[Hugo]

Quote: Originally Posted by Mejy Poo (original)

Oh my god!!!

How angry am I!!

Was driving round the roundabout when I hear a great bit THUD. Some stupid cow in a Clio just went into the side of my car!!!!! She was in the wrong lane going round the roundabout - It was the one outside Derek Woodman if anybody knows it!

Funny thing is she was test driving the car from Renault, Blackpool with her parents. Nobody from Renault was in the car when it happened but it had one of them red number plate things in the window.

We exchanged details etc and I spoke to the guy from Renault who said they will sort the damage out. However I'm a bit concerned as in approximately 4 weeks time I'm part exchanging this car for a brand new Dooper. I guess the damage could be far worse than it is but i'm unbelievably off!! Trust this to be my luck!!

What is the best way to go about this? Let Renault fix it? It's a 55 One D that I only bought last October and I've been offered a brill price as my part ex. I just don't want this to up when i go and get my new car. Also do i let my insurance company know?

Aaaaaaaaaarrrghhhhhh

Sickening............. you should make sure you get the amount for the loss of residual value or it doesn't effect your deal for the new car.

[Hickster]

That's not good news Someone ran into the back of my old Fiesta 2 weeks before I was to to p/x on a new car. In the end, the cost of the repair was taken away from the p/x value (which turned out to be less than my excess anyway) and I eventually got the money back through legal protection. I'm not sure what happens if the costs are higher but as has previously been stated, you should definitely let the insurance company know. I'd also consider calling the police too as this does sound dodgy from Renault.

I'm sure it'll all get sorted out and that you shouldn't end up out of pocket.

[SoggyCornFlakes]

Quote: Originally Posted by Hickster (original)

That's not good news Someone ran into the back of my old Fiesta 2 weeks before I was to to p/x on a new car. .

Fiestas don't count


Jokig aside, before you run to the police talk to the Renault dealers, let the know you know they are outside the boundaries and need to a) cover your p/x and b) provide compensation

Then negotiate a good deal

[Mejy Poo]

Thanks for all the advice guys...

I called Renault this morning to speak to the manager and discuss things with him and I couldn't believe how vile he was!! He was rude and said that the driver of the Clio was now saying I was at fault even though she admitted at the roadside she was in the wrong. When i replied gobsmacked with "are you having a laugh?" He replied with "I take £600 wrth of damage to one of my cars very seriously".

I asked him why nobody from the garage was in the Clio when there was a trade plate present and he said that they had already bought the car that day and had taken it away for a drive! Hmmm

Basically he was giving me a load of coswollop, back tracking here and there. In the end I told him that I thought there was something dodgy going on here and i was going to ring my Insurance Company and took his details. There is definetly something fishy going on here?!! He couldn't decide if the car was his or the people had bought it and he got incredibly ****ed off when i mentioned the trade plates.

On the plus side I have an independent witness to the whole thing who stopped and saw everything that happened and I've got all their details.

So now I've just got to wait and see what happens with the insurance company. Hassle I could be doing without a month before I get my new car!!!

[minicabrio]

Sorry to hear about this

Under the laws governing the use of trade plates, the registered trader does not have to be present in the vehicle while the plates are being used.

Under trade plates, a vehicle may be used for:

"Undertaking a test trial for the benefit of a prospective purchaser or the press"

Drivers:

The vehicle may be DRIVEN by the trade licensee, or anyone else driving with their consent, provided it is for a use authorised by the licence holder and that it falls within the requirements set out in schedule 6, part 2, 8-15 RV(R&L) Regs 2002.

So, the trade plates were being used effectively. Whether or not the vehicle was insured is another matter. Most traders policies require a member of staff to be present in the vehicle for the insurance to be valid - so this needs to be called into question. You're within you're rights to ask who the vehicle is insured with, and you may be able to download their Ts & Cs from their website.

You have a witness, so fault should not be difficult to prove.

I would refer all the details of the incident to your insurance company. Its up to them to contact the garage on your behalf and arrange the repair. The Renault dealers insurer should also provide you with relief transport while yours is repaired.

Let your MINI dealer know what is happening also. Ask them if this will affect your trade in value, if so by how much - you can then also refer this in writing to your insurer.

Best of luck with it all though

Jon

[feenaldo]

I'm very sorry to read about your accident here. A friend of mine who works in the Police Trafic division says its shocking how many people admit fault at the time, then try to back-track and blame the other person.

Its great to see everybody's sound advice here on what to do also, makes the MINI2 Community look really fab!

I had a simular worry when a very simular situation occured with me. I specified where I wanted the car repaired, which in this case happened to be an approved BMW repair shop.

As an approved repair is supposed to return the car to its exact condition (if not better) prior to the crash then to deduct money from the residual of your car would directly undermine the work of an approved repair shop... thus when I traded my car in after repair BMW dealership here, MINI Scothalls, in Hampshire, were pleased to offer me the money for my car.

Now me repair bill came to something in excess of 5k so I would doubt that yours will be anything near that amount, and that as long as you check, then use the repair shop that your delaership uses you may well find this to be the same for you.

In any case I would avoid talking to the dealership principle over the phone, better to let your insurance company deal with all that, if you do feel the need to communicate with him do so by post, recorded delivery, keeping a copy of the reciept and letter for your own records, because if you find yourself using that "Free legal Cover" you no doubt have on your policy then it will prove very handy for you - again something that I did and helped me win my case by miles

I wish you the very best of luck getitng this sorted, smile about your new car your getting soon and you will no doubt be back in a few weeks with that big MINI grin in your shiny new ride!

[MINI-Morgan]

Sorry to hear the bad news

At the end of the day no one has to be present from the dealers as far as I know! But....if its got trade plates then it must be still in ownership of the dealer for their insurance to apply. If the ownership was infact the driver and they dont have insurance there is going to be problems.

Personally id call the police and report it along with the details of the witness and call your insure company. I'd pass to the Police about the managers comments and inform them that you suspect the car was being driven without insurance.

You have to feel sorry for the drivers of the Clio in some respect... yes I know they messed up and hit your MINI but if they are uninsured then they have been put in this situation by the dealers. Not good!

Whats the betting they call you back with an offer??

[RooniusMaximus]

No wonder the other person has changed her mind - IIRC the last time I took a dealer car out for a test drive I had to sign a disclaimer stating that I was responsible for X amount in the event of a crash. She may not have realised that at the time and now doesn't want to fork out £500 for a test drive.

Alongside letting your insurance company know, I'd also ensure that you get a written confirmation of the agreed PX price of your car (before crash).

Ensure the car gets repaired at a Mini/BMW approved workshop.

If the Renault dealer is still being an arse, escalate it to Renault UK. It may do nothing more than get him a slapped wrist, but hopefully will cause him some grief.

Have you spoken to the dealers about your trade-in? Maybe you could get Renault to to buy it off you for that price?

[Paul]

Quote: Originally Posted by minicabrio (original)

So, the trade plates were being used effectively. Whether or not the vehicle was insured is another matter.

Not if they were, as described, in the window (probably chucked on the dash).

[minicabrio]

Quote: Originally Posted by Paul (original)

Not if they were, as described, in the window (probably chucked on the dash).

No, but I'd doubt any mud would stick on that front to be honest.... I've yet to see a trader actually properly fix a trade plate to the front, it's usually on the screen, and the back one is normally hung on the wiper

[Paul]

Probably because nobody knows the rules, and nobody used to do the training I would have slaved over for hours......

[minijess]

Quote: Originally Posted by Mejy Poo (original)

He replied with "I take £600 wrth of damage to one of my cars very seriously".

I asked him why nobody from the garage was in the Clio when there was a trade plate present and he said that they had already bought the car that day and had taken it away for a drive! Hmmm

Why would he care about £600 damage if the customer had bought the car?


Hope you get it sorted soon

Jess

i may have missed it but who is this garage? As far as im concerned its name and shame time... Fact is if a garage lets you test drive their car with trade plates on and they decide not to send a member of staff along with you then its quite simply the garages responsibility to pay out if you crash it.

At the end of the day the woman could have told the guy it was your fault and he maybe has no choice but to believe her after all if he wants to make a sale as shes already put him in the red LOL

But professionally speaking the owner clearly wasnt there and thus has no idea what happened and for him to take anyones side shows a complete lack of intelligence. I say hit him where it hurts and name his garage so he sees what happens when he gives his keys out to dip*****s who cant drive.

Women never admit fault anyways...I get cut off atleast once a day from a random woman and after me beeping or flashing my lights i get the unofficial signs of the highway code LOL and i cant help but think WOW there are women out there who go about giving the finger and w4nker sign LOL AFTER they cut you off haha and i know men are just as bad as women driving wise however where i come from if you get cut up by a guy 9/10 he will wave sorry -admit fault..Women seem to cut you off, get a fright cause you beeped, and then retaliate by being aggressive becauseshe was given a little scare..Not utilising the brain ontop of the head and realising she just about caused a crash but hey im the w4nker for alerting her to her idiotic and relentlessly brutal and ultimately dangerous way of driving...tut tut eh

atleast if a guy cuts you off and starts trouble its as simple as pulling over and thats the prob with woman drivers, they know no1 bar insane people will hurt them so they drive around like ***** risking hurting us...

take responsibility

Mike