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Courtesy car confusion rocks readers

Drivers are complaining about insurers charging extra for courtesy cars while repairs are undertaken

Courtesy car

By Julie Sinclair

10th September 2007

Are you entitled to a free courtesy car if your vehicle is being repaired?

Our readers seem to think so. They regularly write to us complaining that garages have failed to supply a temporary set of wheels while their model was in the workshop. But the rules are infuriatingly vague, as Tony Andrews of Carterton, Oxfordshire, discovered after being asked to pay for insurance on a courtesy car.

A spokesman for the RAC explained: “Unless your insurance policy specifically commits to providing a replacement, you don’t have a right to a loan car. That’s why most are described as ‘courtesy’ vehicles in the first place.”

The Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMIF), which represents UK garages, agreed that the offer of a loaner is typically “at the repairer’s discretion”. But it can also depend on the type of work being done. Its spokesman told us: “Manufacturers often require their franchised dealers to have a number of courtesy cars to lend to customers while warranty work takes place.”

But for general repairs or servicing, spare vehicles are usually prioritised for those with the greatest need, he added – for example, where the job is likely to be lengthy. Other owners may be offered home collection and pick-up services, or lifts to local stations.

Loaners are most likely to be given for accident repairs, however. The RAC spokesman explained: “Replacement transport is usually a minimum expectation from a customer, so many insurers enter into contracts with repairers to make sure cars are offered.”

If your vehicle is stolen or written-off, it’s unlikely your cover will include a free loaner. Research by Marks and Spencer Money found only one in five policies included this as standard.

The RAC added: “A courtesy car will rarely be provided if a car is a total loss. If it’s stolen, garages will often refuse to provide a replacement until it is found and repair work started.”

If you do manage to get a loaner, don’t expect the same model, or even make, to the one you were driving. The RAC spokesman said: “They are usually small vehicles which often fall short of customers’ expectations.”

If in doubt, check the small print on your manufacturer warranty, as well as your insurance policy, before you hand any cash to your dealer.

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Fury over insurance fee

Tony Andrews of Carterton, Oxford­shire, said BMW dealer Dick Lovett of Swindon, Wilts, supplied him with a loan car when his 07-plate Z4 was booked in for repairs. But he wrote to us complaining that the garage had charged him for a two-day cover note, even though his own car was insured by BMW!

“My insurer said it was happy to protect me on the vehicle for free, but the dealer insisted I still had to pay,” he said. “It’s ridiculous given that I’ve just spent £35,000 buying this vehicle!” Some insurers automatically cover you, but a BMW spokesman said: “We’d only pay if the customer has come in for recall work. For anything else, it’s up to the dealer.” We contacted the garage, but it hasn’t returned our calls.

An RMIF spokesman said the high cost of providing free vehicles, particularly during lengthy repairs, was to blame. “It has forced garages to put the onus for insurance on customers, and in some cases charge for a loan car,” he explained.

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