Courtesy Vehicle ?

[Stewbie]

Hello All,
First post from another Newbie, so please forgive me if this is a naive question !
In July I finally fulfilled a lifelong dream and ordered a new Ocean (204 4Motion), with delivery expected in May/June 2022 (!?). A loooong wait - but very exciting and I am using the time to learn much from this forum, so thank you to all for sharing your considerable knowlede and experience.
However, for financial reasons, the Cali will need to be used as a daily driver as well as a leisure vehicle. Having only ever owned cars up to this point, I am used to receiving a courtesy car whenever they have needed servicing and/or repairs, which is a necessity given that I live in a rural location.
Do van centres offer the same courtesy vehicle service when a Cali goes in for service/repair ?

 

[WelshGas]

Hello All,
First post from another Newbie, so please forgive me if this is a naive question !
In July I finally fulfilled a lifelong dream and ordered a new Ocean (204 4Motion), with delivery expected in May/June 2022 (!?). A loooong wait - but very exciting and I am using the time to learn much from this forum, so thank you to all for sharing your considerable knowlede and experience.
However, for financial reasons, the Cali will need to be used as a daily driver as well as a leisure vehicle. Having only ever owned cars up to this point, I am used to receiving a courtesy car whenever they have needed servicing and/or repairs, which is a necessity given that I live in a rural location.
Do van centres offer the same courtesy vehicle service when a Cali goes in for service/repair ?

My Dealership does, normally a Caddy or Transporter.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Hello All,
First post from another Newbie, so please forgive me if this is a naive question !
In July I finally fulfilled a lifelong dream and ordered a new Ocean (204 4Motion), with delivery expected in May/June 2022 (!?). A loooong wait - but very exciting and I am using the time to learn much from this forum, so thank you to all for sharing your considerable knowlede and experience.
However, for financial reasons, the Cali will need to be used as a daily driver as well as a leisure vehicle. Having only ever owned cars up to this point, I am used to receiving a courtesy car whenever they have needed servicing and/or repairs, which is a necessity given that I live in a rural location.
Do van centres offer the same courtesy vehicle service when a Cali goes in for service/repair ?

My dealership (Citygate) does offer a courtesy vehicle.

 

[B J G]

Usually need to book well ahead for a Courtesy vehicle to be available. noticeably longer since Covid related issues.

 

[Joker 1299]

My dealership (Citygate) does offer a courtesy vehicle.

No need, my chauffeur, Digby, follows me in the Bentley and gives me a lift ‘ome

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

No need, my chauffeur, Digby, follows me in the Bentley and gives me a lift ‘ome

You should get him to drive ahead of you to clear the plebs away.

 

[andyinluton]

Yes, but expect to have to book a long way in advance & it will normally be a very basic spec panel van.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

Courtesy vehicles are just that (A Courtesy). I’ve had all sorts of vehicles but you tend to find the more expensive the vehicle the less chance they are going to give you something comparable. The last thing they really want is you going away on your jollies putting a couple of thousand miles on the clock. If it’s an insurance repair you find companies will not pay huge extra sums for equivalent (Courtesy vehicles).

 

[Stewbie]

Courtesy vehicles are just that (A Courtesy). I’ve had all sorts of vehicles but you tend to find the more expensive the vehicle the less chance they are going to give you something comparable. The last thing they really want is you going away on your jollies putting a couple of thousand miles on the clock. If it’s an insurance repair you find companies will not pay huge extra sums for equivalent (Courtesy vehicles).

Thank you. I do understand what you're saying, and I wouldn't want or expect a full-blown Cali as a courtesy vehicle. All I will need is a set of wheels so I can get home and run about whilst the Cali is being serviced or repaired. It does sound like this is possible, so long as things are planned well in advance.
I've had reasonably high-end BMW's or Audi's, and have been perfectly happy with a 1-series or A1 as a courtesy car, so long as I don't have to walk 25 miles home that night !

 

[Baronardup]

No need, my chauffeur, Digby, follows me in the Bentley and gives me a lift ‘ome

You're not Sadiq Khan by any chance are you?

 

[Ozzy Pete]

Thank you. I do understand what you're saying, and I wouldn't want or expect a full-blown Cali as a courtesy vehicle. All I will need is a set of wheels so I can get home and run about whilst the Cali is being serviced or repaired. It does sound like this is possible, so long as things are planned well in advance.
I've had reasonably high-end BMW's or Audi's, and have been perfectly happy with a 1-series or A1 as a courtesy car, so long as I don't have to walk 25 miles home that night !

Most Garages are not going to leave you with no transportation at all. It’s always best to book well ahead and let them know you need a Courtesy vehicle. Our experience was with Sinclairs Gorseinon who sell a variety of vehicles. When I took my Mercedes SLK in for a respray I had an A Class Which was fine. When I took the California in for Warranty work we got a T6 150 van. Not the quietest vehicle in the world but ok for a few days. Some garages make a charge for insurance if you can’t prove you are covered fully comprehensive to drive Courtesy vehicles. That’s how they get some of their money back. At £10 a day it soon mounts up if it’s a few weeks.

 

[Velma's Dad]

If it’s an insurance repair you find companies will not pay huge extra sums for equivalent (Courtesy vehicles).

On the contrary, if you have a no-fault claim they will extremely quickly 'refer' you (for a backhander that your insurer will then receive) on to a 'claims management' (actually, a contract hire) company who will be extremely keen to provide you with an 'equivalent' courtesy vehicle at an eye-popping daily rate, to be met by the at-fault party's insurers while yours is being repaired.

And hence that's another reason why all our insurance premiums are higher than they need to be.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

On the contrary, if you have a no-fault claim they will extremely quickly 'refer' you (for a backhander that your insurer will then receive) on to a 'claims management' (actually, a contract hire) company who will be extremely keen to provide you with an 'equivalent' courtesy vehicle at an eye-popping daily rate, to be met by the at-fault party's insurers while yours is being repaired.

And hence that's another reason why all our insurance premiums are higher than they need to be.

No agreement, no payment. Insurance companies are there to pay out as little as possible. You can actually end up paying yourself for a replacement hire vehicle.. The small print is there for a reason. Never take it for granted you are going to get a like for like.

 

[Volkywagen]

Yes but the best you will get is a boggo 25hp transporter. I had one this weekend whilst getting cam belt, service, 4 tyres and MOT done. The courtesy can was bright yellow as well to boot!! Got the neighbours talking anyway

 

[SusiBus]

You' might get a panel van, so only 2/3 seats. As others have said book ahead.

 

[Velma's Dad]

No agreement, no payment. Insurance companies are there to pay out as little as possible. You can actually end up paying yourself for a replacement hire vehicle.. The small print is there for a reason. Never take it for granted you are going to get a like for like.

You're confusing two different scenarios: (1) if you are to blame for the accident and hence your insurer is picking up all the costs so they're unlikely to do anything for you beyond what your policy says, versus (2) if the other party is to blame and hence their insurer will eventually be meeting all the costs. In the latter case, your insurer will get a nice kick-back (sorry, referral fee) from the contract hire company so they'll be delighted if you take up the offer of an expensive hire car and they will assure you that it will all be met by the other insurer. Ask me how I know.

In any case BTW, if you are not at fault for an accident you're perfectly entitled to go and hire yourself a car of equivalent standard for the time yours is off the road, provided you do so at reasonable cost, and claim the costs back from the at-fault driver's insurers - with or without the assistance of your insurer.

 

[Alan Andrews]

I tried this once with VW Birmingham Van Centre. It was a basic white manual T6 van. Seemed to drink fuel and very bumpy and noisy.

I now drive in, and if they need to keep the van, then I catch train back home and return. Yes it is a 30 minute walk from the station but no problem really. Makes a day of it!!

They also offered to have one of their courtesy drivers take me to the station, but a bit of hanging around, so now I simply walk.

 

[nick castree]

Hello All,
First post from another Newbie, so please forgive me if this is a naive question !
In July I finally fulfilled a lifelong dream and ordered a new Ocean (204 4Motion), with delivery expected in May/June 2022 (!?). A loooong wait - but very exciting and I am using the time to learn much from this forum, so thank you to all for sharing your considerable knowlede and experience.
However, for financial reasons, the Cali will need to be used as a daily driver as well as a leisure vehicle. Having only ever owned cars up to this point, I am used to receiving a courtesy car whenever they have needed servicing and/or repairs, which is a necessity given that I live in a rural location.
Do van centres offer the same courtesy vehicle service when a Cali goes in for service/repair ?

Liverpool van centre had our Cali ‘Fanny’ in for roof repair this summer.(Four weeks) Brand new Ocean for the duration . Brilliant job and superb customer service from Mike Sweeney (warranty service manager).

 

[BikerGran]

On the contrary, if you have a no-fault claim they will extremely quickly 'refer' you (for a backhander that your insurer will then receive) on to a 'claims management' (actually, a contract hire) company who will be extremely keen to provide you with an 'equivalent' courtesy vehicle at an eye-popping daily rate, to be met by the at-fault party's insurers while yours is being repaired.

And hence that's another reason why all our insurance premiums are higher than they need to be.

I was quite happy for the at fault drivers insurance company to pay for my courtesy vehicle while my Cali was undergoing damage repairs! After all, that's what insurance is for. It wasn't a Cali or even a van but I was able to specify that it had to be automatic and a fairly high vehicle due to my difficulty getting in and out of low vehicles.

 

[Ting Tong]

No:

 

[Alan Andrews]

No:

View attachment 85913

Yes I had a similar VW white van courtesy van experience....although it was a T6 in my case. No fun.

I guess we must all remember that the California is sold and serviced through the VW commercial van centre network, so it is generally a commercial van that will be used as a courtesy vehicle.

 

[Velma's Dad]

I was quite happy for the at fault drivers insurance company to pay for my courtesy vehicle while my Cali was undergoing damage repairs! After all, that's what insurance is for. It wasn't a Cali or even a van but I was able to specify that it had to be automatic and a fairly high vehicle due to my difficulty getting in and out of low vehicles.

That's all fine of course and I'm not questioning that a blameless driver shouldn't have to suffer inconvenience where a suitable replacement vehicle could be provided.

The issue, for me, is the ridiculous daily rates that the credit hire companies charge. Do you know what that was, in your example? Probably not but it would have been in the small print of the paperwork they got you to sign. In mine they were proposing to levy about £300+ per day (I forget the exact amount), so while my car was in the bodyshop 10 days (for a £1,500 repair) it would have added about £3,000 to the overall value of the claim. Some of that BTW would be passed back to my insurance company as a sweetener, sorry I mean referral fee.

No, I was never going to have to pay for that directly (unless the third party insurer had failed to pay, then I'd have been on the hook myself - again, check the small print on those agreements before you sign up). But the whole cozy little scheme adds many millions every year to the overall costs of insurance claims, and guess who - collectively - ends up paying for that?

Sorry, it's a hobby horse of mine. The OFT investigated the racket some years back but didn't act, even though many in the insurance industry itself were urging them to do so.

 

[OGII]

No:

View attachment 85913

Is that a Grand California in basic spec with no options?