Tadz is in Disbelief...Broken CJ ='(

[tadz0rz]

I would buts $2 more that i dont have that has to go towards my excess lol.

MAYYYBEEE i can claim the scrape on the wheel under insurance...That would be good

[Graham]

I have no idea. She scraped the wheel pretty bad aswell. Everything thats happend to my car hasnt been my fault. Maybe i should stop being nice and lending my car around so this sorta crap doesnt happen

Yeah I know what you mean, I've never let ANYONE drive my car except for my mum, because I trust her and she also drives a CJ lol.

the only thing she's done in my car is go up a kurb, can't remember why though.

[tadz0rz]

Guys, im going to send an email to the smash repair place and just want your input just so it doesnt sound like a bodgy email and im trying to scam my insurance company...

This is basicly what i wrote...

Hi

I came in the other day putting in a claim to get the rear bumper replaced and rear quater panel fixed due to someone backing into me. It was a 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer and my registration is *** ***. I spoke to a very helpful man named David...

I just have a query...

I was wondering if it was possible to get a different bumper other than the stock one? It won’t be aftermarket, it will still be a genuine Mitsubishi part, but it is the Ralliart rear bumper. From what I’m told it is the same price as the regular bumper for the standard ES CJ Lancers and have been guaranteed that it will fit my car with the same mounting points etc from Mitsubishi themselves.

When the time comes to getting the car repaired or even before hand, I can give you all the details you need for the rear bumper, I.e. part numbers etc

I would appreciate this enormously if your team could do this for me and would most likely make less work for you not having to look for part numbers etc.

Thanks in advance

Michael Garrett

I havnt sent it yet but i just want to make sure I have all the details there to make sure theres no extra work for him to order the part

[Graham]

That email sounds fair, if I was the receiver I would agree to it

I would also keep in mind that the larger smash repairers tend to do things by the book religiously, the smaller "family" owned ones would be much more likely to do this.

[tadz0rz]

He isnt a family runned business, but he is a standalone business in and of itself i believe. like he doesnt seem to be apart of a franchise or chain of repaiers.

But he has got a sign out the front saying Allianz authorized repairer...

The guy i spoke to seemed very helpfull...

But..

what should I do if they dont want to do the RA rear bar? Ask RACV to change the repairer?

[arutha]

i think the email is very fair and honest the only problem i can forsee is that you are possibly asking the repairer to commit insurance fraud. if they say no maybe you could try contacting your insrance company and ask them for a cheque to the amount of the repairs and then organise the repairs yourself.

[tadz0rz]

Thanks for that arutha, but i dont see how its insurance fraud? The incedent was an acciedent and its not like im asking for anything unreasonable. Theres no difference in price or extra labor involved + I can give him all the details he needs for ordering the bumper which makes less work for him. Plus it still is a genuine certified part from mitsubishi...

I see your point and not having a go at you mate, but could you explain to me a bit more on what you mean by the insurance fraud?

[Mr Charisma]

I would ring RACV first. Find out if they allow this kind of thing as they are very strict on repairs.

Most insurers will not care, they only care about $$$ it cost to repair, if you go aftermarket and it costs less, why wouldn't they do it so long as it is legal.

Then hit up the repairer, if they won't do it, ask to go somewhere else.

[tadz0rz]

Ive spoken to RACV about it when i put in the claim

They said that all their repairs come certified for life. If i want to source my own parts and repairer thats my choice but it wont come with that lifetime guarantee on repairs...

[arutha]

ok by insurance fraud what i mean is this;

the repairer is contracted to return the car to the condition it was in prior to the incident, whats more he has to put, in writing to the insurer, that he carried out these repairs exactely as stated by the insurer. by changing your rear bar if he doesn't tell the insurer then

1. he's made an alteration to the vehicle which he was not authorised by the insurer to preform.

2. he's returned the vehicle in a different condition with different components to how it was prior to the incident.

3. by changing the rear bar and not informing your insurer your policy is very likely voided as is the warranty on his work because once again he's performed work not stipulated by the insurer.

4. if he gets caught out by your insurance company (RACV is it?) he can loose further jobs (income) from them.

at the end of the day it comes down to the fact that he's being paid to put a vrx rear bar on your car and if he does anything different without approval he's defrauding your insurer. (talking money but not performing the services that they have outlined to him, thus fraud)

im not saying don't try mate, all im saying is be prepared to be turned down because at the end of the day your insurance company pays his bills and the repairer is going to be more interested in keeping them happy then he is you. i think your best bet is to go to your insurer (if the repairer says no) and say to them you would like a ralliart rear bar instead of a vrx bar, they are the same price and you're prepared to sign any waivers they require... or ask for a cheque to the value of the repairs and get it done yourself.

[tadz0rz]

I get you now arutha, Thanks for explaining that for me.

I think i might give RACV a call tonight and ask them if i can organise the parts for the repair and still use the same repairer that they have recomended for me. If they arnt willing to offer the full gurrentee on the repair ill ask them to send me a cheque for the cost of the repair including the RA rear bumper.

That sound okay?

Thanks for clearing that up for me arthura

[SIR-VRX]

Ask them to replace the rera bar with a RA one, but if they say that the lifetime warranty does not apply, accept that. Not like it's going to break

[arutha]

sounds pretty reasonable to me tadz. like i said go ahead and ask the repairer and if they say no at least you've got a back up plan. believe me i would be happy to be wrong about the whole thing and maybe the repairer will just put a RA bar on for you.

[tadz0rz]

Okay just spoke to RACV...

I couldnt get through to their claims department (closed at 5pm) but i could speak to someone who could give me a general idea on what the go is on changing the part.

I basicly said to them, that the part that the repairer has quoted me for is the standard rear bumper for the lancer and ive spoken to mitsubishi directly and they have told me that there is no price difference between the regular bumper and the sports model bumper.

They said that there should be no problem changing it since there is no price difference between them, and even if there was you would just pay the difference. But i'd have to take it up with the claims department and let them know of the change i want to make and make sure they authorise the change in parts being ordered.

Ill try to ring the claims department tomorrow (not sure if they're open) and see what answers i get then. But if not ill call monday and organise changing the details for getting the bumper changed to the RA...

That sound about right everyone?

[SIR-VRX]

Sounds good Tadz