Woman who lives opposite me has an 8yr old Audi TT. However they said they'd let her have a Mercedes instead-which they have-and now she's running about in an 18 plate Mercedes S class 350d
When a kind sole ran into the side of my wife's Honda on a roundabout (he entered from a slip road without giving way), her insurance company started getting arsey. Her renewal was due so they loaded her renewal premium as they hadn't as then been paid out by the third parties insurance, although they had accepted responsibility. They also knocked her full NCB down, saying any excess premium for the renewal would be refunded at next renewal, which was no good if she didn't want to renew with them. They also wanted her to go to one of their designated repair shops, but I wanted it to go to one that work send company vehicles to and always did a superb job.
As a result, we cancelled the claim with the insurance and the renewal then went back to the original figure, but the accident was then dealt with by an accident management company, who got the job done very quickly, but provided her with a courtesy car - a new Range Rover Evoque!
The repair took three weeks (and was done go a very high standard, in my opinion, especially for a 95k / 6 year old vehicle).
There was obviously a subsequent dispute with the third parties insurance about the footing the bill for the repair plus the rental car cost, and my wife ended up being asked to go to County Court to justify why she had a need for such a courtesy car. She declined stating they had provided it, and it turned out that the management company were asking £350 day
vehicle hire costs alone from the third parties insurance!
It was obviously resolved one way or another without my wife's involvement, but it shows why management companies are a joke and spank the arse out of claims, with fancy courtesy cars as well, both of which results in enivitably higher premiums for you and me.
Plus she keeps going now how she would like a Range Rover Evoque .......