Courtesy car excess

minsterman82

Hi, my other half had to take her new car into the garage because of engine management light issues. She was given a coutesy car but it was scraped whilst parked at the local garden centre (not her fault). She rang the police and told the garage who said she had to pay £2000 excess. Is this even right and does she have to, as it wasn't her fault. She is saying she isn't paying the excess as it's extortionate and it also  wasn't her fault. Do we have to pay as the research ive been doing suggests we have to. She has an incident number from the police but no CCTV as it doesn't cover that part of the car park (sods bloody law), so she's getting upset at having to pay for something that wasn't her fault. Thanks in advance

Grumpy_chap

At most, she would have to pay the loss suffered by the garage - either cost to repair or decrease in vehicle value as a result of the scratch.  If this is as minor as you describe, I doubt the cost will be £2k.

It may also be covered under her car insurance.

jimbo6977

Rubbish situation.

A scrape could be a polish-out job costing next to nothing or a proper 4 panel gouge costing thousands to put right - where is it on that scale?

Given the lack of CCTV, the "loss" ie the damage to the CC is likely to be irrecoverable from the guilty party, so it would seem that whatever was signed for when the CC was collected will have to be paid (or the whole repair cost if this is less than the excess). 

TELLIT01

When I had a courtesy car I was offered an excess waiver for £20, which I took.  I didn't need to use it, but this shows the value of taking it if it's offered.

Jlo31

Hi, Sorry to hear what happened. A couple of thoughts. Did she get the details of the people who damaged the car. If so then she can put a claim in to the third party to pay for the damage or pay the extra from the garage and claim back via the third party. Use askmid. Com to get details.

If she didn't get details it's with checking out her policy covers her for when a garage lends a car out for service/mot etc. If so and she has a low excess then see if the garage can claim that way.

I know my wife's insurance with quote me happy covers courtesy cars provided from a garage or mot for up to 7 days.

Hope you can sort it out ok.

MalMonroe

Hi, I once borrowed a courtesy car but once I'd read all the pros and cons and Ts and Cs, I couldn't wait to get it back to the garage! Their agreement stipulated something like £2k if anything happened to the courtesy car. Whoever's fault it was. And like a fool, I signed it!  [Lesson learned right there, read it thoroughly and THEN sign. If you dare.] 

It's scary because they don't actually tell you this when you leave your own car and go driving off happily in your borrowed one. They assume you have read the agreement you signed. Your OH probably signed one and that is the agreement. 

I'd double check exactly what she agreed to, and did she sign anything? 

She may well be covered by her own car insurance, where it usually says when you are driving a car with the owner's permission but it's only third party cover, etc.

Hope you get it sorted but I'd never ever accept a courtesy car ever again, the anxiety wasn't worth it and I was so relieved to take the thing back!

MalMonroe

TELLIT01 said:

When I had a courtesy car I was offered an excess waiver for £20, which I took.  I didn't need to use it, but this shows the value of taking it if it's offered.

I have never been offered any such thing and I doubt many people have. I'd definitely do this, if it was available but next time I'll just take the bus. Or wait around at the garage until my own car is ready. It's not worth all the worry and hassle otherwise. Sods law that if something's going to happen, it's going to be when you're driving a courtesy car!

MalMonroe

Grumpy_chap said:

At most, she would have to pay the loss suffered by the garage - either cost to repair or decrease in vehicle value as a result of the scratch.  If this is as minor as you describe, I doubt the cost will be £2k.

It may also be covered under her car insurance.

It depends what she's signed though. There will be an agreement of some sort specifying amount to be paid. Regardless of real cost.

I do hope it's covered under her own car insurance.

Sandtree

She only has to pay the full £2k if the cost of repairs exceed this. If the repair costs are below this she only needs to pay the actual cost.

Fault is a unhelpful choice of words but in insurance terms "fault" is generally where an insurance company cannot get their money back from anyone else... sometimes that will be because their insured is to blame for the accident, sometimes its an act of God, sometimes that the third party hit and ran so no one to recover the monies from.

Whilst it may not seem fair it does avoid a lot of potential disputes between you saying an unknown party hit you -v- the insurer saying you clearly hit a bollard/wall etc and are making up the third party. As in this case the person that caused the damage is unidentified it would be considered a fault claim.

cajef

MalMonroe said:

TELLIT01 said:

When I had a courtesy car I was offered an excess waiver for £20, which I took.  I didn't need to use it, but this shows the value of taking it if it's offered.

I have never been offered any such thing and I doubt many people have. 

I have just had my car in for an MOT and service by the main dealer I bought it off, it came with a a five year service plan they  have always offered an insurance waiver for a small fee when using one of their courtesy cars they are nearly new cars, the one I used had 603 miles on the clock.