rear-ended, lost livelihood.

[dicko45]

Following a rta - other guy's fault - when my car was written-off, his insurance company lied to me (and I can prove it) over the amount they were obliged to pay out - less than half the actual valuation of which I now have a copy.
Is this legal?
Incidentally I did eventually say I'd accept it but that I'd have to discuss the other �1800 with their client "I'm sure he'll agree to pay me" I said. Twenty minutes later, I was offered �2800, which I took.
How can the insurance industry justify cheating like this?

[gouldc]

Let's face facts here - a company is in the business to make money.

You're not obliged to accept any offer made to you by an insurance company in any case, and they're not obliged to offer you the full valuation (granted it would be good manners to get a little closer!)

That said, we normally use an independent engineer to value third party vehicles, and we usually base the value on their reports. However, it is inevitable that someone thinks that their car is worth more than it is.

Did they give you any reason for suddenly offering you an extra �1000? That seems a hell of a jump to me - I normally leave room for up to about �300 for negotiations, but you generally can't rip people off to the tune of a third of the vehicle value!

What car did you have anyway?

[dicko45]

The car was a low-mileage Nissan Primera Estate, in amazingly pristine condition, full service history and I had recently had it converted to run on LPG. Cost to me added up to �3000 a few months previously, plus �325 Private Hire License. Worked six months then written off.
The increased offer amounted to a �1600 increase on the original offer of �1200 (or 150% increase).
The assessor conceded the car was in very good condition and apparently suggested an offer of �2800.
Bear in mind, the vehicle was a licensed private hire (taxi-trade) vehicle, which undergoes an extremely rigorous test/inspection procedure before it is allowed to work - unlike a normal private car which can still run on the residual time of its MOT certificate.
Yes, Insurance companies are in business to make money BUT Some of us operate vehicles we wish to operate and just because some half-wit is more interested in his passenger's cleaveage than driving responsibly does not present an opportunity to rip us off!
After all, is it legal for me to con an insurance company to the same extent?

[gouldc]

I'd have to say (being a fraud investigator) that it's not acceptable to de-fraud an insurer!

Seriously though, I used to deal with taxi claims a few years ago for Equity Red Star. I know how rigorous the testing is for these cars, but most ''normal'' insurers just see a high mileage taxi at the end of the day, and they simply don't want to pay out top whack for it.

The way the offer was made to you is to ''test the water''. If you go mad, they'll normally try and offer something closer to the actual value. If you seem like you want a few hundred more, they'll be rubbing their hands together and give you and extra �200 after speaking to their manager (ie putting you on hold and telling their colleagues how stupid you are).

[dicko45]

Thanks for the reply, the car had 48.000 mile clocked up, not a stain or scratch anywhere until the accident. 3rd party insurers delayed and told quite a few lies (catalogued), insinuating I was trying to work a fiddle which would justify their try-on. After presentation of medical reports from an approved (by them) medical examiner it took them seven months to make an offer for my wife's injury, and eleven months (23 hour before Court hearing) to make me an offer. Incidentally, my suggestion that I'd persuade the other guy to stump up his �1800 was just a bluff - it was six months before I could even pick up a cup of tea in the hand which was injured let alone thump the guy, and I wouldn't have done so anyway! Honest!
Don't panic, I would have said, it's only a commercial!

[sifellis]

HAHA!!

"(ie putting you on hold and telling their colleagues how stupid you are). "

I do that. I work for an insurer. People in general are pretty stupid though. Just look at the questions above and below. Nobody ever rings their bloody insrance company, they just come on here with some crazy rumour that their mate told them and ask if it's true.

P.S. Congrats on the extra �1000 for the car, very rarely happens like that. You must've bene extemely ****** off or extremely nice.