Tom Posted June 13, 2002 Share Posted June 13, 2002 Hi all! You will all recall my dramatic roll. Well, I spoke to MSM - Dave Spragg - and a claim form was sent. I returned it the next day. It has now been two full weeks since they will have received the claim form and they haven't been in touch. It's really really annoying because I could have put Hyperion Motorsport on the case straight away - they offered to come round an give a repair quote the next day - and the car could at least have started on the road to repair! My summer is draining away - as is my patience. Has anyone any advice? I plan to ring Dave tomorrow to ask what the hold up is. I'll let you all know what he says. Regards Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gridgway Posted June 13, 2002 Share Posted June 13, 2002 not sure that 2 weeks is a completely outrageous time. In my fortunately limited experience it does take a couple of weeks to get insurance mobilised and the assessor to call. Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Willis Posted June 13, 2002 Share Posted June 13, 2002 Patience Tom! Lets face it you aren't missing a vintage summer so far - they reckon August will be the month so you have while. Little consolation though I know. I'd be interested to know how you get with Hyperion for the rebuild. Presumably they just send the chassis to Arch then put it all back together and have it sprayed by TSK? Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted June 13, 2002 Author Share Posted June 13, 2002 ok ok ! I know, I've always been impatient, but you have to remember that everytime I open the garage door my heart sinks when I see my car so battered. It's so sad. Anyway, I don't see why they couldn't have done something sooner! All they need to do is phone Hyperion - or whoever they want to assess the damage - and then we can get started. That's one phonecall in two weeks. Not exactly hard to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjwb Posted June 13, 2002 Share Posted June 13, 2002 I find it hard to believe that you are waiting! Pick the PHONE up, harrass them, chase, lose your rag - anything. There is no single agency thatI have ever dealt with that has fulfilled it's promises, returned calls or given any form of result without personal intervention. I managed to get a claim assessed, agreed and paid within 4 weeks, by not sitting back and believing the spin. Sorry about your experience, don't give up and don't have patience. Steve B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyPandy Posted June 13, 2002 Share Posted June 13, 2002 It's amazing how the attitude of insurance companies changes the second they've got your money.My insurance company were excellent when I insured my TVR but when I wrote it off,they stopped answering their phone and when I finally got through they were rude,ignorant and inefficient.It took 2 months of complaining to get a totally derisery offer improved. Can't grumble though,in the end I got £1500 more than I paid for the car and the rest is caterham history. I wish it would stop raining..!! teeth.gif Superlight 143 teeth.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted June 13, 2002 Author Share Posted June 13, 2002 Andy, I think you're right. They are incredibly nice until you mention the dreaded 'claim' word! Then suddenly they forget that that contract they signed works two ways!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gridgway Posted June 13, 2002 Share Posted June 13, 2002 I used A F**x for a while who were uniformly crap in all respects except for my two prangs. Neither my fault by the way! Both claims took a couple of weeks to get going, but it all worked out very easily with no other pain at all. All repairs made and paid for! Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jam Mad Posted June 14, 2002 Share Posted June 14, 2002 be cool.. dave spragg is without doubt the nicest chap i have ever come across in that industry, and is highly recommended by many in the club. call him up, i'm sure he'll have a solid and honest explanation. oh, he reads this site too, sometimes. wink.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murph7355 Posted June 14, 2002 Share Posted June 14, 2002 Dave's a thoroughly nice chap and I cannot believe he would delay a claim for any reason. It's certainly not in his interest to do so. Give him a call for an update, I'm sure you'll get a straight reply. 2 weeks isn't very long though (and you're still well within the 4 weeks mentioned earlier). I honestly appreciate your frustration (my car's been off the road for 4.5mths through no fault of my own and I've paid to have that work done!) but it seems that there are many circumstances when something takes ages to sort out when it would only seem necessary for it to take a short while. I think it's a problem with the country we live in, not just the insurance industry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V7 SLR Posted June 14, 2002 Share Posted June 14, 2002 Andy, still not sorted? Can you email me an update as I've got someone else interested. I agree with whoever said to pick up the phone. Don't wait for them to contact you. Dave Spragg is a nice chap but even he will deal first with those people who call him, so increase his awareness of you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Elizabeth Posted June 14, 2002 Share Posted June 14, 2002 AFAIK MSM is a broker, not an insurer. So it may not be their fault as the insurer usualy pays the claim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Posted June 14, 2002 Share Posted June 14, 2002 This is not an ad. for Direct line (my insurers), but my last prang (not my fault..a rear ender into my Fiesta) It was REPAIRED within two weeks!!!! Give them HELL, thay took your money. There is no reason to wait.... what are they all waiting for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Walker Posted June 14, 2002 Share Posted June 14, 2002 An underwriter friend told me that they generally get high performance cars assessed and fixed quickly because they found that it cost them less if they did. Their study showed that if they dragged the process out, it would ultimate cost them more. The reason being that various improvements / upgrades would get done to the car, and some off the cost of these would get lost within the repair bill. So to combat this they get in there quick and have the car repaired and back on the road before the punter calms down after his accident and starts thinking about upgrades. When they say, "get in there quick" - this probably means 4 weeks instead of 8 weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DohNut Posted June 14, 2002 Share Posted June 14, 2002 Just to depress you my current record for a contested scooter prang (I was filtering down the outside, he did an unindicated u turn) November 99 two and a half years! and only now approaching resolution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted June 15, 2002 Author Share Posted June 15, 2002 Hmmm, I am thinking of upgrades already! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Sewell Posted June 17, 2002 Share Posted June 17, 2002 Firstly, I don't wish to spread gloom and despair, but my last claim took over 4 weeks to get the insurance company to even agree with their own assessor. Most insurance companies like to choose where the work is done as most body shops can work on most production cars. To prevent them doing a 'Direct Line' repair where the car is panel beaten back to shape (and lets not worry about the chassis tubes) and use filler everywhere else, the best approach is to get it to a specialist who can prepare the costings before the assessor gets there and then present them with a 'fait accompli' (sp?). The really bad news is that most repairs go via Arch Motors who do their best to turn the job around quickly but they do get very busy. It may take several weeks to get a time slot with them. The average length of repairs that I have had (and others that I have heard about) is around 10 weeks (even the factory is no quicker). So be patient - even if very frustrated. Cheers, Graham Low tech luddite - xflow and proud! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachael Posted June 17, 2002 Share Posted June 17, 2002 My car was recently involved in an accident and I have found that you do need to chase the insurance company to get anything done. However they had an assessor out to look at the car about a week and a half after the accident, and all the repairs have now been authorised. It should be going to Arch this week and should be back on the road next week (fingers crossed). It doesn't have to take ages!! Good luck, hope you get it sorted soon. Rach Edited by - Rachael on 17 Jun 2002 10:02:29 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Dart Posted June 17, 2002 Share Posted June 17, 2002 Tom, My minor prang took four months to get repaired! The problem with specialist insurers is they all buy cover from large faceless insurance companies who don't understand Sevens. You are going to have to fight your corner. Get the assessor on your side, explain to him the manufacturing process of the Seven and chase the insurance company, not the broker, all the way. The broker is just stuck in the middle and is usually just passing information back and forward. Good Luck, By the way MSM wouldn't quote me because I'd had a shunt, so be prepared to look elsewhere come renewal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Sewell Posted June 17, 2002 Share Posted June 17, 2002 Once you've had a major claim - whether shunt or vandalism - most insurance companies want to keep you on their books. It is the only way they can hope to get any of their money back! In fact, when I spoke to David about moving for reasons other than my recent claim, he was sympathetic to why I wanted to move but added that not many companies or brokers would poach a new client after a recent major claim. You see, the sharks hunt together as a pack and look out for each other rather than the client. Cheers, Graham Low tech luddite - xflow and proud! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted June 17, 2002 Author Share Posted June 17, 2002 Update: I spoke to NIG - the faceless insurance company - today and they were not even aware that I was making a claim. It appears that MSM have not even passed on the claim form. That's 2 and a half weeks it's been sitting there on an MSM desk gathering dust. The good news is that NIG say I can get Hyperion to go round and give an assessment. They're doing that tomorrow. Fingers crossed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gridgway Posted June 17, 2002 Share Posted June 17, 2002 I found the factory - and it was that complete waste of space Len Unwin if he's listening!! :-)) actually very good indeed in working with the assesssor and insurer to get things done. Still takes a long time tho. Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V7 SLR Posted June 18, 2002 Share Posted June 18, 2002 Len was brilliant when I had my smash too, although I eventually paid the damages myself and didn't bring in the insurers (good job too as I was with that dodgy independant insurance bunch). Len got my car back in time for Le Mans which was only a very short number of weeks away, and this despite their backlog of racers/etc to repair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninja Boy Posted June 18, 2002 Share Posted June 18, 2002 Hi Tom, I believe Dave's having a few problems with short-staffing at MSM, so that might explain the delay. I'm sure it's worth giving him a ring to make sure he's aware of your concerns, and to let him have a chance to explain/put things right for you... Here's hoping you get a speedy resolution. Cheers, Mark teeth.gifcool.gif 1800 K-Series - S13id=yellow> 2 id=green> CUYid=yellow> - has arrived cool.gifteeth.gif teeth.gif Still got the tin-top -J777 DMHid=teal> - need to do the paperwork teeth.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted June 18, 2002 Author Share Posted June 18, 2002 Update: I phoned up the faceless insurance company again and gave them the claim details directly and they asked me to get a quote and forward it to their engineers department for authorisation. I then got Jeremy from Hyperion to check over the car and he reckons it'll cost around £5,300 to get the car back to its best. From the day he gets authorisation to proceed to the day I can collect the car should be no more than 3 weeks. I'll keep you all informed. Sadly Dave Spragg must be mightily weighed down because I still can't contact him! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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