AIBU to think I should have a curtesy car by now?

[Moon30]

So in the early hours of last Friday the police knocked on our door and said that they was in persuit of another vehicle after it failed to stop, the other vehicle eventually hit our parked car and the driver was arrested. It's not major damage, but because there's a small gap between the panels, they've deemed it unsafe to drive, so they'll arrange a curtesy car for me while mine is being repaired. However, it's now Tuesday, and I've had no curtesy car arranged, nor has my car been booked in for repairs. The garage, who is arranging the repairs and curtesy car are saying they need to speak with the other cars insurer first. However, they were on hold for too long yesterday, so will try again within 72 hours. I need my car, I'm self-employed and having to cancel work because I have no way of getting there as it's outside of my local area. Does it normally take this long? Looking online, it seems to me that usually a curtesy car is arranged within a day 🤷‍♀️ I've already chased them up twice but still getting the same answer. Surely the police log ref is enough evidence? my insurer have already stated that I'm not at fault, and they'll claim costs back with the other insurer.
This is the first time I've had to deal with anything like this, but I was expecting the process to be a little quicker

Just tell them you'll be renting a car and aks them to cover the cost

the police were going to be sorting it all and arranging a courtesy car for you?

Probably depends if you're covered for uninsured losses. If you aren't then you'll likely just get a loan car whilst yours is being repaired.

If your car insurance specifically says it provides you with a courtesy car (it is usually an option on taking out the policy) then that is who you need to chase to sort our a courtesy car while yours is being fixed. Unless your insurance have directed you to an approved larger repairer who has some courtesy cars. All the police can do is provide you with details of the car who hit yours- make model, and details of the driver. If the other driver was drunk they will have voided their insurance. If the police have not provided you details of the car that hit yours and the driver then you need that information. Then it is down to you to be in contact with your own insurer.

No sorry, my insurance are dealing with it. Thought I'd included that bit. It's the repair garage that my insurance have allocated for the repair and hire car have deemed it un safe to drive

Ah thank you. I didn't realise in can do that.

You can do that but no guarantee whatsoever they will pay...unless there is a specific clause in your insurance to say that if a courtesy car is not provided in x amount of time you may hire a car and charge the cost up to xx amount back.

I am insured for uninsured drivers with my insurance.
My insurance have already waived the excess fees and said my no claims protection won't be effected, although I do have no claims protection too.

this is the first working day they have had to address the claim

You need to chase your insurers for it. No one else will be able to help you.

Be warned that if you arrange something yourself they are unlikely to reimburse you. They have complex kickback schemes in place with specialist “courtesy car providers” who charge highly inflated rates so that the insurers can get more out of the other side.

not true

what they won’t do is guarantee any work undertaken by a garage not on their approved list

but certainly they will reimburse

I used to work in insurance (including motor insurance) many years ago. I would read your documents very, very carefully before you splash out any cash with the expectation of being reimbursed. I regularly had to explain to people that they weren’t entitled to various things because they were hit by a yellow car on a Thursday morning, rather than a green car on a Tuesday evening, which meant that they weren’t covered for a, b or c.

I’d forget about pestering your garage. The insurance companies are the ones with the power to get things moving. The garage won’t give a shit if you’re unhappy, providing the insurance company don’t get on the phone to them.

2nd was Monday not a working day? Or 3rd if you count that I reported it first thing Friday morning

Sorry if I missed this. I assume you have checked that your insurance actually does cover for a courtesy car, as its normally an optional extra for a charge when taking out the insurance?

could you get the name of the insurance company and chase yourself? not sure if that is an option, but I sympathise.

The repair garage is a large well known company, they are also dealing with the hire car. This is who my insurer have directed deals with the repairs and hire car. I'm covered for uninsured drivers so that shouldn't be a problem I should think? The police have given us a log number. Aswel as directing us to take photos of the incident before the recovery company collected the other car so we do have photos of the scene at the time aswel as photos of the other car up against our car with it's reg plate showing, photos of damage to both my car and the other car too. So I thought this would have all been very straight forward given the evidence we have aswel as the police being there at the time the car hit ours.

Call your insurer. Get them to confirm they will cover the cost of a hire car so you can work. Tell them you will be claiming lost income for the time you have been unable to work as well.
My son was rear ended on his motorbike and they paid the cost of 2 days lost wages, a replacement bike as his was written off, all new gear and a replacement phone and mount. As he was 17 they couldn't hire him a bike but the entire claim was paid within a fortnight.

This will very much depend on your insurance policy so speak to your insurer.
When our cars were stolen I thought we would get courtesy cars. I was wrong. As there were no vehicles to repair our insurance didn't cover it. We didn't have hire car cover (a different thing on car insurance to courtesy car cover) so had to arrange and pay for that ourselves. The insurance company would not reimburse the cost.
When one car was recovered it had to be assessed at a garage before a courtesy car would be provided. That took several days. It was extremely stressful and inconvenient.
We now have hire car cover from the first day without a car as standard on our car insurance policies. The extra cost is worth it to know we can still go about our daily lives without huge hassle and cost.

So ignore what people are telling you on here and speak to your insurer, only they know what your policy covers.

Well I am saying speak to them and say ypu need a car so if they can't provide it then you will need to rent and claim the costs and get their approval

Generally op you get a courtesy car if one is available, it's a bit of a cop out for the garage. If they haven't one available then you don't get one. As others have said if your insurance guarantees one then you need to chase it with them, and they'll have to sort one out for you.

So update, the driver hasn't reported the accident to their insurers yet so my insurance and the company responsible for my hire car and car repairs can't progress the claim any further, but they'll try again over the next few days. Something tells me that he's unlikely to report the accident himself given the circumstances 🙄
They've said they'll have to pursue the claim another way if he's doesn't report it.
I can however now drive my car until a hire car is arranged, so that's a relief!

That doesn't sound right to me and I’d be concerned about driving a car the garage deemed unsafe tbh

There was a small gap between the corner bumper and the panel, the bumper has clicked back into place so no longer a gap. The lady I originally spoke to said it was un safe to drive however the guy I spoke to today has said that's it was actually just an advisory and that I can still drive it if I was happy to do so. The only concern was if rain water was to get into the electrics however underneath that corner bumper there's nothing there besides a plastic frame that holds the bumper in place so they're not concerned.

Your insurance will just cover the cost of a courtesy car if the garage have one available. The garage can't plan for random accidents to happen though - around here pretty much every garage has a 2 week wait if you need a courtesy car.

I always take 'guaranteed hire car cover' with my insurance - usually only about £25 per year or so. Had 2 insurance claims over the years and both times Enterprise rent a car turned up at my house the next morning and dropped off a car (nicer ones than my actual car as well!!) and then came back and picked it up once my car was sorted.

Shame the garage was trying to rip off the insurance company by implying there was work to do when it was just a bumper needing clicking into place. Glad you got your car fixed

Thank you. I'll definitely take that out next time.