View Full Version : Car valuation - potential write-off
Does anybody here have access to one of the car valuations databases (Parkers, Glass etc)?
Our car was severely damaged in a flood-related accident at the weekend; insurance is handling it but given that the repair estimate is a little over £5,000 I'm thinking they may be on the verge of writing it off - so I need to start shopping around. I need to know how much I may have to spend, and also whether any offer I may get from the insurer is reasonable.
The car is a 07 plate Zafira 1.9CDTi, 44,000 miles.
Any help or advice greatly appreciated. :)
TheDaddy
19-01-2011, 15:19
My advice would be never to accept the first offer and ask for the car back, just because they write it of doesn't necessarily mean it can't be put right.
try this one
http://www.whatcar.com/valuations
The Parkers guide won't be far off as it's only slightly over average mileage.
Why not get an HPI valuation (http://www.hpicheck.com/valuation.html) for £1.50? Should be a reasonable bargaining chip with the loss adjuster.
A good start Vanman, thanks - I'd forgotten about that one. Unfortunately it doesn't have the one variant I need (1.9 CDTi energy) ... any others I can try - or anyone already subscribed to one of the major ones who can help?
---------- Post added at 15:57 ---------- Previous post was at 15:56 ----------
The Parkers guide won't be far off as it's only slightly over average mileage.
Why not get an HPI valuation (http://www.hpicheck.com/valuation.html) for £1.50? Should be a reasonable bargaining chip with the loss adjuster.
Yep, will most certainly pay for a proper valuation as and when it becomes necessary - I'm just trying to get a head-start. TBH I'd prefer it if they just fixed the thing.
ok try this
http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/used-prices/Version.aspx?model=1388&plate=84
http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/used-prices/Valuation.aspx?deriv=35296&plate=84#amount=9000&years=3
The key valuation for me when mine was written off was the cost to replace it.
AutoTrader (http://www.autotrader.co.uk/search/used/cars/vauxhall/zafira/postcode/sy148du/radius/1500/keywords/energy/fuel-type/diesel/sort/priceasc/maximum-mileage/up_to_60000_miles/engine-size-cars/1-7l_to_1-9l/maximum-age/up_to_4_years_old) will allow you to find a near identical model.
That is by far your best bargaining chip imo Chris.:)
Guides are just that - guides and can be used against you.
Does anyone know the tipping point between repair and write-off? We have a repair estimated at £5,600 against a likely value of £8,000.
Does anyone know the tipping point between repair and write-off? We have a repair estimated at £5,600 against a likely value of £8,000.
to be honest chis if it's a flood damage.
there may be some future corrosion as the water will have gotten inside of the chassis.
Will be a total loss Chris, all flood damaged/contaminated vehicles are a category a, next stop will be the crusher.
Didn't see this until I got home but will run it through glass evaluator tomorrow if you want.
Hmmm. I did wonder why they were so keen to wait for the insurance engineer to pay a visit.
Yes please on the Glass valuation, I would very much like to get a solid lead on what to expect :tu:
---------- Post added at 18:22 ---------- Previous post was at 18:15 ----------
Further to the above - the water remained outside the cabin (by less than half an inch) - the damage appears to be entirely within the engine. Does that affect the likelihood of it surviving this?
Was it parked or did you drive it through a flood? If the water didn't ingress then that changes my prior post.
Who are you insured with?
Drove it through - realised too late that the road was significantly cambered on my side, was going into a dip, and the traffic coming the other way was in shallower water and also driving on the opposite pavement. :erm:
By the time I realised what I was heading into I had no option but to try to keep going. It was when the car slowed and the bow wave crashed over the bonnet that it all died off. But when it came to a full halt the water was fractionally below the sill of the driver's door (the sills are a little high on a Zafira) so I was able to get out and fix the towing eye onto it without letting any of the water into the cabin.
The repair estimate that the garage wants to give the insurance engineer is for a replacement engine assembly. I assume this means the water got right into the cylinders and buckled the piston rods.
Drove it through - realised too late that the road was significantly cambered on my side, was going into a dip, and the traffic coming the other way was in shallower water and also driving on the opposite pavement. :erm:
By the time I realised what I was heading into I had no option but to try to keep going. It was when the car slowed and the bow wave crashed over the bonnet that it all died off. But when it came to a full halt the water was fractionally below the sill of the driver's door (the sills are a little high on a Zafira) so I was able to get out and fix the towing eye onto it without letting any of the water into the cabin.
The repair estimate that the garage wants to give the insurance engineer is for a replacement engine assembly. I assume this means the water got right into the cylinders and buckled the piston rods.
Yes, more than likely sucked in through the air filter and being a diesel they are higher compression ratio than petrol so will have locked the engine solid.
I have seen con rods hanging out the side of blocks from this!
As for your value, can you be more specific: club/design/elite/energy/life/sri and 6 speed man/auto
It's the energy, 6-speed manual.
Thanks again!
See attached pdf.
Retails @ £8625 but only adjustment I made is for mileage which is minimal.
The retail is top book and what you'd expect to pay for this model from a dealer forecourt, ie mint condition with dealer warranty. The trade price is £6990 and that is bottom book, what you'd expect to get for it when trading in.
An engineer would look for any pre-existing damage also any non-valued options like climate control or full leather to make further adjustments.
As for the threshold for total lossing the vehicle, it varys from one insurer to another depending on the salvage contract they have, I know of one insurer that can total loss a vehicle at 60% of retail which is £5175. Others are around 80% = £6900.
A quick look on Autotrader reveals similar cars ~£8000 so as a guide only I would advise for mid-book which is £7807.
Keep the attached pdf and print examples from Autotrader so you know what you feel the car is worth and if the engineer offers you for example £7500 you can tell him where to stick it because you have these examples to justify which is key.
Similarly if he offers you for example £8500 you know you're onto a good thing!
Don't forget he will also deduct your policy excess.
Hope this helps and this is how I would approach it. :)
That is just fantastic - thank you very muchly indeed :tu:
Update - written off, due to high costs of rebuilding the drowned engine. Insurance engineer called from the repair centre and asked if I had any idea what it was worth; I said I had the Glass guide and a number of sample sale adverts and he immediately offered a shade over £8,200. I accepted this (as I know I can replace it like-for-like for less!) ... I am in fact now looking at one that's almost identical in every way for £7,990.
My final question in this thread is for all you experienced hagglers out there. How much do you think I can shave off this price if I walk onto the forecourt tomorrow with cash in the bank and nothing to trade in? And how to go about it ... what sort of stuff am I looking out for to talk it down?
In some ways you are like the person that pays off their credit card each month. ;)
The dealer looks at the whole deal, a profit on the car you buy, a profit on your part ex and a profit on a finance agreement.
Having said that if you are looking at a Vauxhall dealer I would want at least £500 off the screen price and it to include 1 years road tax and a good long warranty.
The excellent info earlier gives you an idea of what the dealer might have paid for the car.
" I had a car almost identical to this but it got written off"
" Oh that's a shame how much did they give you for it?"
" Just over £7k" "I know this one's a bit more than that but there must be a deal available"
" £7500 with 6 months tax and warranty"
"Make it 12 months tax and warranty and I'll give you a deposit now"
Interesting ... trade in/bottom book £6,990, Screen price for this car £7,990. Looks as if they may have just slapped a grand onto it.
Right, well, thanks for the advice Julian - I'll be on my way down there shortly. :D
You might want to leave it a day or two (closer to month end....).
I wish I had the luxury of waiting, but we've lost both our cars in the winter weather, within a month of each other, and right now I'm driving round in my father in law's motor (which he wants back ASAP ... to the point of lending us the cash to buy a replacement while we wait for the insurance cheque).
I also have a pile of things to do in the house, most of which involve trips to B&Q and Ikea and require a large family car with a large family boot to load up. Today, I hope, is the day.
Good luck -let us know how you got on.
haydnwalker
26-01-2011, 09:26
As Hugh says, month end is the time to get the best deals, as the salesmen may not quite have met their targets, and the sale you give them might make them meet it...
We did this with one of my dads cars, and he got nearly £1k off the car just to get the deal.
Usually, dealers have approx 7% profit margin (main dealers usually more so) so you should get at least £500 off from a main dealer, but I'd be starting my haggling at £7k - and go up to your max in £100 increments. Remember don't be pressured into making a decision at that time (thats what dealers want - the rabbit in headlights look) :)
I wish I had the luxury of waiting, but we've lost both our cars in the winter weather, within a month of each other, and right now I'm driving round in my father in law's motor (which he wants back ASAP ... to the point of lending us the cash to buy a replacement while we wait for the insurance cheque).
I also have a pile of things to do in the house, most of which involve trips to B&Q and Ikea and require a large family car with a large family boot to load up. Today, I hope, is the day.
It is virtually the end of the month so wait until tomorrow as it makes you look like a more casual buyer who is not desperate to buy which will work in your favour and use the cash as leverage.
But I am desperate. ;)
Today was the only opportunity to make the 3-hour round trip, what with swimming lessons, after school clubs and all the other usual stuff (and only one borrowed car to do it all in).
Anyway I have just got home and am the proud owner of a Zafira with the same plate, specification and mileage as the one I just totalled. And I have a couple of hundred left over from the insurance settlement. So right now this desperate, carless cash buyer is feeling quite happy. :D
I'll be collecting it probably the end of next week, once I have cleared funds to pay for the thing ... by which time it will have been MOT'd, serviced, touched up etc.
TheDaddy
26-01-2011, 15:32
It is virtually the end of the month so wait until tomorrow as it makes you look like a more casual buyer who is not desperate to buy which will work in your favour and use the cash as leverage.
Absolutely, if possible show him the money or at least the deposit wedge, the thought of you walking out the door with that cash will make him go all light headed and queasy.
Originally Posted by Chris http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/22/33674038-car-valuation-potential-write-off-page-2.html#post35159227)
But I am desperate. ;)
Today was the only opportunity to make the 3-hour round trip, what with swimming lessons, after school clubs and all the other usual stuff (and only one borrowed car to do it all in).
Anyway I have just got home and am the proud owner of a Zafira with the same plate, specification and mileage as the one I just totalled. And I have a couple of hundred left over from the insurance settlement. So right now this desperate, carless cash buyer is feeling quite happy. :D
I'll be collecting it probably the end of next week, once I have cleared funds to pay for the thing ... by which time it will have been MOT'd, serviced, touched up etc.
To late, main thing is your happy. :tu: to many happy years motoring
But I am desperate. ;)
Today was the only opportunity to make the 3-hour round trip, what with swimming lessons, after school clubs and all the other usual stuff (and only one borrowed car to do it all in).
Anyway I have just got home and am the proud owner of a Zafira with the same plate, specification and mileage as the one I just totalled. And I have a couple of hundred left over from the insurance settlement. So right now this desperate, carless cash buyer is feeling quite happy. :D
I'll be collecting it probably the end of next week, once I have cleared funds to pay for the thing ... by which time it will have been MOT'd, serviced, touched up etc.
Sounds like they were even more desperate as you appear to have got great deal, is it the same colour as well.;)
No, it's silver, which is the colour of the one my wife wrote off just before Christmas. :spin: (and which, frankly, we can't afford to replace just now ... we're going to invest the insurance payout from that one in the B&B business instead. I need a new range cooker and a couple of worktops).
haydnwalker
26-01-2011, 20:44
well so long as your happy thats what counts :)
Yes, pleased for you Chris. :)
Indeed. It sounds like you were wise to do your homework in advance and lucky that someone was able to come up with the Glass' price and so much detail. The Insurance guy obviously realised you knew what it was worth and didn't bother with the sort of undervalueing that so often seems to occur.
A good result all round.
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