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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to think a courtesy car should fit a car seat in the back?

28 replies

minniebear · 11/01/2017 15:50

So my car was crashed into over Christmas, luckily over night so no one was injured-presumably someone skidded on the ice. It was we undriveable and taken to a garage. Following lots of backwardsing and forwardsing with Diamond (never, ever insure with them) I was eventually offered a hire car as the garage didn't have a courtesy car available.

So today the garage dropped off their courtesy car, and Diamond planned to have Enterprise take back the hire car, but The courtesy car was a little Toyota Aygo which didn't fit my two Dualfix car seats in the back. When I spoke to Diamond they said that they don't offer courtesy cars to suit clients' exact situations and don't claim the cars will fit car seats-So i asked what my one year old and two year old were supposed to do for transport and they blustered about but didn't answer.

Am I being unreasonable? None of this was my fault, but the driver of the other car didn't stop so I'll have to find the £200 excess.

OP posts:
TitaniasCloset · 11/01/2017 15:55

What do they want you to do? Leave the Dc at home alone while you wizz about in the courtesy car? Or strap them on to the roof rack and let them feel the fresh air? Bloody ridiculous.

Do not put up with this. Speak to a manager and write some emails.

They may as well have replaced the car with a bike for how useful its going to be to you.

PurpleMinionMummy · 11/01/2017 15:55

Yanbu but this common! You normally have to upgrade your insurance to get a like for like car. Not daft are they Hmm

2ndSopranos · 11/01/2017 16:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Fueledwithfairydustandgin · 11/01/2017 16:06

I had this. I swapped my Range Rover for a 2 door c1 and couldn't get my 2yr olds car seat in. YANBU

JennyOnAPlate · 11/01/2017 16:09

Yanbu but you're not the only person I've known this to happen to.

minniebear · 11/01/2017 16:14

I told them that the courtesy car needed to fit a car seat-I'm glad I'm not the only one! I tried speaking to a manager but she was thoroughly ineffective and kept attempting to end the call with "Is there anything else I can do for you?" That didn't go down well at all. How do I go over her head?

OP posts:
RayofFuckingSunshine · 11/01/2017 16:19

'Is there anything else I can do for you?'

'Yes, you can get me a suitable courtesy car that fit my children in it' and repeat until you get what you want.

'We can't do that unfortunately.'

'That is unfortunate. So tell me what you are going to do to correct this?' And repeat the circle. Refuse to go away. Diamond are a bunch of twats (similar story, happy ending due to my husband being a bit like a dog with a bone and refusing to go away).

Otherpeoplesteens · 11/01/2017 16:20

That's bad enough, but I've seen cases where a policyholder who declared that they only have an automatic licence was given a manual courtesy car after a no-fault claim. Upgrade was over ten quid a day and repairs took nearly two weeks to complete!

TimetohittheroadJack · 11/01/2017 16:23

Couldn't you put one of the car seats in the front? If the airbag doesn't switch off you could push the passenger seat as far back as it goes and put other child behind driver?

minniebear · 11/01/2017 16:26

They're both big isofix seats and don't come off the bases, otherwise I'd definitely put one in the front.

Ray I'll go back to them with this as my script!

OP posts:
Bumbumtaloo · 11/01/2017 16:31

I'm actually quite surprised by this. My car was reversed into over Christmas and mine is in being fixed at the moment, we have a courtesy car (supplied by Enterprise) and I was guaranteed minimum same size. My car is a mobility vehicle.

This is the 3rd time I've had a courtesy car and have always had like for like - twice before I have a mobility vehicle.

minniebear · 11/01/2017 16:35

Do you mind me asking who you've insured with?

OP posts:
Cakescakescakes · 11/01/2017 16:38

I've needed courtesy cars with Aviva and Directline and both have been big enough for two car seats no probs when I requested that I needed that.

picklemepopcorn · 11/01/2017 16:40

I've had this. A four seater courtesy car while my 7seater Zafira was in. With four children, two using booster seats.

Until you claim, you don't realise the problem.

Redglitter · 11/01/2017 16:40

Bumbum I think that's because you weren't at fault and presumably the other party's insurance ate paying. In my experience if it's your fault or as in OPS case you don't know who the other party is then you get the most basic car. If the other party's insurance are paying then you normally get a like for like.

I had 2 cars delivered to me after an accident. A Daewoo Matiz from the repair centre arrived when they came to collect my car. Hertz had dropped off a brand new Mazda 6 however an hour before hand courtesy of the other drivers insurance. Needless to say the Matiz went back

YoHoHoandabottleofTequila · 11/01/2017 16:45

I've recently had a hire car too and told them I needed to fit two cars seats in the back and it wasn't a problem. We got a more than big enough car.

Bumbumtaloo · 11/01/2017 16:51

Redglitter my first claim I was at fault, well I had to claim on my own insurance unfortunately I hit a dog on a dual carriageway and the person who was with it - it was firework night and they had been walking the dog not on a lead and a firework went off and spooked the poor dog which resulted in him running over 4 lanes of dual carriageway Sad

The last one and this one I'm not at fault.

Bumbumtaloo · 11/01/2017 16:51

Sorry that should say Redglitter Blush

ailPartout · 11/01/2017 16:52

My policy has a 'like for like' courtesy car. I was careful it did after I found myself in a situation similar to yours. Not as difficult as it was nothing to do with child seats but frustrating as an Audi A6 estate was replaced for a shitty Honda Jazz.

As your insurance is paying, you need to check your T&C. I suspect that they're doing all they've said they will (and certainly no more) and therefore you'll have to suck it up. It would be different if ou were claiming from the third party.

minniebear · 11/01/2017 16:52

Aha, maybe that's the problem? It's because of the driver failed to stop and they have no one to pass the cost on to? I've spoken to them and basically am holding the hire car hostage.

OP posts:
Bumbumtaloo · 11/01/2017 16:54

Oh my, I'm having a disaster posting Blush my first post should have said; the person with the dog said they were not the owner and refused to give me their details. The police didn't attend the scene and I gave all the information I had to the police when I reported it to them but the owner was never found.

100milesanhour · 11/01/2017 16:59

I pay extra for the like for like and my courtesy car was nothing like my usual car and they didn't give me a car seat which I had requested.

The worst part was that I was worried I would crash again so took out the extra cover and it cost me £70 to get the car they gave me.

Get onto a manager, this is not acceptable.

MissStein · 11/01/2017 17:12

Cant you call Enterprise direct? We had a courtesy car from them through the other drivers insurance at the tail end of last year. Our car is a 4x4 and tbf they gave us a Jeep 4x4 but the boot was too small for our pram. We didnt bother the insurance company and phoned up enterprise direct, who said to take the car in to them and we'd be issued a more suitable one, which the did.

DangerousBeanz · 11/01/2017 17:32

I'm a childminder. I have a seven seater 4x4. Enterprise tried to give me a 2 door car. I went ballistic. I have 6 kids to take on school rins and I pay loads extra for business insurance. In the end they had to move my repairs to the main dealer who could give me another 7 seater 4x4.

followTheyellowbrickRoad · 11/01/2017 17:52

I was told that unless the other driver admits fault you only get a car that the repair garage gap available. To get a hire car you need to claim of the other person's insurance. If your car seats where in the car they need to be replaced

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