Is it standard practice for a garage to expect you to insure a courtesy car they provide, and what is a reasonable amount to pay if so? My Yaris is going in tomorrow evening for some warranty work on some rattling trim and I have been offered a courtesy car, but told I have to have it insured FC. I've contacted my insurer to try and get this done, but have been told that it would cost £30 as I would have to add the car to my insurance policy and that is their minimum charge for doing this. As I'll be getting the car back on Friday I'm not going to bother - it'd be cheaper for me to get taxis.
Is this reasonable, or should I be looking for a different dealer or insurer?
TIA!
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Many garages ask you to insure their courtesy cars, not just smaller ones. National chains my offer insurance where you pay them a small amount per day.
My garage expects you to insure FC, my insurance company, Citroen Insurance, has twice let me add courtesy cars for free. My dads insurance company, CIS, wants £5 to do it.
Ben
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When I last had a service I was offered a VW Polo courtesy car for the day. I was advised to put it on my own insurance (£15) or I would have to sign a form agreeing to stump up £1000 excess on their insurance in the event of an accident!
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When I take the Vauxhall in for a service, I have the choice of whether to pay £3 for a collision waiver, or nothing and risk paying £100 (their policy excess) should I prang the courtesy car they've lent me. For peace of mind I pay the £3.
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Liverpool Victoria cover me for any loan vehicle provided my car is in for service or repair. I don't even have to inform them, the fully comp cover is included automatically. :)
It seems that this standard of service is the exception rather than the rule...
Blue
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My insurer, Esure, cover me for free if its only for a day. I have to phone them up and give them all the details though. I've noticed the policy of asking customers to insure courtesy cars has sprung up in the last 12 months. I presume one of the motor-trade insurers started whacking on a massive excess for courtesy cars and the rest followed suit.
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My, insurer "Eagle Star" insure me for any car lent to me by them or the motor trade whilst my car is being repaired. When i had a citroen, the dealer used to charge £10 for their insurance.
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Tesco are excellent. I recently had £16000 worth of Volvo V40 whilst my V70 was in. The garage had it initially for 6 days but it ended up being 10. Tesco extended the cover without query, sending out a new certificate each time.
The cost for this?
Nothing. And they stressed that they were still covering my V70 as well.
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Most fully comp policies will cover you under 'any car not belonging to...', but this is usually only TPF&T cover
When my local Vw dealership had to offer me a courtesy car as they couldn't get the job done on time, they wanted either evidence of fully comp insurance, or i'd be liable for a hefty excess (£1000 springs to mind)
My insurance broker organised a cover note from my insurers, (at no cost, on the grounds that my car was off the road, so there's no additional risk)
full marks to Exclusive insurance, who i've used for years, who have often unprompted said 'your premium with X has gone up a lot this year so here's a cheaper quote from Y'
They are not the cheapest, but have always offered a high level of service. (try asking an online insurer for road rally cover for a car and see how far you get)
I have to grow old - but I don't have to grow up
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As for a previous responder, I'm with Liverpool Victoria, so servicing, repairs etc are covered. Also by far the cheapest and they have been v. efficient. By the way, what happened to your awkward colleagues claim re the minor bump? Hope it's been sorted out!
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Direct Line will insure the courtesy car for free for upto a week..even if it an insurance group higher. They have done this for me on two ocaisions, but then I insure three cars with them so I suspect I was not getting the standard service.
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Well, by the sounds of it it's my insurer that is the problem. I must admit I'm considering leaving them come next renewal anyway - I've had some quotes from other companies that seem at least as good, Tesco and Liverpool Victoria being two. Luckily the dealer has rearranged the work for their garage in Stockport which is only 10 minutes walk from my house so I won't need a courtesy car - the garage it was going to be done at is miles away and not on any public transport routes to Stockport...
The other claim still hasn't been sorted properly. This is one of the reasons I'm considering moving - my insurer don't seem to want to get involved at all. They don't respond to letters and Direct Line claim to have not heard anything at all from them. As it stands, the cost is not much more than I'd pay extra on my premium anyway so I'm going to pay it out of my own pocket as I'd save over the next few years this way. However, when I asked DL to confirm this payment would be a full and final settlement, their response was to threaten to take me to court unless I paid up within 10 days.... This makes me very suspicious that something else is going to happen, and I've told them that if they aren't prepared to give what I feel to be a very reasonable guarantee then they can take me to court for all I care...
All this for some chipped paint....
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Steve you need to get some legal advice but as I understand it if you send them a cheque with the words "enclosed cheque as full and final settlement in respect of accident blah blah", and they cash it they can't come back on you.
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yep Liverpool and Victoria on mine quote, Any motor car which is loaned or hired to the policyholder under the insurer's motor damage claim service or by a member of the motor trade while the vehicle specified above (ie Reg mark of vehicle) is in the custody of the motor trader for service, repair or MOT. Unquote
Richard Price
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Local Vauxhall outfit implemented this procedure about a year ago. Where it has come from is massively increased insurance burdens on the garages. They are also expected to pay the first £1000 of any claim. Of course this is then passed onto you so you either comprehensively insure yourself or take the risk.
Tesco have sorted insurance for me, free of charge, on this basis several times. I call the garage a few days in advance, they provide me with reg details which I pass onto Tesco who run me off a cover note. Excellent service.
I no longer have to do this though as nor pay, as I pointed out to the MD of the dealership, if I'd have given them ten quid for every time my Vectras had been back in the last 12 months I'd be 250 quid poorer!!!
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My car is in for 2 days next week and I am having a courtesy car. I checked with Frizzell/Liverpool Victoria and anyone named on my policy is allowed to drive a courtesy car, whether the insured car is in for crash repairs or servicing, and without any excess, even though I have a voluntary £100 on my own car. This is without any charge or notification of the courtesy car details. Seems like a good deal.
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I was offered a courtesy car once by the Mercedes "Mobilo-life" breakdown service.
It was insured but came with a 25,000 excess!
mike
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I'm glad this question has come up.
A year ago when I was offered a courtesy car, in my total ignorance and inexperience I simply assumed the garage was insuring it. They didn't say anything about insurance, so I just got in and drove it.
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