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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be angry with the police

50 replies

SweetieBaby · 09/02/2017 07:40

A month ago we were burgled whilst we slept. The thieves stole our car, amongst other things. Amazingly the police recovered it the next day and impounded it for forensic testing. The thieves have done minimal damage to the car - slight scuffs on 2 alloy wheels and a cigarette burn to the gear stick gaiter and it needs new locks because they have the keys. All brilliant so far.

Insurance company have just informed us that they will be writing the car off because the cost of repairing the damage caused by the burglars is about £1400 but it will cost £600 to clean up the mess caused by the police forensic team and this tips the balance meaning that they consider the car uneconomical to repair.

So in essence, the police have caused my car which is undamaged, to be written off.

How can this possibly be fair?
By the way, we could have refused the forensic testing and simply collected the car but we thought we were doing the right thing by assisting the police with their enquiries!

AIBU to be upset by this?

OP posts:

JanuaryMoods · 09/02/2017 07:41

YANBU. I'd be furious as well but with the insurance company.

Gardencentregroupie · 09/02/2017 07:42

Surely you would be better being pissed off with piss taker profit hungry customer unfriendly insurance companies rather than the organisation that found your car and are trying to catch the people who took it??

Fackorf · 09/02/2017 07:43

Yes, yabu.

It was your decision to have the forensic testing done.

Also, it might still help catch the scumbags what did it.

PossumInAPearTree · 09/02/2017 07:44

Can't you just not go through the insurance and get the car valeted? Live with the scuffed alloys and the fag burn. It'll never cost you £600 to sort it.

The real problem is car fixing companies scamming insurance companies and vastly inflating their repair costs.

I got my car scratched by another car in the car park. Door needed respraying. The approved repairers replaced the door! It did not in a million years need replacing, it wasn't dented.

Gardencentregroupie · 09/02/2017 07:45

Police really cannot win sometimes can they? If the car hadn't been found there would be the usual frothing about how they don't do anything. Same if they didn't do a thorough forensic examination.

KateDaniels2 · 09/02/2017 07:46

Your problem is the insurance company. A while ago there were nres stories about insurance companies writing off too many vehicles. Alot of which didnt need to be.

The police did their job.

noblegiraffe · 09/02/2017 07:47

If the police hadn't found the car (hurray for the police doing their job well) you wouldn't even be in this situation.

£600 to clean the car is surely a piss-take?

HermioneJeanGranger · 09/02/2017 07:47

It's not the polices fault that insurance companies would rather write off your car

sparechange · 09/02/2017 07:49

What have the police done to your car to damage it..?!
When my car was stolen and recovered, it came back with lots of silvery talcum powder where they had dusted for prints but they all came off with a wipe

I've also (for work, long story) seen a car 'strip searched' by the police for drugs where they took the door panels etc off but that all snapped and screwed back on again afterwards as well.

Have you seen the damage or are you just going by what the insurance company have said?

Berthatydfil · 09/02/2017 07:49

YANBU.
As it is mechanically undamaged can you buy the car back and valet it yourself ?

Andywho · 09/02/2017 07:49

You may be able to get a pay out from the insurance and then buy the car back as a write off.

Perfectlypurple · 09/02/2017 07:50

Yabu. You should argue with the insurance company. You say you did the right thing to assist the police with their enquiries but they are working to get you, the victim some justice. They want to identify the offender to get them to court to get them a decent sentence for what they put you through.

The police can't win.

flissfloss65 · 09/02/2017 07:52

My friend's car was involved in a crash. It was a write off and they received a pay out but managed to re buy their car from insurance company. New side door and running fine. An option?

Ginorchoc · 09/02/2017 07:54

Misdirected anger, surely it should be toward the burglars firstly and the insurance company and quite possibly also the company who over quoted the clean up as it's an insurance job.

ProfYaffle · 09/02/2017 07:56

Yy, re-buy it. You have to go and have it inspected and certified road worthy. pita but could be worth it.

Ginorchoc · 09/02/2017 07:57

Also the damage done by the burglars is higher ffs

GinIsIn · 09/02/2017 08:00

How is the car undamaged if the cost of repairs from the burglary is £1400?

YABU - you should be angry at the burglars, and angry at the insurance company, not at the police who did their job!

Iambubbles86 · 09/02/2017 08:07

My god why the hate for insurance companies. If the cost of repairing and cleaning is more than the vehicle is worth why the fuck should they repair it? If we did it for every single car premiums would be ridiculous. I work for an insurance company (one of the top 5) and we do almost anything to try and repair. Also it will be written off as a cat c so ask about retention, then use the money they give u for repairs and a basic valet (god knows how someone is saying 600 to clean a car. That is ridiculous!)

Creampastry · 09/02/2017 08:09

Yabu

Starfish28 · 09/02/2017 08:18

Yabu as other's have said - how can this possibly be the fault of the police and not the money grabbing insurance company. Seriously, they found your car and they undertook a rigorous assessment to try and catch the people who did it.

Original poster

SweetieBaby · 09/02/2017 08:25

The car is undamaged. The £1400 is apparently the cost of replacing the locks, the ECU and the keys. If the keys had been found there would be no damage other than the scuffed alloys.

We have seen the car and the entire interior is covered in white powder - the dashboard, windows, upholstery. If it simply wipes off then of course we can do this ourselves. The insurance company aren't allowing us to exclude repairs from their estimate though, so we can't say just replace the keys etc and we'll sort the rest.

We will consider allowing them to write it off and then buy it back. It's a 10 year old car and I know that the book price is quite low but we've had it from new, it has very low mileage, full service history and is in excellent condition. To us it is worth a lot more and no way could we find a similar car with the amount of money they plan to give us.

Maybe I should be more annoyed with the insurance company. It was them who insisted that the forensic exam be conducted but it is just so annoying to think that had it been recovered and not examined by the police it would not be written off. It is the assessor's estimate of valeting costs that is tipping the balance.

OP posts:

CockacidalManiac · 09/02/2017 08:26

My god why the hate for insurance companies.

Because they're a bunch of oppotunist twats with highly dodgy business practices?
YABU. The police were doing their job.

Trethew · 09/02/2017 08:30

Very disappointed that OP's first reaction is to hold the police responsible.

GinIsIn · 09/02/2017 08:30

So it was the insurers who insisted on the forensics? Well then you arse being VVVU to blame the police!

Seeline · 09/02/2017 08:32

YANBU - I am all for helping the police with their inquiries, and if it helps catch the buggers that nicked the car in the first place, but if the police 'borrow' your property to help with their inquiries, then they should return it to you in the state that it was in when they received it.

I agree though, that to avoid the insurance writing the car off, I would get the car valeted/clean it myself. I'm sure it wouldn't cost £600.

However, just seen your latest update - if the insurers insisted on the forensics, then they should cover the cleaning cost, not add it to your 'bill'.

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