Bad Day Beekeeping

[Winker]

It was as Bates said a 5 year old Vauxhall Vectra SRi 5d, but it was silk black in colour. Totally immaculate, i had it from New, only 30k on the clock. Just passed it MOT last week (cost me 3 new tyres at £120 a tyre).

Its my first insurance claim in 20 years with the same company (Direct Line) and so far they have been great. I say so far, they have yet to put a price on my car, so time will tell I guess. But at the end of the day I don't really care what they payout. Its only a car and it has been replaced already. Most important thing is no one was hurt.

For those who carry hot/smouldering Smoker in there car beware! It only took 3-4 minuets for my car to go from looking brand new to what it now looks like.

I always emptied my smoker out before putting it in the car, and I always carried a bottle of water to pour over it to cool it down first too.

 

[justme]

You should never accept the first payment. They will always try to cheat you. Kick up a stink and they always offer more.

Had a retired cop try to kill me years ago when I was on my bike Suzuki GS125, (17 at the time). I just refused the first 2 offers, because i'd heard people say the same as above. Ended up with £360 more. That was quite a lot back then.

 

[justme]

Hope you don't end up out of pocket. Best of luck with the insurers

Unfortunately there are some that try to make a living out of third parties for insurance claims and the rest of us all have to pay extra premiums because of the high cost of litigation - yes, some lawyers etc make a killing wherever possible.

QUOTE]

Or to put it another way, there are some who make a living by helping put people who have a problem on an even footing with the insurance companies, the banks, the police, the demanding ex-spouse. Who would you turn to for help if you had a problem involving the authorities or the courts, your MP, a member of the Press, the local vicar?

In the main lawyers are a damn sight more honest and helpful than politicians or journalists, and more effective than the clergy.

And would you so sneeringly say of doctors that they make a killing (possibly the wrong word in the circumstances) out of people's ill health, and garage mechanics out of people's broken down cars.

A good many jobs involve making money out of something that's gone wrong for someone. Just be grateful that help is available.

Yep, of the highlighted bit, on the whole, I would. Especially when it comes to long term or chronic illnesses. Plenty of natural cures out there that they aren't interested in, and most people aren't aware of.

 

[psafloyd]

So, let me get this right some people light their smoker in or near the open boot and or carry lit smokers in the car? Call me insensitive but if this is the case then the pictures above totally highlight what will eventually happen if you are not careful.

My smoker is lit well away from the car and I EMPTY it before it goes back in the car.

Might be an idea not to tell your insurance what you have said here as they might refuse to pay out due to negligence. I'll be amazed if they do pay out.

Insurance is there to protect you against your own negligence. Or else you would never have any claims. It is deliberate acts or exclusions that aren't covered.

 

[dpround]

An alternative explanation for the fire may be dry grass/hay etc trapped around the exhaust. Petrol cars exhausts are certainly hot enough, particularly around the cat. Diesels are much safer from that point of view, which is perhaps something worth considering given the types of places bee keepers end up parking.

David

 

[drstitson]

"I EMPTY it before it goes back in the car"

luckily Kent not too prone to wildfires!!!!

 

[m100]

I have a smoker per apiary site to reduce the likelyhood of flaming the car.

Ditto, 15 - 20 quid extra for a smoker is good insurance to prevent a relighting incident. The worst that can happen is I set a wood or field alight and kill a few horses

I never dump partly used smoker fuel out of the smoker after I have finsihed. I always dowse the smoker with a water spray and leave the smoker in a galvanised bucket with a lid. If there are any ashes in the smoker on the next visit they are dumped before I light the smoker when I know they are going to be cold.

 

[Winker]

To add insult to injury, the recovery company were unable to locate the burned out wreck. So I had to go and show them the field it was sitting in. When I got there the wreck was gone! Stolen no less, for scrap metal.

So I had to call the police and report a stolen burnt out wreck, the police had a hard time believing it, they even phoned the fire brigade to confirm the car was indeed burned out where I said it was.

The insurance company were not laughing!

 

[alanf]

When I got there the wreck was gone! Stolen no less, for scrap metal...

Fire and theft! The insurance company are unhappy because they don't know which form to use.

Seriously, might be worth checking with the local authority. It's their responsibility to clear burnt out wrecks, often the end product of twoccing. Technically it applies to highway and public land but since scrap prices rose some contractors have been known to clear and ask questions later.

 

[alldigging]

They're not going to be a PITA and ask if the doors were locked?

 

[tonybloke]

a friend had a car catch fire as he was driving along the A47 near to Dereham (norfolk)
he pulled into a lay-by, behind an 'occupied' car. he got out of his car, and knocked on the steamed up window of the other vehicle to let them know his car was about to explode. the chap was not to happy, having to get 'off the nest', climb over the seats, and move his car forward 50 yards, before getting in the back seat to finish what he'd started!!

the police attended, along with the fire-brigade, and the fire was extinguished.
this all happened at about 2.a.m.

by the time the insurance company recovery vehicle arrived @ 7 a.m., the car was gone! it must have been carried away on a transporter, but no-one saw it being removed.

 

[Winker]

I called the police to see if they lifted it, and they had not even been informed of the fire, and said they never moved it.

As it was on private land and no crime had been committed the police were never informed. Stupidity does not constitute a crime…

So it was not the police and it was not the insurance company, only leaves the local Gypsies. The recovery company said the car was worth 150 quid a ton in scrap metal prices.

 

[tonybloke]

I called the police to see if they lifted it, and they had not even been informed of the fire, and said they never moved it.

As it was on private land and no crime had been committed the police were never informed. Stupidity does not constitute a crime…

So it was not the police and it was not the insurance company, only leaves the local Gypsies. The recovery company said the car was worth 150 quid a ton in scrap metal prices.

must be better prices than here then, scrap yards giving 120 a ton locally

 

[suavecarve]

a friend had a car catch fire as he was driving along the A47 near to Dereham (norfolk)
he pulled into a lay-by, behind an 'occupied' car. he got out of his car, and knocked on the steamed up window of the other vehicle to let them know his car was about to explode. the chap was not to happy, having to get 'off the nest', climb over the seats, and move his car forward 50 yards, before getting in the back seat to finish what he'd started!!

the police attended, along with the fire-brigade, and the fire was extinguished.
this all happened at about 2.a.m.

by the time the insurance company recovery vehicle arrived @ 7 a.m., the car was gone! it must have been carried away on a transporter, but no-one saw it being removed.

When you say the fire was extinguished ........ is this on your mate's car which was alight or the vehicle that had to be moved because of nesting?

 

[tonybloke]

When you say the fire was extinguished ........ is this on your mate's car which was alight or the vehicle that had to be moved because of nesting?

the 'fire' in the other car reached it's usual climax, I'm informed

 

[user 6228]

You don't have to accept the first offer. Produce recent bills, evidence that mileage was under the average, comparable local sales etc when you make a counter demand. The company will usually increase the offer rather than get involved with legal proceedings. If the car is drivable (clearly not in Winker's case) and the insurer has declared it is 'beyond economic repair' you can ask for a cash offer to get it repaired privately and source replacement doors etc from dismantlers.

When my car caught fire, altohugh the extinguisher had put it out there was damge to wiring loom,s hoses were scorched, alternator.... The assesor came round to look it over after we had a a quote done for the work. He was very good pointing out things that would need to be replaced. This was a roading going race car and and he told us "of course you'll do the work yourself, but you can claim upto half a garage's labour cost". That "labour cost" paid for quite a few upgrades

 

[Luminos]

the 'fire' in the other car reached it's usual climax, I'm informed

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

So it was not the police and it was not the insurance company, only leaves the local Gypsies.

careful now - you shouldn't allude to our lovely rustic salt of the earth Thomas Hardy (thieving)traveller types being a bit flighty - some may be a bit offended