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    • Appreciate your swift input and amendments! I've reworded some of it (and will likely reformat the page a bit before printing to make it neater) but I've included the majority of your suggestions. Let me know what you think. Would you recommend I email this to the individual who declined the compensation as well as sending it by post? Cheers Switch2 - Letter of Claim v3.pdf
    • I suggest (change in red) -   The Defendant contends that the particulars of claim are vague and generic in nature which fails to comply with CPR 16.4.  The Defendant accordingly sets out its case below and relies on CPR r 16.5 (3) in relation to any particular allegation to which a specific response has not been made. 1.  The Defendant is the recorded keeper of [car reg no]. 2.  It is denied that the Defendant entered into a contract with the Claimant. 3.  As held by the Upper Tax Tribunal in Vehicle Control Services Limited v HMRC [2012] UKUT 129 (TCC), any contract requires offer and acceptance.  The Claimant was simply contracted by the landowner to provide car park management services and is not capable of entering into a contract with the Defendant on its own account, as the car park is owned by and the terms of entry set by the landowner.  Accordingly, it is denied that the Claimant has authority to bring this claim.    4.  In any case it is denied that the Defendant broke the terms of a contract with the Claimant. 5.  The Claimant is attempting double recovery by adding an additional sum not included in the original offer.  6. The Claimant is claiming an unlawful amount of interest.  The dispute between the parties concerns a disputed, unpaid invoice, issued on 6 January 2025, on which it is written "Payment to be made by 06-Feb-2025".  Yet the Claimant is claiming interest from 4 January 2025.  7. The Particulars of Claim is denied in its entirety.  It is denied that the Claimant is entitled to the relief claimed or any relief at all.
    • Okay. That sounds a lot better. Hopefully you now realise that the third party rights act only applies if you have used a parcel broker but you are trying to sue the courier company directly. So because you contracted directly with the courier, you are going to sue them directly. By using insurance or prohibited items or non-compensation lists, they are seeking to exclude or limit liability for failure to exercise reasonable skill and care – and of course this is contrary to section 57 of the consumer rights act and in fact the insurance that they pressurise you to purchase amounts to a secondary contract under section 72 of the Act because it is a prohibited secondary contract which is attempting also to limit or exclude liability for failure to exercise reasonable skill and care. The prohibited items list is an unfair term as you have already pointed out. Even more significantly here not only are they saying that it is prohibited – but they are saying this despite the fact that they were very happy to take your money in respect of insurance. These people are stupid and dishonest. But also now they will abuse the County Court system by making you jump through the hoops because it costs them scarcely anything at all to use up the County Court system because it is a publicly funded taxpayer resourced system of justice. They don't use this to obtain justice. They use this simply as a means of debt avoidance to try and frustrate their customers legitimate claims.   Okay I've made a few amendments – and also I've added a further head of damage for unfair trading which could give you a next your little bit of money and also an extra little bit of leverage. Please have a look. See if you are happy with it. If you want to take anything away. If you want to add anything. If there is anything which is incorrect – and post up the final draft here please for a last look.
    • Nope, not yet filed, have it in draft but was going to leave it a little while until nearer the deadline 🙂
  • Our picks

    • If you are buying a used car – you need to read this survival guide.
      • 1 reply
    • Hello,

      On 15/1/24 booked appointment with Big Motoring World (BMW) to view a mini on 17/1/24 at 8pm at their Enfield dealership.  

      Car was dirty and test drive was two circuits of roundabout on entry to the showroom.  Was p/x my car and rushed by sales exec and a manager into buying the mini and a 3yr warranty that night, sale all wrapped up by 10pm.  They strongly advised me taking warranty out on car that age (2017) and confirmed it was honoured at over 500 UK registered garages.

      The next day, 18/1/24 noticed amber engine warning light on dashboard , immediately phoned BMW aftercare team to ask for it to be investigated asap at nearest garage to me. After 15 mins on hold was told only their 5 service centres across the UK can deal with car issues with earliest date for inspection in March ! Said I’m not happy with that given what sales team advised or driving car. Told an amber warning light only advisory so to drive with caution and call back when light goes red.

      I’m not happy to do this, drive the car or with the after care experience (a sign of further stresses to come) so want a refund and to return the car asap.

      Please can you advise what I need to do today to get this done. 
       

      Many thanks 
      • 81 replies
    • Housing Association property flooding. https://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/topic/438641-housing-association-property-flooding/&do=findComment&comment=5124299
      • 162 replies
    • We have finally managed to obtain the transcript of this case.

      The judge's reasoning is very useful and will certainly be helpful in any other cases relating to third-party rights where the customer has contracted with the courier company by using a broker.
      This is generally speaking the problem with using PackLink who are domiciled in Spain and very conveniently out of reach of the British justice system.

      Frankly I don't think that is any accident.

      One of the points that the judge made was that the customers contract with the broker specifically refers to the courier – and it is clear that the courier knows that they are acting for a third party. There is no need to name the third party. They just have to be recognisably part of a class of person – such as a sender or a recipient of the parcel.

      Please note that a recent case against UPS failed on exactly the same issue with the judge held that the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 did not apply.

      We will be getting that transcript very soon. We will look at it and we will understand how the judge made such catastrophic mistakes. It was a very poor judgement.
      We will be recommending that people do include this adverse judgement in their bundle so that when they go to county court the judge will see both sides and see the arguments against this adverse judgement.
      Also, we will be to demonstrate to the judge that we are fair-minded and that we don't mind bringing everything to the attention of the judge even if it is against our own interests.
      This is good ethical practice.

      It would be very nice if the parcel delivery companies – including EVRi – practised this kind of thing as well.

       

      OT APPROVED, 365MC637, FAROOQ, EVRi, 12.07.23 (BRENT) - J v4.pdf
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Advice needed please.

Hired a van for removal and took it to drive thru by mistake.

 

After ordering our food we proceeded with driving through the barrier only didn't get far as the barrier restricted us.

We reversed and the barrier moved slightly.

We scraped top of hire van inte process.

We had to leave our details with McDonalds who said they would neef to investigate the damage and get back to us.

 

A couple of weeks later the manager from McDonalds telephoned to say that she has contacted hire van company

who have said they don't have/cover insurance for this type of thing.

We explained to manager that they surely must be coverrd for this type of damage.

 

3 months later the barrier is still in use and received a letter in post from McDonalds Insurers who want to claim for impact to height restrictor.

The Insurers have spoken to the van hire company who have said that they have no cover for this incident

due to a breach in the terms of hire so they wish to recover their client's outlay directly from me.

 

Where do I stand with this.

When manager initially spoke to us they said that they would need to replace the whole barrier.

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You made a mistake, you said so. Did you take out your own insurance (as required to by law if the rental company don't supply this)? If you did then you will need to claim on that. Were there warning signs that stated height restrictions?

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No we assumed the hire van company would have insurance should anything have went wrong. There was a height restrictor sign above barrier so yes they did have a sign. The rental company never mentioned anything about insurance.

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The rental co are fobbing you (or McDonalds) off. They are required by law to ensure that the vehicle is insured against third party risks which means McDonald's can claim off that. The bad news is though, that no doubt the van hire insurance had an excess on it which you, the hirer would be liable for. This will be stated on the rental agreement so have you checked it?

 

Having said the above, you are ultimately responsible as it would be regarded as driver negligence, especially as there was signage.

 

Please Note

 

The advice I offer will be based on the information given by the person needing it. All my advice is based on my experiences and knowledge gained in working in the motor and passenger transport industries in various capacities. Although my advice will always be sincere, it should be used as guidence only.

 

I would always urge to seek face to face professional advice for clarification prior to taking any action.

 

Please click my reputation 'star' button at the bottom of my profile window on the left if you found my advice useful.

 

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Thanks for replying. We didn't get a copy of the rental agreement. Is this something which we can still get now. Will be a bit awkward asking for this. At the time of ordering our food at McDonalds their was a guy (worker) who was physically taking orders who then ushered us on. Should he not have noticed the height of van? McDonalds have it all on video. The barrier is still in use and just looks like a goal post.

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Thanks for replying. We didn't get a copy of the rental agreement. Is this something which we can still get now. Will be a bit awkward asking for this. At the time of ordering our food at McDonalds their was a guy (worker) who was physically taking orders who then ushered us on. Should he not have noticed the height of van? McDonalds have it all on video. The barrier is still in use and just looks like a goal post.

 

It's a legal document and you are entitled to a copy. Did you actually sign an agreement? What if the police become involved (although I doubt that they would)... how are you going to prove you had A) permission to use the van and B) were insured to drive it? C) What if the van had been involved in something else outside the period of hire that you had it and the hire co gave your details... how would you prove you wern't the hirer? This is beginning to sound like you hired from a Micky Mouse outfit! Who was is?

 

Please Note

The advice I offer will be based on the information given by the person needing it. All my advice is based on my experiences and knowledge gained in working in the motor and passenger transport industries in various capacities. Although my advice will always be sincere, it should be used as guidence only.

 

I would always urge to seek face to face professional advice for clarification prior to taking any action.

 

Please click my reputation 'star' button at the bottom of my profile window on the left if you found my advice useful.

 

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Also can I use my own fully comp insurance for my car to claim this if needs must?

 

Does your policy cover yo to drive any other vehicles... including the type you were driving? I doubt it. Most policies with DOVs state that the vehicle must not be owned or hired by the policy holder. You can though, arrange cover for a specific vehicle with your insurer but i'm guessing that you did not do this.

 

Please Note

The advice I offer will be based on the information given by the person needing it. All my advice is based on my experiences and knowledge gained in working in the motor and passenger transport industries in various capacities. Although my advice will always be sincere, it should be used as guidence only.

 

I would always urge to seek face to face professional advice for clarification prior to taking any action.

 

Please click my reputation 'star' button at the bottom of my profile window on the left if you found my advice useful.

 

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No I quite agree that the height is the drivers responsibility - just last minute hunger pangs at the end of a busy house move and didn't use the noggin and on reflection wishing they (McDonalds worker) had made us aware.We didn't receive a copy of the agreement but we did sign something but just didn't get a copy - I am sure they will still have the original. Our letter received from Insurer stated that "no cover applies for this type of incident due to a breach in the terms of hire". As we don't have the terms of hire I'm not quite sure what we are in breach of.

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No I quite agree that the height is the drivers responsibility - just last minute hunger pangs at the end of a busy house move and didn't use the noggin and on reflection wishing they (McDonalds worker) had made us aware.We didn't receive a copy of the agreement but we did sign something but just didn't get a copy - I am sure they will still have the original. Our letter received from Insurer stated that "no cover applies for this type of incident due to a breach in the terms of hire". As we don't have the terms of hire I'm not quite sure what we are in breach of.

 

Exactly. Thats why you should have a copy. It is a legal document and covers many aspects of your use of the vehicle. It can also be used in court if necessary. You should ask for a copy.

 

Please Note

The advice I offer will be based on the information given by the person needing it. All my advice is based on my experiences and knowledge gained in working in the motor and passenger transport industries in various capacities. Although my advice will always be sincere, it should be used as guidence only.

 

I would always urge to seek face to face professional advice for clarification prior to taking any action.

 

Please click my reputation 'star' button at the bottom of my profile window on the left if you found my advice useful.

 

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The letter we received was from McDonalds insurers and said that we had hired a van registration number ******* at the time of this incident and having since spoken to the hire company, am lead to believe that no cover applies to this type of incident due to a breach in the terms of hire.

 

What could be the breach in terms of hire?

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Without seeing the T & C's on the rental agreement, who knows? You still havn't said who the hire co was or we could check on line. But in any event, any insurance policy is legally obliged to honour a TP claim irrespective of the driver's actions or status. As I said earlier, the hire co seem to be fobbing McDonalds off who are then turning their attention to you. The hire insurance would no doubt have an excess of say, £600. This is the limit of your liability in the event of any accidental damage (assuming it was your fault, in this case it is). Was there any damage to the van? If so, what's happening about that?

 

It appears to me that the hire co are 'leap frogging' their insurance co (which is ringing alarm bells very loudly with me) by not simply getting you to pay the excess and allowing McDonalds to put their claim in.

 

Please Note

 

The advice I offer will be based on the information given by the person needing it. All my advice is based on my experiences and knowledge gained in working in the motor and passenger transport industries in various capacities. Although my advice will always be sincere, it should be used as guidence only.

 

I would always urge to seek face to face professional advice for clarification prior to taking any action.

 

Please click my reputation 'star' button at the bottom of my profile window on the left if you found my advice useful.

 

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Sorry but what is a T claim? and what is leap frogging? I have checked the company out online and they don't have T & C online - just really their advertisement. Bit dubious about putting all the details on here tbh. The hire area was a bit "rough" looking with big barking dogs close by. With regards to the damage to vehicle - it was a Luton style van so the damage was a small dent and scratch to the upper overhang area costing £300 which we have yet to pay. Do we need to get a solicitor or do you think it could be sorted out without?

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TP= Third party claim (in this case, McDonalds). Leapfrogging= by-passing the hirer's insurance co.

 

I must admit to thinking that this hire was very dodgy. Having worked in the industry, I can tell you how it works. You enter into a mutual contract when hiring a vehicle. That contract is the rental agreement and there are legal responsibilities on both sides. First and foremost is whether the driver is legally entitled to drive the vehicle and whether he is able to meet the requirements of the RTA. This is the responsibility of the hire co to check. It is also their responsibility to ensure that the vehicle is fully insured against third party risks. The rental agreement will suffice (as far as the hirer is concerned) to act also as proof of insurance (unless the hirer has provided his own). In either case, the insurance co is legally obliged to satisfy a claim to a third party (McDonalds) where the policy holder (or named driver, in this case you) is deemed to be liable for any claim, irrespective of his/her actions. In such circumstances, the hirer will be responsible for any losses up to and including the excess amount as stated on the rental agreement.

 

In other words, in this case your liability should be limited to the insurance excess which is normally around £600. Your liability for this is in the contract you signed (the rental agreement) with the hire co. Equally, if there any conditions relating to your liability (i.e. exclusion from cover for circumstances of negligence), these must be stated within the contract. HOWEVER, the hire co's insurers should still deal with the claim as far as McDonalds are concerned and if applicable, pursue you for their losses. Part of your rental charge normally is for insurance cover, just like paying a premium on your own car and as such, provides you with protection against third party claims.

 

So you see, it all hinges on the rental agreement and the terms contained within it. By law, you are entitled to a copy and most certainly should of been in possession of one during your hire.

 

Even with a solicitor, you will still require a copy of the rental agreement. My advice would be that if the hirer will not provide you with an un-altered copy of the rental agreement (your 'original copy'), then indeed you should seek legal advice. My feeling is that you could have a defence against a direct claim mounted by McDonalds against you.

 

Please Note

 

The advice I offer will be based on the information given by the person needing it. All my advice is based on my experiences and knowledge gained in working in the motor and passenger transport industries in various capacities. Although my advice will always be sincere, it should be used as guidence only.

 

I would always urge to seek face to face professional advice for clarification prior to taking any action.

 

Please click my reputation 'star' button at the bottom of my profile window on the left if you found my advice useful.

 

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That's assuming that the rental company provide insurance. The price that the op paid them might have excluded insurance. When I hired a van it came with no insurance so I had to take out my own separate day cover. It made the price cheaper of the rental.

 

Also like you said, let's say the op checks his t&cs and finds they did provide cover, I bet there will be exclusions, such as misuse.

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That's assuming that the rental company provide insurance. The price that the op paid them might have excluded insurance. When I hired a van it came with no insurance so I had to take out my own separate day cover. It made the price cheaper of the rental.

 

Also like you said, let's say the op checks his t&cs and finds they did provide cover, I bet there will be exclusions, such as misuse.

 

Highly unlikely. The OP would of needed to provide a cover note for the vehicle before it was released to him. Had this been the case, i'm sure the OP would of mentioned this. In any event, there may well be a clause for "miss-use" (although it would probably be described as negligence) but the insurers (whether it be the OP's or the hire co's) still have an obligation to settle a third party claim (This would apply even to a drink drive offence or similar). If the OP had invalidated the insurance cover, then the insurers would pursue him for their losses. In my experience, it is more likely that he would be liable for the excess (as per stated on the RA. However, I am now thinking this was not a bona fide and legitimate rental.

 

Please Note

 

The advice I offer will be based on the information given by the person needing it. All my advice is based on my experiences and knowledge gained in working in the motor and passenger transport industries in various capacities. Although my advice will always be sincere, it should be used as guidence only.

 

I would always urge to seek face to face professional advice for clarification prior to taking any action.

 

Please click my reputation 'star' button at the bottom of my profile window on the left if you found my advice useful.

 

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Any legit rental company would automatically provide insurance (at a cost no doubt) because they would be in bother if they didnt check the insurance for any of their vehicles that were hired out for use on the public highway. cn you imageine the cost of recovery if all of their fleet were seized by the police because the hirers were without the correct cover. As sailor sam says, either a load of baloney to avoid a claim or a very dodgy company indeed.

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Ok that's for the info guys. Basically I phoned the company today to request a copy of my T&C's and he asked why and what do I need them for because the issue was between myself and McDonalds. We cause the damage and we should pay. He then said that we still have not paid for the damage to his vehicle but as far as any damage to McD's then that was my issue. So I asked again could I come down and collect a copy and he said that I could have but he would need to call me back with when I could do this. So................. decided to phone the McD's Insurers to ask what the breach off contract was. They said that the hire van company had said it was along the lines of the person hiring the vehicle was not the one driving the vehicle!!!! but they too were still awaiting the T&C's. I booked the hire over the phone but did not want to drive the van so my partner took his driving license down and then they filled out the paperwork when we picked the van up. I also gave my details to Mcdonalds at the time of incident as my partner re parked the van and I had to go in at collect the food which we had ordered in the drive thru bit. So I'm a bit concerned about this........

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This sounds all very dodgy to me. It's not the T & C's you should be asking for, it's a copy of your RENTAL AGREEMENT which should show the T & C's, the insurance excess and the end time and mileage. This is your contract with the hire co and as such, you should of been furnished with a copy at the beginning and end of the hire. The "filling in the paperwork when you picked up the van" should be the rental agreement.

 

At the moment, my theory is that you were driving without insurance cover at all which means you may end up being liable for the full damages as far as McDonalds are concerned. I'm beginning to think that you need face to face legal advice unless you can obtain the rental agreement.

 

Please Note

 

The advice I offer will be based on the information given by the person needing it. All my advice is based on my experiences and knowledge gained in working in the motor and passenger transport industries in various capacities. Although my advice will always be sincere, it should be used as guidence only.

 

I would always urge to seek face to face professional advice for clarification prior to taking any action.

 

Please click my reputation 'star' button at the bottom of my profile window on the left if you found my advice useful.

 

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Luton Van hire typically excludes "Overhead damage" eg damage to the top of the vehicle as it's fairly common for drivers not used to driving them to hit trees and bridges etc. This is generally relating to own damage eg your personally liable for damage to the top / luton (Box) part pf the van.

 

Have a good read of any exclusions / wordings relating to this.

 

Having said that even if the third party damage is covered, the Insurers may reserve the right to recover the damage from you in the case of "gross Negligence" or "Overhead damage" anyway so have a very good read

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