00 Focus Write-off BER Value?

TheMaxDaddy · 26-08-2008 11:32am #1

Anybody have an opinion on my insurance company giving me 3,250 for my 00 1.4 5 door hatchback focus lx with 75,000 on it? Engine got screwed with the floods.

The mechanic who looked at it, and told me it needed a new engine, might get it from the insurance company as payment. If he fixes it (he said it'd cost 1,200 to replace engine originally), and I buy it from him, is that legal?

I reckon I could probably haggle another 2nd hand focus of similar mileage down around 3,500, but if I bought my car back from the mechanic I might make a profit.

R.O.R · 26-08-2008 11:43am

The July Car Sales Guide lists a 2000 Focus LX 1.4 5dr with 75,000 miles at €4,750. That would be a good place to start negotiations.

TheMaxDaddy · 26-08-2008 11:56am

Thanks. They originally offered 3,000. I stated that the car was worth more and referenced autotrader/carzone etc. They said they were offering what I'd get if I traded it in.
The argument that I need to replace the car, not trade it in, didn't make a difference.
According to Tallaght Ford 3,000 is the maximum they'd give for a trade-in (depending on condition. 500 euro lowest). So i figured when they upped the payment to 3,250 I was doing alright. (as good as I could do against an insurance company).
Also I called Ford again as I wanted to get service history to show I'd maintained vehicle. Ford said that wouldn't make a difference. They said that you never get the selling value for a write-off/BER. and the NCT is up too.

Any opinion on the legal side of buying back my BER car R.O.R?

jimmycrackcorm · 26-08-2008 1:00pm

I'd ask the insurance company to show me where I could get an equivalent focus for the money they were offering otherwise they're not offering the replacement value.

TheMaxDaddy · 26-08-2008 2:55pm

well aparently they dont give replacement value. They give trade value.

Honestly, I got stressed and just signed the paper work. I'm moving and applying for grants. No car is stressing me more than I need.
I don't have the time/money to be getting my own assesor. How much more could I have gotten. Probably not much.

This thread is me trying to be reassured that I didn't get completely screwed.

Any assessors out there? Is 3,250 decent?

Tigger · 26-08-2008 2:56pm

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

I'd ask the insurance company to show me where I could get an equivalent focus for the money they were offering otherwise they're not offering the replacement value.

keep fighting they are supposed to make you accept as little as possaible

ART6 · 26-08-2008 3:07pm

Insurance companies always offer the trade value of a write off, not the replacement value. In my long past days in the motor trade (running a hire fleet and workshops) the deal was trade value for write offs, retail value for insurance valuation. For that reason I always put the trade value of my car on the insurance application form, not the retail value. But as has been said, haggle!

TheMaxDaddy · 26-08-2008 3:23pm

So, ART6, if a Ford garage was saying the maximum they'd give me for a trade-in was 3,000 I didnt do bad with the 3,250?

I might be buying the car back from the mechanic after he fixes it. He paid 1,290 for the car, he fixes it up (2nd hand engine & labour), maybe another 1,300 (he originally estimated 1,200 before the insurers got involved).
I buy the car back for 2,600. I come out with more cash.
I'll have a wrecked car, but if it gets certified then I'm sorted, right?

00 Focus Write-off BER Value?

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