Car insurance - claim

[Big Racks]

So, long story short. A cousin out in BC backed into my wife's parked car last weekend while we were visiting. Car is a 2012 Audi Q5, fairly significant damage to front left fender and a few other small things.

Car is driveable, no question of fault, etc..., I just have a question about dealing with our company and adjuster.

So, I took it in to body shop of my choosing for an estimate. The fender has to be replaced along with some other work. I asked the appraiser how they sourced the parts and he did warn me that he would put in for an oem fender but the insurance company would likely insist on a cheaper aftermarket part. Sure enough, I'm looking at the estimate and for parts under fender it says "replace economy". Being the weekend I won't be able to contact the body shop or the insurance company before Monday, but wanted to see what other members have had similar experience and how it was resolved. Granted it's a Q5, and not a McClaren, but it's still an Audi and I don't think replace economy should be anywhere in that estimate. Other than paying the difference myself, do you think I'll have any luck pressing the adjustor for an oem part? We have 3 vehicles and a quad insured with them, claims free since we moved here over 8 years ago. It's probably only 1-2 hundred dollars difference, not a big deal, it's more the principle.

[Selkirk]

.
It will cost you Nothing to insist on OEM ... 'Stand Your Ground'!

Selkirk

[spurly]

Since you paying premiums on an Audi you should not have to accept inferior
Parts.

[Donkey Oatey]

Maybe I am missing something. You said your cousin backed INTO your car. Why on earth are you dealing with your insurance?

Sorry but make then use oem. Make ICBC pay full fix.

[EZM]

Originally Posted by Donkey Oatey

Maybe I am missing something. You said your cousin backed INTO your car. Why on earth are you dealing with your insurance?

Sorry but make then use oem. Make ICBC pay full fix.

This is why MY insurance rates (and everyone else's are so darn high) - the minute anything happens people are on the phone to the insurance companies.

20 years ago, if you bumped someone, you apologised, and paid the damages out of your own pocket with No involvement from the insurance company.

Have your cousin flip the bill. It should cost you nothing.

[beltburner]

Originally Posted by EZM

This is why MY insurance rates (and everyone else's are so darn high) - the minute anything happens people are on the phone to the insurance companies.

20 years ago, if you bumped someone, you apologised, and paid the damages out of your own pocket with No involvement from the insurance company.

Have your cousin flip the bill. It should cost you nothing.

Mayby his cousin doesn't have 6-8 k laying around. Isnt this what you pay insurance for?

[EZM]

Originally Posted by beltburner

Mayby his cousin doesn't have 6-8 k laying around. Isnt this what you pay insurance for?

You are a perfect customer for insurance companies. And, no, that's not what insurance is for. Making small claims to insurance is the worst possible thing you could EVER do.

Does his cousin have $6-$8K .....?

Maybe not, and too bad, but the $6-$8K isn't free money.

Why would the person who got hit claim it on their insurance? That makes no sense. His cousin should take ownership.

If he (the guy who got hit) claims it on his policy and even his cousin "kindly" flips the bill for the deductible he (the guy who got hit and made the claim) will end up paying for it in the end anyways.

There is a 100% chance, without question, the claimants insurance premiums will go up and he is likely to pay >300% of that money back over the next 10-15 years of insuring his vehicle, house, whatever .......... trust me ........ insurance companies aren't there to loose money - insurance companies are amongst the most profitable businesses out there.

Have his cousin make a choice - find the money or make the claim - but his cousin should be the one making the claim ONLY if he has no other choice.

That's how real world of insurance works. I am so surprised how many people just don't understand that.

My sister in law (and her dad) had one of the largest brokerages in Calgary for many many years and one the favourite things they used to LOVE was when customers said "that's what insurance is for" .....

Insurance is there if you are;

1) at fault
2) do extensive damage to another vehicle, or property
3) hurt someone.

It's not for fender benders and minor collisions where there is no major damage or bodily injury.

[silverdoctor]

Originally Posted by EZM

You are a perfect customer for insurance companies. And, no, that's not what insurance is for. Making small claims to insurance is the worst possible thing you could EVER do.

Does his cousin have $6-$8K .....?

Maybe not, and too bad, but the $6-$8K isn't free money.

Why would the person who got hit claim it on their insurance? That makes no sense. His cousin should take ownership.

If he (the guy who got hit) claims it on his policy and even his cousin "kindly" flips the bill for the deductible he (the guy who got hit and made the claim) will end up paying for it in the end anyways.

There is a 100% chance, without question, the claimants insurance premiums will go up and he is likely to pay >300% of that money back over the next 10-15 years of insuring his vehicle, house, whatever .......... trust me ........ insurance companies aren't there to loose money - insurance companies are amongst the most profitable businesses out there.

Have his cousin make a choice - find the money or make the claim - but his cousin should be the one making the claim ONLY if he has no other choice.

That's how real world of insurance works.

For once we agree? LOL. Mom has been driving for 50+ years now, accident free til 6 years ago - managed to wrangle 2 in 2 years. She's living on a tight pension. I paid out of pocket for her last one to the tune of $3500, she backed into her friends rental car in a snow storm. Insurance would have nailed her to the wall.

[Ken07AOVette]

You can absolutely request OEM. Insist on it. You were not at fault and you will already be looking at diminished value for accident repair.
Remind your insurance broker that you went to them, that they take your money yearly.
Do not back down.

[EZM]

Originally Posted by silverdoctor

For once we agree? LOL. Mom has been driving for 50+ years now, accident free til 6 years ago - managed to wrangle 2 in 2 years. She's living on a tight pension. I paid out of pocket for her last one to the tune of $3500, she backed into her friends rental car in a snow storm. Insurance would have nailed her to the wall.

No - that's twice we have agreed now in the last whatever many years ..... lol.

I added more info there for the folks on here.

It was also important for me to tell them how I learned of this (family business).

Honestly I had not really given it a bunch of thought until she explained it to me.

I think more people should know about how it really works. They are crooks just like the rest of the big businesses. Sorry sis ......lol

[silverdoctor]

Originally Posted by EZM

No - that's twice we have agreed now in the last whatever many years ..... lol.

I added more info there for the folks on here.

It was also important for me to tell them how I learned of this (family business).

Honestly I had not really given it a bunch of thought until she explained it to me.

I think more people should know about how it really works. They are crooks just like the rest of the big businesses. Sorry sis ......lol

That's right. It's a pool system and everyone pays in the end.

I asked my broker in frustration the last time I faced an increase - is there any way to lower the premiums?

She said "Get married!". I'll pay the extra few bucks a month thanks.

[Big Racks]

Funny your sis thinks that way, my wife was a broker for 20 years, the last 5 managing a branch in the lower mainland. She's been on the company side as an underwriter here for the last 8, and she doesn't have that view. To each their own. We CAN agree though that they're crooks, lol.

If you are familiar with the business, you'll be aware of subrogation. I go through MY company, as they are local, and they in turn will subrogate ICBC for the claim. So yes, my cousin's insurance will be on the hook, including the deductible. Much easier to deal with that way. Having dealt with ICBC in the past, I do know that my cousin will have the opportunity to pay the claim themselves out of pocket and avoid the record of claim. I just didn't want to have to deal with the hassle, and not knowing the extent of the damages we went through our company. If he wants to pay the claim he still can.

I plan on demanding the oem part, no question. I'm more curious how hard I will have to push. Once I get my back up I can be a bit stubborn, and will probably end up threatening to pull our policies and place them elsewhere. Like I said, it's the principle. The broker may be of assistance as well, not sure. Wondered if anyone else had gone through something similar, and if the company had eventually caved.

[HunterDave]

Last year a tree fell on my Wife's vehicle and wrote it off. My broker arranged for the vehicle recovery and it was taken right to the local body shop in town (my choice). The shop was certified by my insurance company to do the estimate and they forwarded it directly to them. There was no conflict of interest with an estimator working for the insurance company deciding on cheap parts and the body shop quoted all OEM parts because it didn't matter to him either way.

Based on that, I'd ask my broker what body shops are certified by your insurance company to do quotes for them and eliminate the estimator who obviously has a conflict of interest.

[SlightlyDistracting]

Read your policy. It will state after certain age or km aftermarket parts may be used. 2012. I am not surprised. With a lot of insurance companies its 2 years. This is standard. Does not matter if its an audi or a pinto

[SlightlyDistracting]

Originally Posted by EZM

This is why MY insurance rates (and everyone else's are so darn high) - the minute anything happens people are on the phone to the insurance companies.

20 years ago, if you bumped someone, you apologised, and paid the damages out of your own pocket with No involvement from the insurance company.

Have your cousin flip the bill. It should cost you nothing.

X2

[icehunter]

It might work to threaten to pull your ins accts..but probably not. Ins companies hear this all the time,its not new! As stated above read your policy. If you " insist" on oem and your policy states aftermarket after so many km"s or age then YOU pay the difference. Or if the ins caves to it they will subtract whats called a "betterment" So lets say fender and paint is 1K-minus the betterment cause your paint wasn't new or there was a small dent in the fender. So 1k-$300.00( betterment) insurance pays $700.00 and you still foot the rest. If you have a problem talk to the appraiser and not the adjuster first.

We have even had ppl that want there whole vehicle repainted by ins because the paint will be new on a front end hit and the back of the vehicle still looks like ****!!

[SlightlyDistracting]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

Last year a tree fell on my Wife's vehicle and wrote it off. My broker arranged for the vehicle recovery and it was taken right to the local body shop in town (my choice). The shop was certified by my insurance company to do the estimate and they forwarded it directly to them. There was no conflict of interest with an estimator working for the insurance company deciding on cheap parts and the body shop quoted all OEM parts because it didn't matter to him either way.



Based on that, I'd ask my broker what body shops are certified by your insurance company to do quotes for them and eliminate the estimator who obviously has a conflict of interest.

Im not sure what certified by my insurance to do the estimate means? Any shop can write an estimate. Some insurance companies require more than one estimate. Some insurance companies have perfered shops but I guarantee its not in your interest. They recommend shops because they get the best deal from them.