# hire damage advice please



## cypsygal (Dec 19, 2009)

we hired out our motorhome in June via a hire website. The vehicle came back damaged on both sides (4 dents in total). I took it to a reputable local repairer and the quote was just over £1000. The hirer is disputing the amount, and has obtained a quote ( using emailed photographs of the damage) for approximately half of this. Whilst I myself was surprised by the quote I received, his quote makes the first look ridiculous. His quote is in my region, but would take at least twice as long to travel to, and would require two people and two vehicles and a total of approx 8 hours to get the motorhome there and back, which doesn't seem reasonable to me. Does anybody have any tips/advice or experience of handling a situation like this? The hire company seem simply to be pinging our ( myself and the hirer's) emails back and forth. They still have his security deposit. So far I have suggested that he arrange for his preferred repairer to collect and return the motorhome to us. Is this a good idea? All help gratefully received.


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

Check your contract with the agency which hired it out - it should state in there who is responsible for arranging repairs.


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## mikebeaches (Oct 18, 2008)

cypsygal said:


> we hired out our motorhome in June via a hire website. The vehicle came back damaged on both sides (4 dents in total). I took it to a reputable local repairer and the quote was just over £1000. The hirer is disputing the amount, and has obtained a quote ( using emailed photographs of the damage) for approximately half of this. Whilst I myself was surprised by the quote I received, his quote makes the first look ridiculous. His quote is in my region, but would take at least twice as long to travel to, and would require two people and two vehicles and a total of approx 8 hours to get the motorhome there and back, which doesn't seem reasonable to me. Does anybody have any tips/advice or experience of handling a situation like this? The hire company seem simply to be pinging our ( myself and the hirer's) emails back and forth. They still have his security deposit. So far I have suggested that he arrange for his preferred repairer to collect and return the motorhome to us. Is this a good idea? All help gratefully received.


It sounds as though the hire agency aren't perhaps being too helpful in the matter. Can you tell us which one it is?


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## cypsygal (Dec 19, 2009)

I do think they could be more helpful, and to be honest, I ( perhaps naively?) thought they would advocate for the owner. They are very much simply batting emails back and forth. However, I don't think it would be expedient to name them.


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## JohnsCrossMotorHomes (Jul 21, 2007)

If a hirer causes body damage to one of our hire vehicles which exceeds the security deposit we claim on our insurance.

I trust you took out additional insurance to cover hiring out the van for reward.

Peter


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## cypsygal (Dec 19, 2009)

Peter, Insurance is provided by the hiring agency. The amount of the claim is on the border of the security deposit and instigating an insurance claim - there's about fifty quid in it. I would be happy to accept the security deposit, but the hirer is disputing the quote I have sourced locally. We would have had to inform the insurance comapny at the time the van was returned, and we didn't, so that is no longer an avenue. The security deposit and the insurance excess are the same amount.

Can I ask, do you do your own body repairs, or do you outsource? I understand that you may not wish to answer this, or you could pm me. 
Not really sure where to try to get an alternative quote in the south east. Thanks


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## JohnsCrossMotorHomes (Jul 21, 2007)

I would be very wary of these hiring agencies providing insurance cover unless you have a copy of the policy and read it carefully.

As to repairs, yes we are fully qualified and have an aproved workshop.

Peter


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## hblewett (Jan 28, 2008)

For most purposes, it is usual to get 3 quotes and accept the lowest. I think if you were able to do that, there could be little to dispute.


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## cypsygal (Dec 19, 2009)

well, finally, all is well that ends well, but only because the hirer seems to be a reasonably decent person, and no thanks to the hire company. The hirer secured a small discount from my preferred supplier, acknowleding that his quote was too far away to be reasonable. the money is safely in our bank now. I will be considering who i rent out with next time. LAst year we used M for Motorhome, who i cannot find this year. However, all companies are probably ok, it'll only be when there a difficult situation that they really show their mettle.


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## rolla (Aug 14, 2010)

I have always wondered about the poor people who may have wanted to hire the van, but its come back damaged and needs repairing, what happens?


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## rolla (Aug 14, 2010)

rolla said:


> I have always wondered about the poor people who may have wanted to hire the van, but its come back damaged and needs repairing, what happens?


Would you do a refund and just say sorry for spoiling your 2 week holiday, or attempt to find a van for them?

owners of one van can't have a spare on stand by :?


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## Annsman (Nov 8, 2007)

Which is why you can hire my dog, hire my wife, have a kidney but there is no way you can drive off in the van!


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

me too :lol: 
Dave p


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## rolla (Aug 14, 2010)

thanks for the help


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## cypsygal (Dec 19, 2009)

Hi Rolla - if you hire through an agency, they could always source another van for the holidaymaker. Clearly it'd not be their first choice, but their holiday wouldn't be completely ruined. It seems quite difficult for individuals with just one van, to hire it out, the cost of commercial insurance being too prohibitive.

Incidentally, the hirer that I spoke of when I raised this topic had our van as his second choice. It seems his original choice was sold by the owner about 6 weeks before his hire date. The agency then directed him to us, as we were the next nearest to him geographically. 

It's a pity the agency omitted to tell us though. I had been on the website solicitously filling in our holidaydates ( as directed by the agency) when I spotted the 'hire'. The agency completely failed to contact us. When the hirer called to confirm a few things I was forced to contact the agency. I should have been in receipt of the money before the hirer took my vehicle, but wasn't. The agency promised to send the cheque immediatley, first class. (You won't be surprised to hear it didn't arrive. I finally got them to put the money directly in my bank account, and the cheque arrived after that!) The hirer went on to tell me that he's been informed about his change of vehicle 6 weeks previously. He also said that the same thing happened to him the previous year.

So although the agency appear professional, this whole episode has really put me off hiring. To be fair the previous year we hired with M for Motohome, and they seemed fine, but there were no peripheral problems. (We also earned considerably more with them).

A few days before Xmas they called us and offered us a hire for New Year. Frankly I couldn't be bothered to make the effort required, as our van is laid up for the winter (and it's not winterized, so poor hirers!)


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## rolla (Aug 14, 2010)

cypsygal, thank you for the info.  



So if you go with an agency (a good one) you have back up if it all goes pear shaped, plus you don't have to worry about the money and insurance side I guess, and I presume you won't make as much money as doing everything yourself.

Seems you have had a fair amount of agro, but it sounds like you have got a good agency now.

Do you find the changeovers stop you planning a trip yourself, or prevent you going somewhere?


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## cypsygal (Dec 19, 2009)

Hi again Rolla

I really don't know if I am currently with a good agency - they were distinctly unsupportive when we suffered damage on their hire, and to be fair the hirer was a genuine bloke, who took responsiblity for the damage............ 

I thought they'd have been on my side, and they clearly weren't. 

I see hiring out as a way to pay for extras, like an awning etc., and am not wedded to my m/home (it's our first, 2nd hand). However, I am considering buying a new vehicle - and would be a bit more protective. I'd hire it to family and friends, who could get insurance from dayhire, but I'd not hire to strangers. 

It's a really fraught situation. Even with dayhire there is a large deposit - which puts people off. Hiring a motorhome, or hiring a morhome out is not as simple as it seems, sadly.


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## rolla (Aug 14, 2010)

cypsygal, again thanks.
You have given me a lot to ponder over and some real experiences, I think it will take more time commitment than I first thought.
Wish you good hirers for the future

Rolla


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

rolla said:


> rolla said:
> 
> 
> > I have always wondered about the poor people who may have wanted to hire the van, but its come back damaged and needs repairing, what happens?
> ...


I wonder what cruise companies do when someone rolls one of their ships? Do they have spare ones lying around to take over?


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## TR5 (Jun 6, 2007)

Stanner said:


> I wonder what cruise companies do when someone rolls one of their ships? Do they have spare ones lying around to take over?


 :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I shouldn't laugh really!


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