Elephant Insurance Rant
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From: Worcester
Elephant Insurance Rant
Hello Guys,
Sorry for the long post however I feel that anyone who has any kind of performance car should be aware of the service that elephant.co.uk provide even when you have been with them for years and insure 2 fairly high performance vehicles (group 17 and 20) I always heard people say the proof of an insurance company is when you have to claim!
Two months ago my wife unfortunately had an accident which amongst other things destroyed 2 alloys on the one side of my car etc. 2 months later we finally have the car back!
What follows here is a record of correspondence with elephant.co.uk for your perusal, warning and amusement:
The claim started with my estimated being faxed from my approved Honda dealer. I rang them and expressed concern that if only the 2 accident damaged alloys (on one side of the car!) were replaced then due to their age the car would look incorrect as they would be different colours and have different levels of wear:
A very nice lady assured me this would NEVER happen and a very nice man assured me of course they would replace all four. Here starts the fun:
Date of Incident: 08 October 2007
Thank you for your recent correspondence.
Unfortunately, we are only able to authorise the replacement of two alloy wheels as these were damaged in the accident.
As your Insurers, we are obliged to put you in the same financial position before the accident took place, therefore we are only dealing with items, which were damaged.
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely
Elephant.co.uk
After some talk on the phone and getting nowhere I reply:
Thank you for your recent correspondence.
I would appreciate a reply to some questions.
Why was I told on Friday that I could have all four alloy wheels replaced because they were standard to the vehicle?
You state:
Sorry for the long post however I feel that anyone who has any kind of performance car should be aware of the service that elephant.co.uk provide even when you have been with them for years and insure 2 fairly high performance vehicles (group 17 and 20) I always heard people say the proof of an insurance company is when you have to claim!
Two months ago my wife unfortunately had an accident which amongst other things destroyed 2 alloys on the one side of my car etc. 2 months later we finally have the car back!
What follows here is a record of correspondence with elephant.co.uk for your perusal, warning and amusement:
The claim started with my estimated being faxed from my approved Honda dealer. I rang them and expressed concern that if only the 2 accident damaged alloys (on one side of the car!) were replaced then due to their age the car would look incorrect as they would be different colours and have different levels of wear:
A very nice lady assured me this would NEVER happen and a very nice man assured me of course they would replace all four. Here starts the fun:
Date of Incident: 08 October 2007
Thank you for your recent correspondence.
Unfortunately, we are only able to authorise the replacement of two alloy wheels as these were damaged in the accident.
As your Insurers, we are obliged to put you in the same financial position before the accident took place, therefore we are only dealing with items, which were damaged.
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely
Elephant.co.uk
After some talk on the phone and getting nowhere I reply:
Thank you for your recent correspondence.
I would appreciate a reply to some questions.
Why was I told on Friday that I could have all four alloy wheels replaced because they were standard to the vehicle?
You state:
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From: omnipresent
Sorry Ed, but I find empathy with the insurance company.
Yes, one of their staff made an error by telling you verbally that all 4 wheels should have been replaced. People make mistales, and possibly they should have given you a goodwill gesture for their employtees mistake.
You can always get wheels refurbed to make them identical. Given the 2 wheels they replaced were in a better condition than the car was originally it is up to you to either make the other two up to sctarch, or make the replaced two down to scratch.
With respect to the tyres-again they gave you greater value of indemnity. Would you have preferred the ins. company to put on partly worn tyres?
Is any of this any different to having an "old" car and having panels replaced under insurance-there will always be a paint mismatch. Should every car be written off or have all panels replaced?
Not having a dig-just someone with a differing viewepoint.
Yes, one of their staff made an error by telling you verbally that all 4 wheels should have been replaced. People make mistales, and possibly they should have given you a goodwill gesture for their employtees mistake.
You can always get wheels refurbed to make them identical. Given the 2 wheels they replaced were in a better condition than the car was originally it is up to you to either make the other two up to sctarch, or make the replaced two down to scratch.
With respect to the tyres-again they gave you greater value of indemnity. Would you have preferred the ins. company to put on partly worn tyres?
Is any of this any different to having an "old" car and having panels replaced under insurance-there will always be a paint mismatch. Should every car be written off or have all panels replaced?
Not having a dig-just someone with a differing viewepoint.
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 31,181
Likes: 58
From: Hertford
You're completely missing the point on the wheels; the two new ones would be in better condition than the old ones before you wrecked them, so the insurance company has already embettered the car!
It would be different if you'd had some Mugens or BBS, because they'd give you standard S2000 ones and that's tough shit.
They tyres/suspension bolt one is a more tricky one; by rights, the insurance company should insist that these are replaced, but make you pay say, 50% for the wear & tear element. But they CGAF.
But we all know Elephant is knuts, nevertheless.
It would be different if you'd had some Mugens or BBS, because they'd give you standard S2000 ones and that's tough shit.
They tyres/suspension bolt one is a more tricky one; by rights, the insurance company should insist that these are replaced, but make you pay say, 50% for the wear & tear element. But they CGAF.
But we all know Elephant is knuts, nevertheless.
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Difficult. I agree that the tryes should have been changed as a set however I have to agree with elephant that it would be excessive to replace two perfectly good wheels.
Trouble is if they start going down the set of tyres route there's probably nothing to stop them re-using the old tyres- I'd rather have two new tyres than no new tryes.
To be honest even the big insurance companies take ages, i had a claim with direct line that took 7 weeks before they made a decision whether to fix the car or write it off - whilst I was paying for a hire car out of my own pocket (other driver uninsured). Took over another 2 months to get the car back!
Trouble is if they start going down the set of tyres route there's probably nothing to stop them re-using the old tyres- I'd rather have two new tyres than no new tryes.
To be honest even the big insurance companies take ages, i had a claim with direct line that took 7 weeks before they made a decision whether to fix the car or write it off - whilst I was paying for a hire car out of my own pocket (other driver uninsured). Took over another 2 months to get the car back!
Thread Starter
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From: Worcester
Yes I can see the point about the alloys - a refurb to match would have been nice - something I was willing to contribute towards. I accepted it was always going to be a stalemate but what annoyed me were the original hollow promises!!
The tyres IMO is a safety factor - If the manual for a car says - Do not do this as it can kill the driver you would not expect them to actually do it would you??
Their options were:
a.) Here is your car - you owe us
The tyres IMO is a safety factor - If the manual for a car says - Do not do this as it can kill the driver you would not expect them to actually do it would you??
Their options were:
a.) Here is your car - you owe us
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 31,181
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From: Hertford
Why were you surprised, though.
Eny fule kno that insurance cos take yer dough & then butt fark you if you want to claim...
Crash yer car, expect a dry bumming from protagonists:
Then there's the knuty knutcil who probably want you to repair the damage to the kerb, when the rest of the road's a bombsite that made yer crash in the first place.
The polis also want a bung, because crashing on a bad road is lacking Jew care and attention, or something, so that's another one.
I'd by shares in Anusol.
Eny fule kno that insurance cos take yer dough & then butt fark you if you want to claim...
Crash yer car, expect a dry bumming from protagonists:
Then there's the knuty knutcil who probably want you to repair the damage to the kerb, when the rest of the road's a bombsite that made yer crash in the first place.
The polis also want a bung, because crashing on a bad road is lacking Jew care and attention, or something, so that's another one.
I'd by shares in Anusol.
