Warning: Rant content

[Chuffy]

this is harsh, i feel for you i really do. Forcing a company to its job is one of the most frustrating things there is, second only to forcing a myriad of companies to do its job. hope you get it sorted.
Still could be worse - don't know about you but i would rather somebody smashed my car up than my mountain bike!

The third thing being arguing with you.....

Good luck Kirstie. Make sure you take a picture of your armature for us....

 

[Kirstie]

Even more ironically i know the insurance cover I have on my mtbs is second to none and would come up trumps whatever happened to them (marks and spencer - very good indeed). You'd think the same for the three separate policies we have in place for this trip in the car...

 

[Kirstie]

I've got a picture of the car but nowhere to host it.
Perhaps I'll post it when I'm in a better mood...

 

[Arch]

LOL
I think I'm going to need:
Bonnet
Headlight
Front bumper
Front wing
and possibly...armature (nice word that)

le volet
les Phares
butoir avant
aile avant

I also may need:
Can you hurry up and repair my car please because my ferry leaves Calais at 5pm?
Have you finished with the big blue english registered VW yet?
etc

Pouvez-vous vous dépêcher vers le haut et réparer ma voiture svp parce que mon bac laisse Calais à 5pm ?

Avez-vous fini avec le grand VW enregistré anglais bleu encore ?

Babelfish is a wonderful thing....

On the bright side, the bumper had a big scrape down one corner (husband-car-fence interface), the front wing didn't quite fit properly as it got mashed recently in a husband-car-bollard interface, and our mate fitted a new one. Also since mate fitted the front wing, the bonnet doesn't open very easily. So we could be quids in.

May I respectfully suggest that you don't let your husband anywhere near it in future?

 

[Chuffy]

Babelfish is great, but be warned, you might be asking the mechanic if your toupee is on straight and if he'd like a tickle between the frogs legs.

 

[Kirstie]

On the bright side, the bumper had a big scrape down one corner (husband-car-fence interface), the front wing didn't quite fit properly as it got mashed recently in a husband-car-bollard interface, and our mate fitted a new one. Also since mate fitted the front wing, the bonnet doesn't open very easily. So we could be quids in.

May I respectfully suggest that you don't let your husband anywhere near it in future?

It's OK. I know. He can turn a 7 tonne truck on a sixpence but doesn't seem to have much luck with our car.

 

[Arch]

Babelfish is great, but be warned, you might be asking the mechanic if your toupee is on straight and if he'd like a tickle between the frogs legs.

I think those are ok - I recognise all the words, I just wouldn't have known how to make them into the sentence!

 

[barq]

I've got no advice to offer, but good luck. I really hope things work out so you can get on with your holiday.

BTW If you want the picture of the car hosted drop me a private message.

 

[Kirstie]

ygm

 

[wafflycat]

Oh well apparently what's going to happen is this...as we've spoken to the embassy on the level headed (I'm not exactly that right now) advice of wafflycat.

Glad to be of assistance, ma'am

 

[Kirstie]

And here he is! Thank you to my esteemed colleague Mr Barq (it's a he, called 'Hamish' as he was born and brought up in Fort William)

Eew. You can see his insides and everything!!

 

[Cathryn]

LOL
I think I'm going to need:
Bonnet
Headlight
Front bumper
Front wing
and possibly...armature (nice word that)

le volet
les Phares
butoir avant
aile avant

I also may need:
Can you hurry up and repair my car please because my ferry leaves Calais at 5pm?
Have you finished with the big blue english registered VW yet?
etc

Pouvez-vous vous dépêcher vers le haut et réparer ma voiture svp parce que mon bac laisse Calais à 5pm ?

Avez-vous fini avec le grand VW enregistré anglais bleu encore ?

Babelfish is a wonderful thing....

On the bright side, the bumper had a big scrape down one corner (husband-car-fence interface), the front wing didn't quite fit properly as it got mashed recently in a husband-car-bollard interface, and our mate fitted a new one. Also since mate fitted the front wing, the bonnet doesn't open very easily. So we could be quids in.

May I respectfully suggest that you don't let your husband anywhere near it in future?[/QUOTE]


Hurrah....French degree comes in useful. Babelfish did you proud, Arch. It's fine. I'd change the phrases a bit to:

Pouvez-vous vous dépêcher et réparer ma voiture svp parce que mon bateau quitte Calais à 5pm ?

et...

Avez-vous fini avec le grand bleu VW anglais?

The parents will be delighted that years funding a language student finally paid off!! Kirstie, I'm so sorry about your disaster...hang in there, you may well be hurtling down an Alp with the sun on your back before too long!!!

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Poor you Kirstie but chin up - it's only a car and no one hurt. As far as leaving the car behind and having to go back for it - surley that's a legitimate expense the insurance will pay out on. Indeed if you claim via the other driver's insurance company, leaving out your own, you should not be out of pocket. Try one of those no win no fee lot and have solicitor sort it all out. Indeed any solicitor will probably do it for you as the other side will pay his (or her) fee.

 

[yenrod]

Kirstie, you'll prob hate me for this but you'll laugh about this in the future.

You get there - tell as many people as possible, this story - you'll be sirprised what people come up with in time of need even though you dont know them !

All the best girl - stay safe and dont forget you'll get there / do it !

 

[Kirstie]

Aw thanks everyone.

Well we have made progress with the insurers at least. There is an agent for our car insurance company in France who will handle all our dealings with the French insurers. We don't have to speak to any French bureaucrats, only to our insurers. We've started a no fault claim with our insurers who have authorised a hire car for us starting tomorrow. We're going to get back onto them on Monday regarding the repatriation of Hamish, and we're going to insist on a similar model to hire so we can get our vast quantities of kit back to the UK (3 bikes, camping stuff, bike gear, personal stuff etc).

And one of my touring buddies has agreed to drive up to Sutherland instead as she has a similar car to mine, and a 4 bike rack.

So it will all work out. We hope.

Bloody stressful though. I'm posting all this information here just in case it happens to anyone else!