Do you have to use the "claims handling company" your insurance says?

[r1200rt]

Given this lot

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Do you have to use them? If you have a accident, can you insist you take your bike to a garage and you get a repair quote yourself?

 

[Mr Bean]

No, you do not have to use them - in my opinion, they are little better than charlatans.

In my experience, there was no delay, additional costs etc. by using my preferred local repairer - SBW (now Lind), in my case.

 

[wessie]

Yes.

 

[theoneandonly]

you can choose your repairer .
4th dimension would never be my choice .

 

[OldCroc]

Well that answers that then!

 

[Lord Snooty]

No, don't touch 4D with a barge pole. When we got taken out September 2022 my insurer redirected me to 4D. Their whole manner and approach seemed to be based on how much money they could make out of me for recovery, storage, repairs and bike hire. I told them that they were not going to collect my bike and I would take it to a BMW dealer for assessment and repairs and they were not going to get their hands on it. The bike is your property and you have the right to have it repaired by someone of your own choice.

 

[tjmouse]

My claim was dealt with by 4th Dimension and I got £400 compensation from them for 3 separate complaint over the process. My current insurer uses them so if I have to make a claim I will be refusing them and choosing my own repairer as they were beyond useless.

Issues I had:
Bike not collected properly (sat in a yard for 2 weeks before I told them where it was)
Bike destroyed before removing my personal items (but it wasn’t as AirTag was still pinging)
Low valuation by £1000 which took weeks to resolve (they just didn’t reply)

 

[JJH]

I had similar after my accident in 2019. I just refused to use them. Quite good at piling on the pressure too. No way go away. JJH

 

[wessie]

To expand on my reply above. Once you have chosen your repairer, try to meet or at least speak to the loss adjuster after the repair estimate is completed. They might visit the repairer before signing off the estimate and this is a good opportunity to meet in person and negotiate away anything that might delay things if you get stuck in a call centre quagmire like @King Rat detailed recently. Ideally the repairer will let you know when the loss adjuster has made an appointment to visit. The loss adjuster is the representative of the underwriter and dealing direct cuts out any nonsense from inept claims handlers in the broker's office or call centre.

 

[Engineer]

4th Dimension along with Hastings Direct were very, very good when I had to make a claim last year - they coped admirably with the appalling service from Arden BMW. Politeness and patience on my half and professionalism by 4th Dimension ment the whole process, if not a bit drawn out, was resolved well. I was pleasantly surprised.

4th Dimension were happy with me to chose my repairer and even when my first choice (Arden because of the locality of the incident) totally fucked, they let me change to Balderston to get the job done properly.

You just have to know how to deal with people

 

[Neil W]

When Carole Nash started using 4th Dimensions I already knew of two friends who had been royally screwed over by them (at best 4th Dimension are a bunch of lying thieving shysters ). I had it written down on my file that my bikes if damaged in an incident and there was a claim they would not be taken to 4th Dimension and I would not have any dealings with them whether it be as a repairer or a claims handling company .

 

[littleade]

Look at the t&cs on your policy. I'm with Aviva online and as part of accepting the quote I had to agree to let them repair my car should it be involved in an accident. If there's no such clause then you can use who you want to, it's your vehicle. The insurer may get a bit upperty with you saying if there's any subsequent problems they won't sort it out though.

 

[JJH]

But that’s if they are paying. If your claiming off a 3rd party you can get repairs in your pereferd place. JJH

 

[Big Si]

You just have to know how to deal with people

Seriously??!! F*ck me that’s the funniest thing I’ve read on here for ages!

 

[wessie]

Seriously??!! F*ck me that’s the funniest thing I’ve read on here for ages!

maybe the individual posting as the bellend known as Engineer does not behave in the same manner as he does in this fucked up place

this would not be unusual as recently stated in the, "who would you like to meet" thread about a number of the spikier posters

 

[Big Si]

maybe the individual posting as the bellend known as Engineer does not behave in the same manner as he does in this fucked up place

this would not be unusual as recently stated in the, "who would you like to meet" thread about a number of the spikier posters

Thanks, I’ll take your word for it.

 

[DevonAl]

I was supposed to use them after a small fire in my van, nothing but problems, I complained to them and my insurance company(Devitt) who took over and sorted everything as I wanted the conversion company who built the van to do the repairs.

Al.

 

[Engineer]

maybe the individual posting as the bellend known as Engineer does not behave in the same manner as he does in this fucked up place

this would not be unusual as recently stated in the, "who would you like to meet" thread about a number of the spikier posters

Keeping to topic - my experience of Hastings Direct and 4th Dimension was very good - it must be down to the natural charm with which I'm gifted.

P.S perhaps those on here that have had bad experiences with 4th Dimension are the real bellends?
P.P.S some people jump in with severe predjudices when it comes to insurance claims - if they stayed calm and polite they might get a much better response?
P.P.P.S because of my claim I expected my insurance with Hastings to go through the roof, it didn't, bearing in mind that the said incident was my error.

 

[Mr Bean]

Keeping to topic - my experience of Hastings Direct and 4th Dimension was very good - it must be down to the natural charm with which I'm gifted.

P.S perhaps those on here that have had bad experiences with 4th Dimension are the real bellends?
P.P.S some people jump in with severe predjudices when it comes to insurance claims - if they stayed calm and polite they might get a much better response?

Really?

They lied to me - unless you believe that Honda Blackbirds in the UK have better quality fairings etc. than those sold in France...

 

[Engineer]

Really?

They lied to me - unless you believe that Honda Blackbirds in the UK have better quality fairings etc. than those sold in France...

Really? Yes - 4th Dimension initially suggested their own repair centre, but agreed without a fight that I could take it wherever I wished.
I was more than happy with the outcome.