Where Do I stand?
I need help!
In January I had a car accident and it took 3 months to get my car fixed because of the garage that it went to. However one night when I returned to the car park, the courtesy car that they had provided me had been scratched.
When I went back in the beggining of march to collect my car, I explained about the scratch and they said that they would invoice me.
I had the money saved however they never got back to me until now, after id phoned twice and the two people that I spoke to never knew anything about it. They have now sent me a quote worth 195.96£! I dont have the money at the moment because I honestly thought that it had been dealt with?
What should I do?
Alix
Answer:
The above answers are good practical sound advice (apart perhaps for the suggestion you should incur solicitors fees over a £200 invoice!).
Legally, the position is this:
1. When you were given the courtesy car, you signed a document which would set out the position if the car got damaged whilst in your care and the circumstances in which you would be liable to pay for the damage..
What was your liability under the terms of that agreement? If you're not sure, ask them for a copy and read it. The rule of thumb is: If you did not agree to be liable, you're not.
2. At the very least, ask for a copy of their repair invoice detailing precisely what was done. Hire firms do this all the time, charging your credit card for minor dings they have no intention of actually repairing. Or it may refer to other work not including your scratch - bear in mind it's been a courtesy car several times in the last three months!
3. The time lapse is not terribly important in my view and it certainly does not effect either your or their legal position.
If you're not satisfied either that you are liable to pay, or that this invoice is for the damage that happened on your watch, don't pay.
Let them take it to the small claim procedure - they probably can't be bothered because the winner does not recover their legal costs.
Let the judge decide - it's not at all a scary process. .
id av kept me mouth shut and never told in the first place and if they said it wasnt there when you had the car just plead ignorance and believe me you would have won but now you got no chance cos u have addmitted it
I am sorry to hear this, i think your best bet now would be to seek legal help, explain to a solicitor what has happened. he will be the best person to help you sorry i couldnt say more gl
You need to write to the garage and challenge the bill. You can also ask if you can have an independant garage to estimate the damage. The garage may have insurance that covers damage to courtesy cars. You should also explain how long you had to wait for your car to be repaired. Good luck.
talk to your insurance company for advice
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