Should I claim or not?

There's only one person to ask and thats the insurance company although you're going to have to be quite coy about it because they could still class it as an accident even though you don't claim.

It could be you lose 1 or 2 years NCB. That's from the max NCD you have at present. You'd have to check to be sure. Mike

"Mike G" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@individual.net:

I would be carful, anything over 5 years NCD may be classed as 5 years! So if you have 8 years no claims, make a claim you go down to 3! Admittedly the discount also stops at 5 so you are not really being conned. I would check your policy.

Will

Indeed, I think that you may be obliged to declare it even if you don't make a claim.

Read the small print on your policy before deciding what to do.

(I'd be sorely tempted to have it repaired at my own expense and not mention it..)

sPoNiX

I wouldn't claim, have a look in any local scrappys for a spare tailgate.

When does the insurance expire? If it's soon, you could always get the new insurance, and take the protected NCD and then claim off the new policy.

I didn't tell you that. :-))

Steve

Thanks for all the replies, they have been very informative. I think I'll pay to get it done privately, and I'll try and remember to inform my insurer.

Hiya depending on how big the dent is. It may be possible to get someone mike dentmasters to take out the dent using paintless dent removal. If they can should cost about £70 Ritz

Don't claim. Pay £410. Then stop being cheap and get no claims protection.

ME too, as it's even worse than you say, because the base premium will rise every year anyway, and you'll be stung for five years... Probably end up costing you a grand...

how did she "damage" it?

if there is a third party involved has it not already gone to your insurance company? if not, don't bother pay to get it fixed from the first place and tell her to pay for it simple and effective at the same time

alternatively you can let her get her own insurance on it and take more care

either way, I would just swallow it and fork out for repairs to the car form my own pocket the less the insurance company knows about it the better (unless there is someone else involved and then it gets complicated)

own damage? - if so and you can live with it, leave it until

a) Someone else dents it, then get both fixed, or

b) You want to sell the car and want the best price - assuming its bad enough to be noticed.

Only a f****it would declare an accident if they paid for the repair themselves.

Ahhh, that wonderful scheme where an insurance company charges you £50 / year to 'protect' your NCB but _still_ increases your premium after a claim.

And restricts your choices at renewal time because your "protected" NCD means nothing to many other insurers...

Well, it's a deal between you and your current insurers. Why should anyone else feel bound to honour it ?

ok, so the claim didn't go against me and i didn't claim anyway, but the premium for the estate has stayed the same for the past 3 years cost wise in fact, it dropped by £70 after the first year when i had a minor bump in it