Car Stolen.....Insurance Pay Out.....Car found.....
May 24, 2013 9:18 AM   Subscribe

We had our car stolen a couple of weeks ago. The insurance company actually worked pretty quickly and we agreed a settlement amount with them and they have paid out. Now been informed by the Police that the car has been found. It looks like it's in pretty good nick apart from a couple of broken windows. Would we be able to buy the car back from the insurance company? How much if any discount should I expect? Problems in the future? Anyone got any experience of buying their car back from their insurance company?
posted by lloyder to Travel & Transportation (8 answers total)
 
UK eh. They might let you buy, get in touch and ask them. The price shoudn't be all that much, bear in mind they might classify it as as a Category C or D write off which can add to the expense of getting it back on the road and affect sell on values.
posted by BenPens at 9:39 AM on May 24, 2013


Response by poster: Additional details in case they are relevant.

We're in the UK. Insured through Sheila's Wheels.
posted by lloyder at 9:39 AM on May 24, 2013


If you haven't already used the money for the purchase of another car, see if you can return the money and cancel the original claim. Then make a new claim just for the damages (if possible) and get the repairs you need.

I'm in the US here, so things may work a little differently, but I've been able to cancel a claim on my car insurance before, up to the point that the car was already in the shop and insurance had already agreed on the repair fees to be paid directly to the shop. (It was a hit and run, I filed under comprehensive to get the repairs, but turns out the teenage driver's mom made her come apologize to me when she found out, and made the claim under her insurance claiming full responsibility)
posted by trivia genius at 11:20 AM on May 24, 2013


Yeah, seems like it would obviously be in the best interest of the insurance company (and help reduce your claim history) to let you revise the claim and just let them pay the windows less deductible (which might be no claim at all to them, depending on your deductible). And it's a very common scenario.

so just ask them...

One thing to be cautious about - get it checked out very carefully, as there could be hidden damage; the thieves could have driven it at high speeds and whacked up the drivetrain, etc.
posted by randomkeystrike at 11:43 AM on May 24, 2013 [2 favorites]


Call and ask. The adjuster should be willing to at least talk about solutions that leave the company with more money.
posted by valkyryn at 11:57 AM on May 24, 2013


Keep in mind that resale value might take a hit because it has been stolen and recovered. I know when I sold my not-previously-stolen one of the questions I was asked had to do with whether or not it had been stolen and recovered.
posted by backwards guitar at 12:11 PM on May 24, 2013


Have the car fully inspected. You're assumptions about the condition of the car could be very very expensive.

Personally, I wouldn't want it back.

Get it professionally cleaned, too, if you decide to keep it.
posted by jbenben at 3:03 PM on May 24, 2013 [2 favorites]


Agreeing with jbenben and addendum: consider what will happen if the car turns out to have been used in the commission of another crime: robbery getaway car, dead body in the trunk, drug money stashed in the air vents, squirrel hit-and-run, whatever. Are the police going to want the car later?
posted by nicebookrack at 9:42 AM on May 25, 2013 [1 favorite]


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