Defender value

kenbro

Well-Known Member
This morning a refuse collection vehicle ran into the back of the trailer that was hitched to one of our parked Defenders.
Waggon driver didn’t see it so no braking before collision at somewhere between 20 and 30 mph.
Trailer and (Unoccupied) Land Rover (almost surely?) written off and waggon driver and passenger treated at hospital but not detained, so good result there.

Insurance company (FU) can’t supply hire vehicle until the job gets sorted because ‘There are none in the country’.
Will be very interesting to see how they value a 2005 Defender?
Will they say it’s just an old Land Rover, or will they go off today’s ridiculous asking prices and offer enough money to pay for a new Ineos Grenadier. (Got email from Jim this morning saying they were coming off the production lines now.) 😘.
Ken.
 
This morning a refuse collection vehicle ran into the back of the trailer that was hitched to one of our parked Defenders.
Waggon driver didn’t see it so no braking before collision at somewhere between 20 and 30 mph.
Trailer and (Unoccupied) Land Rover (almost surely?) written off and waggon driver and passenger treated at hospital but not detained, so good result there.

Insurance company (FU) can’t supply hire vehicle until the job gets sorted because ‘There are none in the country’.
Will be very interesting to see how they value a 2005 Defender?
Will they say it’s just an old Land Rover, or will they go off today’s ridiculous asking prices and offer enough money to pay for a new Ineos Grenadier. (Got email from Jim this morning saying they were coming off the production lines now.) 😘.
Ken.
They'd have to value it at market value for a 2005 defender in the same (pre-crash) condition. You can contest their offer with evidence if necessary.
I'd hope for a write off payout and buy back or ask to keep the wreck, which you can repair later, or sell for offroad use if irreparably damaged. I'd imagine that having a real chassis, it may well be repairable.
I'd also be inclined to read policy carefully and push on the failure to produce a hire vehicle. The fact that they can't find one may not be sufficient excuse and possibly they should reimburse you for the cost of hire, or some similar claim.
 
Interested too but surely you realise no insurance company is going to be generous in what they pay out? That such a vehicle could sell for fantastic money simply won’t cut it.

I recon you’ll be lucky to get £12K, and that’s if it was in good condition and the most recent MOT advisories aren’t eye watering in number and detail.

K
 
I do realise the insurers will want the best deal they can get.
How do they value vehicles these days, do they still have those Parker pockets sized books that the trade used for valuing when buying and selling cars? Or perhaps there’s an app to be had now.
Whatever, used Defender prices seem to be ridiculous to me.
I can’t think of any other vehicle where the asking prices for used ones rocketed so quickly once production ceased.
I suppose the 16 ft trailer will be easier to replace.
Ken.
 
I do realise the insurers will want the best deal they can get.
How do they value vehicles these days, do they still have those Parker pockets sized books that the trade used for valuing when buying and selling cars? Or perhaps there’s an app to be had now.
Whatever, used Defender prices seem to be ridiculous to me.
I can’t think of any other vehicle where the asking prices for used ones rocketed so quickly once production ceased.
I suppose the 16 ft trailer will be easier to replace.
Ken.

I would think they would use CAP -(an industry guide) if you ring a car auction and ask nicely many will do it - if they wont PM me and i will sort it for you but wont be till next week now as the contacts i have will have gone home haha !
 
I suspect you will have a long wait on a new trailer. Ifor williams have a long back order.
I've heard of vehicles that have been rammed up the rear to suffer with possible gear box problems especially if its been left in gear? These can sometimes appear days after the repairs are done.
 

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Updated 11th October, 2022
Aluminium Prices (per ton/tonne)*

Clean Alu/Cu Rads – £2,680
Dry Ali Wire / Quadrant – £1,650
Clean HE9 – 2′ – £1,630
Painted HE9 – 2′ – £1,550
Baled Litho Sheets – £1,580
Loose Litho Sheets – £1,530
Clean Wheels – £1,700
Dirty Wheels – £1,700
Baled Aluminium Cutts – £1,350
Loose Aluminium Cutts – £1,300
Cast Aluminium – £1,020
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Dural / Loose Old Rolled – £1,020
Thermal – £1,030
Aluminium Turnings (No Group 2/7) – £700
Clean Ali Rads – £750
UBC’s Loose – Valuation
Irony Aluminium (No Fe engine blocks) – £370
:rofl:
 
Any pictures of the rear of your 110 , if it were me I'd be insistent it got repaired or that they sell you back the vehicle
There are dozens of landrover rebuild companies now that can rechassis your vehicle
 
In my experience insurance companies will only pay out to the value you insured it with them in the first place, and more than likely they'll pay out less.
 
I had an accident in my 300tdi a few years ago. A dented bumper (£90 replaced) and a front light housing and a panel needing put back - probably £40.

Told me it would be a write off - they had no clue how to value defenders. So for £130 mine was back up and running. It did write off the small car in front (who swerved into my lane then braked sharply) and the brand new Audi A8 in front of her. A fair amount.

The insurance coy offered me £900. They want all the old vehicles off the road.

I sold it four years later for over £10k.

Keep the truck.
 
This morning a refuse collection vehicle ran into the back of the trailer that was hitched to one of our parked Defenders.
Waggon driver didn’t see it so no braking before collision at somewhere between 20 and 30 mph.
Trailer and (Unoccupied) Land Rover (almost surely?) written off and waggon driver and passenger treated at hospital but not detained, so good result there.

Insurance company (FU) can’t supply hire vehicle until the job gets sorted because ‘There are none in the country’.
Will be very interesting to see how they value a 2005 Defender?
Will they say it’s just an old Land Rover, or will they go off today’s ridiculous asking prices and offer enough money to pay for a new Ineos Grenadier. (Got email from Jim this morning saying they were coming off the production lines now.) 😘.
Ken.
Firstly, harsh as it may seem, report it to the police as an offence of driving without due care and attention. It may be that this crew, or this driver, has issues. For sure the horror story of the Glasgow bin driver warrants action. The police may say that they are not interested but if you make an allegation of a crime they must investigate.
 
Hi,
Don't know who called them but Police showed along with Ambulance which took two guys from the waggon to hospital.
Neither was kept in hospital after treatment.
No idea why police not interested and as I've had zero input in running the business since 2004 I won't be getting involved now.
Thanks for that info though enfieldspares.
Ken.
 
When i had to claim on a stolen camper a couple of years ago, the loss adjuster did a trawl through the internet sales pages to value it. Campers, like many defenders are too individual for glasses/parkers guides to be much use.
Be prepared to argue though and have examples to prove your point.
Insurance companies are there to make a profit for their shareholders and not to help you! a lot of people do not seem to realise this.

If you accepted or put down a value then that is likely to be the max they will pay. My policies all have CMV (current market value) as the value of the vehicle. That is due to campers as well as defenders and classic cars often rising in value rather than depreciating.
 
Never had to claim for a car, but I do know when I was buying the Qashqai, that I was pushed hard to buy GAP insurance on the motor?

Reading up on it, the argument is that the standard insurance policy is that in event of write off, the payout is based on the current market value of the vehicle (as others have mentioned) and the GAP insurance pays out the difference between the current value and what you originally paid for the car. Admittedly, I have only ever bought cars that seem to depreciate in value, so not sure if (what with the defender's reputation of appreciating) your policy may be different?

As other's have said, read the wording closely, as at least in my limited experience, my insurers have always warned me that they assess the car's value at time of claim in determining how much the write off value would be, and that the value I actually insure it for is basically useless (except in calculating how much I actually pay on the car!). I don't know if others do this, but at time of renewals I always go through comparison sites (at least at first), and when prompted for the car value, I generally will look at how much the car is going for at the time and put that figure down, rather than what I might have paid for it a few years ago... (especially knowing that they wouldn't be paying out that original sum regardless...)
 
Years ago, for the benefit of those on SD, I had a Sunbeam Tiger 260 which I insured with a broker who offered a policy known as an "agreed value" policy. That is to say that you and the underwriters agreed the value that would be paid out for a total loss be that theft, fire, write off and similar. I can't remember the guy...it was now thirty five years ago...but there are many who offer this. The important phrase is "agreed value policy". Hope it helps!
 
The whole point in insurance is a policy that can replace the item that is a loss - that means you need to get the value that you need to pay if you want to buy another…if they offer you silly low money ask them to find some examples of similar aged vehicles for the price they offer.

As mentioned above for some vehicles I have agreed value so there is no squabbling.

The insurance industry is one of the lowest forms of life going, they should have been reigned in years ago but an official org to control their greed and corruption.

Regards,
Gixer
 
As some said above, insurance will replace what is lost. It is not there for you to gain from or to leave you out of pocket (minus the deductible, if there is one). If you think you are being short changed, ask for examples of a 2005 Defender for sale in similar conditions to the one that was totalled. Provide evidence of its condition, including the interior, last MOT notes, miles on the clock ect. I do not know who you are insured with but buying insurance is a lot like buying an emergency parachute - a cheap insurance policy if great until you actually need to use it, and then you wish you had the more expensive policy. This is were agreed values and low limits on certain claims or total exclusions of cover have been inserted into the policy which was why it was cheap in the first place. If you are with a reputable insurance firm you should not have any issue or be given the run around on a simple claim like this. (I’m an ex-Lloyds of London insurance broker).

On a side note I would be very interested to hear how you get on, as I to have a 2005 Defender. I was had a semi-serious offer of £35k for it last year which I declined and had no interest in selling.
 
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