If you are involved in an accident and your car has to go in for repairs, you almost certainly will not want to be forking out for taxis or relying on public transport although your motor is off the road.
But can you be sure your fully extensive policy will provide you with a courtesy car? Or does your policy need you to spend extra on top of your premium to make sure you get a replacement vehicle?
Policy particulars
As with all items insurance coverage, the provision of a courtesy vehicle varies from insurer to insurer, with it is crucial to check your policy to make positive you have precisely the cover you are after – and there are no nasty surprises lurking in the wings when you have an accident.
To highlight how courtesy auto provision can vary in between insurers, and why it is important to verify the terms and conditions, we have a tale of 2 policies.
Mixed knowledge
The 1st is from Clare Francis, our editor-in-chief at MoneySuperMarket, who was told the cover she got as normal on her Post Office policy would only give her with a courtesy car “if the garage has got one particular in” – which means some motorists could be in for an unpleasant surprise if they’re expecting a replacement automobile.
Our second tale comes from a client who, while insured with Direct Line, was given a automobile of comparable size to her own when it went in for repairs, as per the terms of its Guaranteed Employ Car Plus cover – Direct Line does not provide a courtesy auto as regular.
The auto she was offered whilst her Mercedes in for repairs was a leading-of-the variety Jaguar, which she believed was a small excessive for a hire auto, but Direct Line’s Guranteed Employ Vehicle Plus cover stipulates drivers will be offered a comparable automobile whilst theirs is being repaired.
If you do not believe you’ll want this, there’s the more affordable Guaranteed Vehicle Hire selection, which entitles you to a small, 1000cc vehicle whilst yours gets fixed.
Usually verify the information to make sure you’re not paying for added cover you do not want or want.
Sector regular?
So, is there an industry standard for courtesy automobile provision, or is it down to the discretion of individual insurers?
We asked the industry trade body, the Association of British Insurers (ABI), exactly where it stands on the matter. It said:
- If you are involved in an accident and no other driver is involved, then whether or not you are entitled under your own motor policy to a courtesy car whilst yours is becoming repaired will be down the provisions of your policy.
- If you are involved in motor crash with another driver, but you are at fault, you will not be in a position to claim against the other driver for repair, or replacement of your car. If you claim on your motor policy then the above applies.
- Nonetheless, if involved in accident with one more driver and they are at fault then you can claim against their insurer for courtesy automobile even though yours is off the road. But your claim have to be reasonable in that it must be for a equivalent kind car as yours.
In short then, it is more or significantly less down to the insurer. The only rule that applies across the board is that if you’re at fault in a crash with one more driver, you need to claim on your own policy and can’t claim off the other driver’s policy – which stands to purpose.
So just how significantly does courtesy auto provision differ from insurer to insurer?
We checked out some policy outlines from some of the UK’s largest insurers to locate out.
What the insurers say – a marketplace selection…
Aviva/Quote Me Content
A courtesy vehicle is regular with Quote Me Happy and is an additional cover choice with its parent business, Aviva. With both brands, you can claim a lot more than once more than the term of the policy.
This means, below the terms of a common Quote Me Happy policy, or below the additional cover choice offered by Aviva, you will be given a courtesy car for the duration of the repairs getting carried out, so long as these are being carried out by an authorized repairer and you were not at fault for the accident.
Aviva’s courtesy vehicle option will give you a little, 1 litre hatchback for the duration of the repairs unless you pay for ‘enhanced courtesy’, in which case you will get a 1.6 litre 5-door model.
Quote Me Happy’s common cover will give you a courtesy auto if yours is broken in an accident and you use its approved repair ne2rk.
If you decide on the additional vehicle employ alternative, you will get employ auto if auto is stolen (insurers normally do not offer you courtesy cars for stolen automobiles) or written off and can maintain auto for 21 days or till settlement cheque is sent.
Carrot
Topic to availability, a free of charge courtesy automobile will be offered to you for the duration of any repairs, supplied your vehicle is repaired by one particular of its authorized repair centres.
Churchill
A courtesy auto is supplied as element of normal fully comprehensive and third celebration fire & theft (TPFT) cover if vehicle is fire broken and repaired by an authorized garage.
For an additional premium you can take out Assured Vehicle Employ and Assured Vehicle Hire Plus, each of which offer a courtesy automobile in the occasion of fire damage, accident damage, damage as a outcome of theft, if automobile is stolen or written off or if the car is awaiting repair. It will also give a courtesy auto if you use your personal garage for any repairs.
Assured Vehicle Hire offers a vehicle for a maximum of 14 consecutive days, Guaranteed Car Employ Plus supplies a automobile for a maximum of 21 consecutive days.
Churchill totally comprehensive clients will receive a courtesy automobile as standard no matter how a lot of claims are produced or if there are a number of claims in a single year.
Direct Line
No courtesy vehicle as normal, but you can take out one of 2 optional extras for courtesy automobile provision.
Assured Hire Car: a employ auto will be supplied for up to 14 consecutive days. The car will be a modest 1000cc hatchback vehicle or comparable and is available to buyers who have extensive policies.
Guaranteed Employ Vehicle Plus: a hire vehicle will be supplied for up to 21 consecutive days. The vehicle will be of a comparable physical size to your own and this is accessible to buyers who have comprehensive policies.
Esure
A free courtesy car is offered even though your car is getting repaired by one of its suggested repairers. A courtesy auto is not available if your automobile is stolen or if it is regarded as to be a total loss or if your policy is cancelled or lapses in the course of the period of repair.
A courtesy vehicle is standard and supplied for each valid claim a client tends to make. Esure will not limit the quantity of claims for a courtesy vehicle although the car on cover is getting repaired.
1st Central
A courtesy vehicle will be provided if your automobile is becoming repaired by a single of the insurers’ approved repairers.
A courtesy car will not be offered if your auto has been stolen, is beyond economic repair or if you choose a repairer not on the insurer’s authorized panel.
The insurer is unable to guarantee a courtesy vehicle for owners of automobiles initially produced for sale outside the European Union.
Hastings
Providing you use Hastings’s appointed approved repairer, a courtesy auto will be supplied for the duration of the repairs. This is assured and supplied as regular for comprehensive cover.
The type of automobile offered is what is classed as a Class A courtesy automobile – which is a normal tiny hatchback (typically a 3-door, 1 litre car such as a Nissan Micra or Ford KA).
There are no limits on the number of claims you can make within a policy year or the number of instances a courtesy automobile will be supplied.
LV=
Courtesy cars are an optional further for LV= car insurance coverage buyers and cost £19.90 a year. If a customer does pick to include a courtesy vehicle on their policy, they won’t be restricted to how many occasions the firmj will offer a courtesy automobile. For instance, a customer can have numerous claims in a year and still receive a courtesy auto on every occasion.
Right after loss or damage, a little hatchback below 1200cc will be provided if the repairs are carried out by its Selected Repairer Service. This will be provided for up to 14 days or until 4 days following payment of the claim has been issued, whichever is soonest, if your automobile is a total loss and can’;t be driven safely, or is stolen and not recovered.
Much more Th>n
If you have extensive cover, you’ll get a cost-free courtesy automobile if your automobile wants repairs following an accident and you use a recommended repairer (excluding total loss).
All Far more Th>n buyers who have fully extensive insurance coverage get a courtesy auto if they need it, and there’s no restrictions on the amount of times it is offered. It says that, “If a client wants a courtesy auto, they need to have a single.”
Post Office
Use of a courtesy automobile is provided even though yours is becoming repaired by one of its authorized repairers following an accident covered by the policy. As Clare Francis discovered, courtesy automobiles are topic to availability and the supplying garage’s terms and circumstances.
Sheila’s Wheels
A cost-free courtesy vehicle will be supplied whilst your car is getting repaired by the firm’s advisable repairers under a valid claim. All you pay for is the fuel. A courtesy auto is not accessible if your car is stolen or is regarded to be a total loss.
An added vehicle hire benefit indicates you will be given a courtesy auto if your auto is written off or stolen, up to a maximum of 21 days.
Swiftcover
Fully complete cover offers option auto for maximum of 14 or 21 consecutive days in any a single instance and a maximum of 21 or 28 days in any one particular policy year, based upon the level of cover chosen. This applies either even though automobile is becoming repaired since of any damage following a claim or till your claim is settled if your own car is affected by fire, theft or is written off.
If a courtesy car can’t be offered, the firm will repay your option travelling charges up to a maximum of £15 a day.
TPFT supplies an alternative vehicle till the claim is settled if your auto is affected by fire or theft for maximum of 14 or 21 consecutive days in any a single instance and a maximum of 21 or 28 days in any one policy year, based upon the level of cover chosen.
Select the appropriate cover
As you can see, every single insurer has its personal policy on the provision of courtesy vehicles and most will not give a replacement vehicle if yours is stolen or written off entirely. So, as ever, the message is to shop around to make positive you get the precise cover you are after.
But what is your experience of courtesy auto provision? Have you been left higher and dry following an accident, or have you been nicely taken care of?
Do you anticipate a courtesy automobile to be an automatic element of your insurance coverage policy, or are you content to spend extra to obtain an improved level of provision and service?
We’d love to hear from you in the box beneath!
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