Skip to main content
Skip to main navigation
Skip to talk navigation

Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Saved Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Flip

Join the discussion and meet other Mumsnetters on our free online chat forum.

1 2 3 4

Join the discussion and meet other Mumsnetters on our free online chat forum.

Chat

Child probably written off car

95 replies

Trumplosttheelection · 02/12/2020 07:09

Just looking for a bit of a handhold. My poor kid bought their first car a few months ago and last night she misjudged a corner and collided with a fence. Thankfully she is ok but the car isn't and as it was quite low cost I think it will be written off. Just realised she won't get a premium refund either. It's more than she's ever spent on anything and she was so upset. Can anybody say anything to help? I'm sitting here feeling so anxious about it. Beyond thankful she is ok of course but she loved that car and now her heart is a bit broken.

OP posts:

Report

MoiraNotRuby · 02/12/2020 07:12

Oh your poor DD and poor you! Glad she is okay. I suppose all you can say is that its only a car. But of course she will be upset about it.

CaptainMyCaptain · 02/12/2020 07:15

Be glad she's alive. My daughter was hit by another car on the motorway, not her fault, when driving to uni. When we went to look at the written off car I could see how the crumple zones and safety features had worked to protect her. This was before air bags. I was very grateful for this.

Trumplosttheelection · 02/12/2020 07:16

Yes I did but of course it's independence and convenience and comfort and she just feels so angry with herself. She's not easy on herself at all. She's also hundreds of miles away but luckily we have good relatives who I sos'd to help her.

OP posts:

ExclamationPerfume · 02/12/2020 07:16

She will get the market value of the car unless she was only insured third party.

Trumplosttheelection · 02/12/2020 07:17

I am very glad she's alive!

OP posts:

Tumbleweed101 · 02/12/2020 07:18

My ds did this a couple months ago. It was a car he’d saved for and loved. Had a minor accident but car was BER and unsafe to drive.

It is heartbreaking for them but nothing that can be done except tell them it’s good they are fine and possessions can be replaced in time. I think most youngsters have at least one minor prang that teaches them to be that little bit more cautious but it is hard for them at the time.

My ds managed to get a cheap run around car for now but no where near as nice as the one he had. Unfortunately we’re very rural so had to replace it quickly so he can get to work.

TurquoiseKiss · 02/12/2020 07:21

Will the insurance pay out even though its her fault (minus the excess)? If so could this go towards a another car? Transfer her existing insurance policy to new vehicle (minus admin fee)?

If so, could you help her bridge any of these costs - even a loan? Maybe say: "we can give/loan you £X00" so see what you can do and fingers crossed you'll be in another car again soon.

Glad she is OK - these things happen. Had a car written off myself (in my 20s) someone crashed into it while it was parked on a corner and didn't even stop or leave a note

Trumplosttheelection · 02/12/2020 07:24

I wondered if she could transfer the policy. Worth asking. Thanks this is helping.

OP posts:

Find the latest threads from topics you follow

TableCat · 02/12/2020 07:25

She will get a payout of market value to buy another car. That's part of what insurance is for.
She might not get enough for a car equal to the one she's lost, and she might find insurance is even more expensive after this but a write off doesn't mean you're left with nothing.

Trumplosttheelection · 02/12/2020 07:25

I can give her something towards it. Problem will be getting her to accept it.

OP posts:

Tartyflette · 02/12/2020 07:27

Sadly car crashes, which are mostly little more than fender benders in the main, are part of modern life.
Think about the old pilot's saying -- any crash you can walk away from is a good one.
It's still a shock though.

TurquoiseKiss · 02/12/2020 07:28

I had to transfer the policy when mine was written off mid-policy, they just calculate the difference (if there is any) and, at the time, I think the admin charge was £25.

Well, all you can do is offer any £ you're happy to give/loan and see what her response is. How old is DD?

Ironingontheceiling · 02/12/2020 07:29

The insurance will pay for any damage and if she’s got fully comp they’ll give her a sum to help pay for a new one.

As long as she’s ok, the car did it’s job.

Hugs.

Shouldbeworkingnotreadingtalk · 02/12/2020 07:30

Depends how much the car is worth?
Maybe worth not even claiming as it will triple her premium next year. . .

YellowHighlighterPen · 02/12/2020 07:30

DS did similar. I'm thankful that it was a lesson learned early and learned 'safely'.

Velvian · 02/12/2020 07:33

On a positive note, my DH had an accident where our car was written off. We had it advertised for sale at the time and had dropped the price. In the end we got about 20% more for it than the original advertised price. She may get more for it than she imagines.

Trumplosttheelection · 02/12/2020 07:34

It's worth about 2000. Yes I'm worried about the premium. She's 22. So very much an adult but still very close to us.

OP posts:

BlackKittyKat · 02/12/2020 07:34

I think this is a rite of passage for all young drivers to go through.
I vividly remember my first crash. I misjudged a gap and pranged the back of a brand new BMW that was waiting to turn right. I was devastated.
She will get over the shock and disappointment and she will become a better driver because of this.
She will be fine - just give her hugs and reassurance.

userxx · 02/12/2020 07:36

She will get over the shock and disappointment and she will become a better driver because of this.

This.

kleew1 · 02/12/2020 07:41

So sorry to hear this. She should get a value for her car and be able to swap the details on her policy as a PP has said.

Oblomov20 · 02/12/2020 07:42

Ahh, poor her. I too pranged my car and am so proud of my car, that I was so angry, livid with myself.
Tell her to go easy on herself. These things do happen. A lot!

Twinkie01 · 02/12/2020 07:42

Cars are big boxes of metal designed to get us from A to B and protect us when things go wrong. Never attach too much import to that box of metal, it's the contents that are precious.

Twinkie01 · 02/12/2020 07:43

Importance!

FAQs · 02/12/2020 07:49

How badly damaged is it, insurance might Cat N or S it, although I’d not sure I’d want my daughter driving it still and would rather pay towards a newer one.

Lovemusic33 · 02/12/2020 07:49

My brother did this a few weeks after he passed his test (many moons ago), he was gutted too so my dad rebuilt the car and got it back on the road, it took a few months. Just reassure her that ‘it’s just a car and luckily she’s ok’. I think many young people smash their first car up, sadly some are injured, she was lucky that she wasn’t hurt and she probably learnt a valuable lesson (to slow down whilst going around corners).

Flip

1 2 3 4

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.