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Original poster

Wild experience with motability!

60 replies

Moniq123 · 18/12/2023 17:06

Hi all,

Wanted to come on here to vent and tell you about what happened with my car. It's a wild story so buckle up.

Last year mid October we received our motability car after waiting a year, it's a gorgeous Toyota RAV4. Mid November I was involved in an accident (not my fault) A Range Rover swerved into my lane from the left on a roundabout and me in my panic steered to the right into the roundabout, into a pole. I still blame myself for my reaction but I honestly don't even remember how it all happened. Luckily another car had dash cam footage.

When I saw the car afterward I was 90% sure it was a write off. Motability kept it for a month at the car impound to try and find a garage to deal with it. Every garage declined apart from 1, and it was finally sent to them in January this year for repairs. I couldn't believe it was repairable.

The garage let us know that because it was a brand new car, it would be hard to get parts and the estimated date the car would be finished is end of March/early April. I thought great! That's not that bad.

The estimated date kept getting pushed back and the garage was no longer answering any emails or phone calls from myself. I was checking their google reviews religiously and seemed like they never answer the phone to anyone. They did answer once to tell me that they are very busy so the car will be worked on and they'd let us know by text message when it'll be finished.

I got a text message in August to say that it finished, I went to get the car and upon arrival I discovered it wasn't fully finished. The garage told me that they never updated the system to say it finished, and that it'll probably finish late September, they were just waiting for one more part.

I gave them some time until early October because when I saw the car, it looked great! I also knew they have never finished on time so I thought let me wait until they send me a message, as they don't reply to their phone and the garage is quite far from me so I don't want to make unnecessary trips.

Early October I google the garage just to see, I was shocked to discover that it was "permanently closed" I was panicking and called motability who told me that they no longer are working with this garage and my car will be taken elsewhere to finish the repairs.

I got a call this morning from RSA motability and what they told me shook me. I wasn't expecting this but I'm not very surprised.. Turns out all the cars in the garage are a write off, including mine. They've been keeping motability cars and agreeing to repair any, even written off looking ones because RSA pay them monthly for any motability car they're repairing on site!!! This has now become a criminal case and I'm so much money out of pocket.

Me being a Capricorn I went on an FBI mission to find the owner of the garage. Found him on social media, he's been living in dubai for the past few months. LOL!!!

What an eventful Monday morning. I hope your year has gone better than mine!

OP posts:
ectoone · 18/12/2023 18:41

f they were going to give a percentage of the advanced payment back I think it would be as a goodwill gesture.

Nope. You should get a pro rata refund on the AP

For now they have confirmed I'd be getting a refund of my PIP for the months that I didn't have a car

Yet unthread you said you were out of pocket?

Why are they refunding you when you were given a hire car and taxi account? That's unbelievable. Really.

Original poster
Moniq123 · 18/12/2023 18:41

ectoone · 18/12/2023 18:35

Yes I'm so sorry I actually did forget to say I received a hire car for 3 months, they didn't allow me to keep it longer than that and offered a taxi service that had to be booked in advance for any hospital appointments, etc

So you were not out of pocket and they were still providing you with transport.

Still out of pocket, Only had a hire car for 3 months, been without a car for 10 months. Not using the taxi service as I have family members who have offered. My PIP is still going toward the car. So yes, out of pocket.

OP posts:
MandyMotherOfBrian · 18/12/2023 18:41

SausageCasseroles · 18/12/2023 18:35

So you've had a temporary car and now taxi money paid ?

And now you'll get a brand new car?

Yeah, you know motability cars aren’t given away free yeah?

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General health
TheShellBeach · 18/12/2023 18:42

Well I'm glad you're getting your PIP back, anyway.

ectoone · 18/12/2023 18:42

@MandyMotherOfBrian

Presumably because OP still had to keep paying their higher rate mobility allowance towards the car?

And OP was given a replacement car for 3 months and then a taxi account, which is worth more per week than the payment OP makes, if you want to split hairs

MandyMotherOfBrian · 18/12/2023 18:43

ectoone · 18/12/2023 18:42

@MandyMotherOfBrian

Presumably because OP still had to keep paying their higher rate mobility allowance towards the car?

And OP was given a replacement car for 3 months and then a taxi account, which is worth more per week than the payment OP makes, if you want to split hairs

I wasn’t ‘splitting hairs’, I was answering the question that was asked. But yeah, bet OP has really been living the high life….

Original poster
Moniq123 · 18/12/2023 18:43

ectoone · 18/12/2023 18:41

f they were going to give a percentage of the advanced payment back I think it would be as a goodwill gesture.

Nope. You should get a pro rata refund on the AP

For now they have confirmed I'd be getting a refund of my PIP for the months that I didn't have a car

Yet unthread you said you were out of pocket?

Why are they refunding you when you were given a hire car and taxi account? That's unbelievable. Really.

Sorry I'm finding it really difficult to keep replying to you because you're not understanding what I've been saying.

From when I had the accident until now, it's been 13 months.

A hire car was provided for 3 months

13-3=10

I have not had a car for 10 months.

The taxi service I'm sure they give you an allowance, it's there if you need to use it, and a great initiative for those who have no one to help them, and have hospital appointments they need to attend. I myself have not used this taxi service.

Therefore using this maths,
I will be refunded for 10 months of not having my car, the hire car, or using the taxi service.

OP posts:
socialdilemmawhattodo · 18/12/2023 18:43

TheShellBeach · 18/12/2023 18:40

It's a charity.

Show quote history

Thank you and the other poster.

It doesn't sound to me as if Motability have good enough controls in place. If the organisation has approved the "repair" and is funding alternatives then they should be monitoring turnaround times and satisfaction levels from customers.

ectoone · 18/12/2023 18:43

Still out of pocket, Only had a hire car for 3 months, been without a car for 10 months. Not using the taxi service as I have family members who have offered. My PIP is still going toward the car. So yes, out of pocket.

Your choice not to use the taxi account provided. You could leave your motability car on the drive for the term of your lease but you still have to pay for it.

ectoone · 18/12/2023 18:45

@MandyMotherOfBrian

I wasn’t ‘splitting hairs’, I was answering the question that was asked. But yeah, bet OP has really been living the high life….

I don't actually n know what you mean with the high life comment?

I was just saying what the value is

TheShellBeach · 18/12/2023 18:45

OP a lot of people think that disabled people are scroungers, and that they're just given cars by the government.

ectoone · 18/12/2023 18:45

@Moniq123

Sorry I'm finding it really difficult to keep replying to you because you're not understanding what I've been saying.

You are right, I didn't understand. Sorry.

tothelefttotheleft · 18/12/2023 18:48

TheShellBeach · 18/12/2023 18:45

OP a lot of people think that disabled people are scroungers, and that they're just given cars by the government.

You can see from this thread that many people think disabled people get cars for free. It's really depressing.

OP posts:
TheSeasonalNameChange · 18/12/2023 18:50

socialdilemmawhattodo · 18/12/2023 18:43

Thank you and the other poster.

It doesn't sound to me as if Motability have good enough controls in place. If the organisation has approved the "repair" and is funding alternatives then they should be monitoring turnaround times and satisfaction levels from customers.

Show quote history

They do. The insurance changed from RSA motability to Direct Line Motability this year so the monitoring has probably changed (hence this being picked up)

Original poster
Moniq123 · 18/12/2023 18:52

tothelefttotheleft · 18/12/2023 18:48

You can see from this thread that many people think disabled people get cars for free. It's really depressing.

Show quote history

Definitely not free. Not government or tax payer money either.

OP posts:
DollyDaydreamW · 18/12/2023 18:52

OP I sympathise. But I would honestly delete this thread, because it will attract frothing Tories who wrongly assume/wish that disabled people should live hand to mouth with no transport, no money, no choices, no autonomy, and should be wearing a hessian sack and eating naught but dry crusts whilst keeping out of their line of sight at all times. Yet of course, instantly be able to justify their very existence by instantly giving any stranger a complete rundown of their medical history. It's shit, I hope you get sorted, basic freedom is not a price we should have to pay.

MandyMotherOfBrian · 18/12/2023 19:05

DollyDaydreamW · 18/12/2023 18:52

OP I sympathise. But I would honestly delete this thread, because it will attract frothing Tories who wrongly assume/wish that disabled people should live hand to mouth with no transport, no money, no choices, no autonomy, and should be wearing a hessian sack and eating naught but dry crusts whilst keeping out of their line of sight at all times. Yet of course, instantly be able to justify their very existence by instantly giving any stranger a complete rundown of their medical history. It's shit, I hope you get sorted, basic freedom is not a price we should have to pay.

Couldn’t agree more. And as for the ‘ooh I don’t know what you mean I was just sayin…’ comments, you weren’t ‘just sayin’, you were implying what so many commenters do on threads like this. Been a lot of these ablist comments in the last few days. The rancid Tories must need to line up their punching bags ahead of the election and disabled people seem to be the current target.

TomeTome · 18/12/2023 19:07

ectoone · 18/12/2023 18:43

Still out of pocket, Only had a hire car for 3 months, been without a car for 10 months. Not using the taxi service as I have family members who have offered. My PIP is still going toward the car. So yes, out of pocket.

Your choice not to use the taxi account provided. You could leave your motability car on the drive for the term of your lease but you still have to pay for it.

Well anyone can hire anything and not use it, but that’s not what has happened is it? OP hired a car and it was damaged in an accident and has been held for a year and now written off. She should be compensated for being without her vehicle.

ectoone · 18/12/2023 19:09

@MandyMotherOfBrian

Right so when I said I don't know what you mean about the high life comment I didn't but now after this I think you think I am being judgemental to OP for having a motability car?

It's absolutely not what I was doing. I only know about the replacement vehicle etc because I have a motability car and it had to go to the garage a few weeks ago so i have been through that. I also apologised becsue I misunderstood what OP was saying about getting a refund for those months.

I am definitely not being ableist so very sorry if I ah e come across that way

ectoone · 18/12/2023 19:09

@TomeTome

I have apologised for not understanding after I made that post

TheShellBeach · 18/12/2023 19:10

TomeTome · 18/12/2023 19:07

Well anyone can hire anything and not use it, but that’s not what has happened is it? OP hired a car and it was damaged in an accident and has been held for a year and now written off. She should be compensated for being without her vehicle.

Show quote history

At the very least the PIP should be refunded in full.

OP you've had a terrible experience here.

Bremusa · 18/12/2023 19:19

It's been handled dreadfully, and it's shocking you've been left so long without your own vehicle. You should quite rightly be given your PIP back for this period, and a pro rata proportion of your advanced payment back too, and as you only had the car for a month it should be most of it.

WeaselCheeks · 18/12/2023 19:21

tothelefttotheleft · 18/12/2023 18:48

You can see from this thread that many people think disabled people get cars for free. It's really depressing.

Show quote history

Yeah, there's a lot of weirdly hostile posts on this thread!

For anyone who's not following:

  • OP's car got taken in 13 months ago after a crash
  • OP has been paying monthly for the car, much as you would on a regular finance contract. Even though the car was unavailable, you have to keep on paying (but the idea is they're supposed to provide a replacement service).
  • OP had a hire car for the first three months. That leaves 10 months without the independent use of the car.
  • OP has relied on friends for lifts rather than trying to use a taxi service, so has been paying for nothing for the past 10 months. There can be numerous reasons for this (less hassle to organise, definitely reliable, no concerns about any inability to accommodate a disability, comfort, etc), but ultimately the OP shouldn't feel obliged to use a service if its more inconvenient.
  • So that's 10 months that OP has been paying for nothing. If the car had been written off at the start, her payments would have been cancelled and a new contract organised for a new replacement car.

Think that's how it went?

Sorry this happened to you, @Moniq123 - sounds like an utterly nuts situation!

tothelefttotheleft · 18/12/2023 19:35

@WeaselCheeks

Great post. Hope people understand how it works now.