Back Yard Repairs
Have you also been told about some brilliant backyard mechanic who can repair your vehicle at a fraction of the costs? A frequent cause of unhappiness for the insured car owner is unsatisfactory repairs to the vehicle after an accident. This complaint is usually that repair work done is inefficient or defective or that the vehicle has not been restored to its pre-accident condition, or a combination of both.
The Ombudsman for Short Term Insurance has provided the following guidelines to insured car owners with reference to repairs on their vehicles!
- Find out if your Insurer is paying you your loss or reinstating the vehicle.
- If it is paying your loss (less excesses) you deal with the repairs and the repairer. Your loss is usually the fair and reasonable cost of repair.
- If it is reinstating, the repairers are Insurers agents and should look to Insurers for payment; you are entitled to the repaired vehicle in as good a state as it was prior to the accident, and you are obliged to pay any excess to the Insurer.
- Read your policy conditions to check whether there is anything which affects the basic positions set out above.
- If you are satisfied that you can prove that what the Insured is offering you in money does not represent your proper loss less excess, or that the vehicle has not been properly restored, then object, and if you cannot achieve satisfaction, approach the Ombudsman if you want mediation, or your Attorney for advice as to whether you should assert your rights in a Court of Law.
We would like to advise that policy owners communicate clearly and without delay with the insurer. It is best to be fully aware of all the facts and to make an informed decision – only by doing so will you be able to avoid nasty and costly surprises!
Related posts:
- What can I do if unsatisfied with the repairs done to my vehicle?
- BMW SA recalls 3,000 Mini Coopers for minor repairs
- Shortage of Bitumen hampering pothole repairs in Port Elizabeth
- Do not expect your car insurer to pay if you overload the vehicle!
- When is a vehicle classified as a motor vehicle?
- What is the requirement to exercise reasonable precautions in maintaining the safety of the vehicle?
- How does a private nursing sister get her vehicle registered as an emergency vehicle in KwaZulu Natal?
- Can a heavy vehicle learner’s licence be valid for a light vehicle too?
- It is best to do vehicle verification before you buy a vehicle!!
- Parking with caution can prevent vehicle theft
Tags: Car Repairs, claims, insurance claim, Ombudsman, repairs
I disagree with your comment “leave it to the experts” because that’s EXACTLY what I believed and did. Over the last week I’ve had to pay over R17000 precisely because I left it to the EXPERTS !
I have a 2001 Golf GTi with a mileage of just over 140,000. I bought the vehicle from a VW dealership in 2002.
About 2 weeks ago, whilst driving on the highway my car’s engine ceased. I had it towed to VW McDulings (Booysens). The problem was apparently that my cambelt broke and would cost over R17,000 to replace.
I contacted VW head office and requested at which service VW are supposed to change my cambelt. I have received a response to this in which the letter states that the cambelt on my (type) of engine is to be changed at 180,000 or 5 years.
Although my car has not done 180,000 km it is indeed well above 5 years old. I have never been asked to change my cambelt by ANY of the dealerships at the 5 year mark(the 5 year mark being 2005 !!) or after.
Although I have taken this up with not only VW headoffice in SA as well as to the CEO VW in Germany I get absolutely no responses to my emails. I don’t know what to do, however I think it is unfair that VW are seemingly neglecting to perform the service for which we consumers are paying for. Their own rules are not being followed. I am aggrieved, especially because of this negligence I needed to fork out a whopping R17,000 to fix my car.
Should consumers not have any faith and trust in a manufacturer’s dealerships. They are supposedly the experts and that is why have ALWAYS serviced my car at the necessary intervals and ALWAYS at a VW dealership. I have a full service record as proof.
Please, please, please can you assist me in publishing my story. I feel completely victimised by their don’t care attitute. Please have a look at the history of SOME of my emails below as well as their letter to me confirming their own rules of changing the cambelt at 180,000km OR 5 YEARS.
02.24.10 at 8:06 pm