Please help! Rental Car Hire damage!

iamlouise297

Hi All,
I've rented a car for a few days - had a very traumatic drive, got stuck down a flooded B road during heavy rain. Scraped front left side bumper on trying to reverse out the road. I wasn't so worried at the time - mainly because I was happy to be safe.
Now I am worrying though, the rental car hire excess is 600 - will I have to pay the full amount even if the repairs equate to less? It's a local car hire not a national company - not that it'll make much difference!
I wasn't offered any other form of insurance when I signed the car out - wish I'd asked now!!!
Thank you,
L

atrixblue.-MFR-.

iamlouise297 wrote: »

Hi All,
I've rented a car for a few days - had a very traumatic drive, got stuck down a flooded B road during heavy rain. Scraped front left side bumper on trying to reverse out the road. I wasn't so worried at the time - mainly because I was happy to be safe.
Now I am worrying though, the rental car hire excess is 600 - will I have to pay the full amount even if the repairs equate to less? It's a local car hire not a national company - not that it'll make much difference!
I wasn't offered any other form of insurance when I signed the car out - wish I'd asked now!!!
Thank you,
L

Your liable for the damage, you signed on the dotted line for that excess and failed to ask for a excess waiver policy.


Sorry but your gunna have to pay what your contracted to.

grumbler

iamlouise297 wrote: »

...
Now I am worrying though, the rental car hire excess is 600 - will I have to pay the full amount even if the repairs equate to less?

By the nature of excess you pay either it or the cost - whichever is smaller, but car rental companies are notorious for inflating the costs of repairs

iamlouise297

I'm not denying the damage or disputing that, just to make it clear. I agree I failed to access for additional insurance, but I can't really ask for something I didn't know I could have - hindsight is a great thing.

I'm happy to pay the full cost of the damage, but I've had two quotes that are less than the excess - considerably. I was concerned that they will charge me £600 regardless but I'm glad to hear that they may only charge me for actual repair costs and one day hire whilst it's repaired.

Thank you for the comments.

forgotmyname

When taking out the policy all you had to do was £600 excess thats steep and they will have probably offered alternative options to reduce that.

You appeared happy with the high excess so they didnt offer it.

The car maybe off the road for several days, not just the one day. Then it needs to be transported to and from the bodyshop, even if its next door thats probably a couple og hours wages for the driver.

You could have hired it longer and got it repaired yourself.

iamlouise297

I could have your right - but it said to notify them straight away and naive me did!
I know about the excess - I don't know why I didn't, again hindsight.