Is my car still insured?!

[Tom H]

last week a Spanish fellow in a big old truck altered the back of my car slightly  - so I was going though the normal chanels and just before 5 today I got a call saying my car was beyond ecnomic repair, and so would be written off. He asked if I was still using it and told the guy yes, and he said that was fine - but it wasn't until after I'd hung up I wondered if my insurance certificate that I'm making the claim on will still be valid now that the car is offically written off? I tried to call back but by now it was after 5 so no answer! doh! And the claim line will only handle new claims out of hours.

I'm sure Martin will be able to answer this when he gets to work tomorrow - but I was hoping someone would be able to help me before then - i.e before I need my car to get me to work tomorrow!! So any help will be greatly appriciated.

Also while I'm here, he said a salvage company will contact me about collection of the car - does anyone know if I can keep my car, and if so how I go about doing it? And if not am I allowed to remove parts (i.e rear clusters, interior, headlights etc) before it gets collected?

Thanks for any help guys

[mattneck(Beavis)]

Yep you can buy your car pack for salvage value f it

i got paid 550 when mine got wrote off.. all it needed was a wing and a grille.. they said it was £800 of damage  silly bast's..

I bought it back for £26. delivered to ma door 

[Tom H]

OK cool - thanks Matt - lucilky when I spoke to my Mrs last night she reminded me that one of my best and oldest friends has worked in car insurance for over a year now!!!  :embarassed: I thought she was still running a hotel! Ha ha, anyway I called her and she said I'd still be insured, so I got to work ok!

Also I spoke to the insurance company today and they said I'll have to wait until enginers reports and letters and blah blah blah before I take action to keep the car, but sounded like it shouldn't be a probelm when it all comes though. Just hope they don't stich me up over the price!

[R98 HUF]

mate youll prob make some cash out if it so keep 

[Tom H]

^ Yeah I inetend to keep it and either run it into the ground while I save for a VR6 (don't like finance! ), or possibly find myself a 2nd car as a project if I can find a garage to keep it in!

[Mikester]

i dont understand how, you own you car, then you have to buy it back from them?!? its like, its my car, i want to keep it. Leave me alone.

[boneybradley]

mikester you can have "salvage retention" included with your insurance policy (but not all companys offer this)...basically if they write the car off you get paid and also have the option of paying them to keep the car (less the retention fee)! when you get the payout the car becomes the insurers property.... my insurers (Martin h.i.c)  offer this and is needed for a mk3 (as a new bonnet would be £500 painted hence write off for the smallest bump)

[Mikester]

i seee. i just wouldnt let it go, even if it wasnt worth fixing and i got another car, i would cry. lol. I cried when i wrote of my first car! as i kicked in the panels!! lol

[Tom H]

mikester you can have "salvage retention" included with your insurance policy (but not all companys offer this)...basically if they write the car off you get paid and also have the option of paying them to keep the car (less the retention fee)! when you get the payout the car becomes the insurers property.... my insurers (Martin h.i.c)  offer this and is needed for a mk3 (as a new bonnet would be £500 painted hence write off for the smallest bump)

Ahh interesting stuff, thanks Braders! I'm assuming as mine's also a Mk3 insured though Martin i'll have that option too. So does anyone have any idea what it's likely to cost me to keep hold of my car then?

The salavge company called yesterday to take the car, I told them I wanted to keep it and they said no problem - so I guess it's just a case of waiting for my insurnance company to get it together and contact me.

[Tom H]

Right - need to drudge up this thread again!

Does anyone know for sure that I will or won't be able to keep my car, how it works and how much it's likely to cost me? Only I got my tax renewal though and I don't wanna spunk £180 quid down it just for it to be taken off me! Still haven't heard anything from the insurance company.