AIBU to think I should get a courtesy car

[Squeezyhug]

I was involved in an accident over the holiday period . My car was badly damaged at front end and after my description of the damage to the insurer’s call handler,I was told I won’t get a courtesy car as the car will likely be written off.
I got a brief email to that effect.

My insurance cover does include a courtesy car but I’ve found out it’s only if the car is going to be repaired.
The insurer has taken the car away and told me it will be 10-14 days before the assessor can see it.

I’m left without a car for getting to work while the insurer decides what to do.

So AIBU to think I should get the courtesy car meantime?

There was nobody else involved in the accident except a falling tree.

It’s annoying and rubbish but fairly common, and in your contract. It’s std that if a car is being written off then no courtesy car. Happened to me (no accident but car set on fire)

It's the same at the insurer I work for. The courtesy car would come from the repairer if it could have been repaired. You would likely have had to pay extra for a courtesy car in these circumstances when you took the policy out.
It'll be taking that long to assess because of the Christmas closures, bet there is a bit of a backlog.

This is normal on many insurance policies unfortunately op.

This is pretty standard on all insurance policies. Where do you think the insurance company gets the courtesy cars from? They don't have them lined up
Courtesy cars are provided by the repairer. But they won't take your car to a repairer if its likely a write off, it would be a waste of time and money.
Hopefully they'll assess it quickly and get you paid out.
When you purchase a policy in future some insurers offer a replacement vehicle as an extra option you can buy.

You have to pay extra on your policy for a replacement car in these circumstances.

Yeah if you didn't select this specific reason on your policy you won't get one. Sorry OP.

Gosh I didn't know that was small print you had to watch out for.

Disagree with the above comments - my courtesy cars have been provided through a mix of the repairer, Enterprise rentals and Hertz.

I think its eminently unreasonable to not provide a car whilst at least the assessment is happening unless that's explicit in your contract. Fair enough from the point they decide it's a write off.

@PicaK

Gosh I didn't know that was small print you had to watch out for.

Oh god with car insurance everything's in the shitty small print. It's the same as home insurance and pet insurance. There are always annoying little clauses.

I've paid extra for courtesy car insurance in the past. I got a courtesy car for 21 days when I wrote off my car with sheila's wheels. Saved my bacon as I got the payout for the old car and was able to get a new one sorted out.

It's normally in the optional extras like key insurance.

Pretty normal and stated in policy

Two of my cars were written off (1 my fault, one vandal damage ), and I had a courtesy car both times, I think for a set period or til the money came. The car was provided by a major car hire co that Aviva have an arrangement with. When the damage has been a repair I have had a car from the repair co until they brought mine back.

It’s all in the policy small print. My policy is far from the cheapest on the comparison sites but I get really good service.

Pretty standard, got to read the small print.

We pay extra for car hire cover because we need a 7 seater, standard courtesy cars are mostly very small cars.

My car was written off a few years ago, it took a while to assess, while it was being assessed I had a courtesy car. Once the decision had been made to write off I had to hand it back. That's what I'd expect, it's not actually written off yet and may be repairable.

If the accident wasn't your fault, your insurers will usually get an accident management company to handle your claim and they will provide you with a hire car (enterprise do this for lots of Insurers for example) enterprise provide the hire and claim it back from the at fault insurer. This isn't written in the policy terms.

My car was written off two years ago and I was given a courtesy car until the decision had been made. I'd be pretty pissed off if they'd refused tbh, but if it's in the small print then I guess you're stuffed. Sorry OP!

@Anxietyhell21

If the accident wasn't your fault, your insurers will usually get an accident management company to handle your claim and they will provide you with a hire car (enterprise do this for lots of Insurers for example) enterprise provide the hire and claim it back from the at fault insurer. This isn't written in the policy terms.

Fairly certain the tree won't have an insurer

I hadn't really thought of this. Poxy small print.

Been like this for over 20 years now. Same thing happened us as well although we had a second car.

Thanks folks

In my situation the grey area is in not knowing for sure if my car is going to be repaired or not.

We’re just going by my description and the call handler saying it is “likely” it’s a write off.
Meanwhile it’s in storage at a salvage yard awaiting asesor. But there is a delay with this due to a backlog.

So it hasn’t officially been written off.

I think I’ll call them again.

@SeasonFinale well obviously

I was replying in response to other people saying they'd got hire cars for their claims ...

@Squeezyhug it's because the courtesy car is for the "duration of repairs only" if it isn't in for repairs then there isn't a Courtesy car.

It's rubbish I know. I work for a well known insurance company and this is a common problem.

Check at renewal it your insurer offer substitute vehicle cover. It's usually a 21 day policy that gives you a hire car
Maybe double check you didn't actually purchase this
Hopefully they won't take too long to assess it but usually once it's at Salvage it's very unlikely to be deemed repairable. There is a backlog with salvage yards at the moment due to Xmas and covid absence etc
Xx

[quote Anxietyhell21]@SeasonFinale well obviously

I was replying in response to other people saying they'd got hire cars for their claims ...[/quote]
Generally because they pay the top up fee to have a courtesy car in any circumstances.

Even if making a claim against a third party they would need to pay out first in the absence of their insurer providing one as an uninsured loss.

We had this with a recent accident. It was 4 weeks without a courtesy car before they decided actually they wouldn't write it off and they would repair instead.
We should have got a courtesy car whilst the repairs were going on but the garage doing the repairs didn't have any left so they said they would end up repairing the car quicker tha they could get hold of a courtesy car.
It took 7 weeks from accident to getting the car back!

A few years ago now, my OH's car was involved in an accident and we got a courtesy car while they were assessing / deciding whether to write it off. The courtesy car was collected pretty much the moment they said it's written off and we've sent you the money. It's going to be all down to the policy wording unfortunately.