Damage repair

PS What I'm also finding unusual is that the repairer (Am I allowed to name them?) uses a premium-rate phone line!!

It is normal for any insurer to send out an assessor or engineer to view the damage. There is a difference as the engineer should be able to assess the workshop time needed for the repair and if he thinks it is high negotiate with the repairer. An assessor may just be a general insurance one and may not have the technical know how, which could be why they then ask for another quote to check it against the first. I rather suspect you have got the latter.

From having a policy with the club many years ago they did use an engineer when we had a claim and the engineer sorted it. A subsequent claim with the another insurer saw an assessor used by them, who with the best will in the world was not qualified for the job. What was apparent though was the estimate was cheap, it was near the end of summer and I think the repairer wanted the work for the end of the year when the workshop would be quiet so it just went through without further delay. 

An assessor can deal with things like contents claims, but may be totally unsuitable for damage to the actual bodywork, but some insurers wrongly employ them for this. I am not sure why this happens, but I suspect even the staff do not always know why or the management have got it wrong.

As far as a single quote goes this is common with caravan insurance, probably due to there being far fewer repairers. The far lower numbers also mean that it is unlikely the insurer has  the number of claims to allow them to do the deal motor insurers can get with the repairers they use. That may have prompted the reference of your claim to a firm 100 miles away, but given the cost of moving the caravan that distance I cannot see a saving could be made. If you look at the number of cars compared with caravans and the higher frequency of car crashes this becomes apparent.

I would be writing to complain to the insurer saying surely the "assessor" should be qualified to assess the cost of the repair and if need be speak to the repairer, so why do they want to delay matters, which they have by getting a quote from a firm probably too faraway to do the job and getting more quotes which if they wanted could have been done at the outset.

Whilst I bow to Wildwood's experience in matters insurance, I believe that I am correct in saying that it is your right to nominate a repairer.  I was advised of this by a friend who owned a repair workshop. 

Some years ago, my previous, nearly new Touareg required bodywork repair.  My insurer nominated their 'preferred' repairer and I refused to accept it (for reasons I won't go into but of which my friend made me aware) and insisted, instead, that it went to the only VW authorised repairer in Hull.  They could not refuse although I have to say that they made things as difficult as possible for me in terms of completing the claim - but they did, eventually.

On the other hand, when I had to claim through CAMC cover, 5 years ago when some oik fired an air rifle at our van whilst on site - the assessor arrived within 24 hours, authorised the claim there and then and also authorised my preferred repairer - our dealership some 150 miles away from home, to carry out the work.

Not only that, but when I submitted a claim for my travelling costs to and from the dealership (which is covered by the terms of insurance), they actually paid me more than I had claimed (because they calculated it a different way) - and I received the cheque within 48 hours of making the claim.

Perhaps you can understand why I won't even contemplate using another insurer.

You are correct in that you can insist on your own repairer, I was simply commenting on why insurers do not have them for caravans. You may a larger excess if you do insist on your own repairer with motor policies, I would check the wording of yours if it concerns you.

I am not suggesting changing the insurer, the CAMC policy is as good as it gets, although at a price. However good a company is though things will go wrong and if you are not happy then let them know, as otherwise they cannot explain their position or do anything about it if they feel the complaint is justified. 

I would check what the assessors call themselves, you need an engineer rather than a loss adjuster. I got one for my claim with CAMC and things went smoothly. Assessors are not normally instructed by insurers, they are a different business usually working for insured parties after a big loss.