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441 Posts
:( bang
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8,968 Posts
Gutted for you. Glad you are ok though and the mini protected you. Awful but yes first year you get new which is why I didn't bother with gap insurance. Thought it a rip off. Odd 're the colour . After 2 days ownership an Audi tried to harpoon me as he decided to go round a roundabout twice and then a merc just didn't stop at a give way at a x road and just came across the road in front of me. Can they not see the yellow?
Good that you are ok!
Surprised your insurer doesn't do new for old in the first 12 months - have you gone over the fine print if your policy? ..I haven't had a new car that didn't have this level of cover in place. My instant thought after seeing the damage and hearing it wasn't a write off made me think that your insurer was attempting to avoid a back to invoice pay out.
I had a nasty experience 12 years ago with a poor repair on a xenon equipped car, the repair looked ok but the head light couldn't be adjusted to counteract that the entire aluminium front end was twisted on the front subframe / chassis. I had a **** of a fight over a year to get appropriate compensation.
As has been said above, defo get that independent AA inspection....airbag deployment and severe front end damage mean that the integrity of the cars safety systems have been compromised. I would want clear assurance / certification that the car was capable of protecting me again in the event of another incident in the same way it did the first time around...
Having said all of the above.....you walked away which is the most important thing!
All the best.
Surprised your insurer doesn't do new for old in the first 12 months - have you gone over the fine print if your policy? ..I haven't had a new car that didn't have this level of cover in place. My instant thought after seeing the damage and hearing it wasn't a write off made me think that your insurer was attempting to avoid a back to invoice pay out.
I had a nasty experience 12 years ago with a poor repair on a xenon equipped car, the repair looked ok but the head light couldn't be adjusted to counteract that the entire aluminium front end was twisted on the front subframe / chassis. I had a **** of a fight over a year to get appropriate compensation.
As has been said above, defo get that independent AA inspection....airbag deployment and severe front end damage mean that the integrity of the cars safety systems have been compromised. I would want clear assurance / certification that the car was capable of protecting me again in the event of another incident in the same way it did the first time around...
Having said all of the above.....you walked away which is the most important thing!
All the best.
As an aside, GAP does make sense if you have finance on a car and it is competitively priced (cover that is, not the car!). I have back to invoice for 4 years quoted at £200 on the MCS (capped at £15000 claim limit) - this is through a broker....BMW want ridiculous money, dealers always do, they get significant commission on this type of finance product - not great value at all.
Policies are riddled with small print though.....you have to read all of it but on the plus side, legislation is now tough enough that you can get hold of the small print in a decent level of transparency before you take out a policy.
I read through a policy whilst surfing for the MCS GAP cover that offered insurance excess cover! Insuring your insurance whilst insuring the insurers insurance that you don't claim - don't you just love the finance industry :|
Policies are riddled with small print though.....you have to read all of it but on the plus side, legislation is now tough enough that you can get hold of the small print in a decent level of transparency before you take out a policy.
I read through a policy whilst surfing for the MCS GAP cover that offered insurance excess cover! Insuring your insurance whilst insuring the insurers insurance that you don't claim - don't you just love the finance industry :|
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441 Posts
Everyone should go out and give their MINIs a cuddle good night, wish I could. you don't know what you've got until it's gone. 
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734 Posts
Really sorry to see that profiteroles... you've inadvertantly tested the mini features we all hope we never have to test... but it looks like they worked. Did you have driving assistant?
And you're OK is the main thing... hopefully just hassle between now and driving a mini again!
And you're OK is the main thing... hopefully just hassle between now and driving a mini again!
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78 Posts
We have put ours to bed in a relative's garage whilst we're on holiday as James was just too worried about leaving it either at home on the driveway or the airport parking lots. Last time we left a car on the driveway, the neighbours across the road's Mondeo rolled back and smashed my R56 Cooper to the point of almost write off. Every cloud though, it was because of that incident we decided to call it quits and treat ourselves to the new F56 MCS.Everyone should go out and give their MINIs a cuddle good night, wish I could. you don't know what you've got until it's gone.
Although I'm sure it's all very raw still, in a way I hope the insurance company do write yours off as I don't believe you will ever feel the same in him when he's been repaired. I know we didn't when we got my old Mini back and were watching for any twitch or difference in handling. We lost a lot of confidence in it and a new car was definitely the way to go.
Good luck for tomorrow, I'll be following your posts with interest.
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52 Posts
OMG! Lurch groans... So sad to see this.
I would strongly recommend if you are forced to keep the car (and I would strongly recommend you do not) that you get compensation for diminution of value from the blind driver who hit you. I found out long after my first MINI was crunched that fact (being published in the vehicle history for car lots to read) resulted in the lowering of value, and in a couple of cases out right refusal to consider it as a trade.
I would be so frustrated if that happened my car. If you consider it therapeutic it would be interesting to hear the gory details from the perspective of how the MINI reacted to this catastrophe. How long have you had the car?
I would strongly recommend if you are forced to keep the car (and I would strongly recommend you do not) that you get compensation for diminution of value from the blind driver who hit you. I found out long after my first MINI was crunched that fact (being published in the vehicle history for car lots to read) resulted in the lowering of value, and in a couple of cases out right refusal to consider it as a trade.
I would be so frustrated if that happened my car. If you consider it therapeutic it would be interesting to hear the gory details from the perspective of how the MINI reacted to this catastrophe. How long have you had the car?
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86 Posts
Any chance of getting it written off- my insurers will replace with a new vehicle if damage exceeds 60% of market value during first two years of ownership.
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441 Posts
Here are a few more of the damage I took after they dragged it out of the junction - another day on and I'm feeling a bit more pragmatic and willing to talk about it!
As you can see the bonnet lifters did their job (albeit there were no pedestrians involved so nothing for them to protect). I didn't have the driving assistant installed. There was a lot of smoke from all those airbags - the other driver thought mine was on fire! The Volkswagen fared surprisingly well, although I did hit the back quarter with the front of my mini - so maybe that's not a fair fight!
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Overall the car did a great job of protecting me, I had only a few marks on my head where it hit the airbag. I'm waiting on the mini bodyshop to provide an estimate to the insurer, who will then decide whether to repair or write off. If it gets written off, I get a new one like for like.
I trust the dealership's body shop - they did work on my 1 series which was truly excellent. They would be able to tell if the chassis is damaged or not - I think i'd trust them more than the AA or similar. They aren't working in a commercial capacity with the insurer, the insurer wanted me to send it to one of their own network of repairers but I said no thanks it's going back to MINI to be assessed and quoted.
I'll update again when I find out if it's a write off or not - from the conversation I had with the bodyshop manager, it all depends on the chassis leg, which they will find out about when they prise open the bonnet.
As you can see the bonnet lifters did their job (albeit there were no pedestrians involved so nothing for them to protect). I didn't have the driving assistant installed. There was a lot of smoke from all those airbags - the other driver thought mine was on fire! The Volkswagen fared surprisingly well, although I did hit the back quarter with the front of my mini - so maybe that's not a fair fight!
Overall the car did a great job of protecting me, I had only a few marks on my head where it hit the airbag. I'm waiting on the mini bodyshop to provide an estimate to the insurer, who will then decide whether to repair or write off. If it gets written off, I get a new one like for like.
I trust the dealership's body shop - they did work on my 1 series which was truly excellent. They would be able to tell if the chassis is damaged or not - I think i'd trust them more than the AA or similar. They aren't working in a commercial capacity with the insurer, the insurer wanted me to send it to one of their own network of repairers but I said no thanks it's going back to MINI to be assessed and quoted.
I'll update again when I find out if it's a write off or not - from the conversation I had with the bodyshop manager, it all depends on the chassis leg, which they will find out about when they prise open the bonnet.
Poor Fevio...what appalling bad luck! At least you escaped relatively unscathed. Let's hope that you get a shiny new car in recompense for all the anguish...I would imagine it would be difficult to feel quite the same way about him in the future, although he does seem to have done his job in protecting you.
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52 Posts
> They often look worse than they actually are.
I agree. Looking at these new pictures, painful as they are to view, it might be better than I originally thought. The hidden stuff will tell the tale. In my accident the final bill more than doubled the estimate. Once they get in there and start fixing stuff they find more to fix.
I'm curious, has anyone looked at your event data recorder? I'm not happy about having one of those things in the car.
I agree. Looking at these new pictures, painful as they are to view, it might be better than I originally thought. The hidden stuff will tell the tale. In my accident the final bill more than doubled the estimate. Once they get in there and start fixing stuff they find more to fix.
I'm curious, has anyone looked at your event data recorder? I'm not happy about having one of those things in the car.
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96 Posts
Take care!It's not about this
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441 Posts
Just waiting on news from the insurer on the prognosis of FEVIO after his run in with the evil Volkwagen from doom... should know in the next few days.
At least as we can see, the MINI performs well in a frontal impact (I'm alright!)
At least as we can see, the MINI performs well in a frontal impact (I'm alright!)
Lordy: if a Senior Member has to suffer a full frontal collision for the MiniF56 team, then God help the Super Moderator; that must be at least a multi car pile up or a cliff fall!
Do we need to have a whip-round for flowers for Peter/pjsjr13, just in case???
Think I'm going stop posting and hang on to my lowly Member status.
Seriously though, profiteroles, hope you get some sense out of the insurers soon: it can't be easy waiting.
Do we need to have a whip-round for flowers for Peter/pjsjr13, just in case???
Think I'm going stop posting and hang on to my lowly Member status.
Seriously though, profiteroles, hope you get some sense out of the insurers soon: it can't be easy waiting.
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