Van hire company sent me huge bill

Nessun_Dorma

aeroblade wrote: »

In that case the figure they've quoted seems reasonable for hire van/car companies- they tend to overcharge than if you find a small garage to fix yourself as they're also taking into account admin charges etc.


OP best thing you do is consolidate your existing debts and add this one on

BVRLA rules do not allow for "overcharging." The association's code only allows members to charge actual costs, not to throw in huge margins on top.

Nessun_Dorma

motorguy wrote: »

They'll have used on at it, but it will be off the road for several days, possibly a week for the repairs and wont be revenue earning in that time.

Two "scratches" could have impacted (ha!) several panels on the van or require the side to be sprayed in its entirety.

In which case, they must provide evidence that is what happened. They must also provide proof that the work has actually been carried out, before it was allowed to be hired again.

19lottie82

Years ago my friend hired a van and handed it back with a fifty pence coin sized dent in the door.

they hit her with a 2k bill saying it took 2 men 4 days to fix!

We refused to pay and they took her to the small claims court. She won.

Don't let them bully you. I take it you have photos of the damage? Take them to a couple of independent body shops and get quotes to compare to their £750.

Nessun_Dorma

19lottie82 wrote: »

Years ago my friend hired a van and handed it back with a fifty pence coin sized dent in the door.

they hit her with a 2k bill saying it took 2 men 4 days to fix!

We refused to pay and they took her to the small claims court. She won.

Don't let them bully you. I take it you have photos of the damage? Take them to a couple of independent body shops and get quotes to compare to their £750.

BRVLA Guidelines advise members to take photographs of damage, as evidence, in case it is needed. The courts will ask the rental firm for photographs and if they cannot provide them, it less likely it will go their way.

Mattlostatsea, did the Northgate complete a condition report when you returned the vehicle?

colino

OP while you have my sympathies, you did have the option of taking out CDW insurance, you took a gamble and lost. Ignore any rubbish about them having to go into forensic detail about the damage; you've already admitted damaging their goods to them and on a publicly accessible website. They don't even have to repair it, you have devalued their goods and a mere £1000 for panel damage to a van seems like a bargain in the real world.
Work with them to negotiate down the cost and hopefully a repayment plan.

Nessun_Dorma

colino wrote: »

OP while you have my sympathies, you did have the option of taking out CDW insurance, you took a gamble and lost. Ignore any rubbish about them having to go into forensic detail about the damage; you've already admitted damaging their goods to them and on a publicly accessible website. They don't even have to repair it, you have devalued their goods and a mere £1000 for panel damage to a van seems like a bargain in the real world.
Work with them to negotiate down the cost and hopefully a repayment plan.

If the rental firm has charged the customer for repairs to a vehicle, they do actually have to repair the vehicle. Otherwise they are gaining money under false pretences and under these circumstances that would be considered fraud.

If the rental firm wanted to invoice the customer for devaluing their asset, they should be charging him for devaluing the asset, but they are not.

arcon5

Op ignore the rubbish about you taking a gamble and losing. Ignore any rubbish implying simply because you admit to causing damage they can bend you over. You damaging the vehicle isn't a blank cheque for them. They also have duties such as mitigating losses.

You need to query the bill and insist they offer a breakdown and justify the high value.

poppasmurf_bewdley

You won't just have the cost of the actual repair to take into consideration.

The hire company will also have had to:

1. Take the van in for an assessment - which could mean leaving it all day at the repair shop for an estimate, losing a full day's hire. Plus wages for someone to take the vehicle there, get back to the office, return to collect the vehicle and bring it back to the depot.

2. Contact you, the customer, with all the details, incurring staff time, phone calls, computer time, etc, etc, all costing money.

3. Take the van for the repair, which can as has been stated result in the vehicle being off the road for several days.

4. Again, staff will be needed to take it in, return to the depot, return again to collect the vehicle and bring it back to the depot.

5. The vehicle will also need examining to ensure the repair has been done correctly and satisfactorily.

Once these have all been taken in to consideration, you won't get much change out of a grand.

motorguy

Nessun_Dorma wrote: »

In which case, they must provide evidence that is what happened. They must also provide proof that the work has actually been carried out, before it was allowed to be hired again.

I did say that they'll have used on at it, until such times as it was taken off the road for repair. But you wouldnt see 3 or 4 days in repairing a couple of panels.

And dont you think this is likely to have happened before and the van hire company be able to dot its 'i's and cross its 'T's on such paperwork?

motorguy

poppasmurf_bewdley wrote: »

You won't just have the cost of the actual repair to take into consideration.

The hire company will also have had to:

1. Take the van in for an assessment - which could mean leaving it all day at the repair shop for an estimate, losing a full day's hire. Plus wages for someone to take the vehicle there, get back to the office, return to collect the vehicle and bring it back to the depot.

2. Contact you, the customer, with all the details, incurring staff time, phone calls, computer time, etc, etc, all costing money.

3. Take the van for the repair, which can as has been stated result in the vehicle being off the road for several days.

4. Again, staff will be needed to take it in, return to the depot, return again to collect the vehicle and bring it back to the depot.

5. The vehicle will also need examining to ensure the repair has been done correctly and satisfactorily.

Once these have all been taken in to consideration, you won't get much change out of a grand.

Precisely.

Totally agree.