[Vitesse]

Does anyone know of any UK insurers who include BMW Dealerships as official approved repairers. Apart from Mini insurance obviously?

Most of them that I have phoned don't seem to list BMW dealerships as approved repairers.

In my case, I had had a slight accident that appears to have bent a tracking rod, so my dealers want to take it in and check the tracking etc..... but my insurance company are saying their approved repairers is a some garage that I've never heard of? If I proceed with the repairs at my dealers then the insurance company may or not pay, depends how big the invoice is.

[Paul]

There's a few threads on here already that discuss your rights with "approved" or otherwise repair centres. There is BMW insurance (different to MINI, when I checked a few years back they were cheaper and offered better cover/courtesy car deals etc).

[Freon Warrior]

I m told it is something they like to try on, put your foot down and tell them it is going to BMW.

[:: Jon ::]

it will take a little longer if you send it to BMW due to the communication problems

[Vitesse]

I'm not risking my 18 month old Works to anyone other than a BMW workshop. Fortunately mine (Coopers in Sevenoaks) are top draw. If I have to pay from my pocket I'm happy to do that.

But a warning to all others, an insurance quote may sound good on paper but it's well worth checking where it is potentially going to be repaired? Plus whether you get a loan car. I only get this if I'm willing to go with their repairer.

£200.00 or £300.00 saving on a premium may look good on paper but it works out than less than an a £1.00 a day in reality.

BMW will give me a loaner or pick the car up and deliver it back, no problems asked. To me that is worth the extra £150.00 that Mini insurance are asking for per year. It's less than 50p per day! or £3.50 per week.

You really have to look at what you insurance company is offering not just the premium. Mine was a silly little error on my behalf, total claim from both parties less than £1,000.00. I hate to see what they are like for higher sums.

Oh well you live and learn and that is with 9yrs protected no claims.

[Vitesse]

Quote: Originally Posted by Jonmorgan (original)

it will take a little longer if you send it to BMW due to the communication problems

Sorry I don't understand your comment?

[acidHL]

I had this problem ( hydrolocked my engine ). I told my recovery people (MINI ES) to take my car to my BMW dealer.

My insurance company (Admiral) refused to give me a car as BMW were not an "approved" repairer (read "place they get stuff done cheap"). Despite me saying fine, don't give me a car, but insisting my Mini go to BMW they phoned my recovery agent anyway and told them to send it to the "approved" repairer.

After some ear bashing I got it moved back to BMW, and i'm now (getting on for a week later) still waiting for the "independent assessor" to look at it before BMW will look at it.

BMW Dealer said they'll call me when the assessor has gone and they can open her up.

In short, I think i'll be moving to MINI insurance next year.

[Vitesse]

In short, I think i'll be moving to MINI insurance next year.[/quote]

AcidHL Both Tesco and Mini are unwritten by the same people UKI I think. Both will allow you to use a BMW dealership as an approved repairer, but you will find Mini Insurance is more expensive than Tesco. If you look at the Policy Summary for both they are identical.

Problem is they are not the cheapest around. The odd thing is my Works costs more than if I had a Brand New VW R32???

[aid]

insurance companies are strange ive just had to have my girlfiend car repaired after foolish workman spilt steel paint all over the bodywork and rather than send it to the main dealer (our local one has a vauxhall paint shop) they insisted it goes to there "approved" workshop and when i found out who they were i let it go ahead as i know them to be very very good and very very expensive...

so in my case the insurance company cost themselves money by using the approved workshop.

[FergusM]

When my Lexus was recovered I was planning on sending it to Lexus to sort, even though I would not get car while it was in getting fixed. I was converned about the warranty on the car not being valid if anyone but Lexus did the work. Might be checking with Mini is your warranty would still be valid etc.

....in end my car was a "total loss" so did not have to go though the pain of no car while it was fixed...just the pain of no car while they got round to issuing a cheque etc...

[acidHL]

Quote: Originally Posted by Vitesse

AcidHL Both Tesco and Mini are unwritten by the same people UKI I think. Both will allow you to use a BMW dealership as an approved repairer, but you will find Mini Insurance is more expensive than Tesco. If you look at the Policy Summary for both they are identical.

Interesting, does anybody have any experience of Tesco customer service?

[LizzyG]

I'm with Tesco insurance. My previous car was a Fiesta ST and when the bumper got stolen I claimed on my insurance - I wanted it to go to the Ford dealer that I bought it from, cos it was dead convenient etc, but Tesco said no, it had to go to their approved repairer which was a peugeot garage over in the black country. Maybe if I'd put my foot down they would have let me take it to the one I wanted to, but I don't know. So now my renewal is coming up soon, I'm unsure what to do about changing insurers. I knew the both mini and tesco ins is underwrittwen by UK insurance, but I thought that at least with mini it would go to the mini/BMW bodyshop if I had an accident - but maybe not? The other one I'm thinking of is Liverpool Victoria, they gave me quite a good quote.

[acidHL]

Well I just did some quotes, and Admiral, despite my claim, are still several hundred less than MINI. I guess I have nearly a year to decide anyway as I renewed just before my claim.

[Vitesse]

I double checked with Tesco's again and now they seem to sing a different song. They say that BMW garages aren't approved repairers but they wouldn't object to people taking there car to one.

I then asked about hire cars in the event of a accident, because I had heard that unless you took it to their repairers then quite often they would not give you a hire car. The say that wouldn't be a problem. To be honest I didn't believe a word they said!!!!

The only way to be sure is to insure it via Mini Insurance.

[alski]

Quote: Originally Posted by acidHL (original)

Interesting, does anybody have any experience of Tesco customer service?

they were rubbish with wife's puma,

no fault with ford, went to their [tesco] official repair guys not a ford dealer

overspray on the inside, poor silver panel match, cut interior carpet undersize

quality of repairs woefull, back 3 times, so fed up sold the car in the end...

oh for "approved" read cheap.....

and try getting bmw to value the car after repair by non bmw guys...

[Vitesse]

I've just been back on the Tesco site again for a quote. Back in April the were about £100.00 less than Mini Insurance. Now they're about £30.00 more expensive???