has any-one had any problems with drive assist.? I would advise any-one to refuse to use their cars. All they want is to take your money and rip you off. They will go to any means to do so, tell lies, get you to sign for contracts without you being able to read them, accuse you of damage to cars when you have done nothing !

Yes i was very cross when i wrote the post above, but i think that i have been set up by a company called drive assist. they are a company that supply courtesy cars for insurance company's.

i was involved in an accident which was not my fault, and whilst my car was being repaired i was given a car by drive-assit. They contacted me by phone to say that they would supply me a car and asked for my bank-account details informing me that i had nothing to worry about and that it was just routine.

when the day came that i was supplied with the car a member of their staff arrived and asked to look at my driving liscence and for me to sign their hand-held computer to accept the car.

the car shortly arrive after this with anothe member of staff, it was filthy and he spent no more than 2 minutes looking around the out-side, he never once showed me the inside only appoligised for the state of the inside.

i was then given an information pack, little did i realise at the time, when i was signing the hand-held computer before i had even seen the car, i was signing to accept a £250.00 excess on the car and full reponsibility for the state of the car. none of this was ever explained to me.

a week later the car was picked up by another member of staff who spent over 35 minutes examinining the car, he then told me that there was going to be a charge for a mark in the car, i had never seen the mark before and refused to sign the hand-held computer. i spoke to head office who informed me that they had found 2 marks which would cost me £234, i was furious.

has this happened to any-one else?

Hi -- To be forewarned is to be forearmed, have a look at this older thread in particular see the comment by member, "Dann" who is an ex-employee of the concern you mention.

http://www.moneysupermarket.com/community/forums/t/car-hire-firm-reported-to-watchdog-14606.aspx

lets just say, i'm ready for them as i have friends and family in the legal industry with plenty of help and advice, and i'm not afaid to bring them to court

I work for a one of Drive Assist's competitors, CCL, we mainly do the same thing as Drive Assist and altho I've never dealt with them myself, I do know that many of our customers are people who have come to us after having trouble with Drive Assist. Good news is that motor claim management companies seem to be catching on.

hopefully an end- Drive Assist contacted me today to say they would not be charging me. Would the out-come have been the same if I had not complained and took legal advice?

They have tried this for years with people, say to them you have pictures they soon will back down

Best you be made aware that many companies such as CCL and Drive Assist work for and on behalf of insurers and can often be operating without due authorisation from the FSA or Claims Management Regulator. Contact a Claims Professional seeking they confirm there are no behind the scene contracts with insurers that enable the vehicle supplier to make 'sales' for CDW insurance or for so-called 'repair charges' after being passed the victims details by the insurer of the at fault driver. CCL have a history of selling CDW type of insurance on top of the so-called free car that they are meant to be supplying to the injured party. But there again, CCL used to advertise that all their proceedures were FSA approved which is strange given their historic inability to be authorised by the FSA to sell CDW or ebven handle claims? Best remeber that every penny an insurer can cut from claims by hire companies dropping prices as they are able to recoup monies from the victim is a win for their Claims Capping/Third Party Capture/Intervention practices. While the FSA remain deaf,dumb and blind to the facts of the insurers and their contractors conduct victims remain victimised. But there we have it! R