Why why why!!!!

[steve184]

...so there I was minding my own business on way to work trundling down a side road pretty slow (with parked up cars on either side) when I hear an almighty bang... look around and a ***** in a white transit has gone intot eh side of me!!!

I really expected to get out and see all the side of the car mashed in, but i got out and found the damage to be a lot less than i expected (but still bad enough!)

So... heres where i start all the hassle cos it has to have the back bumper repainted and the wheel is scuffed too (lots of arguments im sure about having a new wheel and not a repair!!!)

I don't know whether to count myself lucky none of the metal work was damaged (other than some tiny tiny little scuffs on the rear wheel arch which will polish to near invisibility... or count myself unlucky that if i had been going 2mph faster under the circumstance it would have been a near miss!

Anyway, anyone ever had any work done at Car cosmetics in trafford park manchester? This is apparently an approved VW group bodyshop, and quite highly scored I am told - anyone any experience?

Asked the guy and he reckons he will be able to paint the bumper and match the colour exactly without doing any sort of blending down the panels (i really hope so!) I will be well impressed if they can. Also don't know if dolphin is a had or easy colour to match.

pic:

http://homepage.mac.com/scrowther/IMG_1081.JPG

 

[sat1983]

Feel for you mate. Considering what has happened, it seems you're lucky it wasn't much worse. I'm sure it'll be sorted in no time.

 

[Eeef]

Did you not get the guys insurance details? If you did just pass it straight to your insurance company and tell them you want it sorted at an Audi garage.

 

[Amchlolor]

Did you not get the guys insurance details? If you did just pass it straight to your insurance company and tell them you want it sorted at an Audi garage.

Correct.
When an old woman ran up the **** of my A4, insurance took over.
Her insurers (Tesco) tried to get me to take the car to one of 'their' repairers, but I just insisted on Audi.
I also insisted on an Audi courtesy car.
It wasn't my fault, so I didn't see why I should run around in a Kia, or some such other piece of courtesy crap, for two weeks.
You are, after all, entitled to a courtesy car "in keeping with your loss".

 

[JohnS3]

Well said Bowfer!!

 

[steve184]

well my insurance are going on saying if i dont have it done at an AA approved (for cost probably!) repairer they won't sort a courtesy car. I phoned Audi they put me in touch with an accident management firm they use and they are now dealing with it as a credit repair, ie they pay all costs then claim back from 3rd party, they are using audi approved repairer and i get like for like hire car - by the looks of it my insurance company don't even need to get involved now.

Guy at the bodyshop has agreed i should get a new wheel and a whole new bumper - first problem over with, he reckons the paint can be matched perfectly without any blending up the sides - just hope he is right and i'll be happy then - or as happy as i can be with a car that aint no virgin no more :-(

 

[RedSportback]

Word of advice.
Not telling your insurance company that you have had a accident, whether your fault or not can lead to companies pulling the cover when and if you next have a bump.

It will be recorded somewhere that you've had a accident in the car, if you fail to notify then problems occur.

I work for emergency services and we are now being told that even if we have a crash - fault or no fault in a service vehcile we have to inform our own private insurance company as well.

 

[996TT_Stevo]

Listen, this will make you feel good!

Brand new Black Sportback Sport 2.0TDi, purchased for my good lady, only 2 days old and 11 miles on the clock when she decided to take the garden wall out, no joke! You know when they say you get this very sick feel when something bad has happened, well she was phoning my office to tell me what happened in the middle of being sick. Rear Door, Rear Wheel, Rear Bottom Quarter (beside door) and Rear Bumper, all replaced and sprayed £3.8k Job and a ****** good job was well done! Just a bit frustrating.

 

[treblesykes]

Listen, this will make you feel good!

Brand new Black Sportback Sport 2.0TDi, purchased for my good lady, only 2 days old and 11 miles on the clock when she decided to take the garden wall out, no joke! You know when they say you get this very sick feel when something bad has happened, well she was phoning my office to tell me what happened in the middle of being sick. Rear Door, Rear Wheel, Rear Bottom Quarter (beside door) and Rear Bumper, all replaced and sprayed £3.8k Job and a ****** good job was well done! Just a bit frustrating.

I would have bobbed round with a mini digger and knocked that wall down for half that price.. next time just ask

 

[steve184]

No its col RedSportback - I know this - i have told my insurance company, but striaght away they started with the 'you must use our approved repairer to get a courtesy car' crap and also for 3 year warranty - i'm not bein funny but my Audi warranty is far more important than that. So they do know about it - i was just saying that they won't hopefully need to get involved as should be able to claim straight from third party.

I'm due some good luck so heres hopin they can do a good job on what seems to be a relatively simple job. New bumper from audi, paint. New wheel, remount existing tyre. Job done. Just hope they get the paint match spot on! I've been here before and had a car repaired three times cos of this - the excuses were flowing and the fav was... oh painted plastic never matches painted metal! Well thats funny cos I have pictures of my car now that prove the bumper matches perfectly and thats what i want back!

 

[steve184]

well its gone in yesterday so fingers crossed - I felt from previous experiences with bodyshops that I needed to remind them about a few things so put it all in writing and presented it to them on drop off of the car - hopefully they take it serious and sort it.

Got an A4 3.0TDI Quattro S-line Tiptronic as a courtesy car tho which is nice! Must say though although it is RAPID, the engine isn't very refined at tickover but silky at higher revs, quite a lot of vibe under 1500rpm (tootling around) much more than my 4cyl 2.0TDI - bet then thats a bit more gruff at revs. Also first time ive used the Audi sat nav and i think its pants thank god i didnt spend 1200 quid on that! Its absoutely bobbins - i cudnt even work out how to use it without the manual and thats saying something for me im probably one of the most technologically literate ppl around! TomTom miles better but less convenient.

 

[steve184]

...and fantastic, i'm told that the scrote who hit me isn't insured - why do some people feel that the law isn't for them???????

 

[JohnS3]

I feel for you. Similar thing happen to me some years ago, the scrote thought he had got away with it. Then around 12 months later my insurance company sued him for all costs associated with the claim. Interesting story on the local news last week. 57% of drivers in Bradford are not insured, the cops are impounding thousands of cars!

 

[Gti Jazz Blue]

...and fantastic, i'm told that the scrote who hit me isn't insured - why do some people feel that the law isn't for them???????

Damn feel for you there. I hope the old bill get the sods.

So what happens about your excess and no-claims ? Certainly isn't your fault.

Paul

 

[96a6v6]

Sounds like from what you were saying the damage is quite minimal and you were lucky (or unlucky)

Hope you get it sorted soon

 

[Slinger]

well its gone in yesterday so fingers crossed - I felt from previous experiences with bodyshops that I needed to remind them about a few things so put it all in writing and presented it to them on drop off of the car - hopefully they take it serious and sort it.

Got an A4 3.0TDI Quattro S-line Tiptronic as a courtesy car tho which is nice! Must say though although it is RAPID, the engine isn't very refined at tickover but silky at higher revs, quite a lot of vibe under 1500rpm (tootling around) much more than my 4cyl 2.0TDI - bet then thats a bit more gruff at revs. Also first time ive used the Audi sat nav and i think its pants thank god i didnt spend 1200 quid on that! Its absoutely bobbins - i cudnt even work out how to use it without the manual and thats saying something for me im probably one of the most technologically literate ppl around! TomTom miles better but less convenient.

Thats quite a bold statement to make, why exactly is it pants? All I do with mine is input the postcode or name of where I'm going and thats it, it takes me to the door. Isnt that what sat nav is meant to do? As for not being able to work it out, well if you dont mind me saying you must be techincally incompetent as its a absolute piece of **** to use

anyway back on track, hope your car gets sorted out ok :thumbsup:

 

[h5djr]

The A4 has the multi-tronic gearbox which is totally different to the S-tronic on the A3.

The multi-tronic works on a metal belt between coned pulleys and the engine speed and the car speed can be totally different which I must admit does feel rather strange.

The S-tronic has normal meshed gears just a manual box but the actual gear changing is done using 2 wet-clutches, operate by a combination of hydraulics and electronics.

So far the S-tronic has only been developed for transverse engines and the A4 has an in-line engine.