Zurich refuse to transfer my insurance to a tempory courtesy car

RunnerGuy

Has anyone observed the following? My car broke down and I used Renault roadside assistance (not my insurance) to get it towed to a garage. I was also given a courtesy car by Renault but my insurance provider Zurich refused to transfer my comprehensive policy onto the courtesy car. Driving it 3rd party fire and theft was not an option.

The complication here is that Renault use Axa roadside assistance to provide this service and therefore my courtesy car was provided by a car hire company and not the garage.

Zurich's reasoning was that they don't transfer insurance onto hire cars (as though I was on holidays or something). Presumably they would have no problem if the car came off the garage's forecourt but just because it was owned by a car hire company - no dice. I tried to explain the scenario but to no avail. The guys in the car hire office were mystified seeing as they said they do this all the time. And with Zurich too. They even contacted insurance industry contacts who were equally mystified.

I ended up having to pay extra insurance to the car hire guys. This all seems like a mistake but we phoned Zurich twice and got the same answer. I'm kind of annoyed about all this.

4ensic15

RunnerGuy wrote: »

Has anyone observed the following? My car broke down and I used Renault roadside assistance (not my insurance) to get it towed to a garage. I was also given a courtesy car by Renault but my insurance provider Zurich refused to transfer my comprehensive policy onto the courtesy car. Driving it 3rd party fire and theft was not an option.

The complication here is that Renault use Axa roadside assistance to provide this service and therefore my courtesy car was provided by a car hire company and not the garage.

Zurich's reasoning was that they don't transfer insurance onto hire cars (as though I was on holidays or something). Presumably they would have no problem if the car came off the garage's forecourt but just because it was owned by a car hire company - no dice. I tried to explain the scenario but to no avail. The guys in the car hire office were mystified seeing as they said they do this all the time. And with Zurich too. They even contacted insurance industry contacts who were equally mystified.

I ended up having to pay extra insurance to the car hire guys. This all seems like a mistake but we phoned Zurich twice and got the same answer. I'm kind of annoyed about all this.

Do you have cover to drive other cars?

RunnerGuy

4ensic15 wrote: »

Do you have cover to drive other cars?

Well yes - because I have a comprehensive policy. But that's no use here because driving other cars is only 3rd party fire and theft which is not acceptable to a car hire company. I needed to actually transfer my comprehensive policy to the courtesy car. And that's where Zurich let me down.

4ensic15

RunnerGuy wrote: »

Well yes - because I have a comprehensive policy. But that's no use here because driving other cars is only 3rd party fire and theft which is not acceptable to a car hire company. I needed to actually transfer my comprehensive policy to the courtesy car. And that's where Zurich let me down.

How would you have an insurable interest in a car you didn't own?

ravima

How would you have an insurable interest in a car you didn't own?

of course there is an insurable interest. If he damaged it whilst driving, he would be at a loss.

4ensic15

ravima wrote: »

How would you have an insurable interest in a car you didn't own?

of course there is an insurable interest. If he damaged it whilst driving, he would be at a loss.

He has a potential contractual loss, not the cost of repairing the car.

RunnerGuy

4ensic15 wrote: »

How would you have an insurable interest in a car you didn't own?

Okay I guess you haven't come across my situation before.

Cows Go µ

4ensic15 wrote: »

He has a potential contractual loss, not the cost of repairing the car.

It's standard practice in the industry to transfer your policy onto a garage car while yours is being fixed. The fact that this car isn't coming from a garage appears to be the problem. Zurich can be quite strict about temporary transfers

4ensic15

Cows Go µ wrote: »

It's standard practice in the industry to transfer your policy onto a garage car while yours is being fixed. The fact that this car isn't coming from a garage appears to be the problem. Zurich can be quite strict about temporary transfers

As a general principle of insurance you can't insure something you don't own.

Sleeper12

My commercial jeep needed to be in hospital for a few days. I hired a small van for the few days and transferred my commercial insurance.

I don't see what issues your insurance has with this

RunnerGuy

Sleeper12 wrote: »

I don't see what issues your insurance has with this

Yep me neither. It seems totally bizarre. The guys in the car hire office knew someone who worked in Zurich so they phoned him up and even he was surprised.

It looks like I'll have to suck it up but I'll try the complaints channel in Zurich anyway just in case I get better clarification that way.

Cows Go µ

4ensic15 wrote: »

As a general principle of insurance you can't insure something you don't own.

True, which is why you can't take out a policy on a garage vehicle. However most insurers will allow you to transfer your policy onto a garage vehicle while yours is being fixed. It's something most will do without issue however they are under no obligation to do so and some are stricter than others.

I'm surprised Zurich aren't doing the temporary transfer for a hire car when it's being provided while the insured vehicle is being repaired. Maybe they think it's a hire purchase vehicle or something along those lines? But then they would hardly suggest the driving of other vehicles extension.

Maybe insist on speaking to a manager and ask them to explain why they won't do it. They aren't under any obligation to do the transfer but I would have expected them to.

RunnerGuy

Cows Go µ wrote: »

I'm surprised Zurich aren't doing the temporary transfer for a hire car when it's being provided while the insured vehicle is being repaired........

.....Maybe insist on speaking to a manager and ask them to explain why they won't do it. They aren't under any obligation to do the transfer but I would have expected them to.

Fully agreed thanks. I'll give them another try tomorrow at manager level. It's possible I got a couple of junior staff members who just heard "hire car" and didn't get the full context.

coylemj

4ensic15 wrote: »

As a general principle of insurance you can't insure something you don't own.

So how does a company with sales reps on the road (driving company cars) get to buy fully comp. cover for the fleet when all the cars are owned by a leasing company? The employer pays for comprehensive insurance to cover accidental damage to assets they do not own.

Lots of people buy car hire excess insurance to cover accidental damage to a rental car they may hire when on holidays - an asset they do not own.

If you rent a 'replacement car' from a garage, you transfer your own insurance on to it so you will end up driving a car which you do not own but which will have the same level of cover (in many cases, fully comp.) you had driving your own car the previous week. This is what the OP is trying to do and it's perfectly legal.

coylemj

RunnerGuy wrote: »

Fully agreed thanks. I'll give them another try tomorrow at manager level. It's possible I got a couple of junior staff members who just heard "hire car" and didn't get the full context.

+1 like you said, 'hire car' is a red flag. Tell them it's a 'replacement car'.