Hire car liability
Discussion
Booked a hire car for Sunday afternoon delivery to my home for a trip early on Monday
At 6pm this evening (Friday) the car was parked at the side of my house by the hire company and the keys were dropped through my letterbox. No knock at the door and no paperwork
Does this mean the hire has now started as I have the key or does the hire not start until Sunday afternoon when the booking is supposed to start?
Who is responsible for the car right now?
Can I legally use the car from now or does it just have to sit there until Sunday?
It’s on my employers insurance and is parked legally and sensibly so I am not worried from that point of view. It would be handy to use it tomorrow for a few things and move it off the road onto my drive ready for Monday morning
At 6pm this evening (Friday) the car was parked at the side of my house by the hire company and the keys were dropped through my letterbox. No knock at the door and no paperwork
Does this mean the hire has now started as I have the key or does the hire not start until Sunday afternoon when the booking is supposed to start?
Who is responsible for the car right now?
Can I legally use the car from now or does it just have to sit there until Sunday?
It’s on my employers insurance and is parked legally and sensibly so I am not worried from that point of view. It would be handy to use it tomorrow for a few things and move it off the road onto my drive ready for Monday morning
No, you cant start using it now.
The hire period starts on the date and time you booked it for. The hire car company are liable for the car until then, and you are not insured on it until the start of the hire period.
If you move or use the car until then you will be responsible for any damage or incidents.
The hire period starts on the date and time you booked it for. The hire car company are liable for the car until then, and you are not insured on it until the start of the hire period.
If you move or use the car until then you will be responsible for any damage or incidents.
Edited by ResQ1 on Friday 9th July 21:58
That won’t stop them claiming from you for any damage that occurs whilst sitting there after being dropped off or whilst waiting for them to get around to collecting it.
Take time stamped photographs at the start of the rental period and when you call them to say it is ready for collection.
Take time stamped photographs at the start of the rental period and when you call them to say it is ready for collection.
Starfighter said:
That won’t stop them claiming from you for any damage that occurs whilst sitting there after being dropped off or whilst waiting for them to get around to collecting it.
Take time stamped photographs at the start of the rental period and when you call them to say it is ready for collection.
Fair point…Take time stamped photographs at the start of the rental period and when you call them to say it is ready for collection.
Jaguar99 said:
It’s on my employers insurance ...
I wonder if it might be OK as it's covered by the employer - assuming they cover SD&P? Having said that, I suppose they won't regard the car as hired until the hire period starts.Neighbour of mine has an Enterprise car sitting outside his house pretty well all the time. Apparently his 'firm' (he works for a public body) only pay for the car when he's using it. He can only use it for business though.
My employer covers the hire car from when it is dropped off until it is collected and are happy for me to drive it between those times. I had to check this as the hire company always park in the most stupid places (eg. 2 days early blocking the pavement on a main road) so I invariably have to move it to a sensible place.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Very sure !The hirer doesn't have the hire companies consent to use the car until the start of the hire period. So using it before could see you charged with TWOC AND driving without insurance.
DOC normally specifically excludes hire cars, and even if it does still needs the hire companies consent to use the car, which only starts at the time of the paid hire period, not when the car is dropped off.
Even on the employers insurance cover wouldn't start until the time the hire starts, until then the hire car is covered on the hire companies insurance.
Starfighter said:
That won’t stop them claiming from you for any damage that occurs whilst sitting there after being dropped off or whilst waiting for them to get around to collecting it.
Take time stamped photographs at the start of the rental period and when you call them to say it is ready for collection.
Good call !Take time stamped photographs at the start of the rental period and when you call them to say it is ready for collection.
Red9zero said:
My employer covers the hire car from when it is dropped off until it is collected and are happy for me to drive it between those times. I had to check this as the hire company always park in the most stupid places (eg. 2 days early blocking the pavement on a main road) so I invariably have to move it to a sensible place.
Whilst your employer may feels its ok for you to do this, the hire company may have a different opinion if they drop a car off before the start of the official hire period. If its ever involved in an incident and the police contact the hire company to ask who was driving you could well find yourself being charged with TWOC as outlined above.
ResQ1 said:
Whilst your employer may feels its ok for you to do this, the hire company may have a different opinion if they drop a car off before the start of the official hire period.
If its ever involved in an incident and the police contact the hire company to ask who was driving you could well find yourself being charged with TWOC as outlined above.
The hire car posted the keys through the door and fIf its ever involved in an incident and the police contact the hire company to ask who was driving you could well find yourself being charged with TWOC as outlined above.
ked right off. Seems like a green light to me.
Certainly not an offence for police involvement here.
ResQ1 said:
Whilst your employer may feels its ok for you to do this, the hire company may have a different opinion if they drop a car off before the start of the official hire period.
If its ever involved in an incident and the police contact the hire company to ask who was driving you could well find yourself being charged with TWOC as outlined above.
This was my initial concern. I am happy the company insurance is in place and covers SDP but wasn’t sure if I was permitted by the hire company to use if before the hire is booked to startIf its ever involved in an incident and the police contact the hire company to ask who was driving you could well find yourself being charged with TWOC as outlined above.
With regard to using my own 3rd party cover (which I don’t need to because of the company cover) the wording is:
“The policyholder may also drive with the consent of the owner of a private motor car as long as the other car is not a hire or rental car, is not owned by you or your partner nor obtained by you or your partner under a hire purchase or lease agreement, within our territorial limits, providing there is a valid insurance policy in force for that car. The cover is Third party only.”
ResQ1 said:
Red9zero said:
My employer covers the hire car from when it is dropped off until it is collected and are happy for me to drive it between those times. I had to check this as the hire company always park in the most stupid places (eg. 2 days early blocking the pavement on a main road) so I invariably have to move it to a sensible place.
Whilst your employer may feels its ok for you to do this, the hire company may have a different opinion if they drop a car off before the start of the official hire period. If its ever involved in an incident and the police contact the hire company to ask who was driving you could well find yourself being charged with TWOC as outlined above.
ResQ1 said:
Red9zero said:
My employer covers the hire car from when it is dropped off until it is collected and are happy for me to drive it between those times. I had to check this as the hire company always park in the most stupid places (eg. 2 days early blocking the pavement on a main road) so I invariably have to move it to a sensible place.
Whilst your employer may feels its ok for you to do this, the hire company may have a different opinion if they drop a car off before the start of the official hire period. If its ever involved in an incident and the police contact the hire company to ask who was driving you could well find yourself being charged with TWOC as outlined above.
As for insurance, if the car is covered by the OP's fleet insurers from the moment it comes into an employee's possession until it's returned, then insurance is in place.
Over the years at my firm, we had many hire cars delivered early or collected late that we used for the entire period we had them. And I can think of one occasion where the car was involved in an accident. It wasn't an issue.
TwigtheWonderkid said:
If a hire firm drops a car off early and posts the keys thru the OP's letterbox, in those circumstances, there isn't a snowball's chance in hell of the police charging him with TWOC. Would never happen.
As for insurance, if the car is covered by the OP's fleet insurers from the moment it comes into an employee's possession until it's returned, then insurance is in place.
Over the years at my firm, we had many hire cars delivered early or collected late that we used for the entire period we had them. And I can think of one occasion where the car was involved in an accident. It wasn't an issue.
I like your logic. Just a shame I couldn’t get this confirmed or denied by anyone at the hire company or in the fleet team due to time it was dropped off and because they didn’t knock on the door.As for insurance, if the car is covered by the OP's fleet insurers from the moment it comes into an employee's possession until it's returned, then insurance is in place.
Over the years at my firm, we had many hire cars delivered early or collected late that we used for the entire period we had them. And I can think of one occasion where the car was involved in an accident. It wasn't an issue.
They often do drop cars off to me early but normally only a few hours and I only move as far as my drive from wherever they leav or. This time it was two days early which at first seemed like a touch but then a bit of overthinking later and here we are discussing it
TwigtheWonderkid said:
If a hire firm drops a car off early and posts the keys thru the OP's letterbox, in those circumstances, there isn't a snowball's chance in hell of the police charging him with TWOC. Would never happen.
As for insurance, if the car is covered by the OP's fleet insurers from the moment it comes into an employee's possession until it's returned, then insurance is in place.
Over the years at my firm, we had many hire cars delivered early or collected late that we used for the entire period we had them. And I can think of one occasion where the car was involved in an accident. It wasn't an issue.
Yep it does happen. I know, because I've confirmed it to the investigating officer. As for insurance, if the car is covered by the OP's fleet insurers from the moment it comes into an employee's possession until it's returned, then insurance is in place.
Over the years at my firm, we had many hire cars delivered early or collected late that we used for the entire period we had them. And I can think of one occasion where the car was involved in an accident. It wasn't an issue.
The car was delivered to a customer, parked legitimately on the public highway on the understanding that hire of the car didn't start until the Monday. Customer decided to use it over the weekend to attend a family wedding as it was a much more upmarket car than his own, was involved in an RTA.
Subsequent investigation led to an inquiry of "when did the customer have permission to use the vehicle ?"
"Hire starts at 8am on the Monday."
"So he didn't have permission to use the car on the weekend ?"
"No, we were told the hire was to start 8am Monday. Thats what they paid for"
"Ok, so it was used without the owners consent, we'll charge him with that as well as DWDCA."
Fleet insurance kicks in when the car comes "on hire". Before that its on the hire companies insurance until the start of the rental period.
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