Dispute Car Repair Cost from Insurer

Lod810 on 28/10/2019 - 11:07

Hi guys,

I am having a situation right now with regarding insurance cost. About a month back, my wife parked the car at our son's child care center. While she was putting him in the car seat, our car's door hit another car. Wife exchanged the detail with the other driver for her insurance claim. We would have thought the cost of fixing the damage (very small dent) less than our excess ($1100). Fast forward, we have the bill from the insurer and claim the cost of repair is over $1400 (including $280 of car hire for 8 days). The car need replace the whole door skin. I want to know if we have the ground to dispute the cost, we still have the picture of the damage.

Thanks

Financial Car Insurance Insurance

Comments

  • toniyellow on 28/10/2019 - 11:11

    You can dispute it. The onus is on you to prove it is unreasonable - that will involve more than sending in a photo.

    This has a good outline of the process
    https://mva.financialrights.org.au/dtop/i-dont-agree-with-th…

    If you have insurance you should really just go through them, they will be better at arguing this than you.

    • od810 on 28/10/2019 - 11:20

      So you suggest i should just claim through my insurance instead and pay the $1100 excess?

      • Baysew on 28/10/2019 - 11:33
        +2

        $1400 - $1100 = $300. However future premiums may increase.

  • Skramit on 28/10/2019 - 11:22
    +6

    I want to know if we have the ground to dispute the cost

    You'll lose that argument though, and waste a whole lot of time and stress losing the argument.

    Even small dints these days are expensive due to the plastic nature of most body panels on modern cars. Gone are the days where cars were made of all steel and a panel beater could just knock it back into position. If the door needs a respray and a new panel which is likely, $1400 is pretty reasonable IMO. Sure you might be able to get another quote for a couple hundo less elsewhere, but it's unlikely to reduce dramatically to under $800. The car hire of 8 days sounds excessive, but even arguing that is gonna be difficult. Fixing and then respraying a car takes a couple of days.

    But keep in mind the other party has absolutely no obligation to consider other repairers or lesser repairs. If they are smart they would simply make their own insurance claim and get their car fixed ASAP at their preferred repairer. Then its simply between you and their insurance company to argue it out, of which you will lose every time in a situation like this.

    In summary: It's not worth the trouble fighting.

    Take it as a lesson learned: Having such a high excess is very bad in a situation like this. Consider reducing your excess in future to something less ouch e.g. $750.

    • Baysew on 28/10/2019 - 11:31

      If they are smart they would simply make their own insurance claim and get their car fixed ASAP at their preferred repairer.

      It appears that is what the other party has done.

      The rate of $35 per day for car hire sounds pretty reasonable.

      • Skramit on 28/10/2019 - 11:37

        Yep OP doesn't have much to go on. Sure they could argue 8 days car hire is excessive and get $140 knocked off or something, but even that will be hard work.

      • tomsco on 28/10/2019 - 11:47

        Not the rate, the length.

  • AdamFury on 28/10/2019 - 11:37
    +1

    Honestly I'd cop the $1400 and move on. Yes it's high but I'd look to get it out of the way and move on with your lives.

  • 87percent on 28/10/2019 - 12:07
    +1

    wtf 8 days to repair a smashed door sounds a bit excessive

    i got rear ended a few months ago, back 1/4 of the car was replaced, that took 8 days

  • Seraphin7 on 28/10/2019 - 12:08

    I want to know if we have the ground to dispute the cost

    Yes, you do.

    Will you be successful? Probably not. I'd say the other party has taken the matter to their insurer and from there to the insurer's preferred repairer. They've come back with the cost you've quoted.

    You'll dispute with the other party who'll tell you to talk to the hand. You'll dispute with their insurer who'll pay lip service to your concern, but ultimately tell you this is "a standard cost" for this type of issue that "is within our expected range".

    Then you're argument is basically "how can this cost this much", against likely a large insurer with hundreds/thousands of effectively identical claims all of which are likely to be 10% either side of what's come up here.

  • Austaurean on 28/10/2019 - 12:13

    the 8 day car higher is excessive. Appropriate planning should mean no more than 3 days, its not like the car was not driveable

  • od810 on 28/10/2019 - 12:22

    Thanks everyone for your opinions. I guess paying up the bill would be the reasonable choice at this stage considering the hassle. Initially I would have thought the bill would be around 500-600 to 800 at best because it is a really small chip on the door. And considering it is a 2007 Jetta insured for $6000

  • thatonethere on 28/10/2019 - 12:24

    Thatra's a pretty standard for a car door replacement ($1400). I had something similar - guy opened a door into my car (the wind slammed it hard). Was a small dent but it was on a ridge and due to the door structure couldn't be popped out cheaply. Whole new door required.

  • [Deactivated] on 28/10/2019 - 13:59

    do you think you would have left a note if the other driver wasnt there? lol

    • 87percent on 28/10/2019 - 14:36
      +1

      "note" you mean?

    • od810 on 28/10/2019 - 16:28

      My wife actually waited for the other car owner to come out as she didn't have pen/note. Sometime it's expensive to do the right thing.

  • [Deactivated] on 28/10/2019 - 14:02

    I'd pay the excess.

  • khoaaa on 28/10/2019 - 14:49
    +1

    If the paint was damaged, then the price sounds reasonable, as the door and surrounding panels would need to be blended in as well.

  • cloudy on 28/10/2019 - 14:57

    Insurance companies have partnerships with repair shops. It’s likely to be slightly expensive but not overall excessive.

    6 years ago had someone tickle front bumper and leave a scratch, agreed to settle it privately with a repair shop they know, whole job of removing front bumper and respraying etc costs 500 bucks and 6 hours. Make of it what you will, but given it only cost double what a independent costs it sounds right. 8 days is stupid.

    • thatonethere on 28/10/2019 - 17:15

      The private repairer will usually prefer a self funded repair as the insurance people are slow to pay and mess them around.

      • cloudy on 28/10/2019 - 20:47

        Not sure if you read what I wrote, but 90% of insurance repairs are conducted by repairers either owned by the insurer themselves or with partnerships. No slow paying or messing around, just a business conrtact or affiliation

  • Nutrino on 29/10/2019 - 08:23

    Thats one expensive minor mishap….

  • singlemalt72 on 29/10/2019 - 13:05

    Ask for a paintless dent removal quote - I find it hard to believe a ding from opening a door requires full door replacement

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