Excess Insurer not paying out due to lack of Repair Invoice

nickspurs

We hired a car from Centauro in Lisbon in May and unfortunately had an accident.

We were charged the full excess amount of £1050 by the car hire company, which could be fair as the damage seemed quite extensive (damage to bumper and undercarriage - cannot tell extent of this but radiator leaked everywhere).

We started the claim with Questor / Orchard Administration, who we paid £50 to cover us with Excess Insurance and have provided them with all required documents and photos.

It is now 3 months since we opened the claim and they are refusing to pay out as they have not received a Final Repair Invoice from Centauro.

Centauro say they do not provide this documentation.

For weeks there has just been a loop of the same emails going round where Orchard ask for the document and Centauro say they do not provide it, and what they have provided should be sufficient. Orchard then reply stating the pricing matrix is not sufficient as although the cost of bumper is detailed as €300, there is no actual cost relating to undercarriage - it just states 'refer to garage costs'. They then say they need the repair invoice again and receive a similar response, ad infinitum...

Orchard say they will continue to chase but I can hardly see Centauro suddenly deciding to change their mind and provide this document.

I too have tried to retrieve this document from Centauro and have sent about 35 emails to both parties in total. It is causing me untold stress and I do not know what to do.

Orchard suggested I contact my credit card company to retrieve the funds from Centauro but Halifax have said they cannot get involved. I am also worried they will not be able to help in getting the funds back from Orchard instead, as we paid under £100 (£50) for the insurance and Halifax state 'If you receive unsatisfactory goods or services costing over £100, but not over £30,000 for a single item and you paid for them directly using credit provided under this agreement, you may have the right to make a claim against the supplier, us, or both.'

I cannot believe I am going through all this having done nothing wrong and thinking I was fully covered in the event of an accident, having paid for the excess insurance. Orchard Administration have a pretty decent rating on Trustpilot, although there are 1-star reviews with stories similar to mine. It just makes me never want to hire a car again. It was the first one I'd ever rented abroad.

What are my options here?

WAYT

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/insurance/insurance/problems-with-insurance-policies/problems-with-an-insurance-claim/
http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk
Consumer helpline - 0800 023 4567

CM66

I'd imagine that the car rental company haven't actually had a lot of the work done that you've been charged for and that's why they cant provide an invoice for the work.

They charge for all sorts of scratches / dents but these are rarely repaired as time off the road means money lost.

Sorry this doesn't actually help you in any way, but i think Orchard sound like they are trying to avoid paying out!

nickspurs

So the Car Rental company company is possibly in the wrong, but should your insurance company not pay you out to cover the excess regardless, as that's what you've paid them to do? It's not my fault they can't obtain all the documents they say they need!?

As well as the stress of going through the accident, and the last 3 months of going through the claim, it now appears as though I have to go through the stress of going through a claim with the Ombudsman. It's total madness.

My Dad suggested taking the insurers to the small claims court. He says he's made similar claims in the past and they've always paid out before it's even got to court. Does anyone recommend one over the other between Ombudsman and small claims?

WAYT

nickspurs wrote: »

So the Car Rental company company is possibly in the wrong, but should your insurance company not pay you out to cover the excess regardless, as that's what you've paid them to do? It's not my fault they can't obtain all the documents they say they need!?

As well as the stress of going through the accident, and the last 3 months of going through the claim, it now appears as though I have to go through the stress of going through a claim with the Ombudsman. It's total madness.

My Dad suggested taking the insurers to the small claims court. He says he's made similar claims in the past and they've always paid out before it's even got to court. Does anyone recommend one over the other between Ombudsman and small claims?

Have you written to the address that I supplied to you, requesting the necessary invoice?

JP1978

You or the insurer won't get the invoices as the work hasnt or wont ever be done - they money from you is either pure profit or it will take into account any reduced value the car has due to the damage.

EDIT, just looked at my policy (not the same as yours) and it says the following about what documents that they want -

Invoices/Receipts/other documents confirming the amount you have paid in respect of damage for which the car rental company or agency holds you responsible

Nothing mentioned about wanting to see invoices from the reparier, just the amount that you have been charged.

What does your policy say about these invoices?

If your claim against them is not dependant on the repair invoices, only the cost to you (the excess), then they will be in breach of contract.

merchcon55

I have just read the Questor Policy Document:

To obtain a reimbursement under this policy
You will need: -


1. Your Certificate Number and the Scheme Code both of which are
shown on the Certificate of Insurance.
2. A copy of Your Hire Agreement.
3. A copy of the local police report, if required by law in the country where
the loss occurs.
4. Your copy of the Hire Company accident damage report and a
photographic picture of the damage caused.
5. Invoices / Receipts / other documents confirming the amount You have
paid in respect of the damage to the Hired Vehicle for which You are
seeking reimbursement.
6. A final repair Invoice from the repairing garage which details the
breakdown of parts and labour.
7. Copy of Your credit/debit card statement showing payment of the
damages which You are seeking reimbursement.
8. Copy of the driving licence of the policy holder and the person named
on the Hire Agreement in control of the vehicle at the time of the
incident.
9. Any other documentation requested by our US in order to settle Your
claims.
10. Your bank details:
a) UK Bank – Sort Code and Account Number
b) Bank based outside the UK – IBAN and BIC


It does appear that Questor are within their rights to see the repair bill.

The car hire company have obviously not repaired the damage OR the actual repair is less than the EUR 1000 that was charged to your credit card account.