"Driving Experiences" - their damage waiver sensible?
"Driving Experiences" - their damage waiver sensible?
Author
Discussion

Stoofa

Original Poster:

959 posts

190 months

Saturday 2nd January 2016
quotequote all
So my brother bought me one of these driving experiences for my 40th birthday. With regards the damage waiver they offer at the track, is is sensible to purchase this? Are they really going to leave things so unrestricted you could cause some serious damage?
I know - some will say you simply won't be behind the wheel long enough to cause any damage smile
Anyway, I will be behind the wheel of an Aston Martin at some point at the Blyton Park Driving Centre and just wondered if anyone else had been on anything similar, if they bothered with the waiver?

Also, apparently they have some camera positioned around track for the "momento photograph" - again to those who've been, rough idea on the cost of these?

Cheers chaps.

drdel

476 posts

150 months

Saturday 2nd January 2016
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What is their 'standard' cover included in the fee and so what is the addition cover and cost pf what they expect you to buy? - is there any excess?

Are you saying that if you damage their car in anyway you could be faced with the repair bill or a portion of it?

dave_s13

13,970 posts

291 months

Saturday 2nd January 2016
quotequote all
I did one in a Ferrari f430 a while ago. It's was over before it even started. You'd have to have been wilfully suicidal or a total mechanical numpty to actually crash the thing.

The photos were hugely overpriced too, as you'd expect.

If it's only a few accompanied laps then I wouldn't bother. If you're let loose on your own for a good while then it could be wise.

R1 Indy

4,476 posts

205 months

Saturday 2nd January 2016
quotequote all
I would take the waiver if i was you.

I hired a GT86 at the Nurburgring last year, The thoughts of the 15K euro damage excess spoiled the fun a bit really. (plus the prospect of the russian mafia coming after me if i didn't pay wink )

Stoofa

Original Poster:

959 posts

190 months

Saturday 2nd January 2016
quotequote all
The exact wording is:

6th Gear Experience Ltd offers a damage waiver cover which is available by paying a fee of £25. 6th Gear
Experience Ltd ask you to agree that should there be any damage whatsoever to any of the vehicles you drive,
by purchasing the damage waiver cover, you will not have to pay the first £5000 of damage as stated on the
signing in sheet for your experience. The damage waiver Cover is void if found to be driving
negligently/dangerously or not listening to the instructors instructions

My fears being, and I know, I'm probably being silly, but the thought of stonechips on an AM I cannot see being a "cheap repair". Maybe they don't mean damage at that level, but the wording of "any damage whatsoever"....
My brother has said that he'll pay it for me (bless) but just wanted to gauge some thoughts etc.

lee_fr200

5,609 posts

212 months

Saturday 2nd January 2016
quotequote all
There was one accident a while ago on YouTube where he was told to hit the brakes only he was depressing the clutch,

Instructor shat himself and from what I read in the paper there was a lot of damage

MyVTECGoesBwaaah

823 posts

164 months

Saturday 2nd January 2016
quotequote all
I did a driving experience with 6th Gear at Blyton and it was very good. I was in an Atom, over the 3 laps I kept getting encouraged to go faster by the instructor (Didn't feel I was dawdling to start off with) so they do allow you to go for it somewhat without being silly. I did pay the £25 just in case. During my time there I saw someone spin an Aston into the grass laugh

It is all over very quickly though, they certainly get you in and out again without much time. It will only take an hour or so from getting there to leaving.

dave_s13

13,970 posts

291 months

Saturday 2nd January 2016
quotequote all
R1 Indy said:
I would take the waiver if i was you.

I hired a GT86 at the Nurburgring last year, The thoughts of the 15K euro damage excess spoiled the fun a bit really. (plus the prospect of the russian mafia coming after me if i didn't pay wink )
A ring rental is nothing like this though.

catman

2,504 posts

197 months

Saturday 2nd January 2016
quotequote all
dave_s13 said:
A ring rental is nothing like this though.
Dirty. Are you sure you're on the right website?

Tim

Jezzerh

816 posts

144 months

Saturday 2nd January 2016
quotequote all
Save your money. You won't get up to anywhere near enough speed at Blyton to bin it I don't think.

When I went I did pay it as they laid it on thick about the £1000 (at the time) excess but then I got three laps in a Gallardo where I don't think I got out of third gear!

And yes of course they try to gouge you on the price of the photos too.


kazste

6,060 posts

220 months

Saturday 2nd January 2016
quotequote all
Surely if you have an instructor your going to struggle to crash and not ignore his advice given that he will advise on speed gear braking and has the mirrors. The policy is invalid if you ignore the instructions and therefore imho the excess waiver is worthless.

Leptons

5,479 posts

198 months

Saturday 2nd January 2016
quotequote all
MyVTECGoesBwaaah said:
I did a driving experience with 6th Gear at Blyton and it was very good. I was in an Atom, over the 3 laps I kept getting encouraged to go faster by the instructor (Didn't feel I was dawdling to start off with) so they do allow you to go for it somewhat without being silly. I did pay the £25 just in case. During my time there I saw someone spin an Aston into the grass laugh

It is all over very quickly though, they certainly get you in and out again without much time. It will only take an hour or so from getting there to leaving.
That's good to know, I got that one for Xmas.

Don't plan on buying any 'damage waiver'. I'd like to see them try and extract any money from you after an accident on a paid for driving experience if you accidently bin it. Not sure how that would ever stand up in court.

briang9

3,856 posts

182 months

Saturday 2nd January 2016
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Slightly off topic, but for my last two birthdays I have hired a Jag F Type, convertible first year and coupe last year. My point is that its much more fun, better value for money (you have it for 24hrs with unlimited mileage) and the excess is covered by my annual car hire excess policy. OK so you do have to be careful of speed cameras etc, but in my opinion its much better than any track day I have done. You can get more exotic machines as well but clearly they will cost more.





Edited by briang9 on Saturday 2nd January 23:26

donkmeister

11,450 posts

122 months

Saturday 2nd January 2016
quotequote all
I did a 3-car experience (I think with 6th gear), and I remember reading into all the small print and my conclusion was that <b>just so long as I comply with any instructions from the "instructor"</b>, I was fine as any damage would not be covered under my responsibilities as their customer. E.g. I have no influence over their track maintenance, so I cannot be held responsible for debris flying off their track and damaging their car, and if the instructor is forgets there is an obscured corner over a random peak and tells me to boot it, that's not my fault when I overshoot and hit a tyre wall.

At that same day, I did see someone get brought into the pits with the rest of their day forfeited (presumably d*cking about / ignoring instructor). So it does happen.

Great day, I'd recommend getting the in-car footage if they do it.

Sump

5,484 posts

189 months

Saturday 2nd January 2016
quotequote all
These driving experience things are so cute!

ging84

9,548 posts

168 months

Saturday 2nd January 2016
quotequote all
i've been on a few, and have generally taken the extra cover as i've never been quite sure about how strict they are on damage
but you get to watch quite a few drivers take to the track while your waiting, i've never seen a proper off, but i have seen cones clipped and wheels put on grass a couple of times, but as far as i know these have not resulted in anyone being asked to paying anything.
I don't think i will pay the waiver in future



funkyrobot

18,789 posts

250 months

Saturday 2nd January 2016
quotequote all
Why do people waste their money on these things? 3 laps of a crappy course, during which you are told what to do and when. Want to give it some beans through the gears? No way. Up to third gear and stay there son.

As posted above, hiring a car for a day makes much more sense.

Burrito

1,705 posts

242 months

Saturday 2nd January 2016
quotequote all
I did the Aston experience at silverstone and was encouraged to use the full rev range in all gears.

Also was a bit late on the brakes into Brooklands and put two wheels on the grass. That could have gone a bit wrong, so pleased I opted for the waiver!

Court Jester

176 posts

200 months

Sunday 3rd January 2016
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I did a 6th Gear experience at Elvington. I bought the waiver as £25 seemed worth it for piece of mind. The instructor told me (after I had bought the insurance so it wasn't a sales pitch) that someone had caught the mirror on the Murchilargo coming out the pits. Mirror snapped off and bill was £1,200 including fresh paint. He didn't have waiver and had to pay.

6th Gear is Simon George (who wrote for Evo Fast Fleet). Spoke to him on the day and seemed a decent bloke. Don't think from his articles they are precious about eg stone chips, but if you bend it it will cost you.

ginettajoe

2,106 posts

240 months

Sunday 3rd January 2016
quotequote all
Leptons said:
MyVTECGoesBwaaah said:
I did a driving experience with 6th Gear at Blyton and it was very good. I was in an Atom, over the 3 laps I kept getting encouraged to go faster by the instructor (Didn't feel I was dawdling to start off with) so they do allow you to go for it somewhat without being silly. I did pay the £25 just in case. During my time there I saw someone spin an Aston into the grass laugh

It is all over very quickly though, they certainly get you in and out again without much time. It will only take an hour or so from getting there to leaving.
That's good to know, I got that one for Xmas.

Don't plan on buying any 'damage waiver'. I'd like to see them try and extract any money from you after an accident on a paid for driving experience if you accidently bin it. Not sure how that would ever stand up in court.
.... none of it is worth the paper it is written on!! Don't pay!!! It is another part of the scam!!