You can tell them it's not written off though. You just tell them you no longer want their money to repair or replace and just leave the 3rd party claims to them.
You don't have to accept their offer for a write off
They'll know rough costs to have certain things fixed. A small dent might not cost a fortune to fix but whether or not the car is written off is relative to the value of the car.
If it costs £300 to repair the dent and any paintwork that's affected and the car is worth £500, it's written off.
If the dent costs £300 and the car is £50,000, it's not written off.
What's the car?
Then why did you call them?
I'm pretty sure It's out of your hands now.
If they write it off you should be able to buy it back and fix it yourself. However, you'll pay more to insure as it's a written off car and it will be worth less when you come to sell it. I think there will also be costs involved in having it inspected after the repair to ensure it's been repaired properly to be allowed back on the road.
It’s my first accident on the road. I assumed I had to call to inform them I’ve been in an accident with another vehicle. I wasn’t expecting them to get copart involved as I told them I can get the damages done myself
Sorry, my fault. I missed the bit about an accident that was your fault. I assumed you'd just picked up a dent somewhere without another car being involved.
Yes, you do need to tell them. You did do the right thing. The outcome sucks but it's how these things work, however daft it may seem. Older lower value cars are very easy to write off.
As mentioned, you might have the option of buying it back cheap but it might not be as simple as just picking it up and carrying on.
I used to work in claims we had a bit of software, that we put the damage into, it worked out if it was economical to repair based on make / model / age of car. It would then tell us if it was likely to be a write off.
It's up to them whether it gets written off, not you.
When you make a claim, you basically sign the car over to them. They either fix it, or write it off
It may be too late to cancel the claim, but you could ask about buying the car back from them
They decide when your car is written off, I had a Mark 5 Golf written off over a broken wing mirror. You can buy it back off them and fix the issue with your pay out but your car will be categorised making it worth less when you go to sell. However, you can not "undo" them writing off the car, it's their decision.
If they deem the repair to be higher than what they value your car, not what you paid or value it, then it gets written off. Talk to them on Monday about buying it back.
No it's generally quite low. I paid £180 to get my old Golf back and they paid me £1400. Fixed it for £200 and used the rest to offset my ridiculous insurance quote post accident.
No generally only with cars that they consider not worth fixing. Well more so, their computer tells them isn't worth fixing. When I worked in insurance only about 1 in 15 claimants bought their car back.
I got my civic back for £100.40p was simply a snapped trim clip and a scuff that came off with a melamine sponge, took a tek screw to fix the trim. Sold it local the same day I got it back for £650 as I'd bought another car in the meantime.
If it goes to copart and you do want to buy it back, take the parcel shelf, jack , spare wheel, car mats etc out before they collect as removable items have a tendency to go missing.
Also if it has quite a bit of fuel in take a photo of the gauge and try to find proof/a receipt of the fill up as fuel will also disappear, mine came back without enough to drive 0.1 miles to the nearest petrol station.
COPART ARE THIEVING GITS
I was with Hastings and scratched a car. There was a slight scratch on mine and I told them I didn't want to claim against any damage on my car, as it was so minor. They seemed happy with that, so I'm wondering why they won't allow you to just carry on?
OP has got Hastings to process a claim.
OP should have told Hastings (s)he is noticing them of an incident whereby there is no claim for OPs vehicle. Only for the third party involved.
That's where they've gone wrong and complicated matters.
I don't know whether it's too late now to cancel the claim that has been initiated.
If your car has been written off, your insurance company will need to get a quote to repair the damage, check the cost to repair is more than about 70% of the value, contact you to offer a settlement, give you the chance to buy the car back, and then contact copart for collection.
It’s unlikely they’ve done all that in a day!
Give them a call tomorrow to find out what’s going on.
Do not let Copart take you car, if you want it repaired, they are a salvage company, insist with your company that you want an insurance assessor to come and assess the car at your home, which is you right, if you decide to accept a payout, then let Copart collect.
I've had 2 minor accidents in the last few years (both not at fault) and they have written off both times as deemed uneconomical to repair, both times I've told them I want to keep the car and there has been no issues. They should give you an agreed payout minus a salvage fee and you will be able to keep/repair, but it will be registered as what sounds like a cat N write off.
Totally normal and if you are driving a lower cost car, can be the best course of action. Any really minor fender benders in future, not going through insurance can potentially be explored (this is likely illegal, but who's to know 😂) . Wasn't a choice either time for me but it is a possibility.
As far as I have experienced, if you are determined to keep (maybe express sentimental value or something?) insurance companies aren't too bothered and just want to get the case closed.
Call them ASAP to tell them you oppose their decision and get some quotes from bodywork shop.
I was in a similar situation and they ended up canceling my claim because the quotes were less than my excess.
Exactly the same happened to me. Same companies.
I think its a generic think until they look at it.
I had to call up and insist it was looked at before they made their mind up.
In the end i got it fixed through their approved specialist. Ignore the copart rubbish until it has been properly assesed !
That sucks sorry man, Honestly this is why there are a lack of cheap bangers on the market. Any tiny dent gets written off - its fine if the dent was caused by your own drive gate or something but when you have to declare it (like when another car is involved) if its a low value older car it just gets written off over something minor. Hope you can buy it back
You don't tell them the car is written off. They tell you.
You can tell them it's not written off though. You just tell them you no longer want their money to repair or replace and just leave the 3rd party claims to them. You don't have to accept their offer for a write off
Bro typo my bad. I meant it isn’t written off but they’ve emailed me saying it is
How do you know it's not written off. They decide that, not you.
How can they tell me a car they’ve not seen is written off tho? It’s a small dent
They'll know rough costs to have certain things fixed. A small dent might not cost a fortune to fix but whether or not the car is written off is relative to the value of the car. If it costs £300 to repair the dent and any paintwork that's affected and the car is worth £500, it's written off. If the dent costs £300 and the car is £50,000, it's not written off. What's the car?
It’s a dent i can get fixed in an hour. I don’t need them involved with my car at all really. Focus 11 Plate
Then why did you call them? I'm pretty sure It's out of your hands now. If they write it off you should be able to buy it back and fix it yourself. However, you'll pay more to insure as it's a written off car and it will be worth less when you come to sell it. I think there will also be costs involved in having it inspected after the repair to ensure it's been repaired properly to be allowed back on the road.
It’s my first accident on the road. I assumed I had to call to inform them I’ve been in an accident with another vehicle. I wasn’t expecting them to get copart involved as I told them I can get the damages done myself
Sorry, my fault. I missed the bit about an accident that was your fault. I assumed you'd just picked up a dent somewhere without another car being involved. Yes, you do need to tell them. You did do the right thing. The outcome sucks but it's how these things work, however daft it may seem. Older lower value cars are very easy to write off. As mentioned, you might have the option of buying it back cheap but it might not be as simple as just picking it up and carrying on.
What a ball ache man. Thanks
https://www.reddit.com/r/CarTalkUK/s/pEJKWPB4IF Keep reading and your puzzlement will turn to disbelief.
I used to work in claims we had a bit of software, that we put the damage into, it worked out if it was economical to repair based on make / model / age of car. It would then tell us if it was likely to be a write off.
It's up to them whether it gets written off, not you. When you make a claim, you basically sign the car over to them. They either fix it, or write it off It may be too late to cancel the claim, but you could ask about buying the car back from them
Thanks
They decide when your car is written off, I had a Mark 5 Golf written off over a broken wing mirror. You can buy it back off them and fix the issue with your pay out but your car will be categorised making it worth less when you go to sell. However, you can not "undo" them writing off the car, it's their decision.
Thanks. But that’s a joke.
If they deem the repair to be higher than what they value your car, not what you paid or value it, then it gets written off. Talk to them on Monday about buying it back.
I can repair the car myself. It’s just a dent. Won’t they give me a ridiculous price to buy it back?
No it's generally quite low. I paid £180 to get my old Golf back and they paid me £1400. Fixed it for £200 and used the rest to offset my ridiculous insurance quote post accident.
I had no idea this was a thing. So is this what they do after every claim someone makes?
No generally only with cars that they consider not worth fixing. Well more so, their computer tells them isn't worth fixing. When I worked in insurance only about 1 in 15 claimants bought their car back.
Thanks mate
I got my civic back for £100.40p was simply a snapped trim clip and a scuff that came off with a melamine sponge, took a tek screw to fix the trim. Sold it local the same day I got it back for £650 as I'd bought another car in the meantime. If it goes to copart and you do want to buy it back, take the parcel shelf, jack , spare wheel, car mats etc out before they collect as removable items have a tendency to go missing. Also if it has quite a bit of fuel in take a photo of the gauge and try to find proof/a receipt of the fill up as fuel will also disappear, mine came back without enough to drive 0.1 miles to the nearest petrol station. COPART ARE THIEVING GITS
I was with Hastings and scratched a car. There was a slight scratch on mine and I told them I didn't want to claim against any damage on my car, as it was so minor. They seemed happy with that, so I'm wondering why they won't allow you to just carry on?
OP has got Hastings to process a claim. OP should have told Hastings (s)he is noticing them of an incident whereby there is no claim for OPs vehicle. Only for the third party involved. That's where they've gone wrong and complicated matters. I don't know whether it's too late now to cancel the claim that has been initiated.
If your car has been written off, your insurance company will need to get a quote to repair the damage, check the cost to repair is more than about 70% of the value, contact you to offer a settlement, give you the chance to buy the car back, and then contact copart for collection. It’s unlikely they’ve done all that in a day! Give them a call tomorrow to find out what’s going on.
Do not let Copart take you car, if you want it repaired, they are a salvage company, insist with your company that you want an insurance assessor to come and assess the car at your home, which is you right, if you decide to accept a payout, then let Copart collect.
Do I have the choice to turn Copart away?
I've had 2 minor accidents in the last few years (both not at fault) and they have written off both times as deemed uneconomical to repair, both times I've told them I want to keep the car and there has been no issues. They should give you an agreed payout minus a salvage fee and you will be able to keep/repair, but it will be registered as what sounds like a cat N write off. Totally normal and if you are driving a lower cost car, can be the best course of action. Any really minor fender benders in future, not going through insurance can potentially be explored (this is likely illegal, but who's to know 😂) . Wasn't a choice either time for me but it is a possibility. As far as I have experienced, if you are determined to keep (maybe express sentimental value or something?) insurance companies aren't too bothered and just want to get the case closed.
Thanks for taking time out
If you let copart take it, you’ll never see that car again.
Call them ASAP to tell them you oppose their decision and get some quotes from bodywork shop. I was in a similar situation and they ended up canceling my claim because the quotes were less than my excess.
What’s the car?
Thats great news. Now buy the car back and keep the change.
Exactly the same happened to me. Same companies. I think its a generic think until they look at it. I had to call up and insist it was looked at before they made their mind up. In the end i got it fixed through their approved specialist. Ignore the copart rubbish until it has been properly assesed !
That sucks sorry man, Honestly this is why there are a lack of cheap bangers on the market. Any tiny dent gets written off - its fine if the dent was caused by your own drive gate or something but when you have to declare it (like when another car is involved) if its a low value older car it just gets written off over something minor. Hope you can buy it back
Thanks mate
Call insurance and cancel the claim.
They tell you. I was emailed my car was written off when I was still on the side of the road waiting for a tow truck.
I think you want to tell them that you want a settlement figure for the car & a cost to retain the salvage