Driving an auto for the first time

BeenThroughItAll

marcarm wrote: »

I've checked the insurance, I'm covered through the business policy as the car is registered to his business. I'm covered as the policy covers all business cars for staff and spouses.

I will be paid, he's giving me £150 for doing it, and also paying for my meal while I'm sitting at the O2 while the inlaws are at their concert. So not a bad hourly rate really. I've done similar sorts of things for him before using the company cars.

So an hour to the O2, couple of hours sitting round, hour to gatwick and 2 hours home works out pretty good and as my wife is goin on maternity leave in 8 weeks it's come at a nice time.

I'm only assuming it's an auto as when my wife asked me if I wanted to do it, she told me it's an x5. I looked on autotrader and there were about 400 autos listed and about 20 manuals, so on the balance of probabilities thought it was an auto as not many manuals about. Although I seem to remember when I saw her last she had an x3, my wife is not very good with cars, she knows it's a big car!

So you're driving for reward but not directly employed by the business or for direct business activity?

You may want to re-check the insurance terms just to be certain you're covered.

marcarm

I have been told I'm insured, and as I value having a driving licence I will be double checking before going anywhere in the car.

Fortunately I'm not naive enough to just go with whatever people tell me, especially something as serious as this.

Tobster86

Check what the score is with non-third party claims too; i.e. who would have to pay for a new X5 if you slipped on ice and wrapped it around a tree?

marcarm

My wife is checking that out for me (she is his PA), she's also getting a copy of the cert to put in the car just in case I get stopped and it's queried.

robbies_gal

prob not qualified to comment on newer autos but passed my test 7 years agi only drive an auto and inmy lessons was never told to put itin park at traffic lights

Transformers

Are you expected to bow, doff cap and open doors too?

Seriously, for that £150 you will be driving a company car - not as the spouse of an employee (i.e. your wife) BUT as a chauffeur for the sole purpose of getting the passengers from A to B.

I can't really see the company insurance covering that.

mrmot

An automatic will have an inhibitor for the starter motor which means that the starter motor will only work if the transmission is in P or N.