[nascot]

Originally Posted by JD6

A recorded admission at the scene is very helpful, but doesn't guarantee it will go your way. In my recent accident, I had no dashcam at the time, but I used the Voice Recorder on my iPhone to record a very clear full and frank admission of fault from the old duffer who reversed into me while stationary.

30 minutes later, when he phoned his insurer, his story had changed, and I was now partly at fault. I assumed that sending my recording to my insurer, Aviva, would settle the matter, but they were pretty hopeless. Initially they wouldn't listen to the conversation and told me (wrongly) that this sort of admission could not be used as evidence as it might have been obtained under duress.

If they had taken the time to listen to the conversation, they would have heard that it was a perfectly civil and relaxed conversation lasting about 3 minutes. Since Aviva were being unhelpful, I decided to send it to the third party insurer and they listened to it straight away and accepted liability without prejudice. It took them a further 3 months to fully accept liability and pay, but I have no doubt that without the recording, I would have been shafted with a 50/50 settlement.

Now I have a dashcam, but will back this up with a recording of any admission. There are lots of lying bastards out there, so you need all of the evidence you can get.

I binned Aviva off after my last minor bump. I was reversing in a car park at the same time as someone else and we clipped bumpers. No damage to me but a scratch on the other car. Instantly the other guy blamed me and I said it's 50/50, both reversing a neither saw each other until too late. Told Aviva all this and there was plenty of back and forth with the other insurance company and then out of the blue they threatened legal proceedings. Aviva caved and settled straight away with me at fault! Wankers.

I've now got a reversing cam on my new motor

[JD6]

Originally Posted by nascot

I binned Aviva off after my last minor bump. I was reversing in a car park at the same time as someone else and we clipped bumpers. No damage to me but a scratch on the other car. Instantly the other guy blamed me and I said it's 50/50, both reversing a neither saw each other until too late. Told Aviva all this and there was plenty of back and forth with the other insurance company and then out of the blue they threatened legal proceedings. Aviva caved and settled straight away with me at fault! Wankers.

I've now got a reversing cam on my new motor

That does sound like the Aviva I have been dealing with!

While the reversing camera is useful and should prevent you actually being at fault, it won’t prevent the lying bastards out there from claiming that it was your fault. I suggest you consider a dashcam. There seems to be no substitute for video evidence.

In my case I had a full admission from the third party which I covertly recorded. I had an independent witness as well, so I expected to be home and dry. The witness wasn’t quite definitive enough, and I had to go out of my way to challenge the third party insurer, including threatening to sue. Hopefully my new dashcam will make the whole thing more straightforward next time...

[gippy]

you've just prompted me to stop being lazy and get my dashcams bought and fitted asap.
leicester is full of the worst drivers the uk has to offer. near misses all the time.

[A13x]

Originally Posted by gippy

you've just prompted me to stop being lazy and get my dashcams bought and fitted asap.
leicester is full of the worst drivers the uk has to offer. near misses all the time.

well new car ordered for the new year. not looking forward to the new dvla road tax of 440£ a year

[ian332isport]

Originally Posted by A13x

well new car ordered for the new year. not looking forward to the new dvla road tax of 440£ a year

What are you getting?

[r1cey]

Originally Posted by nascot

I binned Aviva off after my last minor bump. I was reversing in a car park at the same time as someone else and we clipped bumpers. No damage to me but a scratch on the other car. Instantly the other guy blamed me and I said it's 50/50, both reversing a neither saw each other until too late. Told Aviva all this and there was plenty of back and forth with the other insurance company and then out of the blue they threatened legal proceedings. Aviva caved and settled straight away with me at fault! Wankers.

I've now got a reversing cam on my new motor

Similar thing happened to me years ago...was reversing out of a space in Sainsbury’s car park in my X3, and an old dear doing the same in her mini diagonally opposite me, but unlike me looking over my shoulder, she was only using her mirrors (and obviously very poorly). I saw her continuing to reverse, so stopped, and even with my hand pressed firmly on the horn, she kept going, then BANG!, both bumpers damaged, but her light and quarter panel too. Fortunately a witness collaborated my story that I was stationary at point of impact, so she was liable, but I felt even my insurance company (Elephant) wanted 50/50!! They told me they had sent out a form for the witness to complete but hadn’t received it back. I called the witness (who had obviously given me their details) who told me they hadn’t received any form. Had to phone the insurance back and ask them to send out another form. Come renewal time, my policy jumped 30%, and got the usual “stat” bullsh!t, that I was more likely to be involved in another accident, so told them to do one!

[A13x]

Originally Posted by ian332isport

What are you getting?

Same car so all my accessories fit 330D M sport x drive touring but have a £440 hit road tax each year on it for 5 years!

I know i can get fridges, dryers, my ladders and alsorts in plus my custom made phone mount fits perfect.

trying to find some eagle f1 asymmetric 5's and see if they are better than the 2;s as the wear on the 3's were terrible. The bridgestone for me always side wall bubble because of the amount of pot holes.

[speedski]

Hate to say it but my 420D is £450 and goes up to £460 next year...

Only another three payments to go till it returns to normal - and then ill probably be an idiot and but a new car.

[TiredGeek]

Originally Posted by A13x

Same car so all my accessories fit 330D M sport x drive touring but have a £440 hit road tax each year on it for 5 years!

Sorry, it gets worse. First year is a nice round £820, then £140 road fund licence (it's NOT a tax, honest) + £310 surcharge..... totally value for money in my opinion given the fantastic condition of the roads around here. Oh, wait......

[Wills2]

Originally Posted by TiredGeek

Sorry, it gets worse. First year is a nice round £820, then £140 road fund licence (it's NOT a tax, honest) + £310 surcharge..... totally value for money in my opinion given the fantastic condition of the roads around here. Oh, wait......

The roads around Leeds and Bradford are truly shocking, a patch work quilt of dips, humps, sunken drains, raised drains, potholes and bad repairs with hardly any road markings visible.

Plenty of money for fucking up roundabouts/junctions with traffic lights and laying speed bumps down on every road though....