can i drive a hired car on my own insurance?

tifo

If I hire a car for a week, can I drive it on my own insurance?

And would the hired car need to be insured by hire company?

I ask because I hired a car for a week which was damaged. Upon return I paid a large amount of damage excess. I then found out later when there were claims from the accident that the hire company had not insured it. I asked for my damage excess back. They didn't reply.

I took them to court and got judgment, now their defence is that (1) I agreed to use my own insurance and (2) I had paid the damage excess for repairs rather than go through my insurer and (3) this is standard practise in the car hire industry (which I don't know about).

Are they right or would they have to have their insurance before I can use my own?

Thanks.

magpiecottage

Your insurance would not cover damage to another vehicle you were driving.

The hire company has to provide statutory minimum cover.

Who is the hire company?

tifo

Just a local one .... not major name.

I need to know for the hearing whether he can be challenged in this point, it's our words against each other.

I've asked him for statutory minimum cover policy .... even put it in my witness statement.

RichardD1970

tifo wrote: »

If I hire a car for a week, can I drive it on my own insurance?

Can I just clarify, do you mean drive it with the DOC cover on your own cars policy or fully insured separately?

tifo

fully insured ........... he did not have ANY insurance for the hire vehicle.

insurer (got details through MID/MIB) came back as voided 'ab initio' .... from inception.

now he can't supply insurer details, says I agreed to use my own .... my argument is he would still need minimum cover on his as not my car but hired.

tifo

It was an expensive car as well, must have been around £20,000 at the time, a hirer giving that out with no insurance? He must be mad

magpiecottage

Do you have the hire documentation? What does it say?

Was anybody else hurt or their property damaged?

forgotmyname

A private policy would probably not include hire vehicles. A company car insurance may.

My old firm used to hire all sorts of vehicles from cars to HGV's and got better rates because they used their own fleet policy to cover them.

bouncydog1

When our garage provides a hire car we do put it on our insurance, but they ask for the details and call insurers. However you entered into a contract with a car hire company - w hat does the paperwork say?

eddddy

tifo wrote: »

If I hire a car for a week, can I drive it on my own insurance?

Yes - if you specifically arrange it. You would ask your insurers for cover for a temporary car for the week. You would need to give them details of the car (reg no) and pay an extra premium.

(Some policies allow you to drive any car, with third party cover. But these generally exclude cars hired to you.)

Reputable hire companies would expect to see documentation to prove that you had arranged insurance.

The alternative is to use the hire company's insurance. (It's a bit like being a temporary named driver on their policy.)

tifo wrote: »

And would the hired car need to be insured by hire company?

I assume that hire companies are subject to the same rules as everyone else, so yes. Their cars must either be insured or SORNed.

tifo wrote: »

I asked for my damage excess back.

If you agreed to pay a damage excess (i.e. it said that in the contract you signed), then you have to pay it. You need to check the contract.

It's quite possible that some hire companies are self-insuring for smaller claims. i.e. they take your excess and pay the rest themselves, without making an insurance claim.

tifo wrote: »

I took them to court and got judgment, now their defence is that (1) I agreed to use my own insurance

Read the contract you signed, does it say you agreed to use your insurance?

tifo wrote: »

insurer (got details through MID/MIB) came back as voided 'ab initio' .... from inception.

That sounds like they had their policy cancelled (for example for non-disclosure). Perhaps it happened when they tried to make a claim.

spacey2012

If you have obtained a CCJ against them then the arguing is over.
If they have not paid ask the Court about enforcement options.
Often a Served Statutory Demand offers the fastest settlement.