car insurance - theft - courtesy car

crofton23

I've always tried to cover all bases when taking any kind of insurance. when our house was broken into and our car and belongings were taken. i thought i was covered by my car insurance because i had paid extra for a car should i be involved in an accident or theft.....what they don't tell you up front is that you will only be offered a courtesy car if the car is recovered and repaired ( cos they rely on the garage carrying out the repair to provide you will a car!!) so why is it that insurance companies can say in their policy wording that you are covered for theft!! and even the advisor's on the phone tell you that you are covered cos it says in their documentation...when you ask them to check with the under writer they then say cover is only when recovered. the biggest expense i have when our car was stolen was the £750. i had to pay out for car hire, over the 4 weeks it took for the insurance company to coff !!!!! how do they get away with it !!!!

raskazz

May I ask which insurer is involved? Then we can find out what the policy actually states in terms of the courtesy car provision.

crofton23

i purchased the insurance through the swinton, if that helps. i specified that i wanted cover for accident and theft of vehicle. sorry cant find the docs! however i was just about to purchase with LLoyds, who specify on their pages that i am entitled for a courtesy car if the car is stolen, however when i rang up they said i am only covered if the car is recovered:rolleyes:.

tinkerbell84

Courtesy cars are supplied by the repairing garage. If there is no car to repair, you don't get a courtesy car. Same if the car is written off.

You may well have theft cover (ie the cost of your car if it is stolen) not getting a courtesy car if it is.

Quentin

You don't get a courtesy car to use if a thief has stolen your car.

Look for a policy that includes a period of using a hire car in the immediate aftermath of getting your car stolen if it is something you want.

crofton23

thanks quentin, i have tried and i am finding it really difficult, even when you think, by way of the wording on the policy, that theft is covered it is only when you check to see if you are covered if the car is not recovered!! that you find out that nearly all insurers rely on the garage providing a courtesy car

crofton23

tinkerbell, i purposely paid an extra premium for a courtesy car in the event of damage/accident or theft...my point was that whilst i thought i was covered cos my car was stolen (theft after a break in), it was only when i went to claim they said they could only provide a courtesy car when the car was stolen, recovered and repaired. if your car is not recovered you are stuffed until the car insurance provider compensates you for loss of the un recovered vehicle.

tinkerbell84

you wanted hire car cover, not courtesy car cover.

crofton23

what was on the policy was that i would be provided with a courtesy car or hire car should i suffer loss due to accident/damage caused by theft or theft of the vehicle.

tinkerbell84

maybe it wasn't clear that you wanted cover for if the car is not recovered.

i don't know of anyone that offers that...............

crofton23

thats my problem, i rely on my car heavily, as do most people, what is not clear to me is; that the wording that is given to you when you are choosing cover is misleading!! insurance company's say you are covered for theft....they don't specifically say only when your car is recovered... it is not covered and you are not entitled to have a courtesy car....if the car is lost forever!! do you see what i mean!!! its not plain speak..not even to the people who are selling you the policy!