Direct Line & guaranteed car hire plus

girlinabox

Hello,

Hope someone can advise me on this.

2 weeks ago I skidded on ice and hit a high kerb, damaging my wheel, it was late at night so I had to make a claim with Direct Line. They sent out a recovery company (not their own Green Flag) and the driver of this recovery truck didn't have a clue what he was doing (he has since been suspended from his job for a catalogue of issues that night) and ended up dragging my vehicle, thus forcing the wheel through the bodywork. The next day Green Flag collected my vehicle from this recovery agent and took it to a garage of their choice.

I have guaranteed car hire plus on my policy, which gives me 3 weeks with the hire far (through Enterprise). I had a call from the garage last week, giving me an estimation date of 25th March which takes me 8 days over 3 weeks, so I called DL to ask, in the event that my car is not ready by 17th (when Enterprise are expecting their car back) what do they intend to do? I was told that I would have to give the car back regardless! I had an arguement with this idiot, and stated that due to the fact their recovery agent damaged my car so badly that it is taking so long to get repaired I expect a hire car for as long as I need it. I was told to call the garage back on 16th to see if my car will be ready the following day and if not, I should call DL back where we will have a "discussion".

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Does anyone else think this is beyond ridiculous? Not only did their driver cause most of the damage to my car, but it was DL who chose the garage to repair my vehicle, and it was DL's engineer who took over 1 week to approve the repairs!

Do they have a leg to stand on?

I find myself getting so furious when speaking to these idiots in call centres that I can barely articulate myself. I just need to know if I can insist on getting the car hire extended when I call them tomorrow.

Sorry this is an essay, hope someone can help.

girlinabox

Please, someone?

Quote

I'm not sure that you're in much of a position to demand anything.

You could always ask them nicely?

girlinabox

Quote wrote: »

I'm not sure that you're in much of a position to demand anything.

You could always ask them nicely?

Sarcasm, always helpful.

Why do you feel I'm not in much of a position to "demand" anything? Their recovery agent damaging my car is whose fault? Their approved centre having a backlog is whose fault? And their engineer taking 2 weeks to give tho go ahead is whose fault exactly?

Rolandtheroadie

Dont think the post was sarcasm.

They've supplied a car for 3 weeks as per your agreement with them.
The recovey agent who has damaged your car? Its the recovery agents fault (try them perhaps? if they've suspended someone this could be seen as an admission that they have done something wrong?)
The repair center backlog is down to you and people like you (unfortunate enough to crash their cars, some of them through no fault of their own).
As Far as the engineer taking over a week (now 2 weeks) how many working days? Is that an unreasonable amount of time? (NIG took 3 weeks or 15 working days to get to that point with a claim I had recently)

Is your insurance policy covering the full cost of the claim? (less excess). If they are, there is no-one else being seen as liable.