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Rear ended! Nightmare

baldybouncer

Newbie
Location
Wrexham
I'd say an Astra was a similar car to a Golf and personally I'd be glad of the change, a chance to try something different.

I would rather walk than drive a vauxhall personally - when involved in an accident when not at fault I should not be inconvenienced.

An astra 1.6 petrol is not comparable to a 2.0tdi Golf GT...

It is the insurance company trying to save money - going to make a formal complaint against the 3rd party insurer over the way it's been handled
 
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baldybouncer

Newbie
Location
Wrexham
At least it's a car. Rented a compact car there one time. Was running late, so by the time I got there, all they had was a VW panel van. Didn't really care since I didn't have passengers, but that thing was a non turbo diesel that topped out at 70. Maybe 75 downhill. At least I got a discount on it.

Why should i drive something alot worse than my own car because someone cannot drive properly? There is no way I would accept a van!
 

vwman

Go Kart Champion
Location
UK
Why should i drive something alot worse than my own car because someone cannot drive properly? There is no way I would accept a van!

Annoying as the situation is you're lucky to get a 1.6 Astra as most bodyshops provide basic 1.2 engine cars such as Ups , Micras etc as courtesy cars.

As for 'demanding' SatNav why not ask for Dynaudio, DCC as well - come on get real. Just think about it..
 

baldybouncer

Newbie
Location
Wrexham
Annoying as the situation is you're lucky to get a 1.6 Astra as most bodyshops provide basic 1.2 engine cars such as Ups , Micras etc as courtesy cars.

As for 'demanding' SatNav why not ask for Dynaudio, DCC as well - come on get real. Just think about it..

I am not at fault so why should I drive something inferior to my normal car!?

Plus it is not down to the body shop to provide a car while mine is repaired! - I drive alot of miles and use my car for work - and cannot do the trips in small crappy cars!
 

vwman

Go Kart Champion
Location
UK
I am not at fault so why should I drive something inferior to my normal car!?

Plus it is not down to the body shop to provide a car while mine is repaired! - I drive alot of miles and use my car for work - and cannot do the trips in small crappy cars!

Most good approved bodyshops provide courtesy cars or good insurers will provide one if you use their 'recommended' bodyshop anyway.

We all use our cars for work & in my case I do high mileages nothing special there.

A week in quote an 'inferior' courtesy car is hardly life threatening whilst your bumper is being replaced. A first world problem springs to mind.
 

Bungleaio

Ready to race!
Location
Leicester, UK.
The fact that people want fancy courtesy cars is the reason why our insurance costs are so high.

It was an accident, they are providing you with a car to get you around. Just suck it up and get on with it and when you get your golf back remember why you bought it rather than the alternatives out there.
 

Avanti

Go Kart Champion
Location
UK
The fact that people want fancy courtesy cars is the reason why our insurance costs are so high.

It was an accident, they are providing you with a car to get you around. Just suck it up and get on with it and when you get your golf back remember why you bought it rather than the alternatives out there.

I guess you mean one of the reasons it maybe so high :confused:
I can see your logic but I am with the OP, it wasn't his fault so the 3rd party should bear that extra cost.
 

MonkeyMD

Autocross Champion
So with that logic, if you drive a Phantom, they should at least give you a Bentley rental. Granted if you have a Phantom, you probably don't need a rental.

Yes it sucks, although an Astra is not horrible. It's not like they gave you a Lada or a Tata.

Not sure how it works there, but rental car reimbursement is optional on insurance. You get a dollar amount per day to spend. Usually around $40. Anything over that, you pay the difference.
 

baldybouncer

Newbie
Location
Wrexham
So with that logic, if you drive a Phantom, they should at least give you a Bentley rental. Granted if you have a Phantom, you probably don't need a rental.

Yes it sucks, although an Astra is not horrible. It's not like they gave you a Lada or a Tata.

Not sure how it works there, but rental car reimbursement is optional on insurance. You get a dollar amount per day to spend. Usually around $40. Anything over that, you pay the difference.

The point of insurance is just that - if something happens it should put you back to the same situation before the accident. The same applies to the loan car. It was not my fault so why should I suffer in an inferior car...

If you do indeed drive a Bentley for example - you would not expect a drive a toyota corolla...

The insurance have caved in and sourced me a 2.0tdi Passat with Satnav after a few arguements - at the end of the day they are trying save as much money as possible - this does not mean you should accept it though!

As for the rental amount of $40 a day - that is different in this country - you should be in a 'like for like' car if you are not at fault - hence why I am so annoyed. A 1.6 petrol astra is not like a 2.0tdi Golf... it may be they same size car... It is like comparing a mcdonalds to a proper restaurant - they are both 'food'
 
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baldybouncer

Newbie
Location
Wrexham
I guess you mean one of the reasons it maybe so high :confused:
I can see your logic but I am with the OP, it wasn't his fault so the 3rd party should bear that extra cost.

This is law apparently - yet insurance companies try to run rough shot over this - I have been advised I can claim uninsured losses for not supplying a similar car aswell -

They are delivering a Passat later today -
 
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Hobby55

Ready to race!
Location
United Kingdom
The point of insurance is just that - if something happens it should put you back to the same situation before the accident. The same applies to the loan car.

Why should it?

They ARE putting you back where you were, your car is being repaired, the loan car is not part of that, it is a temporary replacement until your car is repaired.

As the example with the Bentley shows your logic is flawed, unless, that is, you want our insurance to be even higher than it already is! The loan car is a way of keeping you moving, that is what it does, nothing more, nothing less. If you want a similar car you will probably pay for it in a higher premium...

As I said earlier you could argue "special needs" like I do with the wheelchair requirement, but an Astra is a straight replacement for a Golf (same size car) so you haven't a leg to stand on.... Try reading this:

https://www.moneysupermarket.com/car-insurance/articles/replacement-vehicles-a-common-courtesy/

Have you read your insurance policy to see what it says about the Courtesy Car, if you have what does it say?
 

baldybouncer

Newbie
Location
Wrexham
Why should it?

They ARE putting you back where you were, your car is being repaired, the loan car is not part of that, it is a temporary replacement until your car is repaired.

As the example with the Bentley shows your logic is flawed, unless, that is, you want our insurance to be even higher than it already is! The loan car is a way of keeping you moving, that is what it does, nothing more, nothing less. If you want a similar car you will probably pay for it in a higher premium...

As I said earlier you could argue "special needs" like I do with the wheelchair requirement, but an Astra is a straight replacement for a Golf (same size car) so you haven't a leg to stand on.... Try reading this:

https://www.moneysupermarket.com/car-insurance/articles/replacement-vehicles-a-common-courtesy/

Have you read your insurance policy to see what it says about the Courtesy Car, if you have what does it say?


You have this SO wrong - It is not a courtesy car I am having issue with - it is a replacement while mine is being repaired while hit by a 3rd party. This is nothing to do with courtesy cars!

The insurance are trying to save money by not supplying a similar car - I am now driving a brand new A3 2.0tdi Sportback and this is being paid for by the 3rd party insurance.

What people forget is the fact that as the injured party I should not have to suffer - and by making me drive an Astra it would have!

So if you are involved in an accident and it's not your fault make sure you push for 'like for like' Do not just accept the bodyshops 'run around' or a Dis-Astra!
 

GTD2016

New member
Location
Hampshire
Gotta laugh, no wonder insurance keeps going up and up and up................I'm sure it wouldn't have done any harm driving round in an Astra for a few days, they ain't actually that bad, I've had a brand new one when I hired a car in Belfast, a 1.4t, you say you need sat nav, google maps ain't a bad alternative for a few days
 

Hobby55

Ready to race!
Location
United Kingdom
I take your point, BB, but your defenition of a "replacement" car and mine are different... In my view a replacement car is one you get when your car is written off, a temporary replacement car is what you have got which is also known as a courtesy car!

I'd agree with GTD, though, it wouldn't have killed you to use the Astra for a day or two...

When you get that next Insurance Premium and find it's gone up and you want to blame someone for that rise remember to just look in the mirror... Repair Shops will have to charge higher prices if they have to stock all sorts of exotica for people who can't slum it for a few days, they will pass that cost to the Insurance Companies who will pass it down to us... What goes around comes around...
 

Cestrian

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
UK
As someone who was rear-ended in my Jazz just before Christmas - I now have a Golf Match - I have watched this thread with interest and agree with Hobby55.
I was badgered for a couple of weeks asking me to accept compensation for injuries I didn't have following the accident, which was slight. My wife and I had no injuries and neither did the woman who drove into us, but she, apparently, claimed compensation for her 'injuries'. We refused to accept compensation because it would have been dishonest and would have contributed to an increase in premiums. This compensation culture is unacceptable.
 
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