Andrew-T on 15/04/2024 at 23:19

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Mon 15 Apr 2024 21:27

Kia Picanto - Car insurance payout advice - FiestaOwner

Luckily there was 2 witnesses who got the other drivers reg number. Cut a log story short the other driver said he didn’t realise he damaged the paintwork on my car. He has however admitted liability. His insurance is paying out.
Last Thursday my car was taken away to have the paintwork done.

Today I been told my car has been put down as a total loss (not a write off). As it is only paintwork damage and not body work or mechanical damage, I don't understand why it has been put down as a total loss.

I have been told by the insurers I can either write the car off and receive payment to the value of the car or I can take a lower payment and get the car repaired myself.

Are you dealing with your insurance company or the 3rd party's? Sounds to me like you're dealing with the 3rd party's.

If you are dealing directly with the 3rd party insurance company, they're probably trying to save on costs by writing the car off straight away. That way they won't need to pay out for a courtesy car either.

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Tue 16 Apr 2024 07:53

Kia Picanto - Car insurance payout advice - Falkirk Bairn

If you are dealing with the 3rd Party Insurer they cannot write-off your car - they had no interest in the damaged car until after their customer damaged it..

They are a 3rd party and are offering to pay out the car value instead of painting the car which is not quite the same.

Ask the 3rd party insurer what they will pay you to "settle" and you keep the car No cat D or N

Get the car to another paint shop and get a price -

You can then decide to get it repaired or pocket the cash and leave the damage on an "old car"

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Tue 16 Apr 2024 10:44

Kia Picanto - Car insurance payout advice - Adampr

If you are dealing with the 3rd Party Insurer they cannot write-off your car - they had no interest in the damaged car until after their customer damaged it..

They are a 3rd party and are offering to pay out the car value instead of painting the car which is not quite the same.

Ask the 3rd party insurer what they will pay you to "settle" and you keep the car No cat D or N

Get the car to another paint shop and get a price -

You can then decide to get it repaired or pocket the cash and leave the damage on an "old car"

Ah! Yes, ignore everything I said. This is where the conflicting advice is coming from - we're talking about the third party insurer.

Yeah, take the money and either fix it or don't bother. It won't affect anything.

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Tue 16 Apr 2024 09:53

Kia Picanto - Car insurance payout advice - Andrew-T

<< If you are dealing directly with the 3rd party insurance company, they're probably trying to save on costs by writing the car off straight away. That way they won't need to pay out for a courtesy car either. >>

That was what happened in my example above. The damage occurred in the middle of Christmas Eve, just when everything was about to close. Third-party admitted fault and I settled direct with their insurer early in January. As my car was driveable (as is the OP's) no courtesy car would be needed, so everyone was happy.

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