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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be fuming that my car has been vandalised and my insurance will penalise ME for it

32 replies

SpiceAddict · 30/01/2015 21:32

Some youths damaged my car by standing on the bonnet and kicking the door. We don't know who they are and it all happened very quickly - car was parked outside the house and DH saw it happen from the upstairs window. It is dented pretty bad.

I am absolutely fuming that this will be treated as 'at fault' by my insurance company as there is no-one for them to claim against. I will have to pay the excess and my premiums will go up. Only had 3 years no claims but still.....

Aibu to think that car insurance should cover you for vandalism. I have checked the policy and it doesn't say anything at all about what happens if there is no one to claim from

OP posts:
Comito · 30/01/2015 21:36

Can you get it repaired without going through the insurance? A lot of dents can be pulled out by Chips Away or similar without too much cost.

Fairyfellowsmasterstroke · 30/01/2015 21:36

There is an option to pay extra to protect your NCB.

Sadly the world is not a fair place.

SoupDragon · 30/01/2015 21:39

It's no different from having to pay if someone steals your car.

Altinkum · 30/01/2015 21:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

letsplayscrabble · 30/01/2015 21:44

Better policies don't take away your NCB in a situation like this. Rock bottom cheap ones do.

You could just get it repaired and pay for it, after excess and NCB loss might well be cheaper.

MedusaIsHavingaBadHairday · 30/01/2015 21:58

I had this last month when my car tyres.. all of them.. were slashed when when visited my daughter in a city miles away.

£350 excess... :/

Comito · 30/01/2015 22:12

spice if you're fully comp then that would cover vandalism. If you're not, then see my previous response. However, if you claim, you'd presumably have to pay the excess and any increase in premium.

So my advice would be to find out from a mobile dent repair place (not a body shop or accident repair shop) how much it would cost to fix, then balance that against what your excess and the potential premium increase would be. Note that if you tell your insurance company about a potential claim, then don't go ahead with the claim, they can still adjust your premium as if you had. So basically weigh up carefully how much you care about the dents, the age of the car and how much it would cost to fix outside of insurance.

To give you something to gauge against, I have a station car which had dents when I bought it. It's fairly old and last year someone clobbered the front wing, knocked off the side mirror and drove off. I got the wing damage pulled out for £60 and bought a mirror from a scrappy for £10. Had I claimed on my fully comp insurance, it's likely they would have written the car off due to its age.

Catsize · 30/01/2015 22:15

I have had two accidents where someone has ploughed into the side of my car - both when drivers were on their phones and I was doing nothing wrong. Oh, and a learner driver who swerved into me. Each accident has increased my premium. Angry

Comito · 30/01/2015 22:25

catsize How exactly? I assume you claimed against their insurance each time?

BadLad · 30/01/2015 22:38

Being involved in any accident, even a non-fault one, will increase you premium next time with most companies.

Wibblypiglikesbananas · 30/01/2015 22:41

This has happened to me too. A group of local youths damaged around 20 cars one night - mine was written off as they'd jumped on the roof so hard it was all collapsed in. Still annoys me - I got a bigger bill, had to get a new car, and they got off scot free. Some people are just feral.

edwinbear · 30/01/2015 22:43

I had a driver drive into the back of me whilst I was stationary at a set of traffic lights once, still increased my premiums even though I had a protected NCB. DH's premium went up when he swapped a Porsche 911 for a BMW X5 which was proper barmy - they said it was because 'it was a new car which he was unfamiliar with' and therefore more likely to crash. They will use any excuse they can to whack your premium up.

Newshoesplease · 30/01/2015 22:45

Yanbu op.
Last week some drunk fool kicked my wing mirror off, then used it to smash another car's window. I repaired it outside insurance as it was the only option, meanwhile they've gone scott free.

Catsize · 30/01/2015 23:02

Yes I did, but it's as badlad says.

girlynut · 30/01/2015 23:40

My car was keyed within a year of buying it. My insurer covered the cost, as long as it was clearly vandalism damage, and I had protected no claims.

Don't really understand why you're cross at your insurer. You got a policy document telling you what was covered and what wasn't. If you didn't check the cover, that's hardly their fault. Would suggest adding protected NCD next time.

Jessica85 · 30/01/2015 23:56

YANBU. A claim should only be processed as 'at fault' if you are actually at fault. For accidents they are not longer allowed to record it as your fault unless you accept it was your fault or it is independently judged to be your fault. Should be the same for vandalism IMO.

pinkr · 31/01/2015 07:28

The four slashed tyres. ..Surely you wouldn't claim. What a hundred a tyre. ..so 400. Doesn't make sense to claim on a 350 excess

EhricLovesTheBhrothers · 31/01/2015 07:39

Why would you pay £350 excess to replace 4 tyres when you can pay less to get them replaced yourself?

tippytap · 31/01/2015 07:50

A claim like this would affect nearly all motor policies. Some companies will cover you if your vehicle was hit by an uninsured motorist And it wouldn't affect your premium, but this: No.

You've mass a claim for a loss that is covered by your policy. Your insurance will fulfil their part of the contract and repair your car, as a result your No Claims Discount will be affected.

The clue is in the name. It's a No CLAIMS discount. You've made a claim.

lightbulbsarehot · 31/01/2015 07:54

:( shit isn't it

VeryVeryDarkGrey · 31/01/2015 08:01

Insurers dont usually increase your premium for a non fault claim. They might do initially until they can claim the cost back from a third party then you get the overpayment back. Ncd protection isnt available until you reach maximum NCD which is usually a minimum of 4 years so OP isnt eligible anyway. A lot of fully comp insurance includes vandalism cover these days too, its a thing now so would be worth checking an up to date policy booklet

richthegreatcornholio · 31/01/2015 08:14

four slashed tyres. ..Surely you wouldn't claim. What a hundred a tyre. ..so 400. Doesn't make sense to claim on a 350 excess

Depends on the car surely? Could've cost £350 per tyre!

As for everyone else saying go outside of insurance, be aware that you are still obliged to inform your insurers. This will be somewhere in the small print. Many people of course do this without issue but it's something to be aware of.

WeldedParentMaterials · 31/01/2015 08:15

DarkGrey you're incorrect about not increasing your premium for non fault claims. While there might be a reduction one a previously open and undecided claim is closed non fault, it will still cause an increase in premiums, even if the NCD is protected, as OP will be seen as a higher risk, (as well someone who gets rear ended) even though she didn't cause it, as unfair as that sounds.

chicaguapa · 31/01/2015 08:19

YANBU. Though I agree with a PP that the good policies will cover vandalism and treat it as a no fault claim. Insurance is definitely somewhere where it's worth paying more.

I've had insurers charge me a higher premium for 2 no fault claims where drivers have driven into my car. Both times when I wasn't in it. Angry I've had long discussions with an insurance actuary about this and it's because you're statistically more likely to make a fault claim after a no fault claim. Hmm Plus they are still incurring work and admin time for processing the claim, even if they don't end up paying for the repairs and can claim them from another insurer.

But if you shop around, the better insurers won't do that. You are also obliged under the insurance t&cs to inform your insurer of any accident, even if you don't intend to go through the insurance.

IME insurance is fraught with hidden pitfalls and intricacies that even the most intelligent and financially savvy get caught out by. It sucks.

Trumpity · 31/01/2015 08:35

Chicaguapa I hope that statistic isn't true for me!
I've just been to court over 2 years after an accident (I smashed into the side/back of a car) and been found non fault and not liable. It was believed it was a staged accident.
I don't want a fault accident now!