Mercedes-Benz C200Rear bumper corner pushed in
- Rear bumper cover$1,600
- Tail light$854
- Exhaust tip$614
- Parts
- $3,855
- Full repair
- $7,056
SHOULD I MAKE A CLAIM?Worried a claim will
Worried a claim will
push your premium up?
A lot of people pay for their own repair because they think claiming will cost more. Often it doesn't. Your excess plus a small premium rise can be a lot less than the full cost of fixing the car properly.
WHY YOU'RE TOLD NOT TO CLAIMEvery claim costs
Every claim costs
your insurer money.
"It'll put your premium up." "It's only small, just pay for it yourself." You hear it from friends, and you often hear it on the phone to your insurer. It suits them. A claim you pay for yourself is a claim they never pay.
Many insurers also send cars to their own list of workshops. They call them network repairers, partner repairers, preferred repairers or approved repairers. The name changes, the idea is the same: a workshop that has agreed to the insurer's rates, which keeps the insurer's costs down. Many policies let you choose your own repairer instead. Check your policy, or read our choice of repairer guide.
WHAT'S THE POINT OF INSURANCE?You've paid for it.
You've paid for it.
Use it.
Think about how long you've had car insurance. Five years? Ten? Twenty? Add up every premium you've paid in that time.
That money was for one thing: being covered when something happens. Then you have an accident, and you're told not to claim. If you never claim, what were you paying for?
Insurance isn't something to save for "a real accident". This is the accident. Check the numbers before you talk yourself out of using the cover you've paid for.
DO THE SUMClaiming vs
Claiming vs
paying yourself.
Claiming costs you your excess plus any premium rise. Paying yourself costs you the full repair, plus anything extra found once the car is stripped.
Example numbers to start: the average car insurance claim in Australia is about $6,266 (Insurance Council of Australia), a typical excess is $800 to $1,000, and $400 a year is about a 14% rise on the average NSW comprehensive premium. Change them to yours.
PAY IT YOURSELF$6,266
MAKE A CLAIM$2,100Excess plus extra premium
Claiming works out about $4,166 cheaper on these numbers.
Get the premium number from your insurer, not a guess. Get the repair number from a proper inspection, not a quick look in a car park.
WHY THE REPAIR COSTS MORE THAN YOU THINKModern cars hide
Modern cars hide
the damage.
A dent in a bumper looks small. Behind it there can be sensors, cameras, brackets and crash parts. A cheap quote often leaves these out. Repairing the car properly, to OEM repair methods, costs what it costs.
Sensors, cameras and radar behind the bumper that need replacing or calibrating Brackets, absorbers and crash parts you can't see until the bumper comes off Blending paint into the panels next door so the colour matches Extra damage found once the car is stripped. If you're paying yourself, that's on you
REAL REPAIRS FROM OUR WORKSHOPWhat the parts
What the parts
really cost.
Four real cars we repaired, with the three most expensive parts on each. Look at what one headlight costs.
BMW M4Front corner hit, guard and headlight
- Headlight$6,205
- Front bumper cover$1,531
- Front guard$1,149
- Parts
- $10,329
- Full repair
- $14,616
Audi RS5Front corner hit, bumper torn off
- Headlight$6,980
- Front bumper cover$4,829
- Alloy front guard$3,622
- Parts
- $21,615
- Full repair
- $26,109
Porsche 911 Carrera SHeavy front left corner hit
- Headlight$14,847
- Front bumper cover$8,898
- Front wheel$5,514
- Parts
- $41,801
- Full repair
- $50,996
Amounts from our job records, including GST. Every car is different. On an insurance claim, you pay your excess, not these amounts.
ASK YOUR INSURERFive questions
Five questions
before you decide.
How much would my premium go up after this claim, and for how many years? Is my no claim bonus or rating protected? What is my excess for this claim? Can I choose my own repairer? Do I have to report the accident even if I pay myself? If so, will my premium change anyway?
Not your fault? You may be able to claim against the other driver's insurer instead. See our not at fault page.
QUESTIONSClaim or pay
Claim or pay
yourself questions.
01Will a claim always put my premium up?
Not always. It depends on your insurer, your policy, whether you were at fault and whether your no claim bonus is protected. Ask your insurer for the actual number before you decide. Don't guess.
02Why would my insurer tell me not to claim?
Every claim costs your insurer money. A smaller claim you pay for yourself is a claim they never pay. That doesn't make the advice wrong for you, but it isn't neutral either. Run your own numbers.
03What is a network, partner or preferred repairer?
They are different names for the same thing. Insurers call them network repairers, partner repairers, preferred repairers or approved repairers. It means a workshop that has agreed rates and terms with that insurer, which helps the insurer keep repair costs down. Many policies let you choose your own repairer instead. Check your policy wording, or ask your insurer: "Can I choose my own repairer?"
04Will a claim put my car on a write-off list?
No, not for a normal repair. The written-off vehicle register only records cars an insurer declares a total loss. A car that is claimed and repaired is not added to it.
05Will a buyer be able to tell the car has been repaired?
Not from the paperwork. A vehicle history check (PPSR) shows whether a car is a recorded write-off, has money owing or is reported stolen. It doesn't list normal accident repairs or insurance claims. What a buyer sees is the car itself, which is why the repair has to be done properly, to OEM repair methods.
06What if the accident wasn't my fault?
You may be able to claim against the other driver's insurer. For verified eligible not at fault claims, no excess is paid to Diverse, and we can arrange towing and a replacement hire car where relevant. Bring the other driver's details and we will help you work out whether that pathway is viable.
07Can you tell me what the repair will really cost?
Yes. Bring the car in. We inspect it, photograph it and give you a written quote. Then you have a real repair number to compare against your excess and premium.
General information only, not insurance or financial advice. Your policy decides how a claim affects your premium, excess and no claim bonus. You must still meet the notification and disclosure duties in your own policy.
GET THE REAL REPAIR NUMBERFind out what the repair
Find out what the repair
really costs.
Book a 5 to 10 minute assessment. We inspect the car and give you a written quote, so you can compare it with your excess and premium and decide.
Call usOld Toongabbie workshop assessment