Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Flip

1 2 3 4

Original poster

Anyone been impressed with their car insurance after an accident?

79 replies

PanannyPanoo · 15/09/2022 12:26

My car was written off recently in an accident that was not my fault. I am with Admiral and they have been absolutely terrible. The only way to contact them is via the phone. No online chat, no-reply email addresses. I have been on hold for between 40min and over 2 hours. on 6 different occasions and 3 times been returned to the switchboard while trying to get through to claims. The paperwork side of things is ridiculous and the online portal really glitchy.

They have denied that I have courtesy car cover despite me having the document in my online file that says I do. It's the first time I have needed to use car insurance in nearly 30 years.

Has anyone had a crash and been happy with the service that they had afterwards? Would like to take my next policy out with a company that are easier to contact and more able to help. (Admiral Law have been great so far.)

OP posts:

MoltenLasagne · 15/09/2022 13:48

I was actually going to say Admiral and within the last 6 months too. I wonder if there's a different level of policy as we had a courtesy car for a write off. We also got the courtesy car until the funds for the car value cleared and they offered us a decent amount first time. No medical consequences our side though so maybe that changes things.

Dilbertian · 15/09/2022 13:50

I was with Direct Line when a car ran into the back of me while I was waiting at a junction. DL said instantly that it was 3rd party's fault and I would therefore get a free courtesy car until mine was fixed. They sent me a like-for-like car within 24h. I insisted on like-for-like as it's no good sending a little 3-door runaround for a family of 5 with 3 carseats and a buggy!

A few weeks later they tried to bill me for it. The third party had changed their story and now said I had rolled back. It was now considered an equal-fault, knock for knock claim. DL did not inform me of this until I queried the charge. But after a little to-ing and fro-ing they waived the charge. It was all done on the phone, without outrageous wait times, all courteous, informative and helpful.

So, overall, good service.

Though what really bugged me was that they would not speak to me without first speaking to dh so that he could approve me. Each and every call. Whether I called them or they called me. Argh! I know it was because the policy was in dh's name, with me as a named driver, but why couldn't dh give the approval for the whole claim, rather than discussion by discussion? It meant that conversations had to be aborted if they called while he was at work.

WithIcePlease · 15/09/2022 13:50

Direct line
One write off when someone smacked into the back of my car and today for a smashed window. They've been super easy to sort stuff with

smileandsing · 15/09/2022 13:52

MoltenLasagne did you have a courtesy car or a hire car? A hire car is an optional extra, I always add that now

SoldierBoy · 15/09/2022 13:52

I'm with Esure and they've been amazing from start to finish with my claim

NotLactoseFree · 15/09/2022 13:55

We have had to make three claims over the years with Aviva. Admittedly, in each case it was someone else's fault which might make it easier, but nonetheless it has been really good every time. The most recent one was particularly entertaining because the other party has been such a twit and Aviva have just calmly arranged to have my car fixed, sorted out car hire and taken all the issues away from me.

NotLactoseFree · 15/09/2022 13:57

With our recent claim, I was worried about this but actually, I was very impressed - they rang me to sort out a couple of things and simply asked me to tell them a few extra details to confirm my ID because I was named driver and not policy holder. It felt like ridiculousness of things like this are starting to fade.

BadGranny · 15/09/2022 14:14

I’m with Aviva. Somebody did massive damage to my car in a rear end shunt while I was stationary at a roundabout. Aviva dealt with absolutely everything efficiently and effectively, ensuring that the other parties insurance paid for a courtesy car (for six months!) and offering me legal protection if I had any further losses. I keep my no claims bonus, and it’s just recorded as a no fault claim. Worth every penny of the premium.

summergone · 15/09/2022 14:21

I work in a brokers and Aviva are one of the best imo, Tesco's are pretty good too -my dads parked car was hit by a drunk drugged up driver one morning and the money for my dads written off car was in his bank by tea time !

Original poster

PanannyPanoo · 15/09/2022 17:04

Thank you so much, I took out the policy in 2014 and took out all the extras. I have documents with the courtesy car / garage and the hire car in case of total loss with contact details. On the day everyone was very helpful and reassured me that if my son's wheelchair wouldn't fit into the standard car supplied they would get me a bigger one. Now they are denying I have the cover and say I must have declined it, which makes no sense as every other extra I took out.

I am sceptically wondering if things have changed now they realise they are the insurers for the other party too, so cannot claim losses back from another company. We were on holiday and it took 4 journeys to get everything home as we took a power and manual chair.

We have injuries but this is complicated by my son's existing condition. The hours spent on the phone listing to one piece of plinky plink music repeated for hours and hours has been torturous, I spent about 5 hours filling in forms, which didn't save automatically, I left the computer on whilst I did something else and the session timed out losing everything. It's just been a very big hassle, and so many hoops to jump through whilst in pain. Thankfully I had the week off work anyway. It would be impossible to work and stay on hold for hours. I rang at 8.50 one day and finally spoke to someone at 11.15. I also rang the garage direct who told me the car was a total loss. But was only told 4 days later by Admiral. Individually the people I speak to see fine. But the company itself are not effective, proactive or helpful.

OP posts:

Idontevenknow · 15/09/2022 17:07

We had a good experience with Churchill

PinkDucks · 15/09/2022 17:10

I also had a nightmare with admiral when someone hit my (parked) car a few years back and drove off. The car was written off and the whole saga was a nightmare with admiral. It took them ages to sort a courtesy car and then at the point they declared the car a write off I had to give the courtesy car back immediately. They then didn't give me the money for ages to enable me to buy another car so had to take out finance. Was a right pain. I did complain though and got quite a good amount of compensation so definitely don't let it drop (even though it's exhausting!)

Meseekslookatme · 15/09/2022 18:08

I've had 3 no fault claims
2 with Aviva and 1 with LV
All straightforward and lovely to deal with!

Georgieporgie29 · 15/09/2022 18:12

Direct line were brilliant with me. I haven’t had an accident with one of my other insurers (touch wood) so I can’t comment. I always say I will happily go back with direct line but they are always a lot more expensive than alternatives. Reading these reviews maybe it would be better to go with them and pay the higher premium

KiraKiraHikaru · 15/09/2022 18:15

1st central we’re good with me. I had a hire car, they replaced all my car seats and they paid out more than double what I actually paid for the car!

PugInTheHouse · 15/09/2022 20:30

@Dilbertian that's so frustrating, the police told us to call the insurance as soon as we got home, DH was in no fit state to talk so he literally did security questions and asked if I could deal with it and they only contacted me from then on for the whole claim. DH had to give them a statement but they said to wait till he was able to. I was so impressed with them.

Goldmember · 15/09/2022 20:37

We had someone drive into us 3 weeks ago, not our fault. Aviva have been good, car collected within a few days, hire car sorted (this could have been sooner but was down to Enterprise not Aviva). Car deemed uneconomical to to repair, salvage company lowballed us with payout, we held out until we received a reasonable sum and we were paid it last week. Hire car has gone back this week. As awful as it has been dealing with losing our car, the insurers have been good. I'd happily stay with them.

BigEnergy · 15/09/2022 20:53

Esure were very good with me a couple of years ago when a van drove into me and left the scene. They sorted everything and it was very quick. However on renewal they almost tripled my quote because of the claim so I did end up going elsewhere.

daffodilandtulip · 15/09/2022 21:38

Tesco. Claim completed over the phone. Told to buy myself new child car seats then send the receipts to a link for the money back. Hire car delivered to me and collected with a day overlap to make sure I wasn't without a car. Damaged car collected within a couple of days.

Exasperatednow · 15/09/2022 21:40

LV were fabulous both times someone drove into me.

BloobryMuffin · 15/09/2022 21:41

I came on to say Admiral and I couldn’t fault them - but probably not helpful to you!! (but accident was other parties fault, so that may make a difference).

bloodywhitecat · 15/09/2022 21:42

Aviva have been very easy to deal with. I have claimed through them four times now and each time was painless.

RedHelenB · 15/09/2022 21:46

LV were Brilliant..

Saturdaydreamingway2355555 · 15/09/2022 21:50

Aviva were great, had legal cover and someone tried to claim whiplash against our v minor bump. They disputed the claim (it came through 14 months after the bump). Aviva disputed it - took it to court, barrister came up from London. They paid my expenses and paid me to have a full day off work, barrister was spot on….. court ruled in my favour that his claim was in essence false, and my excess didn’t go up. Highly recommend Aviva - and legal cover!

Muststopeating · 15/09/2022 22:02

Oooo great thread OP (though sorry you are going through this).

My SIL just had an accident. Insurnace with Admiral. Hours and hours of waiting on hold, then being hung up on. The guaranteed courtesy car within 24 hours was first contested, then agreed to and then not sorted for another 10 days. Just generally rubbish service.

I moved my (many) insurnace policies to Chruchill as I've had excellent experience with their customer services, on the phone and online chat. I hate phoning to sort things but with Churchill I rarely have to. Can do it online or via chat. I love it.

Never had to claim though which would be the real test.

Buying a new car this weekend, Churchill are twice the price of Tesco so will be interested to see if they price match.

Flip

1 2 3 4

Swipe left for the next trending thread