Van Hire Insurance

keithing-ger

Here goes!

I help marshal at triathlons and cycling events for a friend/acquaintance who runs them. On Friday he, as normal practice, put money in my account for me to hire a van in my name for the event.

I paid for said van on my debit card (£320 plus a pre authorised £200 deposit). Unfortunately another member of the team has reversed into it with his slightly bigger van (a fact he disputes but there were no witnesses so he is claiming that my van rolled into his, this is despite me arriving on the scene opening door and showing him handbrake on, which again he disputes - lovely guy!)

Now, our boss for the weekend has said that because neither of us can agree on what happens he will have to pass to insurers to agree on what happened. Meaning that any excess I may have to pay, is that right? Never had to claim before.

Does anyone on here have first hand experience of what will happen with the following:

1. I assume the £200 deposit will not be put back in my account?
2. Will they take rest of £750 excess from my card?
3. If so, will moving all money from my account stop them doing this?
4. If I get charged financially for something that I didn't do like this, can I just NOT pay it and let them chase me for the debt? Full disclosure is that I am in the process of bankruptcy and will be made bankrupt in Aug/Sep probably.


Thank you for the opportunity to ask the question and vent a little, it's been an emotional time. Any help would be paid in kind thoughts. Ta

keithing-ger

I should add that I don't have an employment contract here, it's very casual and I am just paid into the bank after the event, which then gets added to my income for the year for self assessment. I'm self employed as a comedian so worst case scenario I have some fresh material when this nonsense is over

paddedjohn

Whatever the outcome you will have to declare this incident to your own personal insurance on renewal and may find that your premiums rise.

eddddy

keithing-ger wrote: »

1. I assume the £200 deposit will not be put back in my account?
2. Will they take rest of £750 excess from my card?
3. If so, will moving all money from my account stop them doing this?

You need to check the contract you signed with the van hire company, but I expect it says they will do 1 and 2.

Regarding point 3 - when I've hired cars in the past, they've done a 'pre-authorisation hold' for the full damage excess.

If that's the case, the £750 would not be 'available funds' in your account (even though it's included in your balance) - so you may not be able to move it.

In any case, even if you move the money, your bank may allow the debit, so you could end up with a £750 unauthorised overdraft.

keithing-ger wrote: »

4. If I get charged financially for something that I didn't do like this, can I just NOT pay it and let them chase me for the debt? Full disclosure is that I am in the process of bankruptcy and will be made bankrupt in Aug/Sep probably.

In simple terms, if you get charged by the van hire co for the damage but it's the other guy's fault, you probably have to pay and then chase the other guy to repay you your losses.

That might involve you making a court claim against the other guy.