Clearly, most insurers will offer low, ie trade value, for a total loss in the first instance.
I don’t know the legal details regarding what an offer has to be but it usually states you should be able to replace the car with similar.
Maybe a few for sale ads of similar cars would come in handy, plus obviously the invoice he just paid!
Anyway, let’s hope it gets fixed so it won’t be an issue.
Problem is, wasn’t there a guy with a very low miles GTS (a 30k car) a while back who was hit on the rear wing, side on, at quite a low speed (15mph or so) with no structural damage that was quoted 22k to repair it due to it needing specialist aluminium repair?
That was written off. Tragic!
To try and answer/clarify your points:
Most insurers have to offer retail (forecourt) price unless you are in the trade - because if you are not in the trade that is the price for a similar replacement - not the trade price (the price the dealer paid for it)
Quoting For Sale ads for similar cars just does not wash - I tried that with the Micra. Their response is (a) sale prices and realised actual prices differ significantly, and often the sticker price in the ads allows for downwards adjustment for negotiation and (b) the insurer uses only the trade Masonic Bible on prices.
Re: The GTS example. I don't know that case. But specialist repairs involving aluminium or carbon fibre tubs ramps up repair costs and can result in a write off decision pretty quickly. In lower end cars often used as runabouts (5 year old Golf and R32 or similar etc), I know of examples written off automatically if the air bags have been deployed. No ifs, no buts - just straight write off. Apparently it costs a shed load of money to purchase and replace the airbag(s)
When the guy from Copart came to collect my wife's Micra he had a 3 year old Toyota mid-range car on the transporter - absolutely no damage visible. I asked him what is happening about that? he replied "write off mate". I said "how? I cant see any damage?"
He took me over to the car, showed me a small 2" dent on the rear of the sill on the passenger side. He said to repair that it is all the rear panel, the top of the roof and rear pillar all the sill and going into the wing at the front plus a complete re-spray on one side and blend on other panels at rear and front as well as the roof (spraying the door shut panel on the roof. "Over the top mate" he stated. "It is easier to write it off than repair it".
I asked was the owner sad? he said not at all - he got more than what they would have given him as a part-ex on another replacement car!