Anyone used an accident management company?

[-Ju-]

So this morning I called in at a local bodyshop to address a lacquer peel issue to the rear bumper on my recently purchased approved used SQ5.
On the way back would you believe it a numpty in a Toyota Yaris ran into the back off me (that sorts the lacquer issue lol)
I have it all on dashcam and it's a slam dunk as regards fault.
I went straight back to the bodyshop and they have taken all the details and passed me on to an accident management company.
It's a well know main dealer bodyshop so no issues there, but I've never used a third party to sort the claim out and I've read a few horror stories regarding excessive hire charges and liability not being sort from the other side before starting work.
Has anyone been down this road at all, or am I better speaking with their insurance company direct?
I have informed my insurers and had it marked as information only at this stage.
The damage is not bad at all but will require bumper removal/repaint and the tailgate sorting.
I also hit a ****** pigeon this aft....first time ever lol

 

[ChrisG.]

From my experience of an accident management company, they just seemed to be after personal injury claim.

When I got hit, I sacked them off as they didn’t seem to have a clue and contacted my insurance company directly.

As the other person admitted liability they got me a claim ref number from their insurance, when they reported it.
I know the owner of a body shop and I gave him the ref number and the other persons details.

The whole claim (inc hire car) was then made directly with the other insurance. It was just a closed claim with my insurance (for info only) and didn’t affect my premiums.

Cheers

Chris

 

[-Ju-]

From my experience of an accident management company, they just seemed to be after personal injury claim.

When I got hit, I sacked them off as they didn’t seem to have a clue and contacted my insurance company directly.

As the other person admitted liability they got me a claim ref number from their insurance, when they reported it.
I know the owner of a body shop and I gave him the ref number and the other persons details.

The whole claim (inc hire car) was then made directly with the other insurance. It was just a closed claim with my insurance (for info only) and didn’t affect my premiums.

Cheers

Chris

Umm that's kind of what I was thinking,
It's not something I would normally do but as I'd literally just been in and then gone straight back there he suggested I used them.
I've not signed or committed to anything yet and I might still go straight to their insurers tbh,
I've no interest in making anything out of it, I just want it back as it was

 

[ChrisG.]

I may be wrong but I think (if I remember correctly) the accident management company take a certain percentage of the final bill from the body shop. The owner of my body shop warned me away from these types of company’s.

Not sure why the body shop would recommend an accident management company, unless there was something in it for them both.

 

[itchyhippo]

I was forced into using an accident management company when I had my non fault crash.

I would stay well away. We had nothing but trouble with them. Excessive car hire charges, and forcing our hand to sign a contract which left me liable to ALL charges no matter the outcome of the case.

They weren’t interested in who’s fault the crash actually was and just wanted to charge stupid amounts for the hire car and management services. They were deceiving and manipulative.

In the end my 1.5 week of hire car came to a grand total of almost £3K - and I was liable.

Luckily I won the case (after two years of fighting) - so I didn’t pay a penny, but it was close to going 50/50 due to the lack of evidence and in that case I would have been liable for at least 50% of the management company costs.

I would well recommend staying as far away from a ‘management company’ as possible.

Good luck with it all!

Alex


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[-Ju-]

I was forced into using an accident management company when I had my non fault crash.

I would stay well away. We had nothing but trouble with them. Excessive car hire charges, and forcing our hand to sign a contract which left me liable to ALL charges no matter the outcome of the case.

They weren’t interested in who’s fault the crash actually was and just wanted to charge stupid amounts for the hire car and management services. They were deceiving and manipulative.

In the end my 1.5 week of hire car came to a grand total of almost £3K - and I was liable.

Luckily I won the case (after two years of fighting) - so I didn’t pay a penny, but it was close to going 50/50 due to the lack of evidence and in that case I would have been liable for at least 50% of the management company costs.

I would well recommend staying as far away from a ‘management company’ as possible.

Good luck with it all!

Alex


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Wow, sounds like a complete nightmare.
I think I'm going to call the other parties insurance company first to see how the land lies.
I do have the footage saved and I told her that too just incase she felt like changing her story. Hopefully it will be straightforward.......yeah right lol

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[-Ju-]

Well that was easy!
Spoke to the other partys insurance company (Ageas) and they've already admitted responsibility.and will handle all the repairs and hire car etc.
Now to give the good news to the claims vultures.
Thanks for the words of wisdom

 

[ChrisG.]

Great news

 

[rum4mo]

I've only had one bodywork repair that was caused by a 3rd party action and they admitted it, as I was going against my insurer's wishes, I would not get a loan car while the car was being sorted - it was still roadworthy, just needed the rear bumper skin replaced and painted.
I did end up getting that sort of company involved somehow (!?) and their only task was providing a loan car, the costs for that would get recovered from the 3rd party's insurer, and as stated in a previous posting, would cost me "only" a huge chunk of money if the 3rd party did not cough up - it worked out okay though so no problem for me, total Sh**e of a car, a "top of the range VW Passat" which was nothing like my older VW Passat 4Motion, it used smelly slippery fuel and as it was a very early B6 model it did not have any support services for the electric handbrake, ie no HHA or zip all, very challenging to drive, plus at the ripe old age of 3K miles and a few months, it was a health hazard with continuous smokers driving it - and the dashboard plastered with "do not smoke in this car, if you do we will charge you for cleaning it" - ha ha very funny - idiots, I just used the bus to save my health! Tip, always demand to smell the inside of a loan car before accepting it! (I am a smoker who stopped smoking almost 40 years ago, so not a tree hugger, probably something much worse!)

Edit:- on reflection, it was this chance to experience a B6 Passat "top of the range" that pushed me away from Passats and into the land of S4s, so maybe "good job well done" for providing me with that loan car!

 

[-Ju-]

I've had the repairs approved now.
Comes to £3k which is ridiculous tbh for a fairly innocuous bump, I guess that's why we all pay ridiculous premiums if bodyshop are charging so much!
Regards the hire car while mines in, did you just accept what was offered, just a large SUV in my case or did you argue for something closer to what you have? Toyota land cruiser was mentioned by the hire company

 

[rum4mo]

I felt that the plan goes like this, my car was the top of the range Passat, so I suggested that as there was no equivalent quattro with big petrol engine, I'd settle for a Polo or a Golf - that request went ignored probably due to the company tied in to supply the loan car, needing to make their "fair" share of the dosh, so I was given a crap top of the limited range of Passats, a complete toad of a car!

 

[-Ju-]

I've been upgraded to an executive SUV after being told it could be a Hyundai Santa fe or Ford edge, "both lovely cars sir". Maybe so but not exactly like for like!
I asked for a standard Q5 but all the nice Audis are solely for Audi assist.
A quick call to the third parties insurers and fair play they've agreed to supply something better.
Let's see what Monday brings, something big and numb no doubt which I'll totally regret lol

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[rum4mo]

Well, what thing did Monday bring?

 

[-Ju-]

A GLE 350d!
Big numb and not a patch on the SQ5......but far better than a Hyundai Santa fe lol

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