Small dent in my right front fender, sorta like a baseball hit it.  So my insurance co. sends their claims adjustor out, and he does up this rocket science level analysis in his laptop, (gotta take the fender off, maybe repaint it, blah blah, etc.) and we wind up with a $730 fix estimate over 12.4 hours, and of course I woulda hadda leave my car somewhere overnight or so, maybe get a rental, whatever.  What a load.

So my friend notices the dent, says, "I got a guy".  His guy comes by, one hour later it's fixed it as if it never happened.  No fender removal, no refinishing, just rewaxing, good as new, a "no-bull" job I'd say.

$100.

So, like a good neighbor, my friend was right there for me.

Now I gotta wonder who our insurance co's are looking out for: us or them.

Most insurance around here want a 1000$ deductable. I have a company truck and I have been advised not to report anything unless it's absolutely neccessary. Try to work things out curbside with out involving a report. Just asking an insurance company about an event is enough to get your rates raised. Or you being dreadfully "Dropped"
(Nine times out of ten, fenderbenders can be resolved curbside because the other guy knows what will happen if he or she wants to file a claim).
And thats how I do it.    :)   

The cost of insurance over here is such that the first year for a new driver can cost as much as 5-7 times that of the car you've bought.

Any way to avoid them sounds like a good idea to me. Even if you parked in a secure parking area, I am sure they would find a way to blame you for parking in a bad area and not pay out properly if someone causes damage to your car.


Surely there's something that can be done?  :(

machineman9 wrote on Mar 7^th, 2010 at 5:19pm:

The cost of insurance over here is such that the first year for a new driver can cost as much as 5-7 times that of the car you've bought. Any way to avoid them sounds like a good idea to me. Even if you parked in a secure parking area, I am sure they would find a way to blame you for parking in a bad area and not pay out properly if someone causes damage to your car. Surely there's something that can be done?  :(

Machineman.. Anyone here that disagrees with us, probably sells auto insurance!   ;D ;D ;)

Steve M wrote on Mar 7^th, 2010 at 5:44pm:

machineman9 wrote on Mar 7th, 2010 at 5:19pm: The cost of insurance over here is such that the first year for a new driver can cost as much as 5-7 times that of the car you've bought. Any way to avoid them sounds like a good idea to me. Even if you parked in a secure parking area, I am sure they would find a way to blame you for parking in a bad area and not pay out properly if someone causes damage to your car. Surely there's something that can be done?  :( Machineman.. Anyone here that disagrees with us, probably sells auto insurance!   ;D ;D ;)

Or works for the devil, or is that near enough the same thing?  ;D

Quote:

Small dent in my right front fender, sorta like a baseball hit it.  So my insurance co. sends their claims adjustor out, and he does up this rocket science level analysis in his laptop, (gotta take the fender off, maybe repaint it, blah blah, etc.) and we wind up with a $730 fix estimate over 12.4 hours, and of course I woulda hadda leave my car somewhere overnight or so, maybe get a rental, whatever.  What a load.

I wouldn't even consider making a claim for a small dent. As you've discovered it's generally cheap enough to get it fixed privately. Depends on the type of insurance you've got. Most people in this country have some sort of excess to reduce the cost of the premium so it's not worth making small claims.

I've been driving for something like 50 years & can count the number of insurance claims I've made on one hand. Perhaps I've been lucky but I've always been treated fairly & promptly. I obviously can't comment on what happens over the Pond.

I have no connection with any insurance company & no particular axe to grind. :P

Insurance is a necessary evil.  December I plowed a trophy buck while coming home late one night, only a baseball sized dent in the hood and the bumper was a little out of alignment.  But that was the least of the issues, went under me and sent 2 tires up in the air with a hard drop, not only destroyed a ball joint but cracked the 4x4 transfer case and the force of the initial impact cracked the radiator.  Adjuster came out a couple days later, did her magical estimate for the body work, took it to a shop to assess the rest of the damage.  The were willing to write me a check for the body work, $825 :o  But they REFUSED to fix any of the other issues...which were my concern.  Her reason...there was no fur to be found under the truck...blamed it on "old vehicle....Normal wear and tear" >:( 

After a week of fighting I finally took a cash settlement for the body damage which was $725 after my comprehensive deductible and put it towards the mechanical issues...Even doing 90% of the work myself...took over $800 to fix it, minus the transfer case, just have to keep it filled with fresh oil every time I think I might need to use it.  As for the "body damage" a jack took care of pushing the bumper back into place, a hammer and block of wood pounded out the dent, $4 can of glossy black farm tractor/implement spray enamel, cant even tell there was ever a dent there...so for $4 and an hour of my time I did what the shop was going to take 2 days and $825 to do ::) 

Insurance is a rip off most of the time, pay out thousands in premiums and your lucky to get anything back if you actually need it...Willing to pay hundreds to fix tiny dents but refuse to pay for anything that actually matters, old vehicle or not, that deer did it, but they wouldn't believe me  >:(  Their loss, got the settlement check in the mail, cashed it, and switched insurance companies the next day [smiley=vrolijk_26.gif] ;D

Don't get me started on insurance companies. I was in an auto wreck last wed night. I was coming home and a truck tried crossing the highway in front of me. He came out of nowhere and I slammed into him, totaling both vehicles. Now i'm in the process talking to both my insurance and the other driver's insurance. I've got a hunch that i'm going to get screwed over

wrote on Mar 7^th, 2010 at 11:03pm:

Adjuster came out a couple days later, did her magical estimate for the body work, took it to a shop to assess the rest of the damage.  The were willing to write me a check for the body work, $825 :o

From what you're saying there's a fundamental difference in the way claims are settled in our countries. In my experience you would not be paid anything unless the vehicle was a write-off in which case it would be scrapped. It depends on the amount of damage but adjusters don't usually make personal visits or make kerbside assessments. Most insurance companies have approved repair shops where the vehicle has to be taken for assessment & a quote. If the quote is accepted they do the work & are paid direct. If more than one vehicle was involved the blame is decided between the various interested insurance companies. Depending on the type of insurance you might lose your no-claims bonus which can prove expensive.

I'm told the high cost of motor insurance in this country is partly due to the ever-increasing number of uninsured motorists. Driving an uninsured vehicle is against the law but that doesn't help if they write yours off or cause injuries.

Thanks for all the replies, guys.  Two minutes after I made the claim I realized it wasn't a good idea.  But no rate hike.  My auto ins is about $1,000 annually, I'm not even sure I ever filed a claim before.

All these auto insurance companies say is how they can reduce your rates, but I got an online quote from a big TV advertiser, forget it.  Talk is cheap, let 'em put their policies where their mouths are.

Sorry to hear about your accident, BMMF.

Car Insurance in Holland depends mostly on car type and driver age.

Anything worth stealing (speed or rare model) is terribly expensive, and getting insurance below 25 is close to impossible unless you have the financial means to take it to court.

For an indication of how the system works...
My swedish tank (1350 kilo, 150hp turbocharged, built in 2002) has the same insurance cost after 4 years as the Opel Corsa (about 1100kg, 90hp, built in 2006) after one year with the same driver age.

A good tip for future car buyers... check the insurance rates!!! you can get a lot more car for the same money if you choose wisely. I planned for a Peugeot 206 but that was more expensive to use compared to what i drive now, just because the combination of that Peugeot and my age indicated a high risk category. The Saab that i drive now is cheaper in insurance, while it has twice the engine power

My "day" job  ;)

www.allstateagencies.com/DavidTuohyJr/Welcome


:)

Fly2e wrote on Mar 11^th, 2010 at 4:59pm:

My "day" job  ;) www.allstateagencies.com/DavidTuohyJr/Welcome :)

;D ;D Have you got any good, foot in mouth, policies available?   ;)

That's OK Steve as I actually agree with a few  ;)

There are usually two sides to every coin. In this case (insurance in general, not the original post), remember there are a lot of situations where the insurance company is a victim of fraud. Don't misunderstand, I'm not taking up for them, just stating the facts. We usually end of paying for what dishonest people do.

Insurance is a very tricky thing with people.

On one side you have the person who hates to pay their monthly premiums because they think they will never have an accident or a loss. To them it is just another bill like paying your cell phone or electric bill. Just like your story above, these scenarios happen here & there but many times there are reasons. Your friend who fixed it probably "hooked you up" while the adjuster figured the worst case scenario, punched repair cost & times into his laptop (the rocket science you were referring to) and came up with a number. Body shops charge a lot of money per hour to repair cars and have a guideline they need to follow, especially if the body shop that is being used is a licensed shop that has to repair the vehicle as if new because maybe it is a lease and will be resold later. They are not going to slap some bondo on the car, sand it, spray paint it and send it on its way. So to many, insurance companies do have that "stereotype" of taking your money and giving you back little when you need it.


On the other hand you have the person who very much believes in having the protection there to replace their car or home in the event they have a loss. Or more important, when a spouse dies and leaves a family with a ton of bills, a mortgage on a house to pay, a 2 girls that will need to go to college one day... I have personally hand delivered only 3 of these checks while an Allstate Agent and I can't tell you how important that Life Insurance policy was to that family. It does not replace the person that died but it does replace the financial burden that may have been left behind. It allows those kids to go to college, it allows that spouse to keep his or her house, it allows that family to retain the lifestyle they had before the loss. If you ask me, insurance is sometimes one of the most important things you pay for during your life. We replace the most valuable things you lose. Some of those things you can not even put a price on... So to them insurance is very valuable.

I am an agent that has many relationships with many of my customers. To some I am as important as their doctor or accountant as I the person they will come to when they have that devastating loss. It is important to them to have a face with the money they pay for insurance. They know if they call me that I am there and will handle their loss. I am also involved with a few community organizations and represent Allstate in them. It is what separates me from your on-line, faceless companies that advertise a lot here in the states.

Insurance is not the most exciting or fun job in the world but it does pay the bills, allows me to be my own boss and most important, it allows me to help families and people recover when they lose their car, home or loved one...

Hopefully you have "lived & learned" a little from my post and seen a different side of where your money goes  :)

Dave

Auto insurance is designed to help protect you in situations that involve your vehicle. Which is one of the reasons that auto coverage follows the car, Auto insurance is a necessity and requirement in all states? Auto insurance is a complete must for all the drivers. Auto insurance provides third party coverage and has emerged as a legal requirement.

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