Car going back into dealer tomorrow (again!) and I am getting a courtesy car while they sort mine. Had courtesy cars before however this time I have been told that I need to contact my insurance and change cover on my policy.

Is this a new policy that dealers are taking with their courtesy cars or are they just taking the proverbial out of me?

Oh, and mods please move if I should have posted this in a different forum

Last Courtesy car I had I had the option of pay £10 or use my insurance. That was from D.M. Keiths.

Simon

Is this a new policy that dealers are taking with their courtesy cars or are they just taking the proverbial out of me?

This is common practice across most dealerships of all brands now - I have been very fortunate with my current car however, my previous Volvo used to spend more time in the dealership than on my driveway.

Ultimately it all depends on what level of risk you are prepared to take; most dealership insurance premiums have higher excesses (£500+) in comparison to what may be considered the norm, therefore the admin fee to cover under your own policy may be worthwhile. That said I have always used the dealership's insurance - a request to speak to the dealership principle is usually sufficient for the fee to be waived to use the dealership insurance...

My local Skoda/VW dealer has a £1000 excess on their courtesy cars.

You have a choice to pay £10/day to remove the excess completely.

Edited 9 January, 201313 yr by silver1011

Thanks mantamad, Black_Sheep, silver1011.

I am already planning a wee chat with after sales manager due to this being the 4th trip back to dealers since getting car new in September.

Never had an issue with the 2 previous octy estates that I leased for 3 years each

my local is £500 excess but no charge to me or £10 a day. Or I could put it on my current policy for the day.

Also varies with your own insurance co. When I was with LV all I had to do was have to dealer fax them my details, and details of their courtesy car, and so long as it was no more powerful or valuable than mine they changed my full insurance to the courtesy car, no hassle, no charge.

Present lot, E-Sure, wanted about £40 admin. costs, but the dealer said I could have their insurance for £15.

When I returned the courtesy car unharmed, they waived the £15 !! Good PR that.

Depends how long you are having the car. For a day service I pay £10 for excess waiver but when I got a courtesy car for a few days while mine was in body shop I transferred my own insurance.

Also depends what it's in for. I think charging for courtessy cars is a damn cheek but if going for a service I suppose its part of a hidden cost/stealth tax. If its going in for warranty work (or worse still to correct their mistake) then I'm having a free courtessy car.

Luckily I have a local dealer (Adamsons) who are very helpful and friendly. I've had to take it to another (motorline) before who are unfortunately a bigger dealer and tend to not to be quite so helpful.

Pretty normal. At Skoda I got the option to pay £10 for their cover. Did that once when I left it too late. My insurer at the time (Esure) transferred my insurance fort eh day and supplied a cover note for free. You need them to tell you the reg of the courtesy car you'll get.

Edited 10 January, 201313 yr by Aspman

Just had my car in for it's first service to Newmarket Garage in Bannockburn.....no charge for a courtesy car (which was a surprise top me), and no issues with insurance, apparently it's all covered by their policy! Although I'm close enough for them to actually colect and return my car, so might go that route next time!

Clarion Worthing gave me a courtesy car, during services, for nothing, no questions asked. However it is a Fulvia about 200 years old and worth about the same as a tube of Smarties.

Parkview Reading offer 3 options: £7 to cover excess, no charge but YOU cover the £500 excess if you have an accident, or put it on your own insurance. Have been given the car free when it's been in a few times to fix a repeat fault.

On my insurance (direct line) it states that I am unsured to drive a care loaned to me by a garage while mine is being repaired for up to X days.

Might be the same on yours.

Phil

My car is going in to the stealers in feb to have a temp sensor changed under warranty that is burried under the dash somewhere and they were trying to charge me for a courtesy car but I kicked up a fuss and was told the service manager would phone me (20th dec). 2 weeks later and no phone call so I drop in past to find out what is going on (3rd jan). Turns out that the girl behind the desk had forgotten to tell the service manager and he wouldnt be back until the 7th (fair play to her she didnt try to hide her mistake) and I was promoted from the notepad to a pink post it note stuck on to her computer screen :sun: . No phone call on the 7th but skoda uk phoned up by coincidenceto ask if I was satisfied with the service that I had had regarding the visit on the 20th dec to which I said yes but did not know if I had to pay for a courtesy car for the 2 days the car would be in the garage (the car could be in the garage for up to 5 days so I don't really want to be paying £12 a day for it). I explained the situation with the service manager being on holiday to skoda uk (I have no problem with him being on holiday) and I guess that skoda uk phoned the garage in question because I got woken up by a phone call at 0835 on the 8th (I only got to sleep at 4am due to working nights) telling me that I don't have to pay for the courtesy car.

The only payment I've ever had to make for a courtesy car from West End (Uphall) was to make sure the car had the same amount of fuel in it when I dropped it off as there was when I picked it up.

Usually they give me a lift to/from work when either of our cars are there for work

years ago when we had a focus, the dealership insisted I get my insurance to cover their courtesy car, and the admin fee was about £20.

If the dealer charged £10 per day and the car was booked out all the time they must be making a profit on that. They can expect over £3,500 in £10 premiums per loan car per year and I bet they are covered on the traders policy and it doesnt cost them £10 a day in admin/other surcharges.

It's not an excessive amount to pay for a loan car but I cant see how the dealer isnt making a profit on those charges.

Cheers.

Got the courtesy car onto my insurance for nowt due to the fabia not being worth any more than my octy. Cheers Direct Line, although there is a provision that I make no modifications to it while I have it

Now if I can only get the dealer to locate and fix the whistling noise...