just in case you want to see what happens heres a collection of the correspondance with elephant that you will recieve.
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Issued by: elephant.co.uk
Email: [email protected]
Policy Number: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Date: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
All prices quoted are in pounds sterling.
Hi XXXXXXXXXX,
Our Claims Department has advised us that your car has been deemed beyond
economical repair. As a result, all insurance cover is now cancelled for
you and any drivers on your policy with effect from 00:01 hours on
XXXXXXXXX. This includes the Driving of Other Cars extension, if
applicable.
Should you buy a new car, please call our Customer Services Department and
as long as all our underwriting criteria is met, we can look at covering
your new car.
The Road Traffic Act says we must tell you the following:
Please remember it is an offence under the Road Traffic Act to leave, use
or allow your car to be used on the Public Highway without insurance. Once
your elephant.co.uk cover has expired, you risk prosecution under this Act
unless you have made alternative arrangements.
If you have any queries please email me at [email protected] or contact
us on 0870 040 6644*.
Kind regards
################################################
Dear Mrs XXXXX
Our Claim Reference: XXXXXXX
Date of Incident: XXXXXXX
Our engineer has now examined your car and it is their initial view that your car is uneconomical to repair. However this assessment may change should further information come to light.
All cover is now cancelled for you or any other drivers on your car (this includes the driving other cars extension, if applicable). Our Customer Services Department will be contacting you separately about this.
To enable us to proceed with your claim you need to send us, if you have not already done so:
Your completed report form
V5 Registration Document (“log book”) – duplicate available from DVLA (0870 8504444)
PLEASE BE AWARE THAT YOU MUST NOW MAKE A SORN DECLARATION (See FAQ’s)
MOT Certificate – duplicate available from the issuing garage
Certificate of Motor Insurance
Purchase Receipt – or other proof of purchase
Driving Licence Mandate (see attached) – Please can you and the last user of the vehicle (if you have not already done so) complete the attached mandates.
Full Service History – duplicate may be available from the servicing garage
Please note we will not be in a position to progress your claim until the above documents are received. Please ensure that any documents are sent by special delivery. (guaranteed)
If you have lost or mislaid any of these, you must get duplicates. If you cannot provide the original documents or duplicates, we need your full written explanation. We cannot deal with your claim until we have received them. Please also complete and return the attached Driving Licence Mandate with your details as they appear on your driving licence. The Driving Licence Mandate enables us to contact the DVLA for details of your licence history. It is very important that you forward these to us as soon as possible.
Please note, the Road Traffic Act says you must return the Certificate of Motor Insurance to us as failure to do so is an offence under the Act. You also risk prosecution under the Act if you use or leave your car on the public highway unless you have made alternative insurance arrangements.
We are currently registering your vehicle on the Motor Insurers anti fraud and theft register (MIAFTR) and we will also be checking to see if your vehicle has any outstanding finance. Once we have completed all checks, we will be in contact with you to advise you of the next stage.
Once we have received these, we may appoint our local investigator to interview you about your claim.
Please use the link below to complete a claim form:
https://secure.elephant.co.uk/Claims/Form.phtml?clm
alternatively visit our web site www.elephant.co.uk
If you do not have access to the internet, call us and we will arrange for a Claim From to be sent to you in the post.
If you need any further help, please email us at [email protected]
Yours sincerely
XXXXXXXXX
CLAIMS DEPARTMENT
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Licence Mandate
MANDATE FOR THE RELEASE OF INFORMATION UNDER DATA SUBJECT ACCESS PROVISIONS OF THE DATA PROTECTION ACT 1998 [SECTION 7(1) & (2)]
Account Number: XXXXXXX
Claim Reference: XXXXXXXXXX
The information is required to verify whether information given at proposal is correct.
I authorise the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency [DVLA] to supply any information, with the exception of any medical information, that may be on its Driver computer record relating to myself or/and my driving entitlement, past and present and including any valid endorsements, disqualifications, etc [within the meaning of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988] to Elephant.co.uk.
Please send the information to myself at my address below or to:
Capital Tower
Greyfriars Road
Cardiff
CF10 3AZ
Full Name: …
Date Of Birth: … Driver number [if known]: ………………………
Current address: …
…
…
Previous address: …………………
…
…
Important Note: If your current address is not shown on your driving licence, you should return it to the DVLA immediately so that a new one showing the correct address can be issued. Failure to notify changes of name and address is an offence which could lead to a fine of up to £1000.
Signed: … Date: …
MANDATE FOR THE RELEASE OF INFORMATION UNDER DATA SUBJECT ACCESS PROVISIONS OF THE DATA PROTECTION ACT 1998 [SECTION 7(1) & (2)]
Account Number: XXXXXX
Claim Reference: XXXXXXXXXXXX
The information is required to verify whether information given at proposal is correct.
I authorise the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency [DVLA] to supply any information, with the exception of any medical information, that may be on its Driver computer record relating to myself or/and my driving entitlement, past and present and including any valid endorsements, disqualifications, etc [within the meaning of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988] to Elephant.co.uk.
Please send the information to myself at my address below or to:
Capital Tower
Greyfriars Road
Cardiff
CF10 3AZ
Full Name: …
Date Of Birth: … Driver number [if known]: ………………………
Current address: …
…
…
Previous address: …………………
…
…
Important Note: If your current address is not shown on your driving licence, you should return it to the DVLA immediately so that a new one showing the correct address can be issued. Failure to notify changes of name and address is an offence which could lead to a fine of up to £1000.
Signed: … Date: …
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a car become a write off?
The engineers examine the car and work out the exact cost of repairing the damage to the manufacturer’s standards. They then value the car and if the repair costs exceed or approach the value of the car then the car is said to be ‘beyond economical repair’. This is what we call a ‘total loss’ or ‘write off’. A write off can also happen when your car is too badly damaged to repair or the repairs cannot be completed safely.
But the damage to my car doesn’t look that bad……
There may be damage to the car that you can’t see (such as to the chassis underneath) or it may not be possible to repair the car safely or properly. Our engineers are experts in their field and have a lot of experience in examining cars.
What happens if I have finance on my car?
If there is any outstanding finance left to pay on the car, then we have to repay the finance company and deduct the outstanding amount from the settlement cheque we send you. If the outstanding finance exceeds the value of your car the remaining balance will be your responsibility. Please contact your finance company and advise them of our details and request that they forward the outstanding figure to us.
What happens if I have been paying my Insurance premium by instalments?
If we have agreed for you to pay your premium monthly then before we send you the cheque we will deduct any outstanding policy premium and send you the balance. We do this because when you took out the policy you agreed to pay us the full premium in return for which we agreed to pay you the value of your car if it was written off.
What about any personal effects in the car?
Before leaving the car with the garage, you should have already removed any personal effects such as CD’s, tapes, mats, etc from the car. This is because once it has been decided that the car is a write off, we’ll get the car moved from the garage to a secure storage yard within a matter of days. Non standard stereos can also be removed provided you replace them with the original stereo. If the items are not replaced with the standard equipment then your valuation will be affected.
Does this include my Tax Disc?
Yes. This is your property and can be sent back to the DVLC for a refund.
What if my car has a Private Plate?
If your vehicle has a Private Plate and you would like to retain it, then please advise us within 10 days of the date of this letter. You must obtain either a V317 form, which is to transfer a vehicle registration number onto a new vehicle. The current cost of this is £80.00. Alternatively you can complete the V778/1 form to place the registration number on retention. The current cost of this is £105.00. These forms are available from your local Post Office.
Why do we move the car?
Garages normally charge around £15 per day to store cars that are not going to be repaired. So moving the car as soon as possible will keep costs to a minimum which in turn will allow us to keep your premium affordable. Moving the car straight away also means there is more space in the garage for other customers.
Can I buy the car back?
It is not our policy to allow this because the Government and the Association of British Insurers have issued guidelines to all insurance companies with specific instructions on what must be done with written off cars.
Valuations
If your car is written off we will send you a settlement offer for the market value of your car less any deduction such as excess, outstanding policy premium or finance.
Who values my car?
Either our in house engineers using our video link system where they can see your car in the garage from their desks, or by independent engineers who go out and inspect your car.
How is the car valued?
We will look at the car details noting its make, model, age, type, engine size, whether its a manual or automatic, its condition and its mileage. We will then carefully calculate the value of the car using this information and the valuation figures in the “Glass’s Guide” or a similar publication.
I’ve heard of “Glass’s Guide, but what is it?
“Glass’s Guide” is a book used by both insurance companies and car dealers to value cars. It contains details of almost all types of cars available in the UK and their values. The information and car values in the guide are updated monthly to make sure it is one of the most accurate guides to car prices available. The Financial Ombudsman Service has recommended all insurance companies to use Glass’s Guide to value cars.
Does the MOT have a bearing on the value of my car?
Yes, a car with a valid MOT is worth more money than a car without an MOT. If you car does not have a valid MOT then a minimum of a 10% deduction will be made from your final offer. Remember that it is a condition of your policy to keep your car in a safe and roadworthy condition.
Why do I have to make a SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) Declaration?
If your vehicle is not used or kept on the public road, you must make a SORN declaration as it is
an offence to be the registered keeper of an unlicenced vehicle. Should you fail to make a SORN Declaration, or licence the vehicle, you could be fined up to £80.
You can declare SORN by:
Filling in the relevant section of your renewal reminder (form V11)
Calling 0870 240 0010
Filing a SORN V890 Form and sending it to the DVLA
On receipt of the SORN declaration the DVLA will forward you a confirmation letter.
I sure won’t be phoning them for a quote any time soon.