#insurer causing you issues?trying to total loss your car when it is’nt? trying to total loss even when you cancel the claim?

I had a customer write with the following query.
​Hi,

I bought a 2003 BMW 540i Touring M-Sport Individual in Feb 2017 from a dealer for £6900. It is a rare model and very high spec.

I insured with Admiral fully comp. 

April 15th 2017, I pranged the front end of the car. Still driveable, bumper and AC fan damaged. Admiral took the car away to do an assessment. They took the car to a used Suzuki dealership in Cornwall. The Suzuki dealership decided the car would cost £4500 to repair, I could either pay that myself or the car would be written off.

Admiral REFUSED to give me a valuation on the car unless I AGREED to write it off. Completely obtuse.

I refused to write the car off or pay their extortionate prices and at my own cost had the car moved to a BMW Specialist garage for an assessment. The BMW specialists quoted £1900 for repairs and I gave the go ahead and cancelled my claim with Admiral as it was clear they were never going to help me.

The car has now been perfectly repaired but Admiral have emailed me telling me they are writing the car off. I have complained about this and they have essentially said that as their engineers declared it a write off, it is a write off. Their engineers did NOT inspect the car, only saw low resolution images of the damage. I have a copy of these images and you can see it is only the bumper and fan that is damaged.

Is there any way I can get them to remove the Cat C write off? The value in these BMWs is in their condition and originality and a CAT C would kill the value of this car.

Thanks
Rick.

The only time an insurer can place a categorisation on a vehicle is when it is subject to an insurance claim. If you cancel the claim, they cannot place a categorisation on your property.
This insurer was being a complete arse! and did not need to do any of what it did…. BUT ! the end result was the same.

See below.
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