Bodywork repair after an accident

Paul Frost

Paul Frost

Joined
Jul 16, 2017
Posts
38
Likes collected
58
Location
Scotland
Funster No
49,492
MH
Carthago I 141
Exp
Had one 15 years ago, Globestar for last 3 years and now an A Class
We were hit by a car on the motorway and have a tear in the body and damaged side skirt/trim and some other damage, but is drivable and secure.
We live in the Scottish highlands and need to find someone to do the repairs, the insurer doesn’t have anyone and has left it to us to find a repairer. I’m guessing that there will be spare parts required, like the trim along the bottom/side, which I assume are Carthago specific. I’ve tried emailing Carthago for advice on where to take it but have had no response after a week.
Anyone with experience of getting this sort of work done that can give any advice on who to trust to do the work?
I appreciate that we may need to travel south to find somewhere suitable.
IMG_3816.jpeg
 
A long way for you but DMR Harworth Doncater are very good, we had warranty work undertaken and Premium send work in their direction. Ps, sorry this happened to you as it’s a total pain in the ass, hopefully you will have a positive outcome.
 

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For servicing, bodyshop work, mechanical repairs, maintenance & MOTs on all types of caravans and motorhomes, look no further than the Motorhome Repair Centre.
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Used these guys and can honestly say top class job. Not the cheapest around but brilliant work when I hit the top corner of ours.
 
Also might be worth contacting Lewis at Cannock Resprays. They do all the Carthago repairs for Go European. They also have access to the Carthago spare parts system to order parts specifically for each motorhome. They’re not cheap but are very good.
 
Why is the insurer leaving you to find somebody to repair it?
You paid them a premium for insurance which will include putting the vehicle back into the condition it was in before the accident so it's their responsibility not yours.
In addition if you take responsibility for the repair they will wash their hands if they are not up to scratch.
Tell them it's their problem not yours.
 
Gellyneck said:
Why is the insurer leaving you to find somebody to repair it?
You paid them a premium for insurance which will include putting the vehicle back into the condition it was in before the accident so it's their responsibility not yours.
In addition if you take responsibility for the repair they will wash their hands if they are not up to scratch.
Tell them it's their problem not yours.
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We are insured with Comfort Insurance and they subbed it out to Aviva. The claims guy from Aviva said that they didn’t handle many motorhome claims and so didn’t have a preferred repair agent and so was giving is the freedom to choose. It sounded like a good idea at the time and may still be, but I do recognise the potential issue of us taking responsibility for who does the repair.

This is why I asked the question here, to try and get some views on how to choose. It’s the fact that we will need probably need some parts that may only be available from Carthago that makes me think that we need to find a repair shop that has experience of Carthago. Or does it make no difference, as parts will not be any issue for any good repair shop?
 
NR said:
A long way for you but DMR Harworth Doncater are very good, we had warranty work undertaken and Premium send work in their direction. Ps, sorry this happened to you as it’s a total pain in the ass, hopefully you will have a positive outcome.
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I’ll second DMR at Doncaster they’re very good, Mike the owner is extremely helpful, as NR said premium send their Carthagos and Morelos there for any small cosmetic work👍👍
 
Paul Frost said:
We are insured with Comfort Insurance and they subbed it out to Aviva. The claims guy from Aviva said that they didn’t handle many motorhome claims and so didn’t have a preferred repair agent and so was giving is the freedom to choose. It sounded like a good idea at the time and may still be, but I do recognise the potential issue of us taking responsibility for who does the repair.

This is why I asked the question here, to try and get some views on how to choose. It’s the fact that we will need probably need some parts that may only be available from Carthago that makes me think that we need to find a repair shop that has experience of Carthago. Or does it make no difference, as parts will not be any issue for any good repair shop?
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We are also insured through Comfort who act as agent for Aviva for motorhome insurance and it is disconcerting to hear they are looking to abdicate their responsibilities in relation to the contract you have with them.

I have no stats on the volume of claims managed by Comfort but it sounds to me that Aviva's Claims Adjuster is either, personally, inexperienced in motorhome claims or is seeking to fob the effort you've already paid for off onto yourself.

As for replacement parts this is, again, your insurers responsibility as it is part of the claims / repair process.

The other key thing for me would be the matter of liability. You said the damage resulted from you being hit by a car and I would assume Comfort would want to pursue the car driver's insurers for recompense.

"You must contact us as soon as reasonably possible and provide all the information, documents, evidence and help we need to settle your claim or pursue a recovery."

If this is the case, would repairs by an entity for whom they have no control over in terms of cost and quality negatively impact their ability to do so? :unsure:
 
Our Frankia was broken into in 2015 when it was insured with Aviva through Comfort, (who are brokers) and Aviva's Claims manager was first class in taking charge and sorting out the repair for us.
 
Thanks for all the advice. It’s a shame that Carthago can’t be bothered to answer my email, as they probably have a good idea of who would be best. I’m going to phone Comfort and discuss the situation with them first. I’m conscious that although it sounds good for me to be able to choose, I don’t have the facts that would enable me to make the best choice.

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Paul Frost said:
Thanks for all the advice. It’s a shame that Carthago can’t be bothered to answer my email, as they probably have a good idea of who would be best. I’m going to phone Comfort and discuss the situation with them first. I’m conscious that although it sounds good for me to be able to choose, I don’t have the facts that would enable me to make the best choice.
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Cannock Resprays did a 1st class job replacing our bumper unit, so I definitely recommend them. However, Carthago did take ages to send them the part.
 
Paul Frost said:
We are insured with Comfort Insurance and they subbed it out to Aviva. The claims guy from Aviva said that they didn’t handle many motorhome claims and so didn’t have a preferred repair agent and so was giving is the freedom to choose. It sounded like a good idea at the time and may still be, but I do recognise the potential issue of us taking responsibility for who does the repair.

This is why I asked the question here, to try and get some views on how to choose. It’s the fact that we will need probably need some parts that may only be available from Carthago that makes me think that we need to find a repair shop that has experience of Carthago. Or does it make no difference, as parts will not be any issue for any good repair shop?
Click to expand...
I had a Roller team insured by Comfort that was hit by a car. Aviva emailed me a list of preferred repairers but the one that I went to turned out to be the most expensive that I got quotes from. It took 7 months to get the parts and the van repaired for a model still in production. While I was waiting I had the hab check done at Just Go motorhome rental who also quoted to do the repair at a fraction of the cost, had the parts in stock and could start the work the next day. I don't know if any hire companies hire out Carthago vans but if they do they would be worth trying.
 
Paul Frost said:
We were hit by a car on the motorway and have a tear in the body and damaged side skirt/trim and some other damage, but is drivable and secure.
We live in the Scottish highlands and need to find someone to do the repairs, the insurer doesn’t have anyone and has left it to us to find a repairer. I’m guessing that there will be spare parts required, like the trim along the bottom/side, which I assume are Carthago specific. I’ve tried emailing Carthago for advice on where to take it but have had no response after a week.
Anyone with experience of getting this sort of work done that can give any advice on who to trust to do the work?
I appreciate that we may need to travel south to find somewhere suitable.
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Has anyone ever had a MH which is made from pre- bonded aluminium panels repaired .i am assuming they fill the damage and paint as most vans are one piece sides ?
If so , were you happy with repair ? Could you still see it ?
 
I am in a similar position but have been offered either my choice of repairer or theirs. I have asked who their choice is as I have had various 'experiences' in the past and am also unsure if they will accept my choice - colin kirk - as he is not a national company. awaiting reply!
 
mikeg40 said:
I am in a similar position but have been offered either my choice of repairer or theirs. I have asked who their choice is as I have had various 'experiences' in the past and am also unsure if they will accept my choice - colin kirk - as he is not a national company. awaiting reply!
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Is that Colin at Kirk caravans?
 
Gellyneck said:
As for replacement parts this is, again, your insurers responsibility as it is part of the claims / repair process.
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I think that you misunderstand the concept of insurance, it is purely a financial contract. Yes, all motor insurers like to organise repairs for you, where they can, because it will save them money. But it's not actually compulsory, in most cases, and they offer guarantees on the work done and parts as an incentive for you to go along with them. They are absolutely not obligated to repair your vehicle for you, only to pay the reasonable cost of doing so.

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Gellyneck said:
We are also insured through Comfort who act as agent for Aviva for motorhome insurance and it is disconcerting to hear they are looking to abdicate their responsibilities in relation to the contract you have with them.

I have no stats on the volume of claims managed by Comfort but it sounds to me that Aviva's Claims Adjuster is either, personally, inexperienced in motorhome claims or is seeking to fob the effort you've already paid for off onto yourself.

As for replacement parts this is, again, your insurers responsibility as it is part of the claims / repair process.

The other key thing for me would be the matter of liability. You said the damage resulted from you being hit by a car and I would assume Comfort would want to pursue the car driver's insurers for recompense.

"You must contact us as soon as reasonably possible and provide all the information, documents, evidence and help we need to settle your claim or pursue a recovery."

If this is the case, would repairs by an entity for whom they have no control over in terms of cost and quality negatively impact their ability to do so? :unsure:
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Yes, this is a possibility. The insurer for the responsible driver may create difficulties by claiming that the costs incurred are unreasonable. Whilst this may not be the case, if this was to happen, it may create delays and disputes in relation to settlements between the insurers. Although strictly, this should be a matter for the individual insurers, you could find yourself drawn into the process, in relation to providing the information required to settle and demonstrating that, in the circumstances, reasonable enquiries have been made and the costs incurred are demonstrably reasonable. - As suggested by others, I would put this back with your insurers. You could of course make suggestions of repairer centres for them to follow up - and ensure that in the event of works not being carried out properly, or to your reasonable satisfaction, that the insurers retain full responsibility.
 
Eurohomer said:
I think that you misunderstand the concept of insurance, it is purely a financial contract. Yes, all motor insurers like to organise repairs for you, where they can, because it will save them money. But it's not actually compulsory, in most cases, and they offer guarantees on the work done and parts as an incentive for you to go along with them. They are absolutely not obligated to repair your vehicle for you, only to pay the reasonable cost of doing so.
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I believe I do understand the concept of insurance redress as outlined by The Financial Ombudsman and the policy in effect.

The Ombudsman process if repairs are unacceptable -
+++++
"When we’re deciding how well the repairs were handled, we'll listen to what both you and your insurer have to say. In most cases, we can make a decision with the evidence that’s already available such as:
  • photos,
  • claim notes,
  • repair history and;
  • engineers’ reports.
If this information isn’t clear or unavailable, we might ask both sides for more evidence, such as an independent expert view.

There can be confusion about who is responsible for what’s gone wrong with the repairs. If your vehicle’s been repaired by a garage that your insurer told you to use, then your insurer will be responsible.

But if you arranged the repairs yourself at your own garage with your insurer’s agreement, then we wouldn’t usually hold your insurer responsible for anything that’s gone wrong. However, we’d look at whether your insurer explained to you that you’d be responsible if anything went wrong with the repairs. If we think they explained this clearly enough, we normally wouldn’t uphold the complaint."
+++++

If the OP was to arrange repairs directly I believe they would be responsible for providing all the bullet point items above as opposed to the insurers.

If the insurer, ie Comfort / Aviva inspector did explain this liability transfer, which isn’t clear from the OP's original post, they would have no come-back on the insurers and have to pursue appropriate remedy directly.

Comfort Policy terms in relation to this are -
+++++
"If your vehicle is lost, stolen or damaged, we will:
● repair your vehicle unless you notify us that you want us to pay someone else to repair it; or
● pay you a cash amount equal to the loss or damage."

"Following an incident in Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, we will arrange to
get your vehicle to one of our approved repairers.
Following a repair at one of our approved repairers we will deliver your vehicle back to your storage location
address (shown on your statement of fact).

"If using one of our approved repairers, we will not require you to submit an estimate for the repair works. If you
use a garage that is not one of our approved repairers, we will require an itemised repair estimate which we must
approve before the work begins. In the event an agreement on the cost of repairs at your chosen repairer cannot be
reached, we reserve the right to ask you to:
● Arrange for your vehicle to be moved to our approved repairer.
● Give us an itemised estimate from another repairer."
+++++

Given the above why would you go through all the effort, take on the liability for the repairs and pay additional costs that would have to be pre-agreed with the insurer, eg delivery / return from the unapproved repairer? :unsure:
 
Paul Frost said:
We were hit by a car on the motorway and have a tear in the body and damaged side skirt/trim and some other damage, but is drivable and secure.
We live in the Scottish highlands and need to find someone to do the repairs, the insurer doesn’t have anyone and has left it to us to find a repairer. I’m guessing that there will be spare parts required, like the trim along the bottom/side, which I assume are Carthago specific. I’ve tried emailing Carthago for advice on where to take it but have had no response after a week.
Anyone with experience of getting this sort of work done that can give any advice on who to trust to do the work?
I appreciate that we may need to travel south to find somewhere suitable.
View attachment 1221528
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The Carthago dealer for Scotland is BC Motorhomes in Prestwick wich is about 40 mins south of Glasgow on the M77
 
Paul Frost said:
We were hit by a car on the motorway and have a tear in the body and damaged side skirt/trim and some other damage, but is drivable and secure.
We live in the Scottish highlands and need to find someone to do the repairs, the insurer doesn’t have anyone and has left it to us to find a repairer. I’m guessing that there will be spare parts required, like the trim along the bottom/side, which I assume are Carthago specific. I’ve tried emailing Carthago for advice on where to take it but have had no response after a week.
Anyone with experience of getting this sort of work done that can give any advice on who to trust to do the work?
I appreciate that we may need to travel south to find somewhere suitable.
View attachment 1221528
Click to expand...
Hi I would send the insurer all the repairers mentioned on this blog and get them to appoint one, simples.
 
I've used AutoEcosse Autobody for a fairly big repair to cracked fiberglass on my over-cab. Nailed a pheasant. They did a very good job. That was through Safeguard & Axa.

Unit 2, Kingsway Park, Whittle Place, Dundee DD2 4US

Tel: 01382 676321 Mob: 07525 126023
 
Gellyneck said:
"If using one of our approved repairers...
Click to expand...
Yes, if the insurer arranges the repairs then they are responsible. But that is a service that they are providing in addition to "insurance" and they are doing it for their own benefit.
Gellyneck said:
Given the above why would you go through all the effort, take on the liability for the repairs and pay additional costs that would have to be pre-agreed with the insurer, eg delivery / return from the unapproved repairer? :unsure:
Click to expand...
There are many reasons why you might not wish to have your car repaired by the insurers approved repairer. Just sayin'... 😊
 

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