Please help :-(

poppasmurf_bewdley

See also:

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=71320

especially:

I can reasonably confidently assure you that your Merc garage is NOT blameless in this, but is indeed complicit. Garages receive a commision based upon the length of time that you have the hire car for. This encourages them to drag their feet over repair times.

I had the same experience in almost identical circumstances with a CR-V that was rear-ended. It took 4 weeks to repair and the credit hire company are in the process of sueing the 3rd party's insurance for reimbursement.

After reading the bumf that came with the hire car, I opted to pay £10 for an insurance policy to cover the cost of any shortfall of the hire, as I felt there would be a possible legal challenge to the presumption that you are entitled to a "like-for-like" replacement vehicle while waiting for your own to be repaired. AFAIK the legal entitlement is there, but you must "mitigate any expenses incurred, relating to the claim" - I could reasonably argue for a family sized car, but many others will not if they don't NEED a car of such size.

Last I heard (approx 9 mths after the initial hire) I needed to sign some forms for the credit hire companies to sign.

melsee

Does anyone know what I can do now, we have basically been conned, we knew nothing about this. Do I ignore it ? Go to police as we been scammed ?

rizla_king

melsee wrote: »

ha ha , yeah our car wasn't even worth that !
I am sending a letter with bold print at the top stating " this letter does not admit liability nor does it acknowledge the alleged debt "
Then asking for them to send evidence and a breakdown of the money owed with dates etc.

That is the first thing to do.

People can theorize all day about what this might be, but first write to get full details..

melsee

rizla_king wrote: »

That is the first thing to do.

People can theorize all day about what this might be, but first write to get full details..

Thank you, I think I will not phone anyone until I have details infront of me

eyeopener2

I would then suggest a trip to trading standards, insurance ombudsmen and the police.

Just a quick internet search and good old honest John in the telegraph shows your not the first.

owen_money

I can t imagine the police showing any interest, especially if you signed a contract

[Deleted User]

josiebabie wrote: »

What you signed would have been a form stating that if the claim was unsuccessful you accept possible liability for the repair costs and hire vehicle costs.

How can a claim be "unsuccessful", when the OP had comprehensive cover :huh:

If the 3rd party didn't pay, the OP's policy would.

eyeopener2

owen_money wrote: »

I can t imagine the police showing any interest, especially if you signed a contract

Still worth making as much trouble as possible for them,and the OP can see what the police have to say. Yes they may not be interested but it's worth the effort.

Ilona

This has got me a bit worried now, I feel your pain OP. My car was written off, by a taxi driver, rear end shunt while parked. The taxi company admitted liability and as far as I know their insurance paid out. I was given a brand new BMW by the claims management company, for 12 weeks, which I didn't want. I used it a few times but most of the time it was stood in my driveway in the snow.

I queried who was paying for this and was told my insurers would claim it from the taxi insurers. I felt they delayed the paperwork to get a few more weeks rental payments out of the job. I hope I don't get a demand like this, sounds like a total scam to me. No wonder the cost of car insurance is so high, with all these nasty tricks. Oh, and they asked me several times about my whiplash injuries, another scam, I wasn't even in the car at the time.
Ilona

melsee

This is what I don't understand. I was fully comp and had courtesy car as part of that, therefore I do not need to pay anything. What is insurance for ?