Bad, bad day. My S3 got hurt

[silvers3uk]

Hi All, Im looking for some advice dealing with insurance companies. I use Priviledge. I managed to drive my car into a lamppost in a nearly empty car park on wednesday night /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cry.gif Which was a truly silly thing to do - First crash in 15 years!. The ashtray jumped out, the bonnet raised a couple of inches and the front bumper has an impression of a large lamp post. The car also started loosing fluid, not sure what fluid but I got the red thermometer type display on DIS.

All I want is to have my pride and joy back in tip top condition - Has anyone got any advice for dealing with insurance companies and their approved repairers to make sure that an A1 job is done on the repair?

 

[acf8181]

well, i'm guessin you have protected ncd? if so, phone your company and they'll tell you your local approved repairer, all you have to do is pay the excess. from the sounds of it your smashed the radiater, and that its coolant leakin out. hope you stopped the car when the light came on if not you can trash the engine (or more specifically the head gasket...big money in labour to fix). whatever, don't drive it again.

 

[speedyp]

Bad luck mate,/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked2.gif those lamp posts always appear from nowhere & jump out infront of you!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Best bet is to find out who the insurance company's approved repairer is.
Then if you don't really want them to do it (full Nova driving 16 year olds!!) you need to get a quote from who you would prefer to use, then the insurance company will decide if they will let you use them or not!!
Usually a private quote is cheaper than an approved repairer, so should be able to use them??

Good luck!

 

[silvers3uk]

I've got protected NCD, but in the insurance handbook it reads as if this could be discretionary as its an "own fault" accident. This was news to me..

The audi bodywork guarantee ? What do I have to do, will the repairer provide me some paperwork saying as much. Or will I have to arrange an audi person to go to the car to inspect it?

 

[noodle]

I had a similiar scenario a while ago and went with a garage that my Audi dealer recommended. Apart from some niggling issues (car not ready on time, dirty on the inside etc) I was happy with the work.

I had another bump recently and the front bumper needed replacing. This time I was not able to drive the car away, so the insurance compay arranged for collection and took it to 'Nationwide' body repairs.

I got it back but the colour on the front bumper was a shade lighter and I'm still waiting to get it sorted out.

So, unless it's too late, I'd get two quotes, one from Audi and try and push to get your insurers to use the Audi recommended garage.

Goodluck.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beerchug.gif

 

[silvers3uk]

Thanks for all your advice, I finally got the car moved to Listers Audi in Coventry for the work to be done. Privilege's assessor OK'd the work to be done yesterday - £3700 which was a couple of hundred quid more than the "insurance approved" body shop.
The insurance company got a bit &rsey about moving the car complaining about how long it had taken me to instruct them (3 days) - I responded with the fact that they would negate my audi warranty! Which they weren't aware of! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
Hopefully will get it back before christmas....