Tapped in the arse (No. nothing gay.)

[Mister Fishfinger]

Not sure how Aussie insurance works, but in the UK all you need to do is report it to your insurance company and (if you have a comprehensive policy) they do all the legwork for you.

You only need to provide the reg number of the vehicle that hit you, fill in some details regarding what happened and they do the rest.

The thing about the police not needing to be involved unless there was an injury, that's the same here too.

[VladTepes]

Yeah but going through my insurance the excess may well be more than the damage. And if they can't ID the driver then maybe I'll be liable for the excess.

[Kiwifruit]

Sorry to even mention this but......be careful when talking to insurance company as they may log an accident on your file even though you didnt claim. Then you have to tell them when you renew your policy or in the event of a claim you may be declined because you didnt disclose the accident.
Notice how they record your conversation with them for "quality and training purposes"

[VladTepes]

update - so I just got an email from the insurance company and they want me to  obtain two quotes on an "without prejudice" BASIS.
WTF does that mean?

[black14]

I think it means they want you to run around the bike shops begging for a free quote so they can pick the cheapest, which I've found in Melbourne to be almost impossible. 
No one wants to invest their time and effort into a quote when there's no guarantee they'll get the work - my experience anyway.   
Whether that has anything at all to do with the Peter Stevens monopoly in Victoria or not I can't say...

[Kiwifruit]

"Without prejudice" means that they have have not apportioned blame and nor have they accepted to pay your claim.

[Mister Fishfinger]

Sorry to even mention this but......be careful when talking to insurance company as they may log an accident on your file even though you didnt claim. Then you have to tell them when you renew your policy or in the event of a claim you may be declined because you didnt disclose the accident.
Notice how they record your conversation with them for "quality and training purposes"

Sadly that is completely true, but in the past I have found it better to take the small financial loss than to waste my time running round chasing everyone.

I have been in Vlad's position before when someone drove into the back of my car. He didn't want to go through his insurance because he was a young guy and it would put his premium up, so I initially agreed. But then I had to take time off work to take my car in for a quote, then ring up and chase the quote, then argue with the other party because he didn't like the price and wanted me to use his garage, which was on the other side of London, then how am I going to get it there, what am I going to drive while it's being repaired, how do I know he will pay, what if the repairs are sub standard...

In the end I decided life is too short for all that. I know it sucks but I have now accepted that if someone bashes into me I am going to be slightly inconvenienced and out of pocket, but I will let the insurance company do the job I paid them for.

Of course everyone puts a different value on their own time and stress level, I'm just saying what works for me.

[grog]

Vlad, your excess if like mine is 6 or 7 hundred bucks. Is there that muich damage? If not, just plod on. I just dinged my work ute, a scratch really, 600 excess, repair is 700. ill just pay repair, far easier.

[Mister Fishfinger]

Vlad, your excess if like mine is 6 or 7 hundred bucks. Is there that muich damage? If not, just plod on. I just dinged my work ute, a scratch really, 600 excess, repair is 700. ill just pay repair, far easier.

Again, not sure about Aussie rules but here if the bump is not your fault you don't pay the excess.

But I agree, just fixing it yourself is also a valid option if it's a small dink.

[VladTepes]

Well today I FINALLY got notification that I'd be paid out for the damage (with no admission of liability from them etc) so signed and returned a heap of forms.

They say it might now take up to 3 more weeks to get the $.  :

Talk about moving at a glacial pace.

[KiwiCol]

Persistence got there in the end. Good on ya for sticking with it.   

[grog]

Bloody great result Vlad. So pleased for you.