I’m in a fix over hire firm’s repair work offer

Someone driving a hire van damaged the front end of my car a couple of days ago while it was parked on the road outside my house. He was decent enough to knock on my door and let me know what had happened, and he gave me his details and those of the company he’d hired the van from.

When I called the hire company, I was put through to a senior member of staff who asked if he could arrange payment for the repairs to my car himself rather than me claiming on the insurance. He also offered to provide a courtesy car but said I would have to pay for it and recoup the cost from him, because the car hire company would only let the driver pay for the vehicle’s loan.

I felt a bit dubious about all this, because he might decide not to pay once the car had been repaired. When I said I’d rather make a claim and asked for their insurance company’s name, he said he didn’t have the details to hand.

I don’t think this sounds like the right course of action and would appreciate your advice.

Robert Wilbur

WHAT CAR? SAYS…

We think your doubts about settling your claim without getting the insurance company involved are well founded. After all, the company the van was hired from could decide at any point not to cover the cost of your courtesy car or the repairs to your own car.

You can find out the details of another vehicle’s insurance using the Motor Insurance Database on the Motor Insurers’ Bureau website (mib.org.uk) for a flat fee of £4.50.

Once you’ve got the name of the insurer, you can contact them to report the accident and make a claim for the repairs to your car and to cover the cost of a courtesy car while yours is being fixed.