My Pride and Joy Burst into Flames at 1:30am (1 Viewer)

Jul 18, 2009
11,036
17,482
Manchester UK + Javea/Xabia Costa Blanca Spain
Funster No
7,543
MH
HYMER B644
Exp
2004
Not My Motorhome, My once lovely Mercedes.

My Pal's VW T5 died whilst diving home last week and on the M62, his Dual Mass Flywheel disintegrated. He and His partner had booked a Ferry and Hotels in France and Belgium.

So I offered to loan him my car.

All added on Insurance on Friday.

He got up this morning at the Hotel to find the car taped off by the fire Brigade. It had set alight at 1:30am.

Now begins the insurance battle. They have automatically written my car off as its engine bay fire.

My Friend and his Disabled partner are stranded in dover with luggage and wheelchair. My Insurers will not repatriate them. They are recovering the car for inspection and valuation by their Engineer.

At least nobody was injured and it did not happen on the Ferry!.

TM


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Feb 18, 2018
3,382
11,219
South Ayrshire
Funster No
52,460
MH
Globecar Campscout
Exp
Since 2018
How awful for all of you.

You deserve a break having been such a good friend.

Hope things get sorted out quickly and too your satisfaction.
 

mikebeaches

LIFE MEMBER
Feb 22, 2010
5,346
8,469
Bristol
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10,377
MH
Rapido V68 Van Conversion
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Since 2009
Dreadful, so sorry to read about such a horrible outcome after such an act of kindness. :(

Hope sorting out the insurance claim won't be too painful...

Cheers, Mike

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JockandRita

LIFE MEMBER
Aug 2, 2007
11,402
148,470
Lincs/Cambs border
Funster No
49
MH
N+B Flair 8000i
Exp
Since May 05 (Ex Tuggers).
Trev, I am really pleased that no one was injured in the incident, however, I am sorry to hear about your friends being stranded, and you now without your treasured Merc, having held out the hand of kindness. :(

The upside for your friends, is that they were still in the UK, at the time of the incident. If they have the right documentation with them, or access to it online, then a one way hired car can be sorted for not a lot of money.

Good luck to them, and of course to yourself with your battle for a fair claim with the insurers. (y)

Regards,

Jock.
 

jtp890

Free Member
May 16, 2014
591
393
wakefield
Funster No
31,501
MH
Dethleffs 7014
Exp
13 years on n off
Continental breakdown cover normally covers for a hire car, were they travelling without it?
Jim
 

Lenny HB

LIFE MEMBER
Oct 18, 2007
52,688
147,607
On the coast in West Sussex
Funster No
658
MH
Hymer B678 DL
Exp
Since 2008 & many years tugging
Sorry to here that a bit of a bummer.
Has he got breakdown cover via his bank account by any chance as that covers you whatever car you are in.
 

Lenny HB

LIFE MEMBER
Oct 18, 2007
52,688
147,607
On the coast in West Sussex
Funster No
658
MH
Hymer B678 DL
Exp
Since 2008 & many years tugging
Whenever we have taken out seperate continental breakdown cover in the past it has always covered the journey to the port.
Are they just trying to wriggle out of it.
 

jtp890

Free Member
May 16, 2014
591
393
wakefield
Funster No
31,501
MH
Dethleffs 7014
Exp
13 years on n off
Agree with Lenny, many years ago we broke down in London on way to Dover, insurance covered hire car, though we had to haul camping gear to dover, cross as foot passengers, then picked car up in Calais. At that time car hire was limited to the country of hire.
Jim
 

MikeD

Free Member
Dec 21, 2011
3,936
3,697
London
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19,230
MH
IH PVC
Exp
Since 2012
The poor behaviour of Insurance companies know no bounds. But even I am surprised by this response.
 

bobandjanie

LIFE MEMBER
Apr 28, 2008
8,144
15,700
Javea, Spain
Funster No
2,360
MH
Pilote V600g
Exp
2007
We had ridiculous offers with one of our cars, I said go and find me like for like or carry on storing it. :rolleyes:

We got another car and they stored the other one for 4 months, ;) in the end I said the price we wanted and we kept the car, cost us about £1200 to get it repaired. (y) Bob.
 

Happy Jim

LIFE MEMBER
Jun 13, 2017
336
507
Devon
Funster No
49,020
MH
Rapido 9095DF
Exp
Since June 2017
My Merc got speared last week whilst it was stationary, older lady got spooked by something and swerved into my rear offside wheel shoving the axle 20deg out, creased rear wing. Car was a 2004 S Class Merc, lovely thing, but inevitably it also got written off. Accident was Weds, Phone call on Thursday with their offer at £1800 (which was reasonable in my view), I nagged the chap up to £2200. You have to “agree” a value with them, not just accept what they offer, I had a handful of EBay/Autotrader adds to help the price justification, the remainder I just prattled on about all the things I had recently replaced to add weight to my valuation being higher than his.

Rgds

Jim

PS, if anyone is thinking about selling a Lexus LS460 please shout :)

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Oct 12, 2009
10,430
23,270
SW London, Poland and all Europe
Funster No
8,876
MH
A Class N+B Arto 69GL
Exp
Since 2009
They did no make an offer, just sent me a cheque.

My wife is not banking it and has emailed the Broker and Insurer.

Go the Court route. Get a Solicitor, issue a writ for what you think you are owed. Should only cost a couple of hundred, or less.

The claim then gets escalated from the Claims Dept. to the Legal Dept. who know the cost of defending, so they factor that into any offer.

Geoff
 

mike mcglynn

LIFE MEMBER
Deceased RIP
Jan 6, 2008
2,700
32,552
St. Helens MERSEYSIDE
Funster No
1,144
MH
Autosleeper Warwick XL
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A long time now
The last car fire I heard about was in Liverpool in a multi storey car park over the Christmas period , they didn't /couldn't get any cars out so over 1100 cars were burnt out it was traced back to an old Land Rover which leaked fuel ,they have had to demolish the building and extract the cars as they go along .Imagine trying to sort out the claims and the ongoing hassle with all parties. The car park was owned by the council and was adjacent to the arena at the waterfront.I personally hate multi storey car parks and have never seen a well designed one yet the last time I used one I ended up up with a nice ding in the door .

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Theonlysue

LIFE MEMBER
Sep 14, 2009
6,104
7,383
Essex
Funster No
8,456
MH
As Executive 50th an
Exp
Not long enough!
Canbthey hire a car from one place, and drop it off at another, so they can get home?
 

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