Help - car accident , threatened and scaremongered

HereToday

The problem appears to be that the Expedia/AIG policy is not fit for purpose.

The make it clear from the very beginning that they only pay the amount of the Excess; disregarding the fact that the items not included in CDW will cost extra.

A good policy will cover all.

An excerpt from Bettersafe's car hire policy:

We will reimburse You up to the Policy Limit stated below for the amount of Excess, repair costs or associated charges You have to pay under the terms of Your Rental Agreement if Your Rental Vehicle is involved in a covered incident during the period of your Rental Agreement and it results in a charge being made to you by the Car Rental Company or Agency for:

Expedia/AIG:

• You’ll be reimbursed the first £905 if the car is damaged or stolen
• Coverage includes damage to car’s body, tyres, glass, windscreen, undercarriage, roof and more
• Protection against car theft and vandalism
• Key replacement if they’re lost, stolen or damaged during the trip

Caveat emptor!

BUT....it seems that the claims handlers are trying to pull a fast one. Because in the small print:

'Plus' Car Protection Plan – Car Rental Excess Insurance Policy 

Most Car Rental Agreements apply an Excess which is the amount You are responsible for paying if the Rental Vehicle suffers any damage as a result of an Accident, theft, attempted theft or vandalism. This 'Plus' Car Protection product is designed to reimburse You up to the amount of Excess You are charged by the Car Rental company under the terms of the Car Rental Agreement. This policy meets the demands and needs of a customer who has hired a Rental Vehicle through the Expedia website and wants to protect themselves against some of the additional costs that might fall to them under the Car Rental Agreement.

 

This policy also provides cover for: 

• the cost of repair of damage to the body & bumpers, accessories, roof, undercarriage, glass, wheels & tyres and mechanics of the Rental Vehicle if (i) cover is not provided for these under the fully comprehensive insurance cover provided by the Car Rental company and (ii) You are held responsible for the damage under the terms of the Car Rental Agreement;
• Loss of Use of the Rental Vehicle; and
• lost/damaged Keys for the Rental Vehicle.

So it's seems that is in addition to the Excess charged by the car hire company. Up to £3500. 

So the insurance company can pay up to £3500, as that is your policy's limit.

I guess the insurance company wants to see the costs tied specifically to the undercarriage, tyres, windscreen etc..

If you are arguing between the difference between £3500 and the £6,000 costs from the Greek side; that will be down to you not choosing a policy with inadequate cover.

Of course you weren't to know that the bill could be more than £3500. 

Bettersafe offer £7500.
Carhireexcess £7500
Insurance4carhire £6500

So it seems your best option is to negotiate with the Greek side. Bring the bill down to £3500 and get the insurance to cover it. Time to get down to brass tacks..

KirstyMacD2000

Thank you all
The car hire company have just emailed me saying the are isn't being repaired, but will be sold on as a crashed car.
Does this mean i am still liable to pay for repairs not taking place? 

CKhalvashi

It would mean that the lowest would be the lower reasonable difference between the value of a crashed car (we don't know the extent of the damage or even the make/model/age) and the cost of a similar replacement, taking into account age, condition and mileage, up against the reasonable repair costs of the existing car.

This will be minus any insurances that you have covering the accident.

HereToday

KirstyMacD2000 said:

Thank you all
The car hire company have just emailed me saying the are isn't being repaired, but will be sold on as a crashed car.
Does this mean i am still liable to pay for repairs not taking place? 

Of course not. But you'll need to agree on what you should pay.

KirstyMacD2000

i'm trying too but they're just not offering any help what so ever to come to a payment plan - or an agreement. it's like they just wanna leave it and pass it on to a lawyer, but i'm not unwilling to communicate. I've just lost my job as well through the new lockdown and asked for help and the rental car company is just so unhelpful its like they just expect me to hand over 5 grand in a lump sum and be done with it which is very unhelpful obviously.

CKhalvashi

KirstyMacD2000 said:

i'm trying too but they're just not offering any help what so ever to come to a payment plan - or an agreement. it's like they just wanna leave it and pass it on to a lawyer, but i'm not unwilling to communicate. I've just lost my job as well through the new lockdown and asked for help and the rental car company is just so unhelpful its like they just expect me to hand over 5 grand in a lump sum and be done with it which is very unhelpful obviously.

They're entitled to do this. It may be that until the matter gets to court (which unfortunately may be in Greek, leaving you to fund your own interpreter), which may incur further fees, no payment plan will be offered.

Please keep trying to get them to agree to paying monthly, just be aware that you don't have a legal right to it. If a debt can be called in now, it likely will be (we have tightened credit terms this year significantly, but have tried to take into account that the companies we need to tighten terms with most are the most likely to become insolvent, especially if they've had to close).

It may be worth pointing out that pushing you over the edge into insolvency with your current situation may get them nothing. Hopefully it won't go much further than 'how much can you pay monthly?' after this.

Voyager2002

KirstyMacD2000 said:

i'm trying too but they're just not offering any help what so ever to come to a payment plan - or an agreement. it's like they just wanna leave it and pass it on to a lawyer, but i'm not unwilling to communicate. I've just lost my job as well through the new lockdown and asked for help and the rental car company is just so unhelpful its like they just expect me to hand over 5 grand in a lump sum and be done with it which is very unhelpful obviously.

There are two issues: the total amount that you ought to pay; and whether you pay it in a lump sum or make regular affordable payments. Beware of confounding these: if they ask for a totally unreasonable amount (the price of a brand new car, say) then if you ask for time to pay this/installments then you are acknowledging that you owe this amount. First they must explain how much they expect you to pay and "show their working". Only once you have reached agreement on the total payable should you begin discussing how you make payments.

I suggest you check the "small print" on Expedia to see whether your contract is governed by English law. For obvious reasons, if this end up in court then it would be greatly to your advantage if this were in an English court.