Involved in a car crash, rental options?

2Mad2BeMad

Hi everyone,

Was involved in a crash a week ago, thankfully no one was hurt.

Crash was my fault

My car is in for repair at the moment and due to brexit and most likely covid the lady told me it could be a month or 2 before I get it returned to me if I'm lucky.

Now my insurance covers a car rental for me for 9 days

But am I left to it after that? I thought I'd have a car until mine is returned

I'm at a catch 22 situation, I can't buy another car and switch my insurance over as I've an open claim, I also don't know many people who do drive and any who do need there car for themselves.

Is it case of just sucking it up and renting a car for a few months? I can't use public transport as I've a creche run and pick up as well as working a cross the other side of Dublin.

Cheers folks

bazz26

If there is a limitation in the terms and conditions of your policy then I'd imagine any rental beyond that period would be at your own expense. However have you tried talking to your insurance company to see if that can be extended due to the circumstances or at least pay a reduced rental rate?

2Mad2BeMad

I've tried talking to them, the girl said there very strict on the rental period

Still any crash at all 9days wouldn't be enough to repair.

Atlantic Dawn

It's a bad time for renting cars too, prices gone through the roof because of scarcity of cars in their inventory.

Toyotafanboi

You're lucky to have a policy that covers any amount of hire on a comp claim, most dont.

Best option IMO is to buy a banger for €1k or whatever, sell it when you are done and get your €1k back.

Even if you rent a bedget option for €25 or €30 a day, you are still getting into big money and restricted to 28 days between hire t's and c's and insurance temp transfer limitations.

coylemj

I'm at a catch 22 situation, I can't buy another car and switch my insurance over as I've an open claim, I also don't know many people who do drive and any who do need there car for themselves.

Are you saying that if your car had been written off, you couldn't organize a replacement car until the claim is settled? I find that hard to fathom.

Investigate if a 'replacement car' is an option. That's where you rent a car (usually from a main dealer) with no cover and you move your insurance to it for the duration. I can't believe that your insurance company expect you to be off the road until the claim is settled.

2Mad2BeMad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118176467#Comment_118176467

If my car was written off I'd have a cheque issued to me within 5days and could go out buy a new thing.

The problem here is its been repaired and I am told it could take months

I've asked them about temp insurance switch but they said I can't do that.

coylemj

In that case you need to hand back the disc and cert and tell them to suspend the policy.

You’d think that this would happen automatically if they won’t allow a temporary change and your car is off the road but I wouldn’t bet on it.

2Mad2BeMad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118176775#Comment_118176775

I don't think I can suspend it considering there paying for the repair.

Il have to ring them tomorrow

The girl said I could rent a car at my own expense using there special rate which is 22e a day for a class a and 24e a day for a class b. Which would be what I'd need at least

mgbgt1978

Do you have a 'driving other cars' extension on your Policy ?.....without the stipulation that the 'other car' must be insured by it's owner.

coylemj

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118177782#Comment_118177782

Your car is off the road, any cover is inoperable. Well and good if it’s in the Ts & Cs that you can’t suspend the policy with an active claim but it will cost nothing to ask.

If your policy had expired the next day, they’d still have to pay for the repair. I assume you have fully comp. So there’s no moral principle in play here.

Squatman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118176696#Comment_118176696

if any garage told you it will be months before its repaired, then go to a different garage. Unless its a very rare make/model, then they are too busy to do your work,

Toyotafanboi

Depending on the damage, it's plausable that a car damaged now wouldn't be ready until the new year.

Parts availability globally has never been worse and it only takes one part to be unavailable to keep the car off the road.

We have a Fabia at work off the road since July waiting on an airbag.

mickdw

I think there must be some confusion here.

Surely, the insurer will swap cover onto another car while car is being repaired.

It would be a first in 25 years of my dealing with car insurance to find a company who will not temporarily swap cover while car is in garage for any reason.

It would be very difficult to swap insurance companies with an open claim but should be standard procedure to be swapping cars on your current policy when you have been involved in an accident.

mickdw

Car99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118176696#Comment_118176696

Don't ask for temp insurance ask for permament insurance swop to another vehicle then when your car is fixed permanent swop again.

Toyotafanboi

Agree with that, must be some confusion. Likewise, I've never come across a company not to allow a temp transfer, particularly when the permanent car is being repaired.

beachhead

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058218219/involved-in-a-car-crash-rental-options

The insurance must have an alternative list of repairers with a shorter repair time.I'd expect your insurer to cover the entire waiting period if their repairer is not up to the job.

Larbre34

Of course they'll swap your insurance to a temporary vehicle, they have no means not to. Your only restriction would be changing insurers altogether with an open claim.

Incidentally, for those questioning the duration of the repair, my buddy is an importer/distributor of a group of big brands and his heart is broke trying to get stock of fairly straightforward spares for certain brands thanks to Brexit. His typical lead time has slipped from one week, to eight! If a repairer doesn't have spares on the shelf, they can't fix the motor.

coylemj

OP said: The girl said I could rent a car at my own expense using there special rate which is 22e a day for a class a and 24e a day for a class b. Which would be what I'd need at least

which stinks to high heaven. ‘You can’t organise a temporary car because we won’t transfer cover to it’. But you can rent a car from us instead!

OP, as you can see from recent posts, I'm not the only one who thinks it weird that they won't allow you to organise a replacement car and temporarily move your cover to it. Are you dealing direct with the insurance company or is there a broker company like 123 involved?

Cerco

If the insurance cover you for a hire car then they will do a temporary transfer of your insurance to that car. Ask to speak to a manager in the insurance company.