I know its not an MX5 but I’m sure some of you will be insured by these people - just be aware.
Apologies its a long one but I’ve held my tongue long enough.
The story starts on the 5th of May when I’m awoken by a copper asking me if I’m the owner of a Scoob and Passat.
Yep I say and I’m greeted with this site ---------- Both my cars written off.
The scoobs been torched and the Passat’s copped it from the heat.
I phone up my broker and details are taken and I’m advised I’ll get a call from both insurance companies Monday morning.
No calls are forthcoming so I call Markerstudy and rather snottily get told I’m obliged by law to notify them within 24 hours (this Is cobblers as the only legal requirement is if you cannot contact the third party you need to contact the police in 24 hrs).
I advise I’ve already done this and no one had called me.
My details were taken and an interview arranged with a fire investigator in a couple of days, the interview took place with no issues, all the relevant documents sent over to MS and the car collected.
They advised the car was a technical write off, I agreed and stated I wanted to retain the engineer had stated a pre-accident value which I thought was rather low so as par for the course needed to collate documentary evidence.
Evidence is sent on the 21st May with very specific examples and comparisons and even a car that is essentially on a like for like basis.
A week passes I hear nothing so call MS who say there’s nothing in the documentation that would substantiate an increase in the offer, I counter this and note there are 6 examples that would.
They say they will again go back to the engineer – another week passes and nothing so again phone MS and they state they again disagree and this is their final word on it!!!
I then raise a complaint.
8 days later I again have heard nothing (Under FOS guidelines all complaints have to be acknowledged in writing with 5 working days) I eventually get a letter confirming on the 3rd June.
I then spend the next month chasing the complaints dept for an update, calls are ignored and not returned, I’m advised engineers will contact me to discuss but they never call, I was probably calling every other day but was getting nowhere fast, eventually I get to speak to someone let rip and I’m told I will definitely get a call back the following day – and yep you guessed it no call back.
I then get a letter through on the 9th July stating that this has been referred to a senior engineer and he’s referred to trade guides and they’ve upped the offer by £350 – now why they didn’t do this in the first place is beyond me.
I then set about sorting out picking up the Passat – for me to do this I have to sign a disclaimer which notes.
“Our salvage agent takes great care when collecting and storing vehicles to ensure that no additional damage is caused; however at times his is unavoidable ad as such occasionally his can occur”
Evidentally I wasn’t happy about this but signed and sent back (again bad info given firstly was told to post it but called back then was told I could email).
More on this later.
I then await a call from MS to confirm I can collect the car again nothing is forthcoming so numerous calls are made and I’m told yes of course you can pick up the car – however no one had the foresight to call me!!!
I arrange a time go down to Copart and await the car to be brought out
.
Now if you recall the disclaimer – “Our salvage agent takes great care when collecting and storing vehicles to ensure that no additional damage is caused”.
.
Suffice to say when my car was brought out like this I was a little surprised and tbh ******* annoyed there was no need for this, I jump started the car and drove it home – they could’ve simple driven it the 200 yards from where it was sitting.
I’ve spoken to my mechanic regarding this and he’s suggested there could be damage – It’ll be checked when it goes in for a service and cambelt change.
We then get bollocked by the toothless driver for not wearing hi-viz, would have been nice if we had been told it was a requirement.
We cart the car back home and stash it round a mates as the tax has now run out.
I then get the settlement cheque on the 24th July but no V5 or any original paperwork so call up and request it.
I’m assured it will be sent out promptly.
I sort the car and await the V5 so I can tax the car – took a couple of hours, Bumper £10, Grill £10, Lights £40 and can of matt black £5.(still on winter tyres as its been with MS for ages – Alloys sitting in garage).
So I’ve a car ready to go but no V5 to tax.
I then do some research and realise that the vehicle requires a VIC test, I call MS and enquire whether anything else is required and is my car insured.
They respond by suggesting I speak to my broker – I counter but you’re my insurance company and they reply we’re just the claims dept we don’t know these things.
The settlement cheque then gets shredded by an overzealous girlfriend so I call MS for duplicate.
I spend the next 3 weeks chasing my V5 doc and Cheque which neither are forthcoming, I call on the 8th August and assured it will be sent out 1st class, I call again on the 13th and I’m told it hasn’t been sent out but will be sent out shortly, I complain further and am then told it will be sent out special delivery.
Not happy I ask to speak to a manager – I’m advised he will call me in 24hrs.
Manager calls back the following day and apologetically states the V5 was infact sent back to the DVLA on the 22nd July!!!
I go mental and demand to know why I’ve been lied to on so many occasions or whether it was purely down to incompetence, I state I’ve a perfectly functioning car that I cannot drive, He suggests I call the DVLA to request a duplicate, On enquiring whether MS will meet the cost he says they will consider it !!!
I again request this raised as a complaint and to escalate.
I then call the DVLA and speak at length to them – the car is no longer registered in my name and essentially in a state of limbo, I have to write into a specialist dept that will investigate which will probably take up to 5 weeks to resolve.
So at present I –
• Have a car I cannot use due to no tax
• Have a car that’s not registered under my name
• Without settlement cheque
• Without original documentation
• Have been running an old banger that has just died due to head gasket – so no car.
• Have requested they seek a recovery from my Scoobs insurers as that car caused the damage so I can be reimbursed my xs and I only have 1 fault claim listed against me (again bugger all done).
• Have potential damage to the underside of the car due to the way it was returned to me.
• When the car is reregistered back to me there will be an additional owner on the logbook so depreciating the value further.
Tuesday I called 3 complaint handlers and left voicemails on two the third was constantly engaged and no voice mail and yep you’ve guessed it no return call!!.
Had a call returned by one of the above handlers Wednesday advised I was without car and was unable to tax vehicle due to their error and potentially could take 5 weeks, she will refer to supervisor.
Chased again today (Wednesday) as now feeling this is wasn’t been treated without any degree of urgency, complaint handler advised that her supervisor had suggested I simply get tax with the reminder.
I reiterated that the car was no longer in my name and that was the first thing I tried – DO THESE PEOPLE NOT LISTEN!!!
Requested a call back from supervisor.
Thursday – Surprised to actually get a call back today spoke to a supervisor who said they were investigating my case (my complaint handler was on holiday this week so nothing would have been done just as well I chased them again).
Again I reiterated my lack of transport but was advised that a hire car was not available but they would cover my costs on public transport – my daily commute by car takes 35 mins or so however Caterham to Cobham is a total arse of a journey on public transport Google states 2.15 hours plus the train leaves every hour so realistically you’re looking at a 3 hour journey each way.
At least I suppose they did acknowledge it was their error however I do feel it’s unfair that I should lose 5 hours of my day commuting due to an error made by Markerstudy.
She said she would email me confirmation of this – not surprisingly it hasn’t arrived yet.
I’ve worked in the GI Insurance industry for over 20 years and in my experience have never encountered such a badly run business. I’ve had to chase them every step of the way throughout this claim, I’ve been misinformed, lied to and had to deal with downright incompetence.
We buy insurance not only as a legal requirement but also for peace of mind that in the event of the unthinkable will have a painless journey and will be guided by our insurer.
Markerstudy have made an already really ****ty experience into a living nightmare – pay that little bit more and avoid!!!