To think this won’t be a write off?!

[Scrapealot]

I feel terrible as I’ve badly scraped my car on the hinges of the gates on the drive. I’ve only had it since April I feel so stupid and angry with myself.

I took it straight to a local repair shop, expecting repairs to be about £1000 and he told me it will be £800 for a repair but £2-3000 if I start getting new panels. He said he shouldn’t really repair it because it’s near the fuel tank. He also told me the insurance will write it off if I contact them.

Car is apparently worth 9,500 (Vauxhall Zafira tourer 2018). I phoned the insurance and they put the damage through on their online systems and he said it’s coming up as repairable? They are organising for it to be picked up and repaired.

Aibu to think that yes it’s bad damage but it’s not write off worthy?! Is the mechanic having me on? Do you think it will be repairable?

I have no idea about the damage but insurance write off is not always based on whether the car is repairable but if it is economically viable to do so. They’ll factor in if you need a car to be loaned while the repair it etc etc.

Thanks, I’m really hoping they deem it worth repairing 😭

Looks like a fairly easy repair to me.

Thanks @Shade17. That’s what the guy I spoke to from the insurance seemed to think. He was surprised that the body work repair man said it would be a write off.

Just be aware, even though they say it's repairable now, they may decide it's not once their repair garage has taken a look.

I had a crash last summer and my insurance said "yes, no problem, we'll get it fixed" and 48h later they said it was a write-off.

My husband thinks it will be an expensive repair as needs whole new back panel but doesn’t think it would be a write off for a 2018 plate.

This was my old car after a wagon side swiped me, it was fixed

The car is likely repairable (but not roadworthy so I hope you're getting a courtesy car ASAP) as it's only 1 panel. As it's split it will need replacing, priming, painting etc but shouldn't be extortionate. Sounds like the garage you went to didn't want to do the work?

For insurers to write the car off the repair costs must be 60% of the value of the car. So if repairs are approx £1,500 the car won't be written off

I think that will be fixable.

4 years ago I got driven into she hit my rear quarter totally smashed it (fuel tank) car was worth about 5k, expected economical write off as we had the hire car 3 almost 4 months, that worked out as over 6k when dh looked at hire terms, we got the car back fully repaired.

Fuel tank side that should say

Thanks everyone.

@warmfluffytowels yep that’s what I’m worried about.

@mummydoingamasters yeah that’s what I thought. He quoted me £800 for a ‘basic repair’. £2-3000 for changing panels. But then said he wouldn’t be able to get me in for 3 weeks and that the insurance would write it off if I tried to go through them.

Keeping everything crossed that the mechanics look at it and say it’s repairable.

Not at all. These can be repaired.

It looks like a door skin + a panel - a lot depends on the spares costs, but I'd guess at that being about 1500 to 2000 to repair, based on the time I creased a wing and a door.

The extent of the damage isn't too bad, it's where it is that may be the problem. The rear panel is big and a PITA to replace (on a lot of cars it's a fixed panel meaning it has to be cut off and a new one welded back in), plus the damage extends to your door.
I doubt it would come to get a write off but you never know - cars are written off for economic and / or safety reasons, and parts are becoming stupidly expensive.

I wouldn't factor in the cost of the courtesy car though - this is usually included as standard in a comp policy meaning it doesn't cost the insurance company anything.

Tbh I would think the first garage didn't want the work so told you it was a write off to make you go elsewhere.

Ds learning to drive scraped. Dh got hold of a new panel himself, £200, got it fitted and sprayed £500.

Yours might be a bit more expensive, but I think the quote you've been given is high.

@Scrapealot you are able to get as many independent quotes as you like (if you have the time and patience of course) m, the only benefit to using your insurer is they likely have a network of approved repairers who will give a lifetime guarantee for all parts and repairs.
They shouldn't include your hire costs in the decision to write off either.
You can also ask for a without prejudice quote from their repairers and change your mind and get it done privately too.

It looks repairable but it certainly isn't road worthy