Making an Insurance Claim & What to look out for!
Insurance Claim
There are many questions that you need to ask yourself before selecting an insurance policy & making an insurance claim. Do I need ‘Choice of Repairer’? Is the damage worth it? How much will my excess be?
Choice of Repairs
Does your Policy include Choice of Repairer?
When you take out Comprehensive Car Insurance, some insurance companies will include ‘Choice of Repairer’ as part of their policy, most others will offer ‘Choice of Repairer’ as an additional option. With ‘Choice of Repairer’, you choose where to have your car repaired, without this option, your insurance company will choose one for you.
What are the Risks of not having a Choice of Repairer?
Insurance companies have their own network of repairers and will often call them a ‘Preferred Repairer’, have a guess why? These repairers will often have an agreement with the insurance company where they are guaranteed to get paid in return for meeting the insurers demands. It’s almost a type of auction where repairers bid for the job by offering the cheapest quote. This can make it challenging for them since there is less incentive and time dedicated towards properly repairing your car. This often leads to poor workmanship or corners being cut during repairs which won’t benefit anyone except the insurance provider.
What are the benefits of having a Choice of Repairer?
Having choice can make the process of getting your car fixed a lot smoother. You’ll know the repairer, their reputation, and have peace of mind. It will allow you to research the Repairers reputation (Google Reviews are a great place to start) and look at examples of their previous work. By choosing a repairer you trust, this will help make the repair process much more bearable and provide you with ease of mind.
If you’ve had your car repaired by Car Beauty Salon in the past, then you’ll know the level of care and customer service is second to none. We ensure enough time is dedicated to you and your repairs, returning your car back to its pre-accident condition, often even better. Car Beauty Salon will happily assist from the moment you come and see us or from the moment you call us. We offer a free pick-up/drop-off service and can also help organise a loan car and also(T&Cs apply). We understand the stress and inconvenience of it all and hope to make things as smooth and stress free for you as possible!
Should you make an insurance claim or not?
Before claiming, you should consider whether you need to claim at all. In general, making an insurance claim can often influence:
- Your no claim bonus
- The cost of future premiums
- Will be recorded with the insurer against your name
- The risk of having your car repaired by an unknown repairer (for those who don’t have a choice)
Additionally, you may have to pay an “excess”. Simply put, your car insurance excess is the out-of-pocket amount you have to pay when making a claim with your Insurer. The excess payable may also differ depending on who was driving the car at that particular time. The main reason why insurers apply an excess is so they can eliminate most of, or if not all, of the minor or small claims. The cost to the insurer for dealing with minor or small claims would only cover the administration charges therefore, they add an excess to the policy to avoid such minor claims.
You’ll also need to think about what advantages you get under your policy:
- Are you insured for agreed value or market value?
- Does the excess outway the cost of repairing privately?
When not to claim a repair through insurance?
If there’s very minor damage and repairing the overall damage will cost you less, equal to or slightly over the excess amount, or if you’ve made a few too many claims over the last couple of years.
In case you’re not responsible and the at-fault party has insurance and accepts liability, it would be best to pursue the at-fault party rather than claiming on your own insurance policy.
If another party causes damage to your car and is shown to be at fault, their insurance will cover the cost of your repairs and you won’t have to pay anything out of pocket. However, you must be able to provide their name and contact details, otherwise you’ll have to pay your excess first to get your claim started. Only your insurance company can recover this money, you can’t go directly to the guilty party yourself.
⚠️ IMPORTANT ⚠️
You may need to inform your insurer of the accident if you’re applying for a new policy or when your policy shows up for renewal. Your insurance certificate, as well as each renewal certificate, highlights the information the insurer relies on in providing you with insurance for the coming year. You have a duty of disclosure to ensure that this is accurate information and is updated every year. Otherwise, the insurer could reject your policy as if it was never there and deny your claim if they later realise that they wouldn’t have insured you.
How to make an Insurance Claim?
The claim process itself isn’t complicated if you’ve done it before, however if it is your first time making a claim, it can be a daunting and tedious process.
If you’re looking for a Repairer in Sydney and have ‘Choice of Repairer’, our staff at Car Beauty Salon can help you with the claim and take care of the process for you.
Most insurance companies want their customers to claim through their website or app, or just by calling them over the phone. Call Car Beauty Salon for advice before lodging your claim.
How to make a claim using the other drivers Insurance?
If you’ve had an accident, the other person has admitted responsibility and they have Comprehensive Insurance, you will be able to claim through their insurance. You will also be entitled to a replacement car for the duration of the repairs to your vehicle. In this case you will not have to claim on your own insurance policy.
To claim on the ‘at fault’ driver’s insurance, the ‘at fault’ driver must lodge a claim and pay their excess, then provide you with a ‘Claim Number’.
Remember, the other driver’s insurer fully represents their customer. Although they might be ready to negotiate with you, they don’t have to. They may request you provide them with access to inspect your vehicle or to use their hire car company or for your car to be repaired by their repairer. You have the right to deny and to utilise your own choice of repairer, you should be extremely cautious to act too quickly, you may without realising, reduce the amount you need to recover, and might end up out of pocket. Talk to Car Beauty Salon before speaking to the ‘at fault’ person’s insurance.
