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

DKLS

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.

Thats nothing when somone crashed into my old MDs brand new X5, the car hire bill came to 15K! and took 6 weeks to get the car fixed.

Anihilator

DKLS wrote: »

Thats nothing when somone crashed into my old MDs brand new X5, the car hire bill came to 15K! and took 6 weeks to get the car fixed.

Was it simply cosmetic damage though and still drivable?

As said this should have been a case of simple repairs made to make the car roadworthy and then returned until final repairs could be made.

A 2 week car hire for simple minimal damage is not minimising your losses. Out of interest OP what kind of car do you have?

boltonangel

A vw passat.

The insurance took over and told me my car needed to go in and I followed their advice. I am not in the insurance or body repair business so I followed their advice. I wish I hadn't now, but that's heinsight (sp?!)

I just rang my insurers and they said I did not have guaranteed hire car on my policy which is why I was referred.

I rang the hire company and they said that they will fight the case and maybe take 3rd party to court but as thought it is ultimately my liability.

They told me not to worry,but I am petrified. I have no spare money at all.

advantix

When a royal mail van reversed into me whilst i was stationary i had a cracked rear bumper and a cracked tail light. My insurance company took the car off the road and it took 5 weeks for me to get it back. The bumper was colour coded and so this took a while. I had a hire car (Audi A3 Sportback, brand new with only 10 miles on clock when i picked it up from the garage after dropping my car off) for the full 5 weeks and the other parties insurance paid it without question. It can take a long time to get what seems like minor damage repaired,and as the garage told me it should be off road until repaired i didn't argue as i assume a mechanic knows what they are talking about.

Anihilator

Tbh I think the helphire scam is starting to be fought a lot more.

Astaroth

Some insurers have extra deals with credit hire companies that they pay bills without looking at them (though have the right to audit them) in exchange for improved rates - personally never agreed with the practice as I can count on one hand how many credit hire bills I paid in full and on a salary of £20k my time was no way near the £100+ that was typically taken off each bill.

To the OP - sounds like you haven't listened to what has been said by the insurers and documents were signed without being read. The hire car company will handle the negotiations on your behalf but ultimately it does feel an excessive hire from the very basic information thats been given.

dacouch

Sounds like the Insurers or the garage put the OP onto the credit hire company for a nice juicy commission.

I wonder what happened to the courtesy car the garage normally provide

cogito

dacouch wrote: »

Sounds like the Insurers or the garage put the OP onto the credit hire company for a nice juicy commission.

I wonder what happened to the courtesy car the garage normally provide

Good question. The maximum agreed rate under the Credit Hire Protocol is £42.08 per day plus VAT for a Passat. The cost should be under £700 for two weeks.

Astaroth

A large engine passat could easily be a S7 hire (given a 2ltr EOS Turbo is S7 and the Passat can have the same engine and is larger body) which is £69.35 per day.

The OP said they had the car a few days before it went in for the repairs, 2 weeks in for the repair and then credit hire probably took a few days to collect it (given they took a few days to deliver). Your then looking at 3 weeks hire and so £1,456

lisyloo

So what was I meant to do? Storm into the garage after day 5 and demand my car back?

No of course not.
Storming around doesn't tend to get you anywhere.

But there is a duty to "mitigate" costs, that means not running up unnecessary bills.

So for example, here's what you are meant to do

a) using car hire on insurance policy if you got it
b) using courtesy car from garage if available
c) using alternative transport e.g. train, bus, taxi, lift share, partners car etc.
d) If none of the above are an option, then hiring at a reasonable rate for a reasonable amount of time.

Does any of that sound unreasonable?

There are some firms around that charge unreasonable amounts, and insurers quite rightly won't stand for it, which is good as it'll drive all our premiums up for someone's profit.

I don't honestly know where you stand if you didn't sign the contract.
That's an interesting legal angle.