Chances are you've been there yourself, or know someone who
has been unfortunate enough to have a car accident that wasn't their fault. It
can quite often be a nightmare, with your car off the road in the repair shop
for days, weeks or even months. Life goes on though, and with it the need for
your vehicle.
It's a little known fact that if you are not to blame for an
accident you are legally entitled to a replacement vehicle, paid for by the at
fault insurance company. Many insurance companies encourage people to rent the
vehicle themselves then claim the costs back. As we all know though, the cost
of renting a vehicle can be impossible for some people to cover. Luckily the
industry of accident replacement vehicles has evolved to address this very
problem. So what exactly are accident replacement vehicles? Effectively they
are rental cars provided to you free of charge while your car is repaired, with
the at fault insurance company covering the cost.
The accident replacement vehicle movement started in the U.K
where the shipping term "demurrage" has been appropriated to cover
the industry. There are numerous operators in the UK providing anything from
regular passenger vehicles right through to exotic super cars. Some of the
better known operators like Drive Assist & Easi-Drive have fleets in excess
of 10 000 vehicles!
In Australia the industry is less evolved, having been
implemented here based on the UK industry. Even still there are some companies
found servicing the local population in the various capital cities, and at
least one national company, Acorn Rentals with fleets of cars in multiple
capital cities.
Typically the free rental vehicle is delivered to the
customer at the smash repair shop when they are dropping their cars off for
repair. The customer then has the rental car until their vehicle is repaired,
at which point they return the rental car to the panel shop and pick their own
vehicle up. It should be a seamless process, with no down periods without a
vehicle. The rental company then sends their bill direct to the at fault
party's insurance company.
Of course as with anything in life it's best to go into any
rental with your eyes open. If you stick to a reputable company then you should
have no issues, so be sure to look for a company that has been long
established, has a lot of customer feedback and is open and transparent with
their terms and conditions. Some things to watch out for are high excess
charges should you have an accident in the rental vehicle, having to pay large
deposits or leave credit card details and also the risk of having the rental
company charge you if they don't end up getting paid by the insurance company.
With these potential pitfalls in mind, the benefit of having
a like for like vehicle delivered to you while your vehicle is repaired is
obvious. So if you happen to find yourself without the use of your vehicle
through no fault of your own keep this in mind - seek out a free rental car through
Acorn Rentals.
If you're in need of a rental car after an accident head here to learn about accident replacement vehicle
If you're in need of a rental car after an accident head here to learn about accident replacement vehicle