Well this happened on the 20th of april but been away from ASN so i thought id fill you in, and please comment on what you think....
Ok then, travelling along minding my own business, and for the last mile a silver laguna travelling right up my backside, i indicated to turn right into the junction i was heading and the laguna slowed down also ,and then for no apparant reason, the guy floored it, spinning the wheels and smashed straight into the back of me then drove off, luckily i got the plate no....Pulled straight over rang 999, they didnt want to know and told me to go into the local station to report it....
So went into the local station for the area i was in (newcastle under lyme) and they also didnt want to know and said there was no officers available to take a statement and they'd be out to see me in the next 3-4 days...
As you can imagine, i was not impressed and told the duty officer this was disgusting, potentially the guy who run in the back of me could have been ******, banned or whatever and they didnt have the staff! thanks....
Not happy with this i went to another station local to my address, they WERE able to take the statement from me and to try and trace this other vehicle/driver..
The officer who i spoke to said the car is registered as trade but there are no keeper details on the dvla system, so seemingly it looked like i was going to have to foot the bill or have an increase in premium if i went through my insurance...
I contacted my insurance the next day and they, to be fair were really good, arranged for my car to be collected and for a like for like hire car, and all this was due to take place within the next couple of days.
The next day i had a letter from the insurance to say that i would have to pay my £700 excess and would lose 2 years NCD, AND MY PREMIUM WOULD INCREASE. Not happy with this i rang the insurance back and said i would be putting the claim on hold as it might be cheaper for me to either get the car repaired myself or to wait and see what happens with regards to the third party. The insurance understood my position and agreed to put the claim on hold.
Two days later i recieved a letter again from my insurance stipulating that they would not be able to hold my claim or proceed with it unless i had my car repaired.. So again, not happy with this i rang and explained that i was losing out for somthing that wasnt obviously my fault and that i pay my premium for my insurance so that it protects me on occasions such as this one....So after digging my heels in i recieved yet another letter to say they were confident that the third party car held a valid policy of some description and they could reclaim all the costs, so on that account my NCD were still protected and the excess to my vehicle would be waived...
After i recieved this letter i authorised the repairs to my car, and this is where it gets interesting....
The reccomended repairers were HOWARD BASFORD, a big and reputable place that specialise in only vag models and also the main repairer for all the vag main dealers, so seemingly i was confident it was going to a good home for the next couple of weeks..
So the repairers arranged to collect my car from my home address and i agreed a time after 4pm as i would be working in the day.
I waited for the collection and nobody turned up. I called the next day and the service manager said that they turned up and i wasnt in.? So i asked what time was this? he said "3pm", and i said well i said afer 4? and the response was "thats far to late to collect a car", so my response was, im very sorry but how do you go on for the people who work 9-5.30? And then i said he could collect the keys from me at work as its on the way from there depot if there were going to struggle for the time slot, and he replied "im sorry sir, we are far to busy to be chasing keys all over the county so i said well forget it then mate ill get another garage to carry out the repairs.. and then he said "after 4 is fine sir, see you then"
Next day i waited and waited again and then a low loader arrives at 6.30pm. and the guy says, is it ok to take the vehicle without doing the vehicle checklist as ive forgotton it? And at this point i said forget it pal ill ring the insurance and find another garage...Im ready strangle somebody at this point, and i gave the bloke the benefit if the doubt and gave him the spare key and he promised me he'd collect whilst i was at work, and post me the vehicle checklist through the door...i agreed and left the situation at that...And next day, car was gone and checklist through the door.
I recieved a phonecall a few days later and the repair had been autorised and would take around a week to do, I was more than happy with this as my 1.9automatic diesel astra was not match for the s3...
The repairs had been completed on the 28th ofthis month to which the garage had informed me on the day previous, and arranged with me a time AFTER 4pm to drop my vehicle back with me on the 28th...
So thurdday 28th may arrives and im looking forward to getting my pride and joy back...Phonecall early that day from the garage asking if it would be possible for somebody to drive my car back to me as all the trucks were out and they had "a couple of lads who lived my way", i replied, no im not happy for my car to be driven back as i purposly left the petrol low and it around a 25 mile drive, but as my hire car was going back at 6pm i had no other choice but agreed on this...
I got home from work just after 4 and still not happy with this i decided on going up to the repairers and following my car home to see who and how it was going to be driven.....
Arrived at the garage, sat in the hire car and waited.......
30 mins later the car emerges with a youngish lad behind the wheel... car goes flying down the road, round the roundabout at the bottom of the road and back to the garage, this happens again with another guy, so at this point im steaming but wanna keep it cool so film the lot on my phone and carry on waiting until the car is going get driven to my address.....
6pm the car leaves with another guy behind the wheel, followed by his lift i presume and then me following them to my house....Traffic was busyish so i was 5/6 cars behind but had them in my sights.. then a puff of smoke and the s3 vanished... im travelling very very quick to try and catch up but lost them completely and was unable to film on fone as battery was dying.....Almost home and i was ready for a full on confrontation but fone ring again and its the garage saying the car has had to be returned due to a "scraping noise" and this happened 1 mile down the road apparantly but id followed them for at lesat 7/8.... i knew instantly somebody waqs taking the pi** so as soon as i got home got straight on the phone but the garage was closed.... i was so angry, i knew some cheeky t**t had taken my car home and there was nowt i could do....
Later that night made another visit to the garage, looked all round the carpark, in the bodyshops etc and no sign of it...grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Friday morning got up extra early. borrowed a pals car and went straight to the garage and was going wait for the cheeky T**t to turn in work and then av him. Arrived at the garage at 7am and the bodyshop was already open and there sat my car on the carpark, confronted the guy in the bodyshop who swears it has been on the carpark all night, but as i know he's blatently lying i take the keys move the car and wait for the manager to arrive... Manager assures me the cars been there all night, has only been for a test drive and that im wrong.
I say ok im sorry but how do you explain this.... showed him the videos on my phone and he went blank.....i said "dont know what your going to do mate but i want this sorting else im ringing the police, this is called taking a car without consent i.e theft and i didnt give you or anybody permission to take it home...and then walked out....
Lter that day a phonecall of apology, and still claiming what i filmed and saw were testdrives? thrashing a £30k+ car as ridiculous speeds is not my idea of a testdrive... so i said ii want the car returning tonight, on a truck and i will take this further with either legal action or through the insurance...
Friday night car arrives, but been driven to my address, are these people having a laugh!!! cant believe it, but signed for the car and was glad to have it back. car was clean job looked reasonable so was happy, pis*ed off at what id been through but waskeen to get compensated for the treatment i recieved....
Checked milege on car extra 80 miles? what the F@*k? damage was only cosmetic so no mechanical testdrive is needed surely, so this was somthing else to take up with the garage....
Got up sat morning sun was blaring so looking forward to a drive out in her...
at this point ill tell you what was repaired and replaced through insurance....Rear bumper,tailgate,badges,slam panel,n/s rear light, bumper reinforcment bar, rear n/s quarter panel had to be pulled on the jig and repaired so this was also painted...
Anyhows in the drive the missus said, good job eh/ i say not bad and then noticed the bumper looked slightly lighter in colour to the o/s quarter panel which hadnt been touched, got round to the damaged side and the colour difference stands out like a sore thumb the whole n/s quarter panel, bumper + tailgate are a different shade of black, totally lighter and looks dull....Again FUMING
Straight back to the garage sat morn, got the bodyshop manager to have a look and he said yeah your right, whats it like in the shade?
I said i dont give a **** what its like in the shade, in the sun its a diff colour and theres no excuse...
He said ok we'llk hav it back and we'll flick the door and wing in....
I said listen mate i dont want the car blending in in a different colour, i want it to be the colour that it was when it came in and i want it putting right asap!!!!
Bodyshop manager says, could possibly be the make of paint and apparantly my insurance company dont stipulate ici products, and this could be the problem, and to this i said, please dont insult my intelligence, the mix is wrong so i want it sorting and i want it sorting asap, and another hire car etc and this is your final chance as what ive experienced so far is horrendous!!!
Best they can do is mid june and i have got to insure their courtesy car..
Now this is my experience so far and as far as im concerned, heads are going to roll on Tomorrow morning, its not going back to the garage at any cost, id rather pay for the paint work and take them court to reclaim my money back...
oh and not to forget the lower spoiler on the bumper hadnt been replaced and still contains the scuffs from the accident..
Please can somebody tell me why we pay insurance premiums?
thanks for reading, sorry this is long winded but im just tring warn you of what goes on behind closed doors!!
comments welcome
andy
Ok then, travelling along minding my own business, and for the last mile a silver laguna travelling right up my backside, i indicated to turn right into the junction i was heading and the laguna slowed down also ,and then for no apparant reason, the guy floored it, spinning the wheels and smashed straight into the back of me then drove off, luckily i got the plate no....Pulled straight over rang 999, they didnt want to know and told me to go into the local station to report it....
So went into the local station for the area i was in (newcastle under lyme) and they also didnt want to know and said there was no officers available to take a statement and they'd be out to see me in the next 3-4 days...
As you can imagine, i was not impressed and told the duty officer this was disgusting, potentially the guy who run in the back of me could have been ******, banned or whatever and they didnt have the staff! thanks....
Not happy with this i went to another station local to my address, they WERE able to take the statement from me and to try and trace this other vehicle/driver..
The officer who i spoke to said the car is registered as trade but there are no keeper details on the dvla system, so seemingly it looked like i was going to have to foot the bill or have an increase in premium if i went through my insurance...
I contacted my insurance the next day and they, to be fair were really good, arranged for my car to be collected and for a like for like hire car, and all this was due to take place within the next couple of days.
The next day i had a letter from the insurance to say that i would have to pay my £700 excess and would lose 2 years NCD, AND MY PREMIUM WOULD INCREASE. Not happy with this i rang the insurance back and said i would be putting the claim on hold as it might be cheaper for me to either get the car repaired myself or to wait and see what happens with regards to the third party. The insurance understood my position and agreed to put the claim on hold.
Two days later i recieved a letter again from my insurance stipulating that they would not be able to hold my claim or proceed with it unless i had my car repaired.. So again, not happy with this i rang and explained that i was losing out for somthing that wasnt obviously my fault and that i pay my premium for my insurance so that it protects me on occasions such as this one....So after digging my heels in i recieved yet another letter to say they were confident that the third party car held a valid policy of some description and they could reclaim all the costs, so on that account my NCD were still protected and the excess to my vehicle would be waived...
After i recieved this letter i authorised the repairs to my car, and this is where it gets interesting....
The reccomended repairers were HOWARD BASFORD, a big and reputable place that specialise in only vag models and also the main repairer for all the vag main dealers, so seemingly i was confident it was going to a good home for the next couple of weeks..
So the repairers arranged to collect my car from my home address and i agreed a time after 4pm as i would be working in the day.
I waited for the collection and nobody turned up. I called the next day and the service manager said that they turned up and i wasnt in.? So i asked what time was this? he said "3pm", and i said well i said afer 4? and the response was "thats far to late to collect a car", so my response was, im very sorry but how do you go on for the people who work 9-5.30? And then i said he could collect the keys from me at work as its on the way from there depot if there were going to struggle for the time slot, and he replied "im sorry sir, we are far to busy to be chasing keys all over the county so i said well forget it then mate ill get another garage to carry out the repairs.. and then he said "after 4 is fine sir, see you then"
Next day i waited and waited again and then a low loader arrives at 6.30pm. and the guy says, is it ok to take the vehicle without doing the vehicle checklist as ive forgotton it? And at this point i said forget it pal ill ring the insurance and find another garage...Im ready strangle somebody at this point, and i gave the bloke the benefit if the doubt and gave him the spare key and he promised me he'd collect whilst i was at work, and post me the vehicle checklist through the door...i agreed and left the situation at that...And next day, car was gone and checklist through the door.
I recieved a phonecall a few days later and the repair had been autorised and would take around a week to do, I was more than happy with this as my 1.9automatic diesel astra was not match for the s3...
The repairs had been completed on the 28th ofthis month to which the garage had informed me on the day previous, and arranged with me a time AFTER 4pm to drop my vehicle back with me on the 28th...
So thurdday 28th may arrives and im looking forward to getting my pride and joy back...Phonecall early that day from the garage asking if it would be possible for somebody to drive my car back to me as all the trucks were out and they had "a couple of lads who lived my way", i replied, no im not happy for my car to be driven back as i purposly left the petrol low and it around a 25 mile drive, but as my hire car was going back at 6pm i had no other choice but agreed on this...
I got home from work just after 4 and still not happy with this i decided on going up to the repairers and following my car home to see who and how it was going to be driven.....
Arrived at the garage, sat in the hire car and waited.......
30 mins later the car emerges with a youngish lad behind the wheel... car goes flying down the road, round the roundabout at the bottom of the road and back to the garage, this happens again with another guy, so at this point im steaming but wanna keep it cool so film the lot on my phone and carry on waiting until the car is going get driven to my address.....
6pm the car leaves with another guy behind the wheel, followed by his lift i presume and then me following them to my house....Traffic was busyish so i was 5/6 cars behind but had them in my sights.. then a puff of smoke and the s3 vanished... im travelling very very quick to try and catch up but lost them completely and was unable to film on fone as battery was dying.....Almost home and i was ready for a full on confrontation but fone ring again and its the garage saying the car has had to be returned due to a "scraping noise" and this happened 1 mile down the road apparantly but id followed them for at lesat 7/8.... i knew instantly somebody waqs taking the pi** so as soon as i got home got straight on the phone but the garage was closed.... i was so angry, i knew some cheeky t**t had taken my car home and there was nowt i could do....
Later that night made another visit to the garage, looked all round the carpark, in the bodyshops etc and no sign of it...grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Friday morning got up extra early. borrowed a pals car and went straight to the garage and was going wait for the cheeky T**t to turn in work and then av him. Arrived at the garage at 7am and the bodyshop was already open and there sat my car on the carpark, confronted the guy in the bodyshop who swears it has been on the carpark all night, but as i know he's blatently lying i take the keys move the car and wait for the manager to arrive... Manager assures me the cars been there all night, has only been for a test drive and that im wrong.
I say ok im sorry but how do you explain this.... showed him the videos on my phone and he went blank.....i said "dont know what your going to do mate but i want this sorting else im ringing the police, this is called taking a car without consent i.e theft and i didnt give you or anybody permission to take it home...and then walked out....
Lter that day a phonecall of apology, and still claiming what i filmed and saw were testdrives? thrashing a £30k+ car as ridiculous speeds is not my idea of a testdrive... so i said ii want the car returning tonight, on a truck and i will take this further with either legal action or through the insurance...
Friday night car arrives, but been driven to my address, are these people having a laugh!!! cant believe it, but signed for the car and was glad to have it back. car was clean job looked reasonable so was happy, pis*ed off at what id been through but waskeen to get compensated for the treatment i recieved....
Checked milege on car extra 80 miles? what the F@*k? damage was only cosmetic so no mechanical testdrive is needed surely, so this was somthing else to take up with the garage....
Got up sat morning sun was blaring so looking forward to a drive out in her...
at this point ill tell you what was repaired and replaced through insurance....Rear bumper,tailgate,badges,slam panel,n/s rear light, bumper reinforcment bar, rear n/s quarter panel had to be pulled on the jig and repaired so this was also painted...
Anyhows in the drive the missus said, good job eh/ i say not bad and then noticed the bumper looked slightly lighter in colour to the o/s quarter panel which hadnt been touched, got round to the damaged side and the colour difference stands out like a sore thumb the whole n/s quarter panel, bumper + tailgate are a different shade of black, totally lighter and looks dull....Again FUMING
Straight back to the garage sat morn, got the bodyshop manager to have a look and he said yeah your right, whats it like in the shade?
I said i dont give a **** what its like in the shade, in the sun its a diff colour and theres no excuse...
He said ok we'llk hav it back and we'll flick the door and wing in....
I said listen mate i dont want the car blending in in a different colour, i want it to be the colour that it was when it came in and i want it putting right asap!!!!
Bodyshop manager says, could possibly be the make of paint and apparantly my insurance company dont stipulate ici products, and this could be the problem, and to this i said, please dont insult my intelligence, the mix is wrong so i want it sorting and i want it sorting asap, and another hire car etc and this is your final chance as what ive experienced so far is horrendous!!!
Best they can do is mid june and i have got to insure their courtesy car..
Now this is my experience so far and as far as im concerned, heads are going to roll on Tomorrow morning, its not going back to the garage at any cost, id rather pay for the paint work and take them court to reclaim my money back...
oh and not to forget the lower spoiler on the bumper hadnt been replaced and still contains the scuffs from the accident..
Please can somebody tell me why we pay insurance premiums?
thanks for reading, sorry this is long winded but im just tring warn you of what goes on behind closed doors!!
comments welcome
andy
"fixed" by Howard Bastardford back in 1997, a great job it was not...
