3rd party refusing hire costs?
Discussion
After being involved in a crash at the the end of Jan, my insurers fobbed me off to an accident management co.
Hire car dropped off, not a lot seemed to be happening for 2 weeks. Called up, no engineer even been contacted, let alone booked! Engineer arranged for 2 days later.
Settlement agreed, so I went out and bought a new car. Sent hire car back the day after.
Now without the 2 weeks in between where no one did anything, this could have all been resolved in about a week.
The problem now is that I've received a letter from AM co. stating that 3rd party aren't fully settling! I was made aware that this may happen in a thread I started a few weeks ago, but was hoping it wouldn't.
What do I do now? I haven't seen a final figure for the hire, but have worked out roughly how much it is from the day rate shown on the hire agreement. It's a large amount, and one that I certainly can't afford.
Thanks.
Hire car dropped off, not a lot seemed to be happening for 2 weeks. Called up, no engineer even been contacted, let alone booked! Engineer arranged for 2 days later.
Settlement agreed, so I went out and bought a new car. Sent hire car back the day after.
Now without the 2 weeks in between where no one did anything, this could have all been resolved in about a week.
The problem now is that I've received a letter from AM co. stating that 3rd party aren't fully settling! I was made aware that this may happen in a thread I started a few weeks ago, but was hoping it wouldn't.
What do I do now? I haven't seen a final figure for the hire, but have worked out roughly how much it is from the day rate shown on the hire agreement. It's a large amount, and one that I certainly can't afford.
Thanks.
Andehh said:
Have you contacted your insurance and theirs to ask? I think it will have been down to ridiculously high hire car costs beyond what they feel is reasonable, that sadly you probably agreed into it. 
Edit: how much are the high car costs? Anything more then £30-40 a day which is what I expect when hiring an average car?
I've just tried ringing mine, and they're helpfully closed on the weekend.Edit: how much are the high car costs? Anything more then £30-40 a day which is what I expect when hiring an average car?
Edited by Andehh on Saturday 21st March 12:35
I was told specifically NOT to contact 3rd party insurers, and their t&cs do say that they can look to recover costs from me if I do.
Yeah, I (rather foolishly) assumed I was getting the 'like for like hire car' I paid for with my years premium so simply signed the forms. I'm kicking myself now. I was at work when it was dropped of, so the OH signed the drop off sheet.
Hire car was £120 a day. With a fair percentage of that being costs.
KungFuPanda said:
If you couldn't afford the credit hire bill, why did you incur it? You would always have had a personal responsibility to settle it.
Never heard of credit hire before this. Never had an accident before so I didn't even know what was happening 75% of the time. Like I said a couple of posts up. I paid for a hire car in my yearly payment. I thought that's what I was getting!
I got the email whilst I was at work, and assuming it was the hire car that I should get I simply signed it.
I didn't even know my insurers could fob me off like they did!
Yes, I did read through that thread, before starting this one, to see if the answer was in there.
I did contact my insurers, the inspection was the arranged 2 days later. I was told when I made the claim that i would be contacted 'by the company that handles our claims for us, who will sort everything out for you. You'll not need to do a thing.'
I am now simply asking the question; what happens next?
I did contact my insurers, the inspection was the arranged 2 days later. I was told when I made the claim that i would be contacted 'by the company that handles our claims for us, who will sort everything out for you. You'll not need to do a thing.'
I am now simply asking the question; what happens next?
vonhosen said:
What were the conditions of hire etc?
Was there an indemnity of costs against you?
The 3rd party insurers were only ever likely to accept what they see as reasonable hire costs.
Conditions such as?Was there an indemnity of costs against you?
The 3rd party insurers were only ever likely to accept what they see as reasonable hire costs.
I don't know what an 'indemnity of costs' is, sorry.
I know that, but i assumed I got the cheapest they had at short notice. Evidently I couldn't have been more wrong.
vonhosen said:
When my father in law had a non fault collision I made sure that the hire car provided by the AM Co had an indemnity against costs for him.
i.e. If the 3rd party insurers wouldn't cover all of the hire car costs, the AM Co had a separate insurance policy to cover the shortfall, that separate policy was at the AM Co's cost. In other words he was guaranteed to not have to pay a penny.
It was in the AM Co's, the 3rd party insurers & his interests to not drag their feet. It was all settled in a few weeks & everybody kept in communication about what was happening.
Right, now I understand what you mean.i.e. If the 3rd party insurers wouldn't cover all of the hire car costs, the AM Co had a separate insurance policy to cover the shortfall, that separate policy was at the AM Co's cost. In other words he was guaranteed to not have to pay a penny.
It was in the AM Co's, the 3rd party insurers & his interests to not drag their feet. It was all settled in a few weeks & everybody kept in communication about what was happening.
Edited by vonhosen on Saturday 21st March 13:34
The documents I signed say that I have an insurance policy included that covers me against any charges they can't recover.
btcc123 said:
When I had a non fault accident late last year my insurance company wanted me to use their management company that wanted me to have a hire car with credit agreement.As i was not happy to do that and the third party insurance were keen for me to use them so they did the repair to my car at my suggested bodyshop and give me a hire car all painless and no problems.
I know for a fact that Swiftcover the third party insurance company in my case have a claim limit of £170 plus VAT per day for a hire car and the Mercedes C Class I had cost them £70 plus VAT a day from Enterprise,So if insurance companies reject hire car charges from credit hire companies they must charge silly prices for their cars.
OP I think that as you have a credit agreement for your hire car these management companies also give you some sort of guarantee that you will not be liable for any charges if the third party insurance reject the hire car charges.I have read that if the management company sues the third party insurer for the money you may have to go to court to explain the circumstances of your accident but not be liable for anything.
Thats what I was told before I decided not to use the management/credit car company.You should tell your insurance company to sort it out as they insured your car and as you had an accident they need to sort out the repair and hire car for you with no problems,hassle or you being liable for any charges.
As soon as I informed them, I was passed to the AMC.I know for a fact that Swiftcover the third party insurance company in my case have a claim limit of £170 plus VAT per day for a hire car and the Mercedes C Class I had cost them £70 plus VAT a day from Enterprise,So if insurance companies reject hire car charges from credit hire companies they must charge silly prices for their cars.
OP I think that as you have a credit agreement for your hire car these management companies also give you some sort of guarantee that you will not be liable for any charges if the third party insurance reject the hire car charges.I have read that if the management company sues the third party insurer for the money you may have to go to court to explain the circumstances of your accident but not be liable for anything.
Thats what I was told before I decided not to use the management/credit car company.You should tell your insurance company to sort it out as they insured your car and as you had an accident they need to sort out the repair and hire car for you with no problems,hassle or you being liable for any charges.
if there's a next time (hopefully not, fingers crossed) I'll just deal with the 3rd party insurers myself.
b
hstewie said:
hstewie said:pork911 said:
bhstewie said:
hstewie said: £120 a day for a hire car - what the hell was it?
Probably something basic 
OP take a look at this thread http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=10&...
Didn't think twice about it tbh. Thought I'd be sent whatever the cheapest they had in at such short notice.
FWIW, I can rent the exact same car myself for £60 a day.
pork911 said:
but not on credit with the view to someone else paying, hence the industry. There's all sorts of reasons why what you did is likely unreasonable. Although led along, it's you that credit hired and you who will be the Claimant asking that the Court orders the other side to pay your debt. You may well have a wink and a nod, comfort letter or side policy from the hire company covering you but of course that's something you will be very strongly discouraged (with the threat of paying the hire yourself) from revealing since it would openly expose the fraud the other side are well aware of, but ignore and play at the fringes. However not revealing it is a matter for your conscience and pocket.
So this 'insurance' I've got against paying the costs does what exactly? fk all?I've had a look around on the web, and I'm still none the wiser as to wether this 'insurance' is actually worth anything. As I'm getting here, half the information says it'll cover me, and half says it'll do nothing.
Ins co. didn't say anything anout what was happening, just that my details have been passed on to the company we use that handle our claims.
AMC didn't explain to me when I rang them what was happening, and I believed I was getting my courtesy car I had paid for with my policy. I assumed they had been in contact with 3rd party and agreed it.
With Ins Co saying it was 'the company who deal with our claims' I assumed that's what it was doing.
I feel like an idiot, and I probably have been one. I certainly won't be using the insurer (a widely recommended broker!) again. And should I unfortunately have another crash again, I'll ring the 3rd party myself.
This has all been far too much hassle for a car that just needed to get me work for a week or so.
Ins co. didn't say anything anout what was happening, just that my details have been passed on to the company we use that handle our claims.
AMC didn't explain to me when I rang them what was happening, and I believed I was getting my courtesy car I had paid for with my policy. I assumed they had been in contact with 3rd party and agreed it.
With Ins Co saying it was 'the company who deal with our claims' I assumed that's what it was doing.
I feel like an idiot, and I probably have been one. I certainly won't be using the insurer (a widely recommended broker!) again. And should I unfortunately have another crash again, I'll ring the 3rd party myself.
This has all been far too much hassle for a car that just needed to get me work for a week or so.
hora said:
Right I'm not a legal eagle/Solicitor etc but I am a right pain in the fking arse.
Your insurer (who you have hire car included on your policy) - trasferred you through to their partner who I presume managers their hire car facility. Either that or they palmed you off hoping they'd mitigate their own costs/admin by subcontracting it out/getting rid of you.
I don't think they manage their hire car facilities, I think they are a completely different company all together.king arse.Your insurer (who you have hire car included on your policy) - trasferred you through to their partner who I presume managers their hire car facility. Either that or they palmed you off hoping they'd mitigate their own costs/admin by subcontracting it out/getting rid of you.
hora said:
Ask your insurer for a copy of the call between yourself and them when you were pushed towards AMC.
Will they give me it? Simple as that? I wasn't 'pushed' as such, more told that my details would be passed on to the company who deal with it on their behalf.hora said:
Tell them you'll raise a complaint to the Insurance Ombudsman. Why were you pushed to an external party? In my view (possibly) they were referring you to their co-supplier.
I was referred to a third party.hora said:
Why is the third party refusing the hire car costs? They are disputing the cost? Or is your own insurer not doing a proper job representing you- i.e. if its 100% no fault why aren't they handling everything for you?
I would assume it's the length of hire, and the huge cost.I've been told it's a no fault by my InsCo and Accident management co.
hora said:
Ask to be escalated to someone more senior
Ask for a recording
Ask why a hire car is included in your policy yet their own representative 'fobbed you off'. What does that mean- ask for a recording.
Etc. Kick up a fuss and report them if need be.
Will do.Ask for a recording
Ask why a hire car is included in your policy yet their own representative 'fobbed you off'. What does that mean- ask for a recording.
Etc. Kick up a fuss and report them if need be.
hora said:
Mad. You pay for something then you have to pay for it yourself. It doesnt make sense.
Nope. It doesn't.Which is why I assumed it was the car I had paid premium for.
btcc123 said:
OP you seam concerned so have you contacted the AM company today to find out what the situation is regarding your possible liability.
I haven't rang the AM, no.I have rang the broker and explained to them what is happening. They requested a copy of the letter, which I have emailed over to them. They have said they will look at it tomorrow and contact me tomorrow about it.
Have been in contact with the broker. Have been told that, basically, I have to ring the accident management co to find out anything as he doesn't know much about what they do, and they can't see how they are progressing etc.
He mentioned the protection policy though, that would cover me if they couldn't recover costs. Although when I asked what would happen if I didn't go along with everything their solicitor said, or if they were providing incorrect information that I do not agree with, he simply said again to get in touch with the AM co.
Looks like a phone call to them tomorrow, when I get off work a little earlier.
He mentioned the protection policy though, that would cover me if they couldn't recover costs. Although when I asked what would happen if I didn't go along with everything their solicitor said, or if they were providing incorrect information that I do not agree with, he simply said again to get in touch with the AM co.
Looks like a phone call to them tomorrow, when I get off work a little earlier.
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