If you are thinking of a car insurance write off calculator, you may be asking yourself many questions regarding write off vehicles. What is it? How is the procedure? How does it work? How much money would I receive? How is the payout? Find out all the answers in this article.
When is a vehicle considered a write off?
This may be a complex topic to deal with and so many clients put forward their questions and wonderings. Before a company decides to write off a covered vehicle, clients should take into account that many factors appear. It is important that clients understand or grasp at least the importance of the processes and parameters of a write-off assessment. Many times, because of serious accidents, vehicles are considered a total loss. However, a car can be totaled by an insurer if the damages happen to be minor. A formula is put into practice in order to check the possibility of totaling a vehicle. In order to understand this topic better, let us clear out some doubts:
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Insurance write off generally take place because of a vehicle being inundated with water in case there is a floor, or if there is a crash, or if there is accidental damage.
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Your vehicle will be considered an insurance write-off if it happens that the cost of repairs are uneconomical. This means that the repairs would be set at 50% or 60% of the value of the vehicle. If the vehicle is brand new, then it could be lower.
So, in a nutshell, a vehicle is considered a write off when the cost of repairing it is way higher then they insurance company would say it is.
How does a car insurance write off procedure work in South Africa?
In order to understand how the procedure works, you need to know that certain factors are taken into account and so the steps may vary, depending on each individual situation. If you want to know whether your written-off vehicle will be covered, the PDS will be taken into account, that is, the product disclosure statement. The terms and conditions that were listed there as well as your policy may have a say in this matter.
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Your insurer will have to assess the damage in case your vehicle has been written off
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The listed value of your vehicle will be checked
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The distance on the odometer as well as the condition of the vehicle before the accident took place will also be taken into account
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You may be offered a payout if you are considered eligible under the insurance policy you’ve got and if your vehicle is considered a write-off
This payout may not be as high as you may think (in fact it is lower) since they will take into consideration the factors below:
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The client’s remaining premiums
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The client’s exess
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The CTP insurance as well as your registration’s unused portion
How is the car write off insurance payout value?
The workings of a car write off insurance value are not hard to understand but there are so many factors involved that you need to consider them. The payout works in the following way:
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Once your car has been written off, your insurance company will make sure to make a payment based on the terms and conditions that were set by your vehicle insurance policy
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The damaged car will be owned by the insurance company and will decide freely what to do next with it.
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In general, they re sell it to other companies in order to offset certain costs they will have and so they will compensate for your payout
What happens if my car is written off? Do I still have to pay insurance?
There are different possibilities and scenarios that could take place if your vehicle is considered a write-off:
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This is one possibility: if the client does not count on outstanding claim on their insurance, they will receive a refund to make up for the months that were left on the policy, except for a £50 cancellation fee.
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Clients will not receive a refund if they have made a claim before and they have paid for their insurance in an annual way
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This is another possible scenario: clients will have to keep on paying their installments until the date of renewal has come if they have made a claim and they pay on a monthly basis
In case you may need to have your vehicle replaced, you can obtain a brand new insurance for your car. However, it would also imply that you would pay two vehicle insurance deals at the very same time. Once you have totaled your vehicle, your premiums will probably rise.
How is the car insurance write-off value?
In order to find out the value that you would get in case your vehicle is written off, you need to know some bits of information. This is a question asked by so many users that it is assumed that clients will want to know about this. The market value of your vehicle will be calculated by your insurer before it is even written off. The condition, mileage and age will be considered and so they will make an offer of what they consider its worth. This way, you can replace your car with a similar vehicle, hopefully. Is it possible to challenge the settlement offer made by your insurer? Yes, there is in fact always negotiation since it is hard for both of them to agree on the vehicle’s worth. Clients are actually advised not to settle down for the very first offer they may receive.
Is a car insurance write off bad?
It is an unfortunate situation but there are solutions you can attain. Try to investigate as much as possible in order to negotiate the offer you may receive from the insurance company.
Author: Cristian Renella
Update: 30/09/2023
Preguntas Frecuentes
Will lients receive a refund if they have made a claim before?
No, they won't.
What if clients have to make up for the months that were left on the policy?
They will receive a refund
Does the condition of the vehicle have an impact on the write off?
Yes, it does.
What is the value if a Hyundai Tucson 2.0L gals, 2009 model with 271,000 km on the clock?
In order to know the value of a Hyundai Tucson 2.0L gals, 2009 model with 271,000 km on the clock, the insurance company needs to carry out an assessment on the condition of the vehicle itself. Each company establishes its own parameters as regards write-off assessment, including the costs of repairs.
My car is on finance and the claim has been repudiated. What happens then?
If your car insurance claim in South Africa has been rejected, it means that the insurance company does not consider the claim as valid. Therefore, in your case, you will not receive the money to pay the car loan, which means that you are still in charge of making the payments.