forced to pay for scratch in rental car

maxthepolarbear

Hi I rented a car with Green Motion over the weekend. Upon returning the car, it was discovered there was a small scratch (no more than 3mm in diameter) in the rear bumper. Honest to God I have not hit/scratched the car. The rental people suggested that someone might have hit the car in a car park (while I was away).

Long story short, I was forced to pay in excess of £300 for the damage. I have an excess insurance with direct car excess. As I don't own a car, I'm not too familiar with such contract so I have a few questions.

1. Can I make a claim? Am I covered under accidental damage? (Definition: Accidental damage: A sudden, unexpected and specific event occurring at a definable time and place causing physical damage to the insured rental car or any third party property not otherwise specifically excluded from this policy)

2. What do I fill for the particulars of the incident in the claim form? The point is that if the scratch did happen during my rental period, then I don't know how it happened. I definitely didn't bump into anything so that means it must have happen when I was away from the car. Obviously it's not really my fault but I don't know how to prove that to the insurance company. And by making the payment to the car rental company I have inadvertently admitted I was guilty (which I wasn't but I guess from a point of law I was). So I don't really know what to put in the form.

3. Or could I go back to the car rental company and complain? Or is it too late? They claimed they looked at the car conditions form (The form where they show the areas of scratches/damage on the car) in the last three rental and none of them recorded this scratch.

I guess it's part of my fault that I didn't spot the scratch during the initial handover. I don't have a car and rarely drive so I did not realise I had to be so careful.

Thank you for your help.

Brooker_Dave

Use the courts to reclaim the money.

Just the threat of doing that may give them second thoughts.

maxthepolarbear

Brooker_Dave wrote: »

Use the courts to reclaim the money.

Just the threat of doing that may give them second thoughts.

Do I have a case here thought? I did not spot the scratch when I got the car so it might be a bit difficult to prove I did not scratch the car?

Nodding_Donkey

Well presumably you signed a handover sheet when you picked up the car to say it wasn't scratched and then took it back scratched so I fail to see what sort of case you might have.

You say you have excess insurance so use it, it's what it's for.

agrinnall

Brooker_Dave wrote: »

Use the courts to reclaim the money.

Just the threat of doing that may give them second thoughts.

Pointless advice when the OP has excess cover designed for just such a claim.

Keep_pedalling

1. Yes you can make a claim

2. Just report that the damage was inflicted while the car was parked and unattended, by person or persons unknown.

3. Don't bother it's a lot less hassle to claim on the insurance you wisely took out.

barnaclebill

I had direct car excess and thought I had hit a bird on the windscreen at night, got out and looked but did not see any damage.
When I returned the car next day they pointed out a dent in the bonnet I had not seen, they wanted £700 which I paid and had to fill out a form that asked for who's fault so I wrote a bird.
I asked for a claim form from direct excess and sent it off with all the papers from the car hire firm expecting to have to struggle to get paid but direct excess paid me in full in 2 or 3 days. I was very pleased with the service

maxthepolarbear

Keep_pedalling wrote: »

1. Yes you can make a claim

2. Just report that the damage was inflicted while the car was parked and unattended, by person or persons unknown.

3. Don't bother it's a lot less hassle to claim on the insurance you wisely took out.

Would they ask for CCTV footage of the car park? Sorry I hardly drive so know nothing about motor insurance.

Does that fall under accidental damage or collision damage? (Definition of accidental damage: A sudden, unexpected and specific event occurring at a definable time and place causing physical damage to the insured rental car or any third party property not otherwise specifically excluded from this policy)

maxthepolarbear

Update: So I submitted a claim to direct car excess last week and they accepted by claim and paid within two working days (would recommend!)

Is it worth the effort to continue complaining to the car rental company as a matter of principle or should I not bother? I just feel that it was a scam and I was set up. If the car rental company do refund me (unlikely) I'm happy to let direct car excess know and let them have their money back.

dannyrst

No it isn't worth it.

One of three things happened:

1) Whilst parked, the car was scratched. This is your fault as you are responsible for the car at this point.
2) The scratch was there and you/the hire company didn't check it close enough. This is your fault as you are responsible for checking the car over when picking it up.
3) The scratch was there when you picked it up, the hire company knew about it, hoped you didn't notice it to make some extra money from you. This is their fault but good luck proving it because you checked the car and said it had no scratches prior to driving it away.

Keep_pedalling

Not worth wasting any more time on, let it drop.