Advice needed regarding insurance claim

thinster

My son crashed his car into another a few weeks ago and his insurance company arranged to have it collected and taken to their repairers. The car is now repaired and ready for collection. However, they won't release the car until my son has paid £600 (his insurance excess). He doesn't have £6 never mind £600 but he does have a full time job so could save it up fairly quickly (3 weeks) and pay it then but the garage are having non of it. He obviously needs the car to get to work so is currently stuck in a catch 22 situation.

Does the garage have any legal right to withold his car?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

AdrianC

Yes, they do.

He's known for a few weeks that he'll need to pay the excess. If he can save that money in three weeks, why hasn't he already done so?

Can't you lend it to him?

thinster

AdrianC wrote: »

Yes, they do.

He's known for a few weeks that he'll need to pay the excess. If he can save that money in three weeks, why hasn't he already done so?

He's just told me he was under the impression that the insurance company paid everything and he then paid the insurance company back.

AdrianC wrote: »

Can't you lend it to him?

No his mum and I don't have any spare cash.

Anyway I've told him that they are within their rights and that he needs to either speak to his insurance company and ask their advice or arrange some sort of payment plan with the garage.

Thanks for your help AdrianC :beer:

Silver-Surfer_2

thinster wrote: »

He's just told me he was under the impression that the insurance company paid everything and he then paid the insurance company back.

If the insurance company record their calls I bet they have one of them telling him he needs to pay the garage the excess.

neilmcl

thinster wrote: »

My son crashed his car into another a few weeks ago and his insurance company arranged to have it collected and taken to their repairers. The car is now repaired and ready for collection. However, they won't release the car until my son has paid £600 (his insurance excess). He doesn't have £6 never mind £600 but he does have a full time job so could save it up fairly quickly (3 weeks) and pay it then but the garage are having non of it. He obviously needs the car to get to work so is currently stuck in a catch 22 situation.

Does the garage have any legal right to withold his car?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

If he can save up £600 in 3 weeks easily then it's a bit odd that he doesn't seem to have a penny to his name to pay for his motoring costs. If you wont/can't lend him the money then tell him to go to his bank to arrange an overdraft facility or short-term loan, or stick it on a credit card.

[Deleted User]

Isn't this pretty standard? i.e. You have to pay the garage the excess

OP - I assume the accident was his fault? I think its different if its not your fault.

Surely he knew the excess would have to be paid at some point? Or was he hoping to get the car back and then worry about it?

Surely someone has got £600 spare on a credit card or something? Its not a great deal of money....

Other than that I can see the garages point. Insurance company must pay them minus the excess. So if they let him have the car then they would be concerned (obviously) about never getting the money.

Afraid it could be the bus or train for son to get to work for next few weeks.

thinster

neilmcl wrote: »

If he can save up £600 in 3 weeks easily then it's a bit odd that he doesn't seem to have a penny to his name to pay for his motoring costs.

Unfortunately whenever he has money he just spends it on crap. I have no sympathy for him any more since he ripped his mother off for a grand 18 months ago...

neilmcl wrote: »

If you wont/can't lend him the money then tell him to go to his bank to arrange an overdraft facility or short-term loan, or stick it on a credit card.

He doesn't have a credit card but I will mention the option of asking the building society about a short term loan.

Thanks for your help everyone. I just needed confirmation that the garage were in their legal right to withold the car (I had told him that I thought they were). I have now told him this so it is up to him what he chooses to do. Thanks again. :beer:

AdrianC

thinster wrote: »

He's just told me he was under the impression that the insurance company paid everything and he then paid the insurance company back.

So he was aware that he would need to find this money at some stage...

It's a lot easier to spare £100/wk for six weeks than £200/wk for three weeks, so common sense would have suggested that he start saving immediately.

£200/wk is a lot to change your spending habits by.

thinster

[quote=[Deleted User];70368147]

Surely someone has got £600 spare on a credit card or something? Its not a great deal of money....

[/QUOTE]

£600 isn't a great deal of money? How nice for you ...

thinster

AdrianC wrote: »

So he was aware that he would need to find this money at some stage...

It's a lot easier to spare £100/wk for six weeks than £200/wk for three weeks, so common sense would have suggested that he start saving immediately.

£200/wk is a lot to change your spending habits by.

Yes I think I misunderstood how much he earnt so £200 a week would be pretty hard. £100 should be easily doable but whether he'll listen to me is another matter

AdrianC

Perhaps it's about time to step back from helping him out of messes which are entirely of his own making?