How can they write it off ?

Valid8 · 06-01-2009, 08:02 PM

On Jan 1st my wife went through a green light and collected another car that sailed through the red. Of course the other party has no insurance and our insurance company is mucking us around saying our AU3 Fairmont may be a write off. The front bumber and L/H guard were damaged, but they say re-installing the 2 front airbags is probably too expensive. The Fairmont was in pristine condition, new yokohamas, new gas conversion, only 80 000 km on the clock, 11 months reg. What options do I have ? They say that the are still weighing up the cost, it seems a shame. How much do 2 airbags cost?

[

**Peuty** · 06-01-2009, 08:03 PM

What was the car's insured value for starters?

Unco · 06-01-2009, 08:04 PM

is that a picture before or after the accident?? airbags can be expensive to replace if they need to replace all sensors and maybe all wiring???

**Professor Farnsworth** · 06-01-2009, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unco

is that a picture before or after the accident?? airbags can be expensive to replace if they need to replace all sensors and maybe all wiring???

he said the front bumper and left hand guard were damaged, so i'm guessing the photo is beforehand.

**Professor Farnsworth** · 06-01-2009, 08:06 PM

real shame, but bags are expensive for sure. Unfortunately your car is probably only worth around 5-6 grand to them even with the low km's if that.

Valid8 · 06-01-2009, 08:09 PM

It was only market value, on Redbook it is valued at 7300 but thats before the gas conversion, so that has to be worth a little bit. The photo was before, imagine no bumper any more.

Buzz Box · 06-01-2009, 08:09 PM

It sucks but you have to look at the market value of your car at the moment........

According to Redbook
2002 Ford AU III Fairmont
* Private Price Guide $5,800 - $7,300
* Trade In Price Guide $3,600 - $5,100
* Average Km 90,000 - 150,000
* Price When New (RRP) $40,480

Think how much a new bumper, quarter panel and paint job are alone........

All I will say is if there was ever a time to have cash and be shopping for a new car now is that time, add $5,000-$10,000 and you'll get a couple of year old fairmont on gas etc so.......

Unco · 06-01-2009, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buzz Box

All I will say is if there was ever a time to have cash and be shopping for a new car now is that time, add $5,000-$10,000 and you'll get a couple of year old fairmont on gas etc so.......

agreed. if you get a good pay out, look forward to upgrading to a later model for little extra.

**Whoosha** · 06-01-2009, 08:14 PM

Providing its only a repairable right off just take the payout buy the car back then get it repaired yourself

Mr Hardware · 06-01-2009, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whoosha

Providing its only a repairable write-off, just take the payout and buy the car back, then get it repaired yourself.

100% Correct sir. One gold star.
Also
MAKE PROFIT

ie
$7k payout
$2k buyback
$3k repair job
=$2k profit!

Nikked · 06-01-2009, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Hardware

100% Correct sir. One gold star.
Also
MAKE PROFIT

ie
$7k payout
$2k buyback
$3k repair job
=$2k profit!

haha, 3k repair job...

Piotr · 14-01-2009, 11:37 PM

At the end of the day YOU own the car, if you want the wreck cancel your claim and keep the car.

LTDHO · 07-01-2009, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Hardware

100% Correct sir. One gold star.
Also
MAKE PROFIT

ie
$7k payout
$2k buyback
$3k repair job
=$2k profit!

Ha ha ha, not quite.

If the car is valued at $7k.

$7k payout
$2k Buy back
$4k+ repairs
$1k on roads
No profit and you now own a repaired writeoff.

The Mighty Red · 10-01-2009, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Hardware

100% Correct sir. One gold star.
Also
MAKE PROFIT

ie
$7k payout
$2k buyback
$3k repair job
=$2k profit!

Are you sure about this?......I wrote off my XC Fairmont GXL 351 nine inch ,top loader etc , etc, in 1990..... the payout was $3500....when I approached the insurance company about buying the car back , he said forget it I have already been offered as much aS YOUR PAYOUT.......TO WHICH i WAS EXTREMELY ****ED......he was getting more from a wrecker for my car wrecked I was being payed out after paying 6 years of premiums and a perfect car.

mrbaxr6t · 10-01-2009, 08:50 PM

RACV gave me a rectal pillage had an EF futura modded off its head by JMM INFORMED THEM OF MODS and the value of the car was increasing as a result (as was the premiums) which I happily paid car got rolled at highway speed - needless to say it was destroyed, insurance company "lost" all records of my mods and offered me 5k for the car when I had spent that much on mods alone and they knew it, I seen the assessor and pleaded my case with him with receipts in hand and all was a total hardass and stuck to his guns of it not being worth more than 5k. I really could have knocked this guys' block off but that was his "assessment" and that was that. My AU is insured agreed value and I phone them every 6 months to "reset" the market value as I AM NOT GETTING LESS FOR THE CAR THAN I OWE ON IT - this is terribly unfair IMHO. Yes they whine when I say its worth 13k because thats what I owe on it but I just say no worries I will see what other companies will do for me for my 3 cars my house and my contents and they seem to fold and give me what I want.

sry for the caps I am still quite sore I lost 12k all said and done on the EF

Mr Hardware · 11-01-2009, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Mighty Red

Are you sure about this?......I wrote off my XC Fairmont GXL 351 nine inch ,top loader etc , etc, in 1990..... the payout was $3500....when I approached the insurance company about buying the car back , he said forget it I have already been offered as much aS YOUR PAYOUT.......TO WHICH i WAS EXTREMELY ****ED......he was getting more from a wrecker for my car wrecked I was being payed out after paying 6 years of premiums and a perfect car.

Well I can't comment on what happened with insurance in 1990, but i certainly know that in this millennium that generally, the buyback figures for wrecked cars is fairly low. All the figures I specified were fairly arbitary, but if you expect someone to pay more than two grand for a smashed up AU, you're mad.

**Peuty** · 06-01-2009, 08:10 PM

I would have had the insurance company increase the agreed value due to the gas conversion.

Unco · 06-01-2009, 08:11 PM

i'd say since you had the gas conversion done, your insurance should cover you for market value + gas conversion. hope you get it and sorry to hear they don't want to repair your car, that must really suck.

Valid8 · 06-01-2009, 08:14 PM

You are right it sucks, I just waxed it.

Kryton · 06-01-2009, 08:17 PM

pictures would be a good start.
the front bumper and guard could be a whole lot more damage than you might think.
the airbags have gone off so there is a 90% chance the radiator support panel will need replacing too along with the side rail and the chassis rails might need straightening as well.
good luck with it but its time to move on as it will be a write off.

Valid8 · 06-01-2009, 08:17 PM

To buy it back as a repairable write off, who decides its value? Do I bid against other interested parties?

**Whoosha** · 06-01-2009, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by COOGES

To buy it back as a repairable write off, who decides its value? Do I bid against other interested parties?

Most times you can just get a pay out figure on the vechical before it even goes to auction ussally cheaper than you might think as the wholesalers are full of wrecks that wont sell, the insurance company save on all the transport and auction cost this way, we have done this twice before and both times were surprised how cheap they let the vechical go.. Well worht asking the question, if it gets that far.

**Peuty** · 06-01-2009, 08:19 PM

Yes mate you will have to go down to Pickles or whatever and bid for it.

Unco · 06-01-2009, 08:20 PM

normally they will give you a figure, so you won't have to bid for it at auction. that's what happened when dad wrote his car off, when my sister wrote her car off and when my brother wrote his car off. it may depend on the insurance company though.

Pedro · 07-01-2009, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unco

normally they will give you a figure, so you won't have to bid for it at auction. that's what happened when dad wrote his car off, when my sister wrote her car off and when my brother wrote his car off. it may depend on the insurance company though.

Insurance companies must love your family ... LOL

**GasoLane** · 07-01-2009, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unco

normally they will give you a figure, so you won't have to bid for it at auction. that's what happened when dad wrote his car off, when my sister wrote her car off and when my brother wrote his car off. it may depend on the insurance company though.

WHOAA! That'd be a fun family to ride passenger with

R-series · 20-01-2009, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unco

normally they will give you a figure, so you won't have to bid for it at auction. that's what happened when dad wrote his car off, when my sister wrote her car off and when my brother wrote his car off. it may depend on the insurance company though.

hope you didnt all get your driving lessons from the same family member ?

:

Smoke Pursuit · 06-01-2009, 08:31 PM

Insurance companies usually pay out higher then Redbook.. One of my friends wrote off her 99 Corolla and i got 4 kay more for it then Redbook just thru talking to the insurance company and showing them what i would pay for a car in simliar condition...

Nikked · 06-01-2009, 08:53 PM

Hmmm, if two bags have gone off, that gives an image of bent chassis rails etc. When a air bag goes of, its not just a job of putting two airbags in. Some cars need a new wires plugs etc, as the heat from the detonation melts it all. The dash can be damaged aswell. Thats alot of labor, and expensive parts....

Valid8 · 06-01-2009, 08:59 PM

Just been looking at carsales and I would be out of pocket a bit to update, bloody people with no insurance. grrrrrrr.