daveturnbull Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 If you can find similar cars that you like which are reeeeeeealy expensive, and submit the ads to the insurer this will help in negotiating the value. From experience, they don't understand that a hard top can become a truck cab with just a few bolts, so make sure the ones you find are of the same body type. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderzander Posted August 8, 2014 Author Share Posted August 8, 2014 Though if it's valued by an engineer I'm guessing there may be less opportunity to do that ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveturnbull Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 True, but you can still argue the 'engineers' assessment. Given that I had to explain what a locking diff was and how a PTO winch worked to the guy who came to look at mine, they aren't all quite the fountain of knowledge you'd expect. I got a bit extra by being difficult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cackshifter Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 I'm not sure of relative locations of you & Defender, but if possible, it's good to be there, or at least talk to them before they do their report and it gets set in stone. I'd try to decide whether you want it back or not before the assessment. NFU offered to get the assessor to ring me when he'd seen it; that gives you the opportunity to mention none-obvious things. The settlement they offered me was reasonable; I think among the various companies NFU is one of the few good guys. If you think their offer is unfair, you should definitely be prepared to back up that assertion by having adverts of similar equivalent others available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GW8IZR Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 NEVER accept their first offer. Its always low and by a large delta. Last one I did they offered us 11K against a 17K motor and we settled at 16.5K plus removal of some parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMB Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 Never dealt with the NFU, but generally best to prepare for the worst then be pleasantly surprised. Asking for the engineers report and talking to the assessor sounds like a very good idea. Gives you a good idea as to whether it might be worth buying back and also the chance to boost the offer. Don't challenge the offer if you intend to buy back! When my last car was written off, I found it very useful to compile a list of all similar cars advertised (trade and private) with comments about condition/extras relative to mine. The insurers tried to palm me off with a lower spec "equivalent" and Glass's Guide Average condition. Some time ago, I had reason to talk to Glass's when negotiating a price for my daughter's car. Useful info gained - Glass's price is a UK average which smooths over regional variations. I successfully argued that I lived in a high price area, therefore Glass's was providing an artificially low estimate. Also, if not a sufficient number being sold then the guide price is almost irrelevant - being statistically insignificant. In the days of the Insurance Ombudsman (now Ofcom?) he ruled that the replacement value should be based on local forecourt prices. As far as I'm aware that ruling has never changed. My daughters car was 10 years old and therefore very few being sold and not a lot on the forecourt! So I suceesfully argued a "forecourt premium" based on other slightly newer cars and Glass's guide. Final settlement was on the basis of discounting Glass's because too few trade sales to be valid, local advertised prices, plus "forecourt premium", an allowance for the time for which she was inconvenienced by lack of car and a nominal amount to cover cost of buying a replacement. It did take some negotiation, required me to demand copies of the Glass's data together with the assessment calculation (and then prove that they had miscalculated the effect of mileage), supply my data on average price etc and also to suggest that, if they could buy an equivalent replacement at their offer price, to go away and do it and keep the balance of the offer. They settled. Good Luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderzander Posted August 19, 2014 Author Share Posted August 19, 2014 Bit of an update here. I was supposed to meet the insurance Engineer on Friday when he viewed the car, but I got stuck in the hospital waiting for some x-ray results. So yesterday I got down to the 90 to remove the winch - took a friend and was pleased with what we got done. It didn't seem right to totally pilfer it - but I got the hydraulics PTO and winch, switches, hi lift brackets and also took the Kaiser back diff out (swapped the standard one back in and even put the oil back in). What stood out though was that I don't know where my head was when I looked at it last time. It's really bent underneath. The chassis is bent along its whole length on two planes, radius arm on the 3 link is bent, engine is pushed off its drivers side mount, spring seats ripped off one of the axles, A Frame sheared at the chassis end, and so on and so forth. The other thing that took me by surprise was how upset I was getting at leaving it. I've put so much work in it and got so much enjoyment out of it - that once I'd stripped what I intended it was better to just get away quickly. Weird. The net result of the damage though being that the repairer had put a £16k bill in to repair it ! And the engineer wouldn't sell it back to me .... So I'm no expert but I guess that means a Cat B ? The good news is though that I had in my mind getting £8k for it - and I was armed with a list of costs and photos and classified ads to argue from - but when the engineer rang he said "we're supposed to use Glass's guide but that puts a £4k price on it - and that's miles out. So I'm putting at £8k" A result for me - it means it actually puts me in a small bit of profit after the new one. I think that's perhaps something worth people considering with their insurance too - the chap said Glass's guide has always been wrong on Defenders. It'd be a nightmare if I was with a crappy company who had started at that point. Agreed values are perhaps the way forward. Last thing to say though is - thanks for all the kind words everyone, it helped and was appreciated. Stephen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landkeeper Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 glad to hear you fared out ok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 sounds like a decent result shame your 90 is not going to be around any more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cackshifter Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Pleased to hear you got a reasonable result under the circs. Main thing is you were ok, it did its job. It is depressing strilpping bits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotts90 Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Ouch that's a sore one! It's only metal, when my wife wrote of my vectra gsi many years ago the assessor asked me straight out if I wanted it back/repaired. He submitted a huge repair list (to be honest it was FUBAR) and I managed to up their first offer by almost £4k in the end by submitting ads for similar spec cars. Onwards and upwards as they say Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 Although it is sad to leave the old project behind,the time has come to direct your energies into the new 90, Stephen. Glad that you got the goodies of the old one ☺ Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discomikey Posted September 7, 2014 Share Posted September 7, 2014 sweet jesus, a full flip without touching the roof, especially while going over the central res... extremely lucky to have survived that! let alone not cause a collision upon landing on the other side. glad your ok, whereabouts on the m6 was it? (yes i know im a bit late somehow i completely missed this thread) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderzander Posted September 7, 2014 Author Share Posted September 7, 2014 Hi Mikey It was a few miles up from the Preston junction. Part of me still can't believe it ! Just focusing on the new truck and getting on with things seem the right thing. I'm very very lucky chap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miketomcat Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 I had a bike accident a few years back that I shouldn't of survived let alone got off with a broken ankle. My point is you will now find that you view life very differently "one life live it" becomes very apt. It changed my whole life I went to Russia and did ladoga after mine among other changes. All I can stress is enjoy and make the most of the time we have left and that goes for everyone! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderzander Posted September 8, 2014 Author Share Posted September 8, 2014 Thanks Mike and you're dead right. I've taken time off work for my back to heal - but I've also to put my head in order too. I've started writing lists of things I want to do - but the biggest quandary is work. Other than work my life is full of things I like or love to do - and I feel like work is going to be quite a bit harder now. I've spent some time looking at retraining - but the double whammy of stopping earning and needing to pay for the tuition - whilst maintaining a house etc seems prohibitive. My age (43) and family responsibilities - and the fact that work seems hard to come by make what to do with that quite difficult. Lots of thinking required. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miketomcat Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 Unfortunately work is quite often the hardest part to deal with I think you have 3 choices you live with what you have and make the most of your private life (i did this for a while), Try to find a better company/go self employed in your chosen line of work (this is where I'm at for now) or as you've said retrain/change completely. You need to push through the bad bits and make the most of everything else good luck with your chosen path. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 ...... I've spent some time looking at retraining - but the double whammy of stopping earning and needing to pay for the tuition - whilst maintaining a house etc seems prohibitive. ...... I have no idea what sort of retraining you are looking at but have you thought about evening classes or Open University (obviously only certain things are suited to the OU)? Would be hard work but would also keep finances a bit more stable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michele Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 Hey Stephen, I just came across this thread, sorry to see your Defender in such a sorry state but glad you came out okay. As others said, time to rebuild or put the faithful beast down (sigh) and start a new project... My best wishes for a speedy recovery! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverik Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 I've been with NFU for a couple of years now, got all my vehicles with them and I've got to say you do pay a higher premium but the service you get is 2nd to none. I wont be moving away from them any time soon. I'm glad you've managed to come to a reasonable conclusion to your ordeal, bit of a nightmare scenario which luckily has turned out ok in the end. Mav Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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