Write-off offer advice

[AnthonyUK]

My daughter was involved in an accident where the other party accepted they were at fault (pulling out from a junction without seeing her) and the car, a 2008 Fiesta 1.4 has been written off.
I have looked on Autotrader and similar cars are anywhere between £2-3k.
Insurance have offered £2300 which is reasonable I think but generally should you accept the first offer?

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

The best policy I think is to put together a list of equivalent cars from reputable dealers on a like for like basis (with hard copy evidence) and the mean value will be evident I would then sent the result to the insurer

 

[anyweb]

never accept the first offer !
you can always do better, by default they will try and pay you as little as they can.

 

[Blobcat]

As per above

 

[AnthonyUK]

Cheers all for confirming.

 

[Alfie]

Never ever accept the first offer.

Construct an argument as to why it is derisory and unrepresentative of the true value of the car.

They always try their lowest offer first.

 

[Flyinspanner]

And you ‘know’ her car and it was reliable.

You would need to buy from a reputable garage - with a warranty - to get the exact same peace of mind.

Use filters to get very similar mileage vehicles.

 

[fabes]

As above, put together a case of three cars from Autotrader that match as close as hers.
You cannot factor in a Warranty as her car did not have one (I expect)

Is she in a temp hire car (provided by the TP insurer or by your cost)?

I use regularly that as a bargaining chip as you refuse their offer, present yours and tell them that you can 'do this all day' as the hire car (at £30 a day perhaps) is at their cost.
They will usually factor that into their response and come back a little more pragmatically if you can get them on the phone

Oh, and if she is not in a hire car at their cost, then ask for one.....(don't go credit hire unless you already have)

Good luck

 

[AnthonyUK]

She is in a Fiesta ST line provided by the insurance so in no hurry atm

 

[flowrider]

A few years ago my daughters insurance company wrote off her car, they told us that when estimating the cars value they use Autotrader and filter 60 miles from the insured home address. Might be different now.

 

[EmilysDad]

When EmilysMum's Astra was written off a few years back, their initial offer wasn't really that bad but I refused it anyway ... they upped their offer

 

[00slk]

Always barter with them, it wasn't your daughters fault that they drove into her car nor did she ask them to do it so why should she be out of pocket and have to folk out more money to buy the same car, plus she has already been inconvenienced.