Thread: wrote off cat b s3

Hi guys, i'm after a little insurance advice. Last wednesday my s3 was written off by a young woman driver, the ins firm have given it a cat b unroadworthy status which also means i cannot buy the car back to break, During a phone call yesterday with the tecreports i was told my pride and joy s3 is worth £2095!!, now obviously i'm not too happy about this as the engine was only rebuilt last year at a cost of £1600, Is there anything that can be done about the valuation that these engineers have put on my car?

Always refuse the first offer, they usually offer you the trade in value as a starter, or what's showing on their screens anyways. Then dig up some pistonheads/autotrader ads of similar specc'd cars and argue your case for a higher payout!

Obviously with this being an Audi forum, we are going to be biased in some way, but you can't buy a replacement 8L S3 for £2095, you can't even get a 'Cat C' one for that sum neither!

Goodluck!

Agree with JoJo .Do not except there offer no matter what pushy little tit rings you up simply say im not excepting the offer
they will call a few times with bull stories of how there offer is final .Tell them no and put it to them you will get an indy valuation .bide your time .

As JoJo said, get some Autotrader/Pistonhead adverts together with S3's of a similar spec to yours and send them it. Insurance is there for the peice of mind that should anything happen, you can get back to how you where in the same, or like for like car, with minimal fuss.

Agree with jojo. If know any one in the motor trade ask them if you can use there glasses guide and value your car. Most insurance companies and motor traders use them.
Or just go on the internet get there number and ask them but i think its a £1 an minute. Remember if the car doesnt come with full service history they will take money off. May be worth asking if an they can get an independent inspector to value it.
Get on the internet and get some adverts of S3 with the same miles and year and use that.
Good luck

Cheers matey! yeah i've spoken to another firm of assesors who kindly informed me FOC! the Glass's guide states my car is worth £2600 trade in and the retail price £4325

how many miles did it have any service history etc

I would ask for the email address of the assessor who's dealing with your claim and contact them that way. At least everything's in writing and you know where you stand.
This websites fairly close for trade values of most, but not all, cars: What Car? - New and Used Car Reviews, Car Deals, News & Advice

How did you get on with this?

I had my old XR2i written off 2 weeks after photos for a Performance Ford magazine feature were done. Cheeky twats sent me a cheque for £500. Oddly I refused and they upped the offer to £700. After almost 6 months of backing and forwarding I threatened to contact the insurance ombudsman and they sent me another revised offer at £2800. Stick to your guns, know what you want and don't let them get away with crappy offers