Hi TraceyB67, Well it was my wife driving my car. No we never got a bill. Returned the car and that was it. Just make sure you put the fuel back to what is was.

I did get the impression that the paperwork was done in this manner in case it proceeded to court. They have reassured you, so try and not let it worry you. Goodluck.

Hi

Thanks for your advice. I spoke to Budget Insurance this morning, who were very unhelpful and could not clarify my position. They put me onto an advisor at Drive Assist, and I explained my situation.

She told me that Drive Assist only charged drivers who had either been uncooperative, or if they thought a driver had made a fraudulent claim in order to get a hire car. I pointed out that the agreement still held me ulitimately liable for the costs if they couldn't recover them, and she said as I had cooperated with them she didn't see that they would charge me. She said that as I had now been told the claim was being settled against me, should it now proceed to court, Drive Assist would attach their costs to my claim.

I asked to reconfirm that I would not be charged, and she said she had worked at Drive Assist for a year and had never charged a driver for a hire car. She also said that if the 3rd party insurers would not pay, then Drive Assist would simply take a loss (???)

Although this does not completely let me off the hook, she was quite reassuring.

In any event, as I've now passed a complaint to the Ombudsman about my insurers, I'm hoping they'll agree my insurers have acted unfairly in agreeing to settle the claim against me (the details of the claim are long and boring, so I won't include them here!)

I'd be interested to know if your friend ever actually got a bill from Drive Assist, do you know?

We were put in touch following an Accident with Drive Assist. I was very unhappy about the wording of the paperwork. However, I was assured repeatedly that my policy covered for a replacement car and I would not pay. 2 years on, I never paid a penny and had the car a fortnight. However, it was not my fault. Just ring them up, double check, get the name of the person you speak to.

Yes - you should be concerned and ask that direct question to your insurer without delay.

I assisted a colleague in exactly the same position; the terms of his contract were similar and he was liable for the costs. Luckily I advised him to return the hire car (which he did) limiting his liability.

The approved repairer provides the car at no cost to the insurance company, as part of the agreement to become “approved”. This is why some insurance policies have add on “courtesy car” cover for an additional fee to cover situations where a replacement car cannot be gotten form the repair shop.

Please let us know the outcome.

Following an accident, I rang Budget to make my claim. As they advised my car was not legal to drive they put me onto Drive Assist to arrange a replacement car. My policy states I am entitled to a free courtesy car, so I thought nothing of it. However, my insurance underwriter is now advising the claim is going to be settled against me. I checked my policy documents and the only condition regarding courtesy cars is that they are provided when you use the insurer's approved repairer, which I did. However the Drive Assist paperwork says that I am ultimately liable to pay IF they cannot recover the costs of the hire from the third party's insurers, which in this case they won't. I know this may sound a silly question, but I am concerned that my insurers will not pay for the hire car, as it wasn't provided by their approved repairer (even though Budget put me on to Drive Assist), and that I am going to be sent a huge bill for hire charges. Has anyone else been in this position, or can anyone give me any advice?