Partner had a minor accident in the car. No one was hurt – basically scraped the side of a concrete wall so there are a few small dents and ugly scratches everywhere along the front of my car.
I'm considering making a claim as the damage should be more than the $500 excess. But I've only had the car for about 3-4 years or so now and this is the first half-expensive car I've ever bought so I've never had comprehensive insurance.
So I was wondering if I make the claim, given my short history of being insured, is it likely to just increase my premium? I don't mind paying the $500 excess to get it fixed but basically, it's just cosmetic damage – car is still driveable. But if say, my insurance increases by $200-300 every year after this, I'll end up paying much more in the long run due to increase premiums, and then I'm probably not willing to fix it. I plan to drive this car for many years and by the time I sell, the scratches are not going to affect the resale value by more than a few thousand dollars in extra premiums.
Do insurance companies in Australia increase premiums after you make a claim?