Car Insurance - Without Drive Assist!

Quentin

jnd6058lod wrote: »

Am I entitled to take my car to another garage, should I contact the 3rd parties insurance company direct? Any advice welcome, cheers J

You are entitled to have your car repaired at the garage of your choice.

Cancel your current claim now (before they are involved in any cost - you can still go back and reinstate the claim if things don't work out )

Then follow dacouch's advice. See if they have an "innocent third party" claim department, and if so they will be pleased to help! Explain to them you want to use your own garage, as they will try and get you to use their "approved" repairer, but will fall in with you rather than see you getting drive assist on the case.

If they don't want to play ball, then you still have other options rather than claiming off your own insurer - eg a claim handler will sort things for you, and again you can use your own garage if you want.

KrazyKurlz

I have unfortunately found myself in the same position as many of you before me.

Long story short.....non fault accident, Sheilas Wheels referred me to Drive Assist as my policy includes courtesy car (I realise now Drive Assist is not a courtesy car, but thats only due to this forum!).

Car delivered, driver stated, "Its a new car so just check the alloys that's where the money is, and don't leave it dirty or they'll charge you to clean it", got me to sign PDA and off he went. No damage pointed out or walk round the vehicle.

Two weeks later (a Friday morning) my car is fixed so phone Drive Assist to tell them and they say, "because of the bank holiday weekend we cant collect it until Tuesday, where you going to leave it". I agree to leave it at the garage where my repaired vehicle is.

I put in half a tank of fuel, & clean it inside and out (its spotless because I was so paranoid!) and leave it at the repair garage.

Wednesday morning I get woken by a phone call from Drive Assist telling me the collection driver advises there is new damage (aprox 25% across front bumper), I was so shocked I cant really remember what was said, other than they would be in touch. I think £170 odd was quoted. You think I'd remember causing that damage/seeing that when I cleaned it!

Get a further letter around a 2 weeks later saying further examinations reveals new damage to the rear bumper also! Now looking at £273 odd. Includes report saying it was raining & quote "car to w et and dirty for" ?? States Interior Dirty.

Lots of letters follow saying they are still investigating, its taking longer than expected etc etc. Now, two months later they have sent a letter saying total damage is £273.60, however they have assessed they can do it for £174 and will charge my credit card for that total on 20th June!!!

I obviously left the vehicle in perfect condition as far as I could see, but wasn't there when it was collected. I have been offered no evidence of the damage, no photographs of claimed damage or repair bills etc, they just expect me to take their word for it and pay up!

It has been very stressful and is sole destroying that they can just do this. I have unfortunately learnt the hard way and wish I had found this forum before hand. I shall try writing to refuse to pay (as I cant afford it) but I don't hold out much hope. :mad: Especially when the accident in the first place wasn't my fault. Next they'll be telling me the other person's insurance isn't paying up!!

boatman

How much to cancel drive assist courtesy car? One is supposed to be turning up today but after reading on here want it cancelled. Have received no info from them except phone call and an email which I did not reply to.

KrazyKurlz

@Boatman I can't answer your question but hope you got it sorted.

The good news for me is that Drive Assist wrote off the £174 I supposidely owed them for the made up damage, after I sent them a strongly worded letter & email asking for proof of the damage and proof of garage repair bill.

I strongly recommend that everyone disputes any claim and reports it, they can't get away with effectively robbing people of hard earned money, it's an utter disgrace.

southernbelle

Boatman did you get it sorted? I have one arriving today as well but I want to cancel after reading this thread. :eek:

southernbelle

I just phoned to cancel and it seemed too easy - I am now worried I am going to be charged anyway

dacouch

If you cancelled before receiving the car they will not normally charge for the car.

If you need alternative transport, just ring the other persons Insurers, if they accept they're at fault, they will normally fall over themselves arranging a hire car at their own cost.

BertTheRaccoon

They can't charge you for something you haven't signed for. Not only that, but due to a credit hire agreement being a consumer credit agreement signed away from the business premises of the hire company, the rental agreement has to have the 14 day cancellation rights contained.

Barryjag

People need warning about Drive Assist - You trust your own insurance company - and at a time when you are most vulnerable (Shock after no fault accident) they ditch you on Drive Assist:
"They will sort it out for you quickly and easily taking all the worry out of your claim AND they will save you your no claims bonus and excess"
What a load of rubbish - simple accident - stationary at roundabout and at fault car drives into back. Over 2 months later and not settled - next week it will have cost me £700 in HP charges for a car that has been written off.
I cannot get on with my life and cannot cancel the courtesy car I have been stuck with for over 2 months - 2 car family because we need them to get to work -

The main problem is that if you have never heard of Drive Assist or the problems people are having with them - then you rely on the advise of your own Insurance Company. It is only when they realise there is something wrong and search on Drive Assist Reviews - that you realise "Oh no - what have I done"
by the way - my Insurance Company is the Post Office - the third party insurance is Shielas wheels - who according to Drive Assist are delaying the process by constantly asking for more info???

redux

stevie19uk wrote: »

You are extremely rude. You know nothing about insurance and how it works.

If Drive Assist were that bad, then why hasn't the Financial services authority closed them down?

If Swinton accept the best paying company, then why does Drive Assist have contracts with Royal Bank of Scotland, Direct line, Churchill, Marks & Spencer, Post office, Yes car insurance, Confused.com, Swinton, Norwich Union?

Surly if a customer did not renew their policy due to problems with Drive Assist, and this happened regularly, then they would cancel their contract with Drive Assist.

Obviously Drive Assist are providing an excellent service to customers, that much that the company keeps expanding.

So what happened? Did some of those large companies indeed cancel their contracts?