Motorhome insurance question - gutted

[ourcampersbeentrashed]

Hi everyone

Received the letter from the insurance today. Had our camper insured for 7k and they have offered only 4k and nothing given for the contents although we had contents insurance.

What on earth will be be able to get for 4k

Wouldnt mind, but I had sent them details of others like ours same year etc and similar condition with more owners. Absolutely gutted.

Am going to write them a very nice letter so all polite suggestions welcome.

 

[Jim]

This is a negotiation. Their first offer will always be too low. The person handling your case will have been given a range for the claim, anywhere say from 4k to 6k. Why would they start anywhere but at or near the bottom of the range? The person dealing with your claim is paid to settle the case as cheaply as possible. And for that reason, it is unwise to accept their first offer whether you think it’s too low or not!

You must counter their offer. I wouldn’t suggest asking for an outrageous amount, just be as fair as possible, include lots of photos of your losses along with plenty of examples of replacement costs. Your job is to try and convince the person to pay you the maximum he has been authorised to pay. This will always be a little less than you expected but the very best you can hope for.



Best of Luck:thumb:

 

[pudseykeith]

Motor Home valuations

Many MH owners partentionaly face the same problem. We own a 20 year old coach built MH on a Merc base, built in germany. The vehicle was used for 2years from new and then stored in a heated garage for 14 years. When we aquired it , it had 18ooo Km on the clock [10600 mile aprox ] the rig was in a brand new condition inside, outside and in the chassis and running gear. The milage is now 23km and still in a new condition. To replace it with a vehicle of the same quality would cost goodness knows how much.
My point is, is there a sound argument that vehicles like the ones we all run should be subject to independent valuations, that would be accepted by the insurance companys and ourselves. MHs are unlike other road vehicles, they are mobile homes that are not subject to the usual abuse experianced by other classes of road going vehicles. MH very often have very low millage, spend most of their lives parked up and are maintained to a very high standard.
When concidering the forgoing you would think the insurance companys, ethickly, would use valuations that reflected the replacement costs and true value of of these vehicles.

What do you guys think. What could be done to change the attitude the insurance Co's have towards MHs. ? :thumb:
Pudseykeith

 

[Terry]

Hi you say you had it insured for 7k was this an agreed valuation ? if so that is what they have o pay:thumb: If not then get armed with pics ads etc of same vans for sale and prices,and send them to them,they have to pay what is a reasonable cost to buy the same regardless of what they are trying to get away with. :thumb:
terry

 

[Tony Santara]

It's always the same with insurance writeoffs they accept a valuation provided by you at the time of insuring , but when it comes to paying out that valuation is disregarded.
They always look to trade evaluations based on the year of registration,and usualy the estimated condition supplied by the insurances accessor then offer you the lowest trade price for the vehicle.
With cars they refer to GLASS's Guide book a trade evaluation book which gives them 3 valuations the worse one being "bottom book" which is what they normaly offer you first, this is the start of negotiation don't accept their first offer
Good luck

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[Peter JohnsCross MH]

I find it appalling that an insurance company can have the cheek to offer TRADE money in a claim.

They certainly do not in the case of a TV or other domestic item being damaged or stolen so why do it in the case of a motor vehicle.

Tell them you are not a trader and wish to be put back in the position you were in BEFORE the MH was trashed and to go and find you a replacement

By the way what was the MH. lets have some details please.


Peter

 

[Tony Santara]

I find it appalling that an insurance company can have the cheek to offer TRADE money in a claim.

They certainly do not in the case of a TV or other domestic item being damaged or stolen so why do it in the case of a motor vehicle.

Tell them you are not a trader and wish to be put back in the position you were in BEFORE the MH was trashed and to go and find you a replacement

By the way what was the MH. lets have some details please.


Peter

Hi Peter
As a dealer perhaps you can tell us I know that car dealers refer to Glass's guide but how do motorhome dealers determin a valuation

 

[Peter JohnsCross MH]

Glass's guide as a base start, then product knowledge, desirability, experience and gut feeling!!

 

[Lindy-C]

I find it appalling that an insurance company can have the cheek to offer TRADE money in a claim.


By the way what was the MH. lets have some details please.


Peter

There's a bit of info Link Removed Peter

 

[Peter JohnsCross MH]

1992 Highwayman on ebay £5495 or offer. So go for £6500 from a dealer as starters.

Do a search on ebay for 'highwayman motorhome' there are three listed

Link Removed

(me gut feeling wasn't far off!)

Peter

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[Terry]

Hi further to my last post the insurance co has got to give you the replacement valueation by law. They are trying to save themselfs money by offering a low price to see if you bite.Play them back by telling them you have spent thousands refurbing the van and it is worth a lot more than £7,000 (you paid) in the condition it was in.Disregard the ebay add and hit them with the 1989 on auto trader at £9,999 if he tells you about the 1 on ebay tell him to go buy it for you and have it delivered to your door.Remember it is his job to get you down to the least you will take & yours to get as much as poss :thumb:
terry

 

[Geo]

To late now I know, but as Terry hinted at, you can get an agreed value on your vehicle, when taking out insurance
If you own an older model that is in fine fettle and for want of a better word irreplaceable then you ask for an agreed price policy stating your reasons,
You will of course pay a higher premium for such cover, and they may well ask for pics or even an inspection by an assessor prior to quoting you, how many companies do this I dont know, I would try the likes of RH Specialist Insurance they do vintage cars and one off's
Geo
Example

Link Removed

 

[ourcampersbeentrashed]

I find it appalling that an insurance company can have the cheek to offer TRADE money in a claim.

They certainly do not in the case of a TV or other domestic item being damaged or stolen so why do it in the case of a motor vehicle.

Tell them you are not a trader and wish to be put back in the position you were in BEFORE the MH was trashed and to go and find you a replacement

By the way what was the MH. lets have some details please.


Peter

Hi Peter and thanks for your reply

It was a 1988 fiat ducato 1.3t highwayman with 2 previous owners and 23k from new

 

[Terry]

Hi yet again as a self buider or if anyone does get a nice old van I would advise everybody to get an agreed value insurance..There usually is no premium to pay and they may ask to inspect your van or send photos is more common :thumb: it would save a lot of -my vans worth type qs when somthing happens.I found this out off a friend who although he had an agreed value when he made a claim they tried to bully him to take 3.5 k when the agreed value was 8k.He ended up with 8k plus 1.5k for contents on top after I told him to argue.They had no comeback as they had agreed his van value at 8k,but it still did not stop them trying it on :thumb:
terry
ourcampersbeentrashed your van will be almost impossible to find with that milage/year &of course excelent cond.Stick out for the 7k

 

[ourcampersbeentrashed]

Thanks for all your replies. Will keep you posted.

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[bobandjanie]

Hi what ever you do dont except the offer! We have a petrol / LPG car. some kind person ran into the back of it on a rounderbout. They said it was £2500 to repair and wrote it off.The problem is the are like Hens teeth so when they offered £1000 I was not very happy and refused it. Then they went to £1250. I said you find me one then, they said their were lots but they were petrol not gas ! I said plus £1500 to fit the gas, so I left it with them and brought a astra petrol / LPG. We had a loan car for 5 weeks which we had to pay for insurance ect still waiting for that money back that was 2 years ago. They had our car in storage for 5 months in total because every time they rang I just said repair it or find me another! In the end they said how much do want I said £2000 and the car back. It was delivered back to a local garage 2 days after and a cheque in the post. I had the car repaired and serviced and mot for £1300. So where did this £ 2500 to repair it come from its just a rip off that why we pay so much for insurance. I think when you go to a garage for a estimate as soon as they see its an insurance job the price goes up. So dont take the first offer and why should we lose out when its no fault of our own. Good Luck Bob.:thumb::thumb: