Cali RTA and the Horror !

[vananarama]

Hi all,
Last Sunday ( 20th Sept 20) was our Ruby wedding anniversary ( 40th) and our first trip since lock-down to a C&CC campsite outside Kidderminster.
We had been a bit too early to check in so went 'around the block ' near there for a look at the area then just before 1pm we joined a line of 7 cars in the dedicated right turn lane to climb the hill to the campsite. When it was our turn to cross the white line (with the green arrow still illuminated I must point out) I drove into the cross roads and as I straightened the van to climb the hill our beloved Cali was shaken with a massive impact. In the immediate shock I thought I may have collided with a bollard or something in the road but my wife shouted out that we had been hit by a white car.
Fortunately we were uninjured and immediately got out of the Cali to see the damage - shockingly bad - and to see what had actually hit us. At this point other motorists are checking if we are okay - whilst others are squeezing their cars around us on the damaged passenger side.
The driver of the Nissan that collided with us is trying to start his car with air bags inflated ! I'm thinking is this a stolen car and is he trying to get away? People around us think he is moving the car out of the way but he drives a fair distance down the road until the Nissan gives in and stops dead with me chasing it and taking pictures on my phone. To cut a long story short the police did attend when my wife rang as she explained we were causing a hazard at a busy junction and there was a fair bit of debris on the road, she also asked for an ambulance for the other driver as now that he had exited the car we could see he was an older chap who looked very dazed and shaken.

One motorist did give his name and phone number as he said he witnessed the whole thing and also thankfully I had the dash cam on so all the evidence was clear, the Nissan had driven through the red light at the junction at what we think may have been 40 + mph and didn't appear to have braked even at the last minute.

After phone calls to our insurance and debate around how quickly we could actually get our vehicle moved out of the way our Cali was transported to a compound used by the local police while we were transported by a very helpful police officer in the back of his patrol car to the nearest Travelodge.

The Cali I hope is now out of the Police compound and on its way to Sutton in Ashfield to a Motorhome specialist repairers ( a conversation with repairer confirmed that he has dealt with a few Cali's and knows the vehicle well ! ) I will provide an update on how we get on with the repairs.

However one of the biggest shocks we had on getting into the back of the Cali to gather a few overnight things was that the glass EXPLODED off the Cooker/sink unit as far as the sliding door and into the front seats, and even ending up in the cutlery drawer! if our Cali is not written off we will cover the glass tops with maybe Fablon or some other plastic see through cover, would not like to think what would have happened if we had passengers in the rear seat !

The good news in all this - the bottle of champagne that we were given for our anniversary had survived in the fridge, sadly we just don't feel much like drinking it at the moment.

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Congratulations on your marriage milestone. I'm so sorry to hear of this dreadful experience. My van was written off in a similar fashion just under a year ago and it's a depressing experience. Wishing you the best of luck with the claim etc. I don't know if it's a good idea to do this, but I did – I used an independent claims management firm to go after the other side and to ensure there was no lame agreements made with the guilty party's insurer. Onwards and upwards.

 

[steve_b]

Thankyou, just got a quote, gave me a rough idea of it's value

to be blunt , that does NOT give you an idea of it's value and I would not use that as any indication of what you should get, not even an absolute minimum. We Buy Any Car / Van gives you an idea of how much you might be able to sell for if you were a desperate seller, today. There are no circumstances where you would be able to buy a vehicle for the number they quote , which is where you need to be looking.

How old was the van - if it was only ~4000 miles then I would be looking for a new vehicle and nothing else. Or an ex demo.

You need to look at prices that you can buy a replacement for and not be out of pocket. Never lose sight of that

 

[2into1]

I totally agree with the above. WBAC is a 1% piece of info but will be way lower than the figure you need to replace the van. The price they pay guarantees them a profit, then their auction house takes a profit, then whoever buys it makes a huge mark up when selling it to you.

 

[Perfectos]

Just remember, you own the Vehicle UNTILL you sign the van over to the insurer.
use the three strikes rule, ( three offers)
DYOR regarding replacement a like for like vehicle,in the current market, as has been said, gather as much data as possible,
do not sign anything UNTILL you are happy with the offer and remember that offer should be the cost to allow you to purchase the replacement vehicle from retail sources ( not trade) In the current market With cash.
Provide receipts for the recent work, tyres etc. and hold your nerve during negotiation,
the insurer has a duty of care to offer a fair price to the harmed party to allow a replacement, but it is a.so a business with commercial duty to offer the lowest price for settlement to you.
only you can decide what that figure is.
I reiterate the don’t sign anything until you are 100% happy because as soon as you sign, you are no longer the owner of that vehicle
, the vehicle will be collected within a day or two and you will never see it again, even if you change your mind.
afte4 the initial offe4 to settle fully,
play the game and ask for an offer with the buy back of the vehicle, this will allow you to read how the insurer makes their profit, they will inflate the salvage cost for you to buy it back, however the figures seldom marry up with offer vs salvage value !
a salvage value cali IMO is 10k + for parts only for an old high milage, newer, engine, interior, seats, trim roof etc 20k +
arm and prepare yourself for knowledgeable discussions !

 

[Wogga]

Thinking on, someone recently posted a load of collected data on recent asking prices (here and on the Facebook page). Someone may have a link / better memory of the user name.

Yes that was me. Vantastic2 what year was the van I will post current selling prices I have collected.

 

[NZCol]

You can ask your insurer to source a van - spec , mileage etc the same. They won’t be able to for their ‘offer’ and will up it eventually to get rid of you ! I had same with a 911 (993) that was a total loss (not my fault), they offered me a paltry sum so I just asked for a replacement vehicle, after 3 months they doubled the offer and asked me to go away and find one.

 

[Vantastic2]

Yes that was me. Vantastic2 what year was the van I will post current selling prices I have collected.

Thank you - the van mileage is 46934 and its a March 2013 Cali SE, ex demo bought from dealer with many extras.

 

[subthree]

Thank you - the van mileage is 46934 and its a March 2013 Cali SE, ex demo bought from dealer with many extras.

Like this one?

CALIFORNIA SE/ OCEAN 180 DSG BLUEMOTION - ULTIMATE SPEC

[Thanks for the huge volume of interest in our Cali. We’ve decided not to sell for now, but will leave this advert live in case this changes] Our stunning, low mileage Cali has the following massive factory and dealer options and upgrades, in addition to the standard SE/ Ocean specification...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

 

[Wogga]

Thank you - the van mileage is 46934 and its a March 2013 Cali SE, ex demo bought from dealer with many extras.

Not many 2013 up for sale recently but here 2012 - 14. Mileage in the middle. Hope it helps.

 

[Route66]

Not many 2013 up for sale recently but here 2012 - 14. Mileage in the middle. Hope it helps.
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As this price range shows, spec has an important bearing on desirability and therefore price. Particular options commanding higher prices are DSG, 4motion, SatNav, 3zone climatic and existence of rail for fifth seat.

If the original poster can upload their spec, I’m sure forum users can give you an estimate based on current market.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Not many 2013 up for sale recently but here 2012 - 14. Mileage in the middle. Hope it helps.
View attachment 67127

Advertised prices are not always what the vans would have actually sold for, so would guess than an insurance company would knock 5-10% off above if they even use that data in their Calculations. A Higher spec van is unlikely to get a big premium on the 2nd hand market, but it will make it easier / faster to sell. Mileage is more likely to influence price.

(We paid just over 90% of the asking price when we purchased our 2nd hand van last year. )

 

[Route66]

Advertised prices are not always what the vans would have actually sold for, so would guess than an insurance company would knock 5-10% off above if they even use that data in their Calculations. A Higher spec van is unlikely to get a big premium on the 2nd hand market, but it will make it easier / faster to sell. Mileage is more likely to influence price.

(We paid just over 90% of the asking price when we purchased our 2nd hand van last year. )

That’s not in line with my experience for private sales (dealer prices another matter).

Perhaps your van was advertised over the odds and 10% brought it back down to reasonable (and/ you’re a great negotiator) but most vans seems to sell very quickly and with lots of interest, which would only happen if the advertised prices were in line with executed sale price. I missed out on quite a few vans within days of them advertised and was told that all sold at the advertised price (no incentive for seller to mislead here as they had already sold by the time I called them!)

 

[California Dreamers]

Hi all,
Last Sunday ( 20th Sept 20) was our Ruby wedding anniversary ( 40th) and our first trip since lock-down to a C&CC campsite outside Kidderminster.
We had been a bit too early to check in so went 'around the block ' near there for a look at the area then just before 1pm we joined a line of 7 cars in the dedicated right turn lane to climb the hill to the campsite. When it was our turn to cross the white line (with the green arrow still illuminated I must point out) I drove into the cross roads and as I straightened the van to climb the hill our beloved Cali was shaken with a massive impact. In the immediate shock I thought I may have collided with a bollard or something in the road but my wife shouted out that we had been hit by a white car.
Fortunately we were uninjured and immediately got out of the Cali to see the damage - shockingly bad - and to see what had actually hit us. At this point other motorists are checking if we are okay - whilst others are squeezing their cars around us on the damaged passenger side.
The driver of the Nissan that collided with us is trying to start his car with air bags inflated ! I'm thinking is this a stolen car and is he trying to get away? People around us think he is moving the car out of the way but he drives a fair distance down the road until the Nissan gives in and stops dead with me chasing it and taking pictures on my phone. To cut a long story short the police did attend when my wife rang as she explained we were causing a hazard at a busy junction and there was a fair bit of debris on the road, she also asked for an ambulance for the other driver as now that he had exited the car we could see he was an older chap who looked very dazed and shaken.

One motorist did give his name and phone number as he said he witnessed the whole thing and also thankfully I had the dash cam on so all the evidence was clear, the Nissan had driven through the red light at the junction at what we think may have been 40 + mph and didn't appear to have braked even at the last minute.

After phone calls to our insurance and debate around how quickly we could actually get our vehicle moved out of the way our Cali was transported to a compound used by the local police while we were transported by a very helpful police officer in the back of his patrol car to the nearest Travelodge.

The Cali I hope is now out of the Police compound and on its way to Sutton in Ashfield to a Motorhome specialist repairers ( a conversation with repairer confirmed that he has dealt with a few Cali's and knows the vehicle well ! ) I will provide an update on how we get on with the repairs.

However one of the biggest shocks we had on getting into the back of the Cali to gather a few overnight things was that the glass EXPLODED off the Cooker/sink unit as far as the sliding door and into the front seats, and even ending up in the cutlery drawer! if our Cali is not written off we will cover the glass tops with maybe Fablon or some other plastic see through cover, would not like to think what would have happened if we had passengers in the rear seat !

The good news in all this - the bottle of champagne that we were given for our anniversary had survived in the fridge, sadly we just don't feel much like drinking it at the moment.

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You poor things, that’s horrendous for you.

 

[Resfeber]

Thank you - the van mileage is 46934 and its a March 2013 Cali SE, ex demo bought from dealer with many extras.

I can only reiterate previous advice to start gathering as much info. on condition of your vehicle prior accident and market info. on similar spec Calis to your own.
With values having risen but the write off of Calis not being an everyday feature for most insurance companies, assessment of market value and the to and fro you will have to do to get a fair valuation and offer must not be under estimated.
Issues to watch for from experience of vehicle write offs
1) Anything you fitted after purchase is yours to remove. Make sure you book an appointment to recover all items prior to agreeing final value.
However, watch out for the modification clause in the insurance contract. Claims have been refused where the insurer was not informed of changes to the vehicle from standard spec.
Usual issues are changed wheel types and suspension or engine mods.
2) Occasionally an insurer will attempt to pay only the declared value of the vehicle.
I had this experience as the value had been automatically generated by a well known comparison site (featuring Meerkats) and was not shown in the proposal confirmation but was present in the small print of the policy schedule that had been missed by my son. It took the threat of a formal complaint to the Financial Services ombudsman for the company to admit that the offer must be made on market value of an equivalent vehicle to the one being written off, not a declared value as the value can change upwards as we have seen with COVID supply and demand.
3) The 3 strikes rule is a good line to follow but if you have collected your evidence, you may find a sensible offer follows (although no payment for your time in researching market value.
4) Finally, there is the Financial Services Ombudsman Scheme
Linked below.

Vehicle write-offs and valuations

Information for financial businesses about our approach to write-offs and valuations for cars, motorbikes and caravans.

www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk

Good luck and stay positive above walking away from what was a potentially serious RTC

 

[ColliePops]

Are the police taking any action for driving without due care and attention ? This is clearly within their remit of dealing with obvious fault collision with independent witnesses. It does not do you any favours to be "nice" and let the police close their enquiry with "no further action - insurance details exchanged". They are passing the buck if they do and allows the insurance companies to negotiate amongst themselves how they fund this. I hope you are all okay?

 

[Robbox2]

OMG horrible thing to happen. Our hearts go out to you. We hope you get it sorted

 

[Zebedee]

An awful experience so glad you were not injured. Many years ago had a head on when a drugged driver decided to come onto my side of the road into my Porsche. It wasn’t written off but probably should have been! Took nearly a year to get it back.

My Cali SE is April 13 with similar mileage as yours and was recently offered £34,500, £36,000 and £35,000 for it. Have decided to keep it for the time being (it was only the London ULEZ extension that made me think of selling! Hope it gets sorted to your satisfaction.

 

[soulstyledevon]

I would be really interested to hear how you get on with insurance.
Just remember, turn down the first, second and third offer. Eventually they get real...

 

[CGG]

Sounds like an awful experience, thanks for flagging up the issue with the glass hob cover shattering. Does anyone have any suggestions on covering for glass to prevent this?

 

[WelshGas]

Sounds like an awful experience, thanks for flagging up the issue with the glass hob cover shattering. Does anyone have any suggestions on covering for glass to prevent this?

There is a Forum member who sells pre-cut vinyl covers for the T5 /6/6.1 hobs. Coloured or clear.

Worktop protection

The glass work tops are easily scratched, and are very expensive to replace. These frosted glass finished protective covers as fitted to our California kitchen have been computer cut to the exact size of both burner / sink and the fridge glass work tops and can be applied in minutes using the...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

 

[larrylamb]

There is a Forum member who sells pre-cut vinyl covers for the T5 /6/6.1 hobs. Coloured or clear.

Worktop protection

The glass work tops are easily scratched, and are very expensive to replace. These frosted glass finished protective covers as fitted to our California kitchen have been computer cut to the exact size of both burner / sink and the fridge glass work tops and can be applied in minutes using the...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

+1 for these covers.

 

[soulstyledevon]

Isn’t the glass screen designed to crumble to pieces...?
I thought that was the point of safety glass...?

 

[WelshGas]

Isn’t the glass screen designed to crumble to pieces...?
I thought that was the point of safety glass...?

It is and it does, but does get everywhere.

 

[soulstyledevon]

It is and it does, but does get everywhere.

Would covering the glass, make it potentially lethal again, with large shards binding together in an incident.
Such as this...?

 

[WelshGas]

Would covering the glass, make it potentially lethal again, with large shards binding together in an incident.
Such as this...?

Personally I would think unlikely. It would still break into small pieces but unlikely to fly all over the place..