Bike Insurance Repairs...

[fazer390]

Once upon a time on Saturday 28^th April was the Annual Fazer Meet at the NMCM (BRUM).
As most of you know Bri h and I had a bit of a coming together at the roundabout just before arriving. Subsequently a few days later both our steeds were taken away for repair. Brian’s to 4^th Dimension and mine to BLD (Bikers Legal Defence). 
After 4 weeks of both Insurance companies and brokers ‘not’ communicating, they finally liaised and started the repairing process. 

Bri h received his FZ1 back about 6 weeks later minus decals! He then tells me he had to go back 3 weeks later to have the decals put on…
Mine on the other hand is ‘still’ sat with BLD down in bloody Southampton! 
They’ve had it over 10 weeks now and despite receiving weekly phone calls telling me repairs are still on going, but they’re not progressing! I emailed them the other week expressing my dissatisfaction. My claims handler phoned me soon after to say one of his directors had been on the phone concerned with my comments and that it was the 3^rd party insurers that were causing the delays. I thought ok and great, now thing will progress.

I had a call a week later from their parts supervisor saying they couldn’t source a replacement set of aftermarket indicators. I had already told BLD several times from the beginning what make the indicators were, and other useful info knowing that if I didn’t tell them they may struggle. Obviously they never listened or took note! 
After 5min of searching the internet I emailed him back with a link for them that same evening. It’s not that difficult surely? 

I then received a letter from BLD another week later saying there will be a ‘further’ delay as they’re having further problems sourcing more parts!
I emailed them back with disbelief! To which I got a response; the rear tail unit and rear light unit were due to arrive from ‘Japan’ around ‘28^th July’!!! That will be ‘3 Months’ they would have had my bike! On top of that they then need to reassemble before they deliver it… 

Fuming is an understatement! Why could they not have ordered the parts and ironed out any foreseeable problems as soon as they knew my bike wasn’t going to be written off? (which was assessed by them only a few weeks after the accident.).
I made some parts enquiries myself and managed to source all new parts needed to fix my bike in the UK and I’d have my bike back on the road within 2 weeks. It’s not rocket science! And it wouldn’t cost no where near the £1500 BLD are charging! 

I’ve missed out on so many bike meets, rideouts and events already this year and now the whole of July! And there’s nothing more I can do about it… They’ve got me by the short and curlys… 
 
 

[ChristoT]

Ouch! Bad luck, and much sympathy! Hope you get your steed back on the road soon!

[adeejaysdelight]

That's poor Fazer390, very poor. Sorry you have missed the summer. What insurance company are you with and how have they helped you to get your bike back on the road? I am guessing the garage is milking it for all they can... at £70 p/h, and so on. No wonder insurance costs so much money!
 
Hope it gets sorted soon

[chaz]

A friends son got hit from behind on some sort of 125, the insurance company wouldn't write it off but couldn't get the parts, so a bike worth about a grand, took over a year to repair and the hire bike cost them something like 4 grand?

[Lawrence]

Fuming is an understatement! Why could they not have ordered the parts and ironed out any foreseeable problems as soon as they knew my bike wasn’t going to be written off? (which was assessed by them only a few weeks after the
I made some parts enquiries myself and managed to source all new parts needed to fix my bike in the UK and I’d have my bike back on the road within 2 weeks. It’s not rocket science! And it wouldn’t cost no where near the £1500 BLD are charging! 

I’ve missed out on so many bike meets, rideouts and events already this year and now the whole of July! And there’s nothing more I can do about it… They’ve got me by the short and curlys… 

It's because your bike is sitting there waiting while they deal with paying customers (who do have a choice to go elsewhere) and doing yours bit by bit when they have no other work on.  They're getting the money for yours regardless of how long it takes, so it doesn't matter if it gets done this year as far as they're concerned 
 

A friends son got hit from behind on some sort of 125, the insurance company wouldn't write it off but couldn't get the parts, so a bike worth about a grand, took over a year to repair and the hire bike cost them something like 4 grand?

Insurance companies must know how long things like this take, it's got to be cheaper to write off a £1k bike and be done with it that cock around with loan bikes etc.  When I had a loan bike it was £850 for 10 days, but to make things better I'd phoned them up after 3 saying I didn't need it any more and to come and pick it up.

[karlo]

I'd get on the phone to my insurance company and give em a round od F***s cos when I ordered my clutch cable the dealer told me "if it has to come from Japan it will take 2 weeks" came from Holland and took 3 days lol.

[Dave48]

Its all about everyone screwing everyone else for as much as they can. Insurance Industry was supposed to be investigated over matters like price fixing & their "close working relationship" with car/bike hire companies (often sister/subsidiary outfits) & "ambulance chasing" lawyers. Guess it will go the same way as the "naughty" bankers who have F****D up our economy through selfish greed.
At least you have named names but it makes you wonder if we are the idiots paying for all this bloody nonsense.  I would be inclined to talk to the investigative type media people-you've got nothing to lose, and it may help "kick ass". Let us know final outcome.

[fazer390]

I'm still waiting for my bloody bike! 85days later!
BLD have given me a completion date of the 6th Aug... Still waiting for parts they say; bloody wankers are really pissing me off now, especially when I've directed them to UK parts dealers that have the parts instead of getting them from Japan!

I've got the claims directors email addresses, so I'm going to write him my thought...
I'm also going to wright to a few media companies as suggested once this is finally over...   

[AdieR]

My bike has been subject to two non-fault claims:

1st one was 10 days after I bought it - decked by a works van in the company car park (Tuesday). Put bike into my usual bike shop 2 streets away, got an estimate (£1246 IIRC all up, parts / labour / VAT) and put it into my employers. Employers insurance (Aviva) came back on the Friday accepting liability, and had the bike assessed by the following Friday. Bike was back home within 2 weeks of being assessed.

2nd one was also in works car park, decked by a workmates car. Went through same procedure of getting the estimate, and mate gave me his insurance details (Axa). Axa were slow to respond, so mate contacted them admitting liability. Axa came back wanting bike to go to their "approved" repairer. An email request to use my normal shop was approved after supplying estimate details, the bike were assessed, and the work was done. Again, I had it back a couple of weeks after that.

They don't need to obtain parts from Japan anyway - most garages will obtain parts from Yamaha or Fowlers.

One "trick" I used in a (non-fault) car claim was to tell them I *absolutely* needed a car (I occasionally do contract work for a specialist engineering firm) ie "I have to go to a site in Newcastle (true), they're going to stop work for 4 days, losing £100,000 per day, so I can do the job (also true), if I can't get there because I'm without a car the job won't get done. If it isn't done and they want their £400,000 reimbursed, I'm going to put them in your direction". "Oh, we can't pay that" says 3rd party insurer. "Your customer caused the problem, so you best get something sorted" - it got sorted VERY quickly after that.