Hi all,

I'm looking for advice please. Last Friday I was involved in an incident with another vehicle resulting in my Mondeo (not the Coupe, I hasten to add!!) being Total Lossed by the insurer.

The next move from the insurer will be to offer a value for my written off car. I know they are going to offer a low price initially but how do I get them to value the car at reasonable price? What sort of things are likely to increase the price they put on my car?

Any suggestions please,

Steve

Initially they'll offer you something close to bottom book value. Your best bet is to gather classifieds showing cars of a similar age and mileage to establish a true replacement value for your vehicle.

If you have anything else to show that it wasn't a border-line MOT failure is worth presenting - service books stamped up to date, recent photographs, receipts for work done, etc.

This is excellent info Andrew.

When you say bottom book value do you mean trade value or private value but poor condition?

Trade-in value ... if you're lucky.

They'll offer a stupidly low value in the hope that you'll just accept it.

The worst offer they think they can get away with im afraid

What kinda mondeo was it as sometimes if you get it included there may be a local ford breaker who would buy it off you for the parts alone?

Nothing special, a Mondeo Estate 2.0 Ghia on an 02 plate but it only had 42k on the clock and was in excellent condition.

I agree here a friend of mine's dad had a bad smash in his Audi A4 (mint condition only went to golf course and back). and the insurers offered bottom dollar,

my friend told them to replace the car like for like and they suddenly offered a decent amount.

They'll probably offer you in the region of repmobile 120000 mile money so tell them you can't wait till they deliver you a 42000 mile one

Thanks for all the suggestions. Wouldn't it be refreshing if they just offered a decent, fair valuation in the first place?

The insurer sent an e-mail today saying they were 'calculating the value of the car and would get back with an offer soon'. Interesting they should say 'offer', obviously they expect a bit of haggling.

Steve

Same as above. If you get a crap offer copy as many comparable sales as you can and send these to the insurer. Also keep all of your correspondences.

I ended up getting an independent assessment done and he valued the car at exactly what I felt fair. This cost me £80 but the insurance company refunded that.

Good luck