The car insurance information contained within these pages is based on information supplied by The Claims Guru, a site packed with useful information about the inner workings of insurance companies and their products.
Car Insurance - What To Do When Claims Go Wrong
Things don't always go that smoothly or quickly!
Many customers cause problems for themselves. They just don't seem to realise that things are geared up to provide this fast and efficient service to them.
For example, there is the customer who insists on having a claim form to fill in. The customer who does not want to give the details of the claims event over the telephone. O. K. fine, but don't then expect such a speedy service. You are causing delays for your claim.
"I had been driving for 40 years when I fell asleep at the wheel and
had an accident."
Extracts taken from actual claim forms submitted to
a number of UK car insurance companies
There is the customer who wants to use his own garage. So he has to go and obtain an estimate and post or fax it to the insurer. In effect this claim has reverted to the old fashioned and slow way of dealing with things.
Then there is the customer who wants a hire car delivered outside the parameters of the policy cover or who does not like the courtesy car supplied by the approved repairer. Some keep their hire/courtesy car longer than their policy permits and get upset when you ask them to return it or pay the extra costs. Some start off in a hire car with a full tank of fuel, return it empty then complain when they are charged for re-filling the vehicle. (Hire firms charge a very high price for fuel!)
My advice is simple. Follow the instructions of your insurer or broker. They are trying to provide you with the best service in your best interests. Why cause problems and hassle for yourself?
Policy excesses cause a lot of problems. Many people still think that if an accident is not their fault, they don't have to pay their excess. NOT TRUE. Your excess payment is your share of the loss or damage and you have entered into a legally binding contract with your insurer in which you agreed to pay the first £X amount irrespective of blame for an accident. You might be able to recover this as an uninsured loss. But that does not mean you do not have to pay it in the first place.
Remember that the vast majority of claims are dealt with quickly and without problems
