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Topic: Car help and other related advice

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ian
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Car help and other related advice
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I rear ended a car on a roundabout and my car has been wrote off.  I was driving a BMW 5 series and I loved it for the smooth ride and power when needed.

I bought it used and had just paid it off a few months ago and was hoping to get another 2 years out of it and save some money. Not to be.

 

Anyway, it was the first time I'd had a performance vehicle and I don't want to go back. I have a budget of around 7k and am keen on the Nissan moureno and a chrysler 3.5 . 

 

Anyone add to my list or have anything to say about those two?

 

P 's.  Got a phone call today and it seems my insurance company is not going to pay out the other party easily. The guy stopped on a roundabout and other fed flags make em think it's a scam. It did confirm my suspicions at the time as there were some odd things after we got out of our cars too.

 

Anyway, my second question is this: if it was a scam the insurance company will only proceed if I go to court.  I've been to court as a witness against violent attacks and theft before with no problems but I'm getting older now and have 2 young kids again . There were 4 blokes in the car and I admit to some concern over these regarding retaliation and intimidation if I go to court. 

 

Would you bother as it won't make any difference apart from a bit lower insurance premium for you. Sure they don't get compo etc but is it worth all the interviews ( today's was 40 minutes and they are sending an investigator to take a written statement at home next) ...and a court appearance?  

 

 



-- Edited by ian on Wednesday 16th of March 2016 03:02:48 AM

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smiler
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I have a bit of professional experience here Ian. It might be that you are contractually bound to assist your insurer if they ask you to, or risk them not covering any outlay. I would double check that if I were you. Personally I think the risk of repercussions is often overstated in this kind of situation but sadly it can't be ruled out completely. That is a personal call. Best of luck with it.

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Millmoormagic
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Do the right thing i'd say, but you know that, and you have the dilemma that only you can answer really.

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Kempo
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If they were east Europeans and all 4 claiming to be injured then odds are its a scam....[yes I know but I'm a realist not a racist]

Its not really your social responsibility to stop this sort of crime and help your insurer so my advice if the make up of the car is as I asked then don't risk doing it.

Insurers are a group that are only interested in money and not their customers and any chance of not paying you for anything they will take so don't feel responsible and guilty at refusing to attend court.

Your main interest is your family and any perceived risk may be incorrect but don't take on risk for such a cause....help your insurers with a true description of events but decline a court appearance.

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Millmoormagic
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Kempo wrote:

If they were east Europeans and all 4 claiming to be injured then odds are its a scam....[yes I know but I'm a realist not a racist]

Its not really your social responsibility to stop this sort of crime and help your insurer so my advice if the make up of the car is as I asked then don't risk doing it.

Insurers are a group that are only interested in money and not their customers and any chance of not paying you for anything they will take so don't feel responsible and guilty at refusing to attend court.

Your main interest is your family and any perceived risk may be incorrect but don't take on risk for such a cause....help your insurers with a true description of events but decline a court appearance.

 And there's one of the main reasons these things continue to happen, because folk just bury their head and ignore it, ignore the impact these things have on society as a whole, this country used to be great because of it's people, now it seems the selfish and self centred have taken over.



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Towdlad
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Millmoormagic is right really. The only way to deal with this behaviour is for us all as a society to reject it. We reject it by confronting it and dealing with it. This is where I disagree with Kempo on this point, because I feel we all have a responsibility to help each other on these issues.

Having said that, gone are the days when a member of the public could/would chastise anti social behaviour or come forward in reporting a crime because, in terms of the latter, being put in the frame by the peelers and as for the former, being foul mouthed or worse, mugged in the street. I would be hesitant to advise anyone on this point, its down to the individual to do what they think is right.

I remember stopping a bloke in the street in Kimberworth when I was about 10 and asking for light to a cig I'd got stuck in my gob. He yanked the thing out of my mouth, whacked me across the back of the head with his newspaper and threatened to give me a hiding if he saw me with a fag again. Scared the hell out of me but it taught me a lesson.

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tiger cub
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'Cash for Crash' is big business. It's fraud and is costing £350M.

If the scammers are succesful it has a knock on effect to all who own a motor vehicle, insurance premiums will rise due to claims fraudulent or not. Only you can make the final choice Ian, good luck.

A bit of advice for anyone that drives a vehicle, get a Dash Cam set up. They're inexpensive and some insurance companies are accepting dash cam footage as evidence, well worth investing in one.



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Exetermiller
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Saw this on a program t'other day. Can you request to have these people (all of them not just the driver), background checked? If they're a group part of a sham chances are they've got historical claims. Where there any other witnesses? Is there a chance you could have been on CCTV at all? If struggling maybe get something out on social media? Its a great tool - it might unearth witnesses who saw it but just drove past?

They're clever little gits, they know that oftentimes a car rear ending another is usually the fault (or seen as) that of the vehicle behind. Do some digging it can't hurt

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Fliker
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Kempo "it's not your social responsibility " yes it is. I know very easy for me to say tucked into bed with my cocoa, but if we all turn the other cheek against this type of crime what comes next ??? We needto stand up as one against all moderate crime or it becomes unmoderated.

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ian
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They werefrom Iraq but I sadly take you point. A few months ago I stopped for a broken down vehicle on a slip road of the motorway. The bonnet was up and mother and child our of car. Mother had map in her hand and hubby looking at engine. I pulled over and guy said he'd ran our of petrol and would I give him a lift to petrol station and get him some fuel?

He said he could then use his card to give me cash. I asked to see his card but he couldn't produce it ( I had already decided this was way you dodgey). He then lent into the car and every finger had a huge 'gold ' ring on. He asked if I liked them and offered to sell me them

There were Bulgarian gypsies.



-- Edited by ian on Saturday 19th of March 2016 05:15:40 AM

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ian
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Exetermiller wrote:

Saw this on a program t'other day. Can you request to have these people (all of them not just the driver), background checked? If they're a group part of a sham chances are they've got historical claims. Where there any other witnesses? Is there a chance you could have been on CCTV at all? If struggling maybe get something out on social media? Its a great tool - it might unearth witnesses who saw it but just drove past?

They're clever little gits, they know that oftentimes a car rear ending another is usually the fault (or seen as) that of the vehicle behind. Do some digging it can't hurt

 Well the insurance company sent me pictures of the damage to the back of his car and they have Deffo done some extra work on it.

 

Some red flags : 4 male occupants. Stopping suddenly and without cause. A decoy or back up vehicle often used to make you speed up or lose concentration or force you into another lane. Subtle or overt intimidation afterwards. Prepared driver details or unusual response to accident. 

 

In my case the driver was so charming. However,  he declined to pull off the road where we were and asked me to follow him. I assumed he knew a less busy place . He took me through 2 roundabouts and down a mile if dual carriageway before turning into a very quiet road. When he got out he said how he'd never had an accident but proceeded to totally direct me regarding providing info and getting paper and pens out which I had neither off. His pen didn't work and he got on the phone. In literally 30-60 seconds another car turned up , words exchange can a pen handed over. Unbelievable. 

 

3 of the guys got out of the vehicle and we're relaxed if a little hostile while the driver continud to be charming. He was dressed in a smart suit and they in jeans and jackets. 

 

The insurance investigator told me they were from Nottingham. The accident occurred in Rugby. 

 

It totally felt suspicious at the time but I just put it to the back of my mind as I had gone into the back of them.

When the insurers called me and asked all the questions it all made perfect sense.

 

The investigator said that there was no defence against injury as a GP will simple conclude soft tissue damage or a payed off one will diagnose something more prolonged and back it up with loads of referrals and pain killers. He said there are plenty of paid up doctors in the scamming rings. 

 

The only way they can prevent pay out is simply be putting pressure on them via the evidence to drop the case. The court appearance is the key he said because that's the point their insurers might back down.  

 

There is some truth in this. About 12 years ago I witnessed a violent assault in a hospital with 3 other witnesses . It took place in the lift we were all in. On the day at court I was the only witness that turned up. The lawyer thanked me sincerely because when the prosecution saw me they admitted guilt and we didn't even have to go into the court room. 

 

I couldn't believe that justice could hang on such a simple thing. They wouldn't have adjourned they would have just walked and the lady who had her face smashed in and no doubt had been a previous victim to him would not have any means for further protection from him. 



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tiger cub
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Ian, don't take this the wrong way but I think you have been a little too trusting and naive. You are under no obligation to provide your name and address to the other driver. An exchange of reg numbers is enough especially if it's under suspicious cir***stances. All insured cars are on the same database.Did you notice the brake lights on the other car, scammers usually take the fuse out to disable brake lights, they then put the fuse back in at a later date.

Did you take a pic on your phone of the damage to the other car ?    I'm surprised the other driver didn't ask you to settle up in cash.       The insurance company will not give in easily, they like to accept your cash but don't like to pay out on scams. You may not have any option but to go to court otherwise you could be well out of pocket. Good luck, hope it's sorted before it goes to court.



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ian
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No you are right. I was naive-something I'm always working on.

I don't remember the lights so maybe not.

At the time I just thought what the he'll I've hit him and it's a rear-ender so no defence. The fight -flight and just needing to pick the kids up perhaps played into it.

I wonder if the company in with put up a decent case that they might go with a settlement. Of course what I'm bothered about is the cost to me which is substantial as I have to find several grand to get a similar car that was totally fine for a couple more years...and the horrid thought that they just don't think about the cost to others and potential for physical and mental harm.


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