While I appreciate the reply your assertions that repairs carry no profit element the contents of this site rather suggests from consumer's experience something, rather different.

Also, I do not seek to presume much or think much of Insurer Capture Agents or the hire companies associated with some of the dispicable practices I have investigated. I merely comment upon the facts I have become aware of which seems well known within the practices of Insurers and their agents.

Also, the anticeedent negotiations you confirm misrepresent the vehicle to the consumer as 'free' when clearly it is not, nor ever would be, rather confirms the misinformation that I have discovered is common practice within the operators of Third Party Capture/Intervention. You seem to confirm this of Drive Assist not me.

Third Party Inteveners and Capture operatives appear to have traded for many years with a disregard of the consumer protection laws and regulations. The misadvice over CDWs being one minor example albeit vastly profitable for the many companies that seem to do anythiong an insurer wants to gain their trade.

Of course its rather more easy to harrass injured and vulnerable consumers and cap their lawful and legitimate claims. It always saddens me when the injured children's parents are misled as their child's entitlements and rights.

However, once the conduct comes under the scrutiny of the courts when these so-called 'settled claimes' are reopened no doubt, the Professional Indemnity Insurance cover will repay the doubly injured and misled. Oh yes, many trade without any propper insurance as to get it they must be authorised by the FSA and MoJ in the business they operate which of course so many Capture Operators are not...

I am sure you and your colleagues will count your profits and continue along your profitable course.

I am unsure if Dive Assist are one of the companies using the electronic copies of consumers signatures gained or captured from when the customer signes for the car upon the electronis pad and then reuse it upon other documents which are then represented to insirers as 'customer signed'?

Perhaps you could enlighten me as I try not to presume one common practice is practiced by all?

R

as usual not spelt checked.

Firstly Roly, we never say to any client that the vehicle is "free" because there is charges involved. Usually it is the client's insurers who publicise that fact is "free" or "no cost" or "its a courtesy vehicle", when it is a credit hire vehicle that incurrs charges that are invoiced to the third party insurer. We are very clear when explaining to the client what the vehicle is and the charges involved, so much so that a script is introduced on booking and is read to every client.

Presumabley, you are now try to say that drive assist "up sells" damage to our hire vehicles. All charges that are for damage of hire vehicles are used for repair work to OUR vehicles that other people have damaged, no costs are retained as "profit" and are entirley used for rectification work. There is no commision, no hidden charges, no bonus schemes for selling insurance, all options are there for the client's benefit and all charges for new damage are used to recify the damage. I hope this clarifies the matter for you because you are obviousley under a gross misunderstanding of Drive assist's operations.

I think that if you had volunteered to pay extra insurance to cover the £250 excess,you would have avoided this trouble. It sounds to me that Drive Assist are operating like any other Hire Car Co--and leasing cars with full comprehensive insurance --except for the standard excess part. For around £4 a day you could have been covered for this. It saves all sorts of silly discussions about scratches when you return the car.

Not sure if it ever computes but when the insurer direct Drive Assist the victim is often left underpaid with so many other areas of their claim...the recourse is to disregard the insurer's hire car....hence the staff of Drive Assist are known for their up-selling of damage claims...so much for a free car which any court would see cannot be free given the examples of charging up and up-selling so clear a part of car hire businesses..

R

Much as I understand the view that a new merc adds to the cost of the claim I can assure you it has no effect as only resonable charges will ever be awarded by any court.

By far the greater detriment to all motorist, consumers and citizens is the failure by the FSA and others to perform their regulatory responsibility to protect consumers from the cost to the tax payer of treating so many thousands of injury victims of collisions where the at fault insurer seeks out and disuades vulnerable consumers from their staturtory rights to claim full and fair compensation.

Much as many on this site are aware interveneing companis such as Drive Assist add costs to victims losses and liabilities while seeminly avoiding complaince and good conduct.

R

Sometimes as shown in this example, we struggle to provide a vehicle that is like for like and the only stock available may be more prestigeous vehicles but we never supply something less without consent from the customer e.g. downgrade.

If we do supply the customer with a more prestigeous vehicle we still charge the third party insurers at the same daily rate of the 'aimed' vehicle group, e.g. client needs an S2 group, can only supply an S3 vehicle but would charge at S2 rate.

Can you explain why a new Mercedes was supplied rather than something less extravagant and more in keeping with the customers own car?

Drive Assist has a history of supplying luxury cars rather than "like for like" so that they can make more money out of insurance claims. This is to the immediate detriment of the person whose insurance is being claimed against and to the long term detriment of all of us as it leads to increased insurance premiums across the board.

If like me you work for Drive Assist and would like to give examples of Deliveries and Collections where customers have amazed you with idiotic claims about it was delivered like that etc .. jot them down here .. see how it goes.

To start it off I collected a B class Merc the other day which had be parked under a Maple tree which was used by birds as a stopping place whilst they got rid of waste products. When I asked the customer if his car was in the same condition his reply was "No .. I don't park my car there ... it would get ruined ... Left me speachless... (his car ..1990 Corsa .. Drive Assist car a 2009 B Class Merc!!) ... Valet and some T-Cut got most of the marks off after about 1 hours work.

I work for drive assist .. we as a company deliver and collect 1000's of cars every day and if any business had just the few complaints that this forum suggests they would be very happy as they are a very small %.

The most complaints are about vehicle damage ..... easy take out the £4 a day CDW (a bargain for a NEW car to use whilst you don't have one) ... if you were taking out a hire car you would take this option wouldn't you?

Vehicles get damaged ... not just by the owners / users but by other idiots in car parks etc ... accept that this is going to happen .... If you use someone elses car and it got damaged you would put it right .. so why not a car from driveassist?

Most "coutesey cars" from garages you have to pay a small amount towards insurance etc so pay the CDW!

Remember ... driveassist did not damage your car .. so don't damage theirs .. simple?

As a driver for driveassist I can tell you that the state some of the cars are returned in far exceeds the amount of complaints on this forum ... and how many customers get charged for valeting .. not many! I recently picked up a Jag x type fron a man who had used it as a van to move his tools around in .... if you need a van ask for one! don't destroy a 2 month old car because its a "rental"!!!

I should start a forum for drive assist employees to tell you about the horror stories from dealing with customers and the state the vehicles get returned in .... it would far outway the size of this pointless forum

Drive assist comply with all FSA guidelines and the general terms of agreement (GTA) of the association of british insurers, and we are regularly audited.

Drive assist has its two main offices based in tamworth with numerous depots where the hire vehicles and drivers come from that are dotted around the UK

I see the majority of problems on this topic are regarding new damage disputes on hire vehicles. To be honest, if you ever take a vehicle from drive assist take the collision damage waiver options because at the end of the day the new damage recorded can be just the client's words against the drivers. We try to note down every pre-existing damage possible to ensure that clients don't get mistakenly charged for new damage but even the slightest scratch could be missed off, but with everyone complaining " oh i didn't cause this damage" did you ever consider that perhaps someone else might of? and seeing as the vehicle is in your possesion you are liable. Again as I said try to take out the CDW option, take images of the car when recieved to cover your back and make sure you go over every square inch of the car with the delivery driver.€€

WHO ME..... why do people like you " WHO CARES " come on these forums?? You say who cares yet you come on making numerous comments. People need to know and they find out by coming to sites like this. Set up your own site where. you can twitter away to an audience of none.

ok roly this is a free forum , and your spouting off about legal t&c's and such like so please take note FREE !!!!!

i don't think you get it !!!,

That guy was only trying to help other people so there you are trying to shoot him down before he has even started why did you do this jealous ?

Who me over and out .

Boy oh boy,i wish i had of read this forum before dealing with Drive Assist.I signed for a car 12 days ago after an accident which wrote my car off.The guy that dropped it off was great,as soon as we saw the vehicle,we saw the 4in scratch & was told it was noted allready,we even spotted new damage which the guy put on his pda whilst he was here.We were showed all around the car shown inside,and shown the pda with tons of red dots !! & asked if everything was ok,we signed for it and was told to expect a pack in the post 2-3 days later...This pack never arrived...I actually rang drive assist to collect the car from me as it was no longer needed,all fine and dandy until we get a jobsworth collecting it...basically he does his checks and mentions the huge scratch and asks us to sign the pda....no way !! Then he gets his clever head on him,and is told we are signing nothing... Why would we sign for something that was there on delivery ? Yesterday we received a dispute form for damage to the car for £250 for the said scratch,i am so glad i didnt sign anything...looks like this is the norm for Drive Assist,nearly every post on this forum is the same.I certainly am digging my heels in & will take whatever action i need to regarding this.

God forbid i ever get into this situation again i will flatly refuse anything to do with Drive Assist,they are not here to help,they are here to rip you off !!!

If you can help folk from Drive Assist can you confirm you do not operate without disclosure of the behind the scene agreements?

Also, do you comply with FSA Regulations with Letters of Compliance and MoJ Regulations?

R

hi looking fr sme help,do you work in the office or on the road?