third party saying i didn't need a hire car......

boltonangel

Hi

A couple of months ago someone drove into my car and damaged the back bumper,tail-light and back quarter of it.
They admitted liability straight away.
When I contacted my insurers they took details of the damage over the phone and advised me that it wasn't roadworthy and that they would organise a hire car as i have guaranteed hire car cover.
a few days later my hire car arrived.
A few days after that my car went in for repair and the garage verbally agreed that the car shouldnt be driven until repaired.
The repairs took approx 2 weeks and then we gave the hire car back.

Now ive received a letter from the hire company informing me that the 3rd party insurer won't pay them because the damage did not make the car illegal to drive.
They have included photos of the damage taken in the dark so you cannot see the extent of the damage or tgat the bumper was pushed in.

I am really worried now because all I did was follow my insurance company's advice.

The hire car bill is about £1500!

Sarah

happywarmgun

boltonangel wrote: »

Hi

A couple of months ago someone drove into my car and damaged the back bumper,tail-light and back quarter of it.
They admitted liability straight away.
When I contacted my insurers they took details of the damage over the phone and advised me that it wasn't roadworthy and that they would organise a hire car as i have guaranteed hire car cover.
a few days later my hire car arrived.
A few days after that my car went in for repair and the garage verbally agreed that the car shouldnt be driven until repaired.
The repairs took approx 2 weeks and then we gave the hire car back.

Now ive received a letter from the hire company informing me that the 3rd party insurer won't pay them because the damage did not make the car illegal to drive.
They have included photos of the damage taken in the dark so you cannot see the extent of the damage or tgat the bumper was pushed in.

I am really worried now because all I did was follow my insurance company's advice.

The hire car bill is about £1500!

Sarah

Pass a copy of this correspondance on straight away to YOUR insurance company. Let them sort it out. At the end of the day one of two people will pay for this - your insurance company or their insurance company. Let them fight it out...

Astaroth

The car hire you received was evidently not a guaranteed hire car under your policy but a credit hire car which anyone is able to get irrespective of their policy (including uninsured people).

You need to check what you have signed with the hire car company as the terms of credit hire vary greatly between companies if the third party insurers do not settle the bill in full.

If you do have hire car provision under your own policy I would also contact your insurers and find out why 1) they used credit hire when you have paid for a hire car cover and 2) why they haven't simply settled the hire bill and included it in their claim against the third party.

cogito

boltonangel says that the tail light was damaged. The car can't be driven legally without working lights irrespective of any other damage to the car.

dogbot

boltonangel says that the tail light was damaged. The car can't be driven legally without working lights irrespective of any other damage to the car.

Exactly! Surely if the third party insurer is paying for the damage, they will be able to get your insurer to send a copy of the estimate showing that the rear lights were damaged.

cogito

And regardless of whether or not the car was unroadworthy, it would still have to be taken off the road for repairs to be carried out.

Anihilator

Sorry but two weeks for minimal rear end damage is a !!!! take. You have an obligation to minimise your losses. You clearly didnt.

cogito

Anihilator wrote: »

Sorry but two weeks for minimal rear end damage is a !!!! take. You have an obligation to minimise your losses. You clearly didnt.

And you know this how? You know that the car had minimal damage, that immediate repair authorisation was given, that the parts were in stock, that paint was instant drying and that the repairer was in a position to drop everything to start work immediately. Well done.

lisyloo

I dont' know the full details, but surely if there was a wait for paintwork, then a short term fix to make the car roadworthy could have been done.
You don't need perfect paint for a roadworthy car, you need working lights.

If I was paying for this and there was a delay then I'd expect "emergency" repairs to make the car roadworthy (perhaps 1 day off road) and then to be booked in for paintwork when ready (perhaps 2 days off road).

So if I was paying I'd expect 3 (maybe max 5) days car hire.
Not 2 weeks whilst it sits around in a gargage waiting.

Imagine if you were paying the bill, how would you do it then?

boltonangel

So what was I meant to do? Storm into the garage after day 5 and demand my car back?
For your information it took 1 week for the clips for the bumper to arrive. I did chase the car repair often and had no way to hurry it up.

I was told my car wasn't roadworthy by the garage and insurance company BUT the tail light was working just cracked. I informed them of this though.

I remember a credit agreement being signed, although in my name my dh signed it as he was yhere for delivery.

So it's looking like I'm going to have to pay. I simply do not have the money.

boltonangel

So what was I meant to do? Storm into the garage after day 5 and demand my car back?
For your information it took 1 week for the clips for the bumper to arrive. I did chase the car repair often and had no way to hurry it up.

I was told my car wasn't roadworthy by the garage and insurance company BUT the tail light was working just cracked. I informed them of this though.

I remember a credit agreement being signed, although in my name my dh signed it as he was yhere for delivery.

So it's looking like I'm going to have to pay. I simply do not have the money.