Misled by credit hire company after accident, told I may be taken to court for 35K!!

[kitkatnatnat]

I was in a bad car accident in December (definitely not at fault, I was hit while stationary and fault is not disputed). The scene was a mess, all emergency services there and I was told by police I need to let my insurers know then and there. I googled my insurer and called the claims number that came up straight away. In my shell shock I had no idea I had called a paid-for advert number for an accident management company.
They put me onto a credit hire company - I still thought this was my insurer and thought it odd they were so focused on arranging a courtesy car when I’m still standing in the middle of the crash scene but I had no idea what was going on so was led by them.
They gave me a car the next day and due to the unbelievably lengthy process of them getting my money for my written off car to me I ended up with the ‘courtesy car’ for 3 months.
Here’s the kicker…. They billed me for £35,000 for having the car that amount of time!! They sent me forms telling me to sign and it’s all ok they will get their money from the other drivers insurance. I questioned it so many times but was told this is what always happens don’t worry etc etc. but for them to claim the hire charges back I HAVE to sign.
They called last week to say the other insurers have not it paid yet, so they have instructed their solicitors on my behalf and this may now all go to court although they want to avoid that and will take an offer if the other insurers make one.
I’m now scared stiff that if the other insurers play hard ball due to the frankly ridiculous overinflated amount the credit hire company have charged then they will come after me for it as I have been pressured into signing for liability for those charges.
Also, they are pressuring me to make a personal injury claim with them as I still have injuries and am having physio through occupational health at work. I don’t want to do a PI claim yet and certainly not with these solicitors who work for the credit hire company as I don’t trust them. Yet they say I can’t make a PI claim if I don’t do it now as you can’t claim for the same accident twice? I thought a PI claim would be completely separate from their car hire claim?
If anyone has any advice please let me know. My main concerns are

1. Will I be pursued for the 35k and if so will I need to get my own solicitor to fight my case against the credit hire company?
2. Is it correct that if I don’t make a PI claim now along with the car hire charges then I will never be able to make one?

Thank you if you’ve made it this far!

I dont know. Will try speaking to them.

OP, the exact same thing happened to me. I called Hastings insurance (thinking it was anyway) and it turned out to be an Accident Management Company. I've just been asked to sign a document to take this to Court. Did you agree for this to go to Court? I'm reluctant to sign as worried what will happen next.

Just to add, this is also causing me a lot of unnecessary stress too :(

@Jenbot78 I was pressured into signing a document saying I accepted these were my charges that I had incurred with the promise (and in writing when I looked back at the original stuff I signed at the roadside at the time of the accident) that they wouldn't actually come to me for the money, they'd get it all back from the other insurer. But now the other insurer aren't immediately paying out I've been told solicitors have to be instructed on my behalf to claim it back.
Now they are telling me hopefully it won't end up going all the way to court and it's unlikely but im not sure I believe any of it until I hear it's settled.

https://insurancefraudbureau.org/media-centre/news/2020/beware-click-to-call-insurer-ads/

Did the Court assess the hire charges at hearing? I presume they did. Hopefully the hire company will accept what has been ordered to be paid by D and that is the end of it. Get your solicitor to confirm asap.

Sorry, I only just saw this.
No they certainly shouldn't, it's their own fault. If this was my old firm the file would just be closed and I'd expect them to do the same.

Tip for everyone to share (if it hasn’t been shared already). Input your insurance companies contact details in your phone as well as your reference to avoid having to google it. This seems to be where the problem arises and I completely understand how. I’m not victim blaming at all. I work in this industry defending these claims (sorry) and had someone try it on with me after an RTA I was involved in. My insurer dealt with it and so I had a courtesy car but the daily charge was £50 for a prestige car so very reasonable. Credit hire would have been £250+ per day. I’ve defended credit hire claims over £100k but this was in a fraud role. The caller was very aggressive and pushy. Told me they were calling from ‘the claim department from my insurers’ but when pushed they couldn’t tell me who they were due to GDPR issues. Utter rubbish but I had the knowledge to know what was happening which he didn’t expect. I told him he was claim farming and he told me to fuck off before hanging up.

Hi all
Just coming back on this

Took me ages to get my car back, has to pay ( completely unnecessary as they weren’t starting to repair my car) storage costs to another company owned by the directors....

I am in the middle of complaints, trust pilot Reviews, regulator submissions etc and I might also have a newspaper interested. Anything to give them hassle....

I am happy to say on here who they are ( both the original company who Google added themselves to top of my search and the profiteers who then want to overcharge for everything)

Anyone else?

Hello there, I was also scammed identically as you were recently at the accident scene. I needed roadside assistance. Luckily, I realised I'd accidentally called a CMC company six days later after contacting my insurer to understand why my car had been moved when I visited the storage place to take photos of my car. I didn't get a hire car from the CMC; that was organised through my insurer, as I'd submitted a claim online the next morning. I didn't see it logged, just in case, and the claim is non-fault on my side. But the CMC has control over my vehicle currently in a storage facility. I've cancelled the service with the CMC, and they demanded payment to transfer the claim to my insurer. I've paid the money as I want my car back (2021 reg, so it costs a fair bit), and I am disabled and need a car. The CMC received the funds yesterday but hasn't completed the form and confirmed the transfer with the storage facility since receiving payment, and I'm concerned they're going to try to drag it out. If you contacted a solicitor, do you have their contact details?

@kitkatnatnat just so you see this message

The more examples the better I would say. I am more than happy to name and shame if required!

Wow.

I had a positive experience with one of these claims companies. Another vehicle rear-ended me and it was completely not my fault. My own insurance company gave me the choice of working with them directly or using this separate claims-handling organisation. I can't remember why working with the other company seemed a better deal. I remember having to sign some documents accepting liability for the costs if the at-fault driver didn't pay up which I wasn't expecting and it was a bit terrifying but they did pay up and it was all settled. If I was given the choice again I would rather go through the insurer directly though.

I'm sitting here with my jaw nearly on the floor.

One year ago, the same thing happened to me! I called a number and thought it was Admiral. It wasn't, it turned out (down the line) it was a company I'll refer to as ALS. I had no idea I wasn't talking to my real insurance company. Not a clue.

Luckily, I was sent a letter from Admiral saying they had been notified your car was in an accident (due one of the two other third parities providing my car reg in their claim). When I called the number on the letter it soon became apparent what had happened. I remember screaming in shock when the call handler told me I had been scammed.

I only had the hire car for two weeks in the end, but what happened over the next week was hell. ALS were absolutely horrific to deal with and kept my car basically 'hostage' until I paid their car hire bill, which I duly did to get my car back. They were threatening and abusive.

I called the police, the financial services ombudsman (marginally helpful) and scams helpline. I even tried the press. Literally no one helped me.

I actually had a sort of breakdown over it and have been on anti depressants ever since.

I just thought it was me. I never knew I wasn't the only one. It's been hell, absolutely a nightmare.

I finally have been reimbursed the money this week, from the third party at fault insurance company. I never thought that would happen and it's been so triggering even though I got the money back it upset me all over again.

I wonder if you were actually talking to Admiral to be honest...

@kitkatnatnat ?

It’ll be a Google spoof ad that the accident claims companies use. They post advertisements that either have your insurance name in them or logo and they appear at the top of the results in your search. If you tap over click to call, these companies appear like they’re your insurance company. Google have signed-up to a new law that stops companies using spoof ads that came in November 2023. Google have got six months to do something about it. I hope you got the interest in addition to the amount you paid. The same thing happened to me on Xmas eve. Thankfully I only had to pay for recovery and storage costs as I never used their hire car service. That was organised through Aviva my insurer. I’ve asked Aviva to retrieve those costs from the third-party Admiral.

Hi, I saw this last night and have been wrestling with it. I'm so scared to do anything publicly outing while it's all still going on due to the rather threatening clause in the credit hire contract that if I go against them I'll be liable to pay the costs myself.
I have no updates on my case at the moment as it is still no further along. I called the solicitors (instructed by the CH co on 'my' behalf) and they said the other side haven't coughed up the hire costs so there is still a reasonable chance it might go to court.
When it's over one day I want to scream it from the rooftops to anyone who will listen but at the moment I'm scared and anxious beyond belief about the whole thing.
I'm so sorry to hear this has been so many people's experience and I hope Paul gets some responses from others on here who have come out the other side now.

I ended up in Court and lost and whilst the company have told me I'm not liable for costs I still live in fear of a letter saying they are coming after me as I can't figure out how the losses are paid for.
My accident was more than 3 years ago and I still have anxiety over the whole process. I'm too wary to name and shame in case they decide to sue me for costs. Even reading this thread is hard.
Good luck Nat and good luck with the programme .

Hi @LondonLovie , you're not alone!

It is breaking my heart to read so many stories and that so many of us were/ are scared. We have all lived in fear because of these companies.

@ThePoshUns I totally understand the feeling of these companies being after you. I am also petrified and live in fear for them coming after me for some other hidden costs, such as storage fees or something.

Every day I wait for the email or letter. They have my address and all my details.

I have done a lot of desk research into the people named on the Companies House register for the company that scammed me. Their history is unbelievable with so many companies opened and then later dissolved.

This can not be right.

The Post Office scandal was horrifying to read about, I saw the programme last week. I know it is not identical but we too are living in fear of something which is a genuine mistake.

@ThePoshUns hi I saw your other posts about that. Do you mind me asking what happened during your day in court and what questions you were asked? If it's too triggering to recall it I understand though x

@kitkatnatnat I have been through this. Here tonhandhold if you want on here or DM me. Don't want you to go through this alone.

I only told two people IRL. I think now I feel it's time to start speaking up.

Paul I have emailed you. I feel I need to speak up.