You Can T Use A Credit Hire Firm

Category: Finance, Insurance.

Let s now consider the" loss of use" exclusion clause in your car insurance document.

In the majority of cases the answer is in the negative! ! It lays out what alternative transport your insurance company will offer to you if your own vehicle is inoperative because of theft or accident. Certain insurers have a network of appointed repairers who will supply you with a courtesy car if one happens to be available. However, most insurance companies do not offer either of these options. A small number of insurers have a car hire scheme added to their policy whereby they will provide a vehicle for you from their chosen car hire partner. Many insurers offer a car hire option to their comprehensive policies.

You need to decide if you feel it essential that you purchase this particular add- on. The option is quite pricey and the policy cover is fairly limited. It is far from an essential extra for everyone. If you could manage without a vehicle for a few days, you don t really need to purchase this additional cover. Ask yourself these questions: If my vehicle was inoperative would I still be able to: - get to work( by bus, cycle, train, walk) ? - get the children/ grandchildren to school? - go shopping. - go on holiday? - pursue my social interests, hobbies etc, sports? If you can t then you should pay the additional premiums.

You can t use a credit hire firm. Bear in mind, if your car is stolen or an accident is your fault, you will not be able to recover any car hire costs from a third party. You probably can t be certain of the loan of a courtesy car from the repairers. Equally, if you do not want to use your insurance company s recommended repairer, or your car has been written off, the car hire additional cover will come to the rescue. So this additional cover becomes valuable to you. Let us look at what you might hope to see in an average policy.

If you need it for more than this you will have to pay the additional cost to the car hire firm. You may only hire a car if yours is disabled for more than two days, and the maximum period of hire is fourteen days. There has been many an argument between insurer, repair shop and vehicle owner when repairs have overrun often down to non- availability of parts and no party wants to pay the additional car rental costs. There s normally a delivery maximum so if you live out in the sticks and the hire firm is a fair few miles away from you, expect an additional charge if you arrange for them to deliver it to you. You can t have a hire car for a glass only or windscreen claim. Is it possible for you to get to their local depot yourself?

That helps the insurer to limit the cost of the hire car cover but if you have an accident in it, the claim will be on your policy. Your own car insurance policy will cover the hire car as if it were your own car. The hire car can only be claimed from the date your car goes in for repair if it is still legal and safe to drive your vehicle. Policies might impose a maximum period of hire, such as fourteen days. If the vehicle is not roadworthy you can hire the car from the day of the accident. If your vehicle is restored prior to that date, you have to return the hire car as soon as you have your vehicle back.

If you need a larger model you will probably have to pay a supplement. The hire car supplied is likely to be a basic, manual gearbox vehicle no more than a year or two old. If you need an automatic efforts will be made to find one for you within the vehicle groups specified in the policy. It must be returned with a full tank. The hire car will normally come complete with a tank full of fuel. If you don t you will be billed by the hire firm for a fill up. Some hire firms will ask for an imprint of your credit card, insuring against the possibility of needing to fill up your car or bumping it whilst using it.

And they charge a ridiculously high price for fuel!