Courtesy car

evilgoose

I have 2 cars, a dogsbody car I use to carry my bike, my friends dogs when we go walking, materials for my house renovation and take my mum shopping. My other car is a 'warm' hatch. Which I can't get my bike or the dog cage in+ my mum has difficulty getting in/out of due to v bad back. (and. It needs 2new tires)The dogs body car was hit whilst parked at side of road. The other party has admitted fault and the insurance is sorting things out. My concern is the courtesy car. They say that I liabel for costs if third party think use is unjustified, do my points above mount to sufficient justification? I bought the other car because of them. Im not interested in trying to pull a fast one as it were, I just want my car back and not be restricted in been able to carry on my life as I do now. I really been stressed by the whole thing.

Quentin

If you cannot manage without a like for like car, then you can justify hiring one and subsequently claiming the cost off the liable third party.

forgotmyname

If you have another car do you really need the hire car? Personally i wouldnt have taken it. Save
the hassle of them finding damage to the car when you hand it back and charge you for it.

Muddy dogs & bikes.. Too risky in my opinion.

Upto you though..

lisyloo

My concern is the courtesy car.

Is this really a courtesy car?
This is normally provided by a garage when you have repairs done.
Or do you mean hire car?

Who said you would be liable?
Have you signed an agreement?
Have you employed a credit hire firm or claim management company, using your own insurance or claiming direct from the third party?

How would the other party know whether you had another car and whether it was on the road etc?

evilgoose

I just rang my insurance company on te day of te accident and arranged it. I'm with Hastings and I now know they use a firm called helphire.
I had a letter from hastings a few days after the crash stating I'd need to pay the £350 excess. I rang the number on the letter (it said 'if you have questions ring this ...) to query this, as I fully comp+ the accident wasn't my fault, the third party has admitted fault. I was told that they told deal with it and to ring helphire.

All in all I'm not pleased with the way that hastings work.

The garage that collected the car said that I could be without it for 3 to 4 weeks.

My other car has leather bucket seats my mum struggles to get in and out of the car, and I certainly wouldn't put a bike or a dog in there - so why should my life be disrupted for a month through no fault of my own? Its also on a limited milage policy.

The vast pile of legal documents I've had, state that I am liable - including liable for the costs of the repairs to my damaged car.
I told them I had a second car when I spoke with them regarding the claim.
Before they will do anywork to my car I have to sign a vehicle repair finance agreement.

not happy at all with the way insurances work.

vaio

to be honest this is what you can expect to happen if you use your own insurance

Assuming liability is clear then best bet by far is deal with the third party insurance company either direct, or if they are less than helpful, via a claims handling company which does the £10 policy to protect you from credit hire costs it there is a problem.

dacouch

vaio wrote: »

to be honest this is what you can expect to happen if you use your own insurance

Assuming liability is clear then best bet by far is deal with the third party insurance company either direct, or if they are less than helpful, via a claims handling company which does the £10 policy to protect you from credit hire costs it there is a problem.

She's using a claims company eg Helphire, that's why she has had to sign a credit agreement for the cost of the repairs. The credit agreement normally agrees for the OP to pay Helphire back if they have not recovered the repair costs from the 3rd party within 52 weeks. (Unless they have a waiver)

adamc260

evilgoose wrote: »

My other car has leather bucket seats my mum struggles to get in and out of the car, and I certainly wouldn't put a bike or a dog in there - so why should my life be disrupted for a month through no fault of my own? Its also on a limited milage policy.

You can justify it on the basis that the other car (the 'warm hatch' - what car is it btw? :P) isn't fit for the purpose of transporting your mother, dogs and bikes and that is why you bought the second car to do those things. Since that is the vehicle that is out of action it is only reasonable that you be provided with a car to replace it whilst repairs are going on etc.

For Example: Lots of people have small sports cars and a 'family car' etc... would it be reasonable that if the family car was involved in an accident that they would be expected to use the sports car in its place? Not really.

PNPSUKNET

dont think helphire will like muddy dogs over their cars, expect a bill for cleaning

vaio

dacouch wrote: »

She's using a claims company eg Helphire, that's why she has had to sign a credit agreement for the cost of the repairs. The credit agreement normally agrees for the OP to pay Helphire back if they have not recovered the repair costs from the 3rd party within 52 weeks. (Unless they have a waiver)

Yep, I realise that, the point I was making was that if the OP had gone direct to the TP insurance they would probably have provided a "like for like" car and sorted the repair without any credit agreements or the OP having to pay the excess.

If they had been less than helpful the OP could have gone to a claims handler of her choice (rather than the one that gives the biggest referral fee to her insurance company) and picked one that offers the wavier (and maybe even a self referral fee)

Why does the credit agreement include the cost of the repairs? Surely her insurance company will pay that whether they can recover from the TP or not?

adamc260

vaio wrote: »

Why does the credit agreement include the cost of the repairs?

Less admin required for his/her insurer and more money being made for CHO.