Insurance question

j3w3ll3r

j3w3ll3r

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Stephen
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Through no fault of ours we have ended up with a hire car

Typically tonight the misses had a near miss with a cat and scraped the bumper on a high curb doing minimal damage, but enough for them to spot I'm sure

My question is, although I'm sure I will have to pay the excess of £150, will this be listed as an accident against her, or will the hire company simply pocket the money as there are many other scrapes on the car that have obviously never been repaired. I'm not fussed about the excess (although i rather not pay it lol) more about her getting a claim against her other wise excellent record

Cheers

Stephen
 
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Chances are it will count. One of my guys had a slight prang in his works van two years later he applies for car insurance had genuinely forgot about the accident and end up having his insurance declined. Once you have had insurance declined it is a hell of job to get insurance.

Not worth the risk in my opinion.
 
You could probably get the scrape painted, by a mobile repairer for less than £150 and no worries about a claim.
 
nilagin said:
You could probably get the scrape painted, by a mobile repairer for less than £150 and no worries about a claim.
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I thought about this, but worry if the repair is not good enough it could open a whole an of worms
 
I would have thought it depends on whether or not a claim is made.

Plastic repairs can be done fairly cheaply now and providing the paint isn't too difficult a match it may well be un-noticeable. I too have had hire cars with loads of scrapes and bumps - and not just from the local 'Honest Jon's Wreck Hire':lol:

Are you on their insurance?
 
She was on their insurance,

This all happened because our car was damaged Whist at the main dealers during a regular service by a bus having a blow out at the exact time it passed our car (it was parked on the forecourt awaiting collection) :(, the amount of damage caused was incredible
 
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j3w3ll3r said:
She was on their insurance,

This all happened because our car was damaged Whist at the main dealers during a regular service by a bus having a blow out at the exact time it passed our car (it was parked on the forecourt awaiting collection) :(, the amount of damage caused was incredible
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That depends then on whether they report it as a claim - not suggesting anything illegal then, but I would look at getting it repaired myself.

Tyre blow-outs are incredibly dangerous - not only to the driver/passengers, but also to bystanders.
I have seen a small agricultural wheel rim split in half when the tube blew. Travelled across the workshop, after cutting through the fitters overalls and his skin - to then embed itself in a brick wall.

That was a 4" diameter rim.

Bus/truck tyres can kill easily :(
 
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it doesn't answer your question, but tell your wife to hit the cat next time. They cause less damage than kerbs and it will be one less cat to **** in someone elses garden!
 
kevin0410 said:
it doesn't answer your question, but tell your wife to hit the cat next time. They cause less damage than kerbs and it will be one less cat to **** in someone elses garden!
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Grrrrrrr I did lol
 
Have you tried T-Cutting the scratches to see if they come out? Alternatively just splash a load of mud up the car and cover the scratch. Chances are they won't see it until it's too late.
 
nilagin said:
Have you tried T-Cutting the scratches to see if they come out? Alternatively just splash a load of mud up the car and cover the scratch. Chances are they won't see it until it's too late.
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It's thru the paint to the bumper
 
you mention other dings and scrapes on the car. Is it more damage than those?
 
There are other marks on the car that where noted before we took it from them
 
I would contact a local repair company and ask their views first as the insurers ask have you had any accidents, claims in ???? years

If its only going to be £50-£150 its got to be worth it rather than the hire company making a claim.
 
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If the other bits of damage havn't been repaired it points to the hire company just keeping the money.
Realspeed
 
I called them anonymously and asked the question, and was told it happens everyday and basically there will be no claim made unless its serious which it isn't, and the lady even intimated that the excess may not even be claimed if its not too serious, and we would not need to disclose it to our insurers in the future

Thankfully it's one of the big hire companies and not a back street outfit
 
Why not ask the hire company?

I always assumed that they just regarded minor scrapes as a profit centre, taking the excess from the driver and taking no action, either in terms of repairs or insurance claims. In fact, I once wrote off a short wheelbase Rover (it wasn't short wheelbase until I reversed over it with a lorry:)) and the hire centre wasn't even bothered about it.
 
Garry Edwards said:
Why not ask the hire company?

I always assumed that they just regarded minor scrapes as a profit centre, taking the excess from the driver and taking no action, either in terms of repairs or insurance claims. In fact, I once wrote off a short wheelbase Rover (it wasn't short wheelbase until I reversed over it with a lorry:)) and the hire centre wasn't even bothered about it.
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I did, and they aren't too bothered

I'm also the type of person rightly or wrongly that worries about these things so will take my medicine (or hers.....), they don't even want to see the car until its time to return it
 
I was speaking to someone recently who works for a major car rental company on this subject, I was told most rental companies reckon it it is too much paperwork if the is small scrapes etc and res not too bothered. It is when there is damage is severe, like dented wings/doors or worse that you start to worry about losing your excess.

If the rental company forfiets your excess for a minor scratch but does not have the repair fixed then are they not guilty of fraud or even insurance fraud ?l
 
frank said:
If the rental company forfiets your excess for a minor scratch but does not have the repair fixed then are they not guilty of fraud or even insurance fraud ?l
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Of course not. If you are responsible for damaging someone else's property then you need to compensate them for their loss.
It's up to them whether they spend the money repairing the damage or whether they don't spend it and then get less for the product when they eventually sell it.

What's dishonest about that?:shake:
A while ago, someone reversed into my car when it was parked and caused £300 of damage, a small scrape. He drove off, oblivious of the fact that my CCTV was watching him and he had to pay me. I kept the money. It was my money, to use as I saw fit.
 
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Take some photos of the damage and post them here. Personally id just hand the car and they keys back without saying anything and play dumb.
 
Dexy101 said:
Take some photos of the damage and post them here. Personally id just hand the car and they keys back without saying anything and play dumb.
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Too late I phoned them and told them, I toyed with the play dumb idea but I'm one of those weirdos that lays awake at night with an over active conscience
 
Well as you know I called Europcar and explained the situation to the nice lady, any way the car was collected and my wife ave me the paperwork to file away and in the corner I noticed the words ENTERPRISE CAR HIRE........

Guess we will see what happens.......
 
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