Fighting NRMA for car value

[jamekins]

Hopefully someone here will be able to give me some helpful advice on a battle I've been having with the NRMA for the last month or so.

I was driving home from work on xmas eve and got rear-ended by a P-plater at an intersection. I was stopped checking for traffic and the kid didn't stop. Basically my car got written off and now NRMA are jerking me around with the value of the vehicle.

My car is a '83 ADM sprinter with 4AGZE, extractors, full over diff exhaust, corona front struts and discs, JDM disc rear end with TRD 2-way, after market shocks (Monroe I think), after market sway bars front and rear (no idea on the brand but they're orange), external fuel pumps, thermo fans and the usual after market rims, steering wheel, sound system ect...

Initially they offered me a 3 grand settlement and now they've offered me 4 grand. Given that I payed 5 grand for the car initially (I even have a receipt for this) and have since put 2-3 grand into it I'd say it would be reasonable to expect 7-8 grand as that is what I could have sold the car for before the accident. One of the Canberra AE86 guys JoJo came around and had a look and thought that'd be a reasonable request.

Has anyone been in a situation like this before and have any tips to help me try and get the actual value of the car? Should I just take the 4 grand and part out or actually take them to small claims or something to actually get what its worth?

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[dove grey 64]

Hard to say what to do. What was your insurance situation? Did you have full comp? This is why most people go with shannons or just car to get an agreed value. My 86 used to be with racv but they would only pay out 2k (market value) so I went with shannons for 12k agreed. maybe just take the money and re shell your car into that. Either way sorry to hear the bad news

[lolwat]

My mate got rear ended by a taxi, he sent them links to several adds for 86's for sale, and they agree to pay out average

[sundee]

My M35 stagea is insured with NRMA, you can choose the agreed value when you do your insurance quote, all it does is increase your premium .

I payed 15.5k for mine and had it insured for 22K no questions asked, all done online.

Did you have full comp?

[McLEVIN]

The p plater should be covering for the value of the car or his insurance

[ae8zn6]

To be perfectly honest I am shocked that nrma is offering 4k. They typically go off red book value which works off a very simple depreciation algorithm. (Just double checked that value reads 2.1k to 4.7k) but yeah, you won't get much (if any) more from them. As far as getting money back ensure you keep the wreck, then you should be able to part out the remains to get you closer to even.

[Matt]

Whenever you sell a car and on the rego papers put down a lower value than what you sell it for is to blame for this....

Worst case take the 4k for the car, have them agree that you'll fix it at your own cost (avoid the written off register) and fix it... or part it out and still get your 7k in total.

How bad is the damage? You'd be surprised at what can be fixed

[maxhag]

James,
As I said, if this was me....

You send an invoice to NRMA for the assessed damage to your car..... Their client hit you and admitted fault... They must pay.....
The value of the car in this situation, is what YOU specify (within reason).. And NOT what they have have as a market value or what they would insure it for..... Just cause they would only insure it for 3-4thou, doesn't mean thats the car value....

If they only offered 4thou, I would straight up decline their offer.......

The car and the list of mods, can easily be shown to be worth 7-8thou...... Do your homework, find as many for sale adds from differant sources of other AE86s with simular mods, and provide them...

[maxhag]

Whenever you sell a car and on the rego papers put down a lower value than what you sell it for is to blame for this....

Worst case take the 4k for the car, have them agree that you'll fix it at your own cost (avoid the written off register) and fix it... or part it out and still get your 7k in total.

How bad is the damage? You'd be surprised at what can be fixed



It's a write off Matt..... I have seen the car........ Diff body mounts have moved etc........ It looks better in the pics than it actually is

[sundee]

So was your car insured at all in this case?
If so for how much?
I gather that it's going thru his insurance company?

[jamekins]

Cheers for the replies.

I only just got back from over seas a few months ago and because of that I've been strapped for cash, so the car was un-insured at the time of the accident which is dumb I know but I needed transport and could only afford the rego, not the insurance too. All of this is going through the kid's parent's full comprehensive.

I've already done a month's worth of back and forth with them over what its worth based off what you told me Jojo. I have sent them several adds for sprinters modded to a similar level, all going for 7-12k from a few places (mostly here and cars guide) and that persuaded them to up their offer from 3k to 4k. They have let me keep the wreck and have put it down as a repairable write-off which means it has the potential to be made road worthy again. But as Jojo said its all pretty munted in the rear end.

Did you ever find the contact details for the repair guy you use Jojo?

[Seventy]

Sounds like getting 4k and being able to keep the car as repairable write off is going to be the best you'll get

[johl]

if they give you 4k and you keep the car that is not too bad imo. they are basically giving you 4k for a new shell and the incidentals you will go through in the re shell process. you can get a very good shell for that much but they are very few and far between

[Rice86]

4k and get to keep the car..why bother for 3k more if they WONT listen anymore. good luck though getting 8K and keeping the car too.. both works out, 8k no car or 4k and keep car thats worth about 4k of mods..same same

[hachirusto]

Talk to a lawyer, sue the other person for the extra money. if you want the money you will have to fight for the money.

sad but true, you should always have some form of insurance while on the road, you never know what could happen and it could be much worse

[Jimmee1990]

I dealt with NRMA on the exact same thing you're going through now, I fought with them for months and took them to small claims in the end. After all that I got the same offer you've gotten for 4K and keeping the car so I would just take that as they won't budge any further. Especially considering your car wasn't insured for any value, as in my case the judge took that into account.

[jamekins]

Hmmm... that's not so encouraging at all. Looking into some legal advice and will see what happens I guess. I may just have to settle for their offer. Really don't want to have to part out though...

[sundee]

For 4 k you could buy yourself a nice JDM coupe shell... Put all your parts into it.. Winning

[Rice86]

lol i know right, whats the big fuss with getting 4k and you getting to keep the car too! unless this shell was 100% rust free i can understand otherwise just re-shell, happy days

[AIROCOBRA]

Also remember the inspection fee to get a repairable write off inspected in canberra is $500 . And it must have had act rego , if it had rego from any other state they will not register it.

[maxhag]

I might just say, my comments earlier were based on my own experience many years ago and it was AAMI......

Things may have changed these days, and by what people here are saying, it might just be best to take the 4000 and keep your car...... Lawyers sounds a hassle and will delay everything.....

For people that dont know James, I think it's fair to say that he would need someone to do the re-shell for him. Not exactly able to do it himself like alot of us do........ So consider that a cost for him......
Am I right there James?

In saying that, I could do the whole job for you (cheap as possible), and your car will be better than ever before..... I WILL GIVE YOUR CAR BOOST AGAIN! (you know what I mean james ;) )

[jamekins]

You're correct about the re-shelling Jojo. I simply don't have the space, tools (or skills) available to get it done for me. I live at my sister's and I've been told in no uncertain terms that I'm not allowed any more cars on the block (there's currently already quite a few). IF someone could help me with space for storing/disposing of the old bent shell and installing it all I'd be pretty happy for a re-shell. Looking like I may have to bite the bullet and take it as I have it :/

[Matt]

I'm happy to swing some spanners for you... just say when and get everything lined up ready to go.

Tools aren't a problem either and it shouldn't take more than a day from start to finish.

[maxhag]

I can help you with space for the cars James....

Remember, I only live a few streets away.......

[Matt]

4k and get to keep the car..why bother for 3k more if they WONT listen anymore. good luck though getting 8K and keeping the car too.. both works out, 8k no car or 4k and keep car thats worth about 4k of mods..same same

I'd personally write to them and say that you'd like to settle for 5k and retain the car if they finalise the matter within 28 days. Outline it is a nieche market the car sells to and the ae86 is a collectors car and provide links to car sales and here with similar items.

Most likely the person handling the claim will go, hmm 1k extra is worth just paying to have it over and done with.

[jamekins]

I'd personally write to them and say that you'd like to settle for 5k and retain the car if they finalise the matter within 28 days. Outline it is a nieche market the car sells to and the ae86 is a collectors car and provide links to car sales and here with similar items.

Most likely the person handling the claim will go, hmm 1k extra is worth just paying to have it over and done with.

I already informed the assessor when he came and looked at the car about the niche and collectors nature of the car and they initially offered 3k based on that (which for a what, in their eyes is a 30 year old corolla seems generous to start with). I then sent them a whole bunch of adds from here and cars guide showing what they were worth and they now have offered me 4k and they stated that as their final offer. So now I have to sit back and think about what to do...

The idea of taking the wreck to maxhag's and swapping it all sounds very enticing, but then I'm in defect town until I can get an engineer cert.

[maxhag]

There is someone local who can do the engineering for you. Not an issue...... He is a member on here and drives a turbo AE86 himself....

I will give you the details in person.....

[jamekins]

Cool! Having a local Sprinter guy do the engineering would be great.

In other news I've now pointed The Financial Services Ombudsman at the NRMA to see if they can't rustle their jimmies into offering me something a bit closer to the car's value or at least enough to get me a nice standard AE86 to do a swap with. I'll let people know how helpful they are.

[jamekins]

Just thought I'd stick an update here for those that might find them self in a similar situation.

After 4 months of back and forth, NRMA called me today and said something along the lines of "we don't want to write a report for the FSO how does $5500 sound?". So I'm not sure how much the ombudsman actually did, but it seemed the eminent threat of having to deal with them was enough to get them to reconsider their "absolute final offer" and put more than a grand on top of it.

Whilst still not what I could have sold the car for, since I have the wreck still I've pretty much broken even.

[maxhag]

I think $5500 is good enough James.....

Good result imo......

[jamekins]

Oh yes. Very happy with the result of being a pain in their ass for four months. I'd like to know how much to company spent on me over the time. My guess is it would be more than $5,000...

[Matt]

^^

Often the reason why most companies just say "too hard / not worth" their time. Good to know that you had a good outcome, reshell time and go again :P