Advice On What To Do With Insurance After A Car Accident!

[SLDN-31]

Hey people the other day my Girlfriend was driving my 33 down the main street in Sunbury and stopped at a set of lights, A lady then reversed out of a car-park and hit the side of my car. She admitted fault and called her insurance company straight away. Now AAMI (her insurance) called me and this morning and I told them that im not going take my car to their assessment centre for them to take it away to get repaired. So i have to get them two quotes one from my choice of repairer witch i have and one from their preferred repairer.

So i will go see one of their guys this week, after this an assessor will come out and see what quote they want to go with. This here is my problem my quote is 2.5K and im guessing they other guys will bee cheaper and nastier that's why they would be a preferred dealer. I cant afford to have my car away at a shop at the moment so i am going to ask the insurance for a cash pay out and then i will have to get it done later when i can go without a car. What i can see that is going to happen is that they will go with a cheaper quote (probably their one) and i will get less cash then i need and then ill have to pay the rest, So it will cost me money for an accident that was not my fault. Can they make me get this quote from there guy? even tho im not insured with them the accident was not my fault and i have nothing to do with AAMI can they just pick where i have to take my car to get fixed or what quote they want to pay me out on? it just sounds very unfair at the moment.

[R31Nismoid]

Far as I am aware - as it's her insurance, you can take it wherever you want mate.

Go to their place and simply do this.

1. "drop a hint" that somewhere else - pick somewhere 40km's away - said it was 3k quote.

2. Watch the AAMI repairer quote close to 2700 or so. As it's insurance most of them will b/s quote.

It's fked cause what the AAMI repairer will do is under cut regardless, and then when they start on the job it'll be 'oh we found a few hidden surprises". Honestly you should get it fixed now as if there are any nasty surprises, at least it is covered at the time if it's a result.

Often impacts even with an experienced place - you can find extra once you pull it apart and get into it.

[Duncan]

agreed.....trying to push the other party to the insured party's preferred repairer is a new low from the dodgiest industry around.

regardless of who the at fault driver is insured with, YOU have the right to have your car fixed to your satisfaction.

do doubt they will try and bully you into accepting something less of course.

[blind_elk]

AAMI is paying for the repairs. I reckon that gives them to right to say who will repair it. If it's one of their "preferred repairers", then you have every recourse to see that the repair is carried out to your satisfaction.

Put yourself in their shoes - if you had to pay for someone else's repairs out of your own pocket, wouldn't you want to do it for the least possible cost?

[xALmoN]

you didn't ask to be hit though. so yeah, tough luck on insurance, that's why we get insurance right?

[eiresgaus]

What happened when I had someone crash into me was I called my insurance company and gave them all of the details for the person that crashed into me and which insurance company they were with, my own insurance company sent an assessor out and I went and got a quote from one of their preferred repairers.

it was all done within a week and there was nothing for me to do in regard to contacting anyone from the side of the person that hit me, my insurance handled everything..

Could be worth a try if AAMI try stuffing you around.

[Rekin]

as the accident is not your fault, you have every right to get it repaired where you want and money if you prefer. It is not up to the insurance to choose a repairer as you are not in a contract with them. All they do is pay to fix the damage to your level of satisfaction.

If it was your fault and your own insurance was paying the bill, they will then direct you to their own repairer as that is what would have been stated in the contract you signed. You havent signed any contract with AAMI and there is no law that says "if im paying, i choose the repairer."

Be confident in your discussion with them and let them know clearly you want it repaired at your place and prefer a cheque for the value of repair.

[samuri]

Can’t stress enough the importance of additional damage that may legitimately be discovered once work commences.

IS the chassis still perfectly aligned?

[Dobz]

If you know of any repairers that have a good reputation and will do a good job get quotes off them. The more quotes you get that prices the repairs higher than what they offer the better. I got hit in the front left quarter of my beaten up old xf falcon ute, all that was damaged was the front left quarter and the front bumper (which was already damaged) and after getting just two quotes saying it'd cost around $1500 to fix they settled on giving me a cheque for $1200. I wasn't going to tell them the ute only cost me $500.

btw her insurance was AAMI as well.

[VNS 24]

What happened when I had someone crash into me was I called my insurance company and gave them all of the details for the person that crashed into me and which insurance company they were with, my own insurance company sent an assessor out and I went and got a quote from one of their preferred repairers.

it was all done within a week and there was nothing for me to do in regard to contacting anyone from the side of the person that hit me, my insurance handled everything..

Could be worth a try if AAMI try stuffing you around.

I agree with Brian, and did the same thing.

First, I got hit by an L-plater whose mother in the car wasn't paying attention to her young son. I did a permitted U-turn (Never will again) in front of their car and got hit before I can drive out of it. I got her details plus her son's, went to the police station to report, contacted my insurance and got it fixed at the place my insurance recommended with no worries. Then my insurance chased them up.

Second, I was driving through shopping centre car park. One car drove in at speed and I dodged it and hit the trolley rail abit on the sides. The other driver claimed it was not his fault, so I paid my excess and got it fixed at the same place because they were very good at first time.

Good luck with the repair. I think what AAMI is doing is dodgy too.

Edited April 6, 2011 by VNS 24

[gtr fan]

Same thing happended to me about 8-9 years ago. I ended up getting to quotesand they just gave the job to the cheapest out of the two. Whilst I was there I kept saying I should have a choice blah blah and they eventually just agreed.

Otherwise if it was a big enough issue (major repairs etc) you can do it through your insurance and they wouold claim against AAMI wouldn't they?

[SLDN-31]

Thanks for all your input guys. First off the accident was tiny their is a tiny dint on the quarter so i`m not worried about other damage as i don't think any will be found. I went and got my quote from the AAMI repairer just before it came to $90 less them my guy I used R31nismoid`s advice and said to the other guy "the last guy i took my car to scared me a bit he quoted 3 grand" he agreed and told me the other guy was dodgy and for a good job will only cost mid 2`s lol so yeah happy with my quote i got. Next is to wait for the assessor and see what will happen next Thanks for all the input again guys ill let you know how i go!

[R31Nismoid]

Told ya man - They are just out to rip via undercut, and then "find issues" later on.

Unfortunately that's how it goes with a lot of places like that, and it screws over the people that actually do good work and charge accordingly.

Obviously not all are like this, but I've seen it more times that i am comfortable with.

[Galois]

That was a damn good idea nismoid, i'll have to remember that.

SLDN what has your insurer (if you have one) had to say about it?

[SLDN-31]

Well my car was hit on april 1st! and still nothing for me! f**k i hate insurance companys!

[Adriano]

You are entitled to a hire car during the repair process. All insurance repair work nowadays has to have a lifetime warranty on t he repair, and i think a 10 year warranty on the paint, so it really doesnt matter who fixes it.