Accident Management Schemes

[Restyle]

A chance to Share your experiences of These Schemes ... MINI`s own or Others


I had a little Bump in my MCS just over a week ago, or more correctly, someone bumped into my MINIs rear wheelarch area, causing this dent beneath the wheelarch trim ...



I`d had this Accident Management sticker in my Glovebox, having been sent by my then dealer - (Godfrey Hall Shrewsbury, & since renamed Rydale Shrewsbury), saying to ring this number in case of accident, whereupon they would try to deal with all eventualities.
However, seeing as this was essentially a non-urgent case, with the car still drivable, I rang the dealer asking them to give a quote for the repair. After the technician examined it, I was slightly shocked to hear him say that it was best to replace the entire panel in order to get the new trim to sit correctly on the body, & the cost ...around £1500

He advised I get in touch with this same Accident Management Company
Accident Exchange - , who they recommend to deal with instances such as this.

So after giving them a ring and the details of both parties insurance details, they got back in touch saying a Replacement MINI Cooper S would be with me in the morning & their driver would take mine away to my Dealerships Bodyshop to have all corrective work done.

I`ll say that again more Slowly ...

• They give you EXACTLY the same Make & Model of car that was damaged !!
• They pay for your Car to get Fixed, & only then, claim the money back off the relevent insurances !!
• If the other driver was uninsured ... No Problem ..They`ve got their own insurance that covers that eventuality !!
• If my car had been undrivable at the accident scene, they would have arranged the collection of it (and passengers etc) !!

#
In short,they really do take this Accident Managment thing seriously !!

Ive still got their 2 year old MCS at the moment, which although being a base model, drives as good as mine ever did ... and benefits from the lower seating position found on pre-2004 cars

So Next time your at your dealers, ask them if they`ve signed up for any similar scheme, as it sure takes the worry & wasted time out of dealing with Insurance Companies/ Accident Recoverers / Courtesy car firms & Workshops

[MINI-Morgan]

Sounds like an interesting company. but i'm sure they add their nice fee onto the claim from the other persons insurance.

Happy ending for a poor hurt Mini though.

[The Cookies]

I'm also using them at the moment, someone ran into the back of me on Friday. So far so good, the replacement cooper was dropped off this morning.

[Dogtanian]

I got one of these cards from the dealer where I bought my Mini a couple of weeks back - and promptly threw it streight in the bin.

I'm sure the system works well, but I don't want to be involved in any more ways to give money to the dealer.

Phil x

[Root Ginger]

The only problem I have with accident management is that they obviously claim money from the insurer, which costs them more, which put my premium up

[zyo]

As far as i was aware the accident management thing came with the car,for free.The info was in the owners manual,You don't have to pay for the service at all do you?

[Restyle]

Quote: Originally Posted by zyo

As far as i was aware the accident management thing came with the car,for free.The info was in the owners manual,You don't have to pay for the service at all do you?

Nothing to pay at all with this scheme.
It seems to be organised via the Dealerships of Top Marque cars such as BMW - Mercedes - Bently - Rolls & MINI etc, to basically provide the best Customer service when these unfortunate events occur.
In the event of an accident, its up to you what you want to do & how to proceed with things.
So if you want to handle the Recovery - Transit - Repair Shop - Insurance forms etc thats your choice.
But If you want everything dealt with with just one phone call, then from my experiance of this, I`d certainly make that call.
As I was faultless in this particular case, there was never any need for my insurance co to be involved, but even if I was, (in a million to one scenario ), then the Accident Management co would still have dealt with most of the paperwork & phonecalls.

I think MINI`s own accident management scheme sorts out "Recovery to Dealership" but thats about it .

[OllyH]

Hi - I'm going through the process of having my car repaired also after a shunt and the details say that I can get a replacement Mini while the work to mine is going on. Does anyone know if there will be any problems due to my age (17) and the lending of a Mini. People I have spoken to don't think I will be lent a car if the insurance on it for me for two weeks is too much for the garage...

[dietcokeplease]

Olly,

I think that you are at the mercy of the dealer/repairer. Some don't bat an eyelid at giving a replacement MINI to a young driver and other dealers have strict age barriers. Some dealers who don't want to give a MINI may give you a hire car from Enterprise or other rental company. It's best to ask.

[Nameless]

Sounds excellent! - - Preston Hell in Stockton just sent me a similar thing.

But, being Preston Hell, - they say "We'll do all the work and fix your car in our approved workshop"

(Not while I've got breath in my body)

- This is the same workshop that sanded a car down next to Rob's mini, then sprayed Robs mini without cleaning it of.

Don't see what this gives me over and above the 24hr help-line I get from Bell Direct insurance?

p.s. -n WRT the new panel - . - Northandy was responsible (in an indirect sort of way) for a dent in the quarter panel of my wife's Audi.
Took this into main dealer and they said "new quarter panel". This means cutting the old panel off with an angle-grinder as there is no simple way of drilling the spot-welds out. Welding a new panel in where it's been cut at the a-pillar, back panel, sill and boot floor. The Mini may be similar I guess.

I have a mate who is ex-main dealer bodyshop manager, now owns his own. He looked at it and pronounced that it was an easily panel-beaten out dent, ( which would prevent cutting, rewelding and filling the c-pillar and sill) , but it would take a skilled man some time to make it invisible, and very few bodyshop's have the 50 yr old skilled man to do this, so most use the brute force and higher profit approach of cut the old one off and fit another one...

Yours may be completely different, but I wouldn't accept the hacking off and refitting of a panel that big without a few different opinons, if you can still get them.

[Restyle]

Quote: Originally Posted by Monkeyhanger

...Yours may be completely different, but I wouldn't accept the hacking off and refitting of a panel that big without a few different opinons, if you can still get them.

Well its all done & sorted now.
Having examined the damage, Rydales Bodyshop manager pointed out that it could be beaten out & repaired by one of their skilled team so that the trim piece would be sitting as true as possible on the repair, & they costed both this method & the replacement panel option.
The Total sums were found to be within a few hundred pounds of each other, & it was therefore recommended to have a complete replacement. This would also enable them to check & repair any other damage under this top skin.
The S Spoke alloy wheel was also replaced seeing as it also suffered the brunt of the impact.
I think the total repair bill, (including 2 week hire of a Cooper S), would have been over £2000 .... & I didnt have to find a penny of it or bother my insurance company

[Nameless]

Quote: Originally Posted by Restyle

Well its all done & sorted now.
Having examined the damage, Rydales Bodyshop manager pointed out that it could be beaten out & repaired by one of their skilled team so that the trim piece would be sitting as true as possible on the repair, & they costed both this method & the replacement panel option.
The Total sums were found to be within a few hundred pounds of each other, & it was therefore recommended to have a complete replacement. This would also enable them to check & repair any other damage under this top skin.
The S Spoke alloy wheel was also replaced seeing as it also suffered the brunt of the impact.
I think the total repair bill, (including 2 week hire of a Cooper S), would have been over £2000 .... & I didnt have to find a penny of it or bother my insurance company

Blimey!! - £2K ! - the repair to the Audi only cost £600 so it must have been loads more complicated, maybe because it was on the edge, and the dent in the Audi was mid-panel, with easy access to back.

[bubblegoose]

I always refer my customers to Accident Exchange
I've never had a complaint about them or their services & they're ever so pleasant to deal with over the phone.
If you ever get pointed in the direction of Accident Exchange by a dealer or Bodyshop then don't be put off by using them.
Top notch service everytime

[Tonyt3]

I'm using a company called 'Bristol & London'. They've arranged a suitable hire car, and are recovering the monies from the third parties insurance company. Interestingly, the thrid parties insurance company seemed happy to deal with them, as they have pre arranged agreements on costs etc.

Basically, no cost to me, no worries, they deal with it all, and both mine and the other drivers insurance comapny seem happy. I get the car repaired at my choice of dealer/repairers, and I am inconvinenced to the least possible extent.

And why not ? after all the accident was not my fault.

I think this service is sensible and is probably why BMW have now cancelled their own accident management offerring.

Dont knock it until you've been 'knocked' and tried it.

[klw]

Anyway know if the accident management scheme covers vandalism? My MCSC had it's rear window AND the passenger window smashed today.