~Help Needed~ Car Insurance Claim~Courtesy Car~

Didismump

Hi there...
Does anyone have any idea how we stand on this one???
My daughter had a major accident just over a week ago which necessitated her being cut out of her car ( she owns)..
The insurance company (Elephant) told her she could have a courtesy car for up to three weeks usage ( even though it 'seems' to state that she can have one for up to 12 weeks in her policy)
To date she has been unable to use the courtesy car ..however she is hoping to go back to work tomorrow ( which is a 60 mile round trip)
Yesterday the courtesy car company rang to say they are coming to collect the courtesy car (Monday) as she has been sent a cheque from the Insurance company.
I informed them that no settlement figure has been agreed and that she needs a car for work and that as she had paid a premium cover she should be entitled to the courtesy car until she gets another with an agreed settlement figure..
As the Insurance company (to date) have only offered her a 1/3rd of what she paid for her car (only 5 months ago..which also had ridiculously low mileage and was in immaculate condition for a 6 year old car,when she bought it.....hence she did) she has refused any amount they have offered.
However the Insurance STILL sent out a cheque for the initial (VERY low) amount they offered as settlement.

When it arrived she rang them and said she had refuseed this and was told 'Not to worry as we will continue sending out cheques until an amount is agreed'..
She has NOT cashed the cheque as she does not believe this statement to be true and nor do we as her parents..

However..this detracts from my query...as the Courtesy car company have informed us that the Insurance company cancelled the courtesy car insurance as of midnight Friday (12th November)..
she now has no vehicle for work...the courtesy car is sitting on our drive (un-insured)..She needs THAT car as no settlement has been agreed..but the insurance CLAIM that as they have sent a cheque out to her they CAN take the courtesy car back..even though she has NOT agreed to settle on any amount as yet...
What can we do????

Any ideas as she is worried witless about getting to work tomorrow, as where she works is not accessed by public transport from where we live..
I only have a couple of hours to get this sorted with the Ins Company..and TRY to get the courtesy car back for her usage until she settles her claim and gets another car...
HELP!!!

Quentin

She needs to escalate this with the insurer. See if she can get to speak to a manager, though today being a Sunday will be difficult!

(When you say the car is uninsured on your drive, that won't be the case, and you won't be responsible (should it be stolen etc). By not insured they mean your daughter is now not insured to drive it.

poppy_f1

she needs to check her policy for the exact wording
mine stated that i would have the courtesy car until my car was deemed a write off or my car got repaired

vaio

was the accident her fault?

dacouch

Sounds like a credit hire car to me and not a courtesy car

Iris_Blue

I agree with Dacouch.

That's what happened to us with Bell (the same group as elephant ) you think its a courtesy when its actually a hire. They are so crafty. Check to she if a hire car agreement was signed.

Have you tried speaking to Elephant today?

Didismump

Spoke to Elephant twice today (rep)..no manager available today (you are right Quentin..;))
Her policy states she is entitled to a replacement vehicle for up to 12 weeks..although Elephant reps all state 21 days...:s
Whatever..she has only had the 'replacement vehicle' 6 days as of this afternoon...and was ONLY 4 days when they cancelled the insurance on Friday night...:(
Looks like she will get the blame for the accident....even though it was unavoidable due to three boys cycling straight off the pavement infront of the car, infront of her...
Presumably playing 'chicken'..as they do..:(

Fortunately none of the boys were injured..nor was the car infront of my daughters damaged...maybe as it was a 4X4....which when it braked the rear went up in the air..and as my daughter also braked, her car slid under the 4X4 which landed on top of her bonnet..thereby crushing her vehicle with her inside..
Hence she was cut out..
Luckily they were only travelling at 20-30 mph...so no airbags deployed, but she hit the steering wheel..and suffered only minor cuts and bruising..and I fear,some whiplash..but she won't go to the Drs..atm..:(
She was checked out at hospital immediately after the crash as they stretchered her off on a body board and in a neck brace ( standard procedure... I know...)..but now her bruising is out she hurts more than she did at THAT time..obv

They are taking the 'replacement vehicle' away tomorrow afternoon..so it seems she will be car-less until the settlement is agreed...:(
Means a 124 mile round trip for me daily...:( Arrrr-gghhhhh!!!
Would not mind...but I wonder WHAT she actually paid a Premium Insurance for..as it seems she will have no benefits from paying any extra...:(
SO unfair...:(

vaio

As she ran into the car in front then the accident is going to go down as her fault, so the hire car is unlikely to be credit hire and her entitlement will be whatever her policy says it is.

Post the policy wording or company and I'm sure people will advise on the details

Quentin

The elephant wording for their add on car hire cover following a write off is along these lines:

You get a car for "up to" 21 days following a write off.

The hire ends after 21 days or 48 hours from receipt of the cheque (that Elephant deem to be the value!) whichever comes sooner.

Where does your daughter get the 12 weeks from?

vaio

and on the valuation side......http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/publications/technical_notes/motor-valuation.html is worth a read and covers just about everything you need (particularly I'd say point 9).

on the car hire side I'd say it's 21 days or 48 hours from receipt of an agreed cheque but you'll have to argue that with the company

Didismump

Ok...I have the Policy Summary infront of me..so will copy..as follows...
Section 6 Courtesy Vehicles...
In paragraph 6.3 it states quite clearly....'Subject to availability, courtesy or replacement vehicles may be provided for no more than 3 days unless previously agreed with NSN ( and in any event for not more than 12 weeks).
Vehicles must not be driven more than 60 miles per day.If replacement vehicles are driven in excess of this mileage, the Customer will be charged an excess mileage charge of 15p per mile payable prior to release of the Vehicle to the Customer'...
And she did not agree to accept any cheque..infact told them quite clearly ( whilst I was in the room) that she is not willing to accept any figure lower than an amount which she can buy the same make/type/engine capacity of car with at present price ( save taking off the excess and outstanding premium on her insurance)....
Thanx for that info Vaio..her step-Dad will be speaking with them tomorrow and will bring THAT one up..
I am disgusted that she paid a Premium Insurance and so far has had no help...only hindrance with getting to work as of now..
The trauma she has experienced is bad enough without having to be begging for help to get to work..
All I hope is the three boys who played chicken on their bikes and got away (thankfully) with their lives, have SOME sort of conscience..as they have really made the life of a confident driver, very unhappy atm...:(