Drive Assist and Aviva ...Hire Car while your car is off the road...BEWARE

goldenseth

Hello,

I have recently been involved in an accident and like most others here, I was offered a vehicle through Drive Assist which I used for a few weeks. I should have done some research before accepting the vehicle. I have just received a letter from them stating that there are more than 10 scratches on the vehicle which happened while car was in my possession - which is definitely not true.

I am now worried.

adamc260

If your ever in a non fault accident, ask the other persons insurance company to provide you with a hire car, it

a) saves them money
b) makes sure no costs come back on you
c) no stress because insurance companies will bend over backwards for third parties

Simple as really

Credit Hire exists to make money, and your insurance company get paid a kick back for passing you over, same with EVERY company out there, not just aviva

BoGoF

After the dealings my partner had with DA and a colleague at work also had I try not to have any dealings with any insurer the use to DA to supply a 'coutersy car'

Although that is easier said than done - perhaps if those in the know put a list of companies that use them we would know to avoid them.

adamc260

I know that all of RBS use them which are:

• Direct Line
• Tesco
• Virgin Insurance (I believe they use DA)
• Churchill
  
  Other companies I know of that use DA are:
• Aviva
• Esure
• Sheilas Wheels

I think a lot of companies use DA, they're the ones from my experience, please correct me if I'm wrong but RBS definately use them!

BoGoF

I think also any policy bought via the Post Office will also have DA?

adamc260

Not sure, I mostly deal with drive assist via RBS policies

Sylvergrunge

Hi all, happened upon this thread completely by accident but so glad I did. We currently have a hire car from Drive Assist as my DH was hit by a council van along a one way system (council van going the wrong way!!!). We have had it for a few weeks already and are set to have it a few more as the repairs are taking forever. I am really worried now what Drive Assist will try when we give it back. So you suggest we go over the car with a fine tooth comb and photograph everything before they take it back? Anything else?

By the way, we are insured through Sheilas Wheels.

Thanks in advance.

dacouch

For the record, the best way with DA is to thoroughly check the car when they drop it off. The problems generally stem from the delivery drivers being on low wages and having not much time to drop off the vehicles. So they tend not to fill out the existing damage part of the acceptance you sign. Then when the vehicle is collected the collection drivers funnily enough are allocated plenty of time, so when they go over the vehicle they notice all of the damage that was not on the delivery note and then you tend to receive a bill.

karena

Sylvergrunge wrote: »

Hi all, happened upon this thread completely by accident but so glad I did. We currently have a hire car from Drive Assist as my DH was hit by a council van along a one way system (council van going the wrong way!!!). We have had it for a few weeks already and are set to have it a few more as the repairs are taking forever. I am really worried now what Drive Assist will try when we give it back. So you suggest we go over the car with a fine tooth comb and photograph everything before they take it back? Anything else?

By the way, we are insured through Sheilas Wheels.

Thanks in advance.

Do not keep the car for any longer than you need to. If you go onholiday and are not using the car do not tell either your insurer, DA or the garage as the third party insurer will try to get out of paying out for your DA car. DA want you to keep the car as long as possible, and give you no indication that you could well be landed with the hire charges.When you decide you no longer need the car they will delay the collection but you need to stand your ground and tell them it has to go the day after your call. Also when they collect your car beware as they superimpose your signature from the delivery agreement on to the collection report, so you will have emailed to you on the same day a report you have not seen, in my case they reported it was left dirty and low on fuel, even though it was clean and filled with the same amount of fuel as they left it:mad::mad:.I phoned DA the same evening just before midnight to lodge my complaint - waste of time as no one came back to me....Good luck:)

DrScotsman

Endsleigh use Drive Assist. However I have it in writing from them that Drive Assist act on behalf of Endsleigh, and that the legal cover covers anything Drive Assist do, so there's less cause for concern there.