What do I do about vandalised wing mirror?

[puffling]

Am a new driver so not familiar with procedure about this. One wing mirror has been ripped off and all parts smashed to bits.
Is this worth reporting to the police?
Do I ring the insurance company before I take it to be fixed?
How much will it cost?
How do I get it to the garage without a mirror?
How long will it take to be fixed? my car is an unusual green so I guess it'd take longer to get parts in that colour?

Thanks for reading.

So sorry. It depends on your deductible, really. Our deductible is £250, and the replacement of a wing mirror was slightly less so we bit the bullet and didn't claim on insurance, but did report to police as there was bit of a problem in the area and the police needed to be aware.

Ask your insurance company of you need to report damage if not claiming. They may also have a deal with a company for wing mirrors? I know our insurance company has a deal for windscreens that get chipped.

I'd ring the garage and ask for a rough idea of the cost of the repair. You can then decide whether or not it's worth going ahead with an insurance claim depending on your excess and whether or not it will affect your no claims bonus. It is likely to affect it unless you have 'protected no claims' - your policy will tell you that.

If you decide to proceed then ring the insurance company. They will often tell you where the car has to be taken. They may even collect it from you. They will tell you if you need to report it to the police or not. You might want to anyway, if enough people report a problem then they will be obliged to try to prevent it.

I think strictly speaking you are supposed to inform your insurance company even if you don't intend to claim.

I don't blame you for being confused - it is bloody confusing. We've been through it all very recently as DHs new car was vandalised.

Thanks - useful info

Waste of time reporting to the Police, ime. I did so after watching some little thugs do it to my wing mirror. They weren't interested in the crime but kept phoning to offer me counselling for weeks afterwards.

Mine cost £300 to replace - took about half an hour, just popped into the garage and waited (although phoned first to check they had the parts and could do it).

I didn't claim on insurance. Our excess is £250. wasn't worth losing no claims bonus for the sake of £50.

Thanks MrsJohnDeere. Have found a small garage who'll do it at fraction of dealer price. I called police just so they'd know something had gone on. I was luckier than my neighbour. Their new car had it's back window smashed thru. They tried to get my partner's BMW wing mirror off but couldn't. Must have been welded on.

Report it.

Imagine you lived in a street where 100 mirrors get vandalised every year but nobody reports them. Why should the police bother going down that street when as far as they know, nothing ever happens in it?

I just reported ours last week, smashed by some twat. Not long had same one replaced after the being broken again - that time a police officer knocked on the door to a) tell me and b) tell me they had someone nicked for it as they smashed loads all down the street.

I am getting compensation through the court about a fiver a month IIRC.

Note to self - must move house.

I told police but not claimed on insurance as not worth it.