MB Harrogate - Accident cover

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

pammy

MB Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 2, 2003
Messages
7,468
Location
North Yorkshire
Car
hers - slk 320, his - dull diesel BMW fleet :/, Xtrail, Honda CBR 1100xx, Yamaha YZF600, Ribble Road
Just got home to an ickle envelope from MB Harrogate. They're giving their customers free accident management cover. If you have a bump - you give them a call 24/7 and they will then ensure your insurance company get your Mercedes to them for proper repair rather than the insurers approved lists.

Ok - perhaps not the biggest thing going but not bad for a pure freebie. But the icing on the cake is if the accident is not your fault - after the original recovery - they will lend you a like for like while yours is off the road.

They will also do all the liaising with the other driver and deal with your uninsured losses!

I know you get this with some insurers but not all by any means. And I know it's about them getting the work and making money - but from a customer's persepective - I like :rock:
 
errrr...there are a whole load of accident management companies that do this. I would imagine that MB Harrogate have just signed up with one of them - there will be something in it for them - commission, or whatever.

Insurance companies hate these outfits because it pushes up the cost of settling claims, which in the end affects us all.
 
Rory said:
errrr...there are a whole load of accident management companies that do this.

I think it quite probable that most of these accident management companies have a lot os small print where like for like replacement or courtesy cars feature.

Our old dealership offered this and it is absolutely 100% stress free. Remember you MUST get your vehicle repaired by a Mercedes-Benz approved agent. This can be a hassle with some insurance companies.

Well done Pammy :bannana: :bannana:
John
 
glojo said:
Well done Pammy :bannana: :bannana:
John

Cheers J - but the recognotion is deserved by MB HArrogate.

I don't doubt that their are other Accident Mgt companies out there - but would they do it for free? Which is what it would be for me. And if it means no hassle then sounds like a good deal to me. ;)
 
pammy said:
Cheers J - but the recognotion is deserved by MB HArrogate.

I don't doubt that their are other Accident Mgt companies out there - but would they do it for free? Which is what it would be for me. And if it means no hassle then sounds like a good deal to me. ;)

I think they will make thir money from the guilty partys insurance company.

Cost of hire, repair paper work etc at scandolus prices? but if its you thats the innocent party, you stand to gain as MB will be repairing your car and also giving you a MB to drive instead of ford Ka! ( no offence intended!!)
 
Be very very careful here and read the small print.

My friend had a car which was damaged by someone else driving into him. He was pursuaded by one of these companies to get a "like for like" hire car, which they would claim from the other person's insurance for the duration of the repair. The other person's insurance refused to pay for the like for like car, so the accident managment company simply charged the hire for the like for like car to my friend.

Read the small print. Carefully. Read it again. Then and only then consider whether you think you are safe.

-simon
 
SimonsMerc said:
Be very very careful here and read the small print.

My friend had a car which was damaged by someone else driving into him. He was pursuaded by one of these companies to get a "like for like" hire car, which they would claim from the other person's insurance for the duration of the repair. The other person's insurance refused to pay for the like for like car, so the accident managment company simply charged the hire for the like for like car to my friend.

Read the small print. Carefully. Read it again. Then and only then consider whether you think you are safe.

-simon

Simon is absolutely correct: it is a money-making scam. Inchcape Group MB stealers offer the same thing (midlands MB dealers like MB Nottingham) and I got all the 'Free' accident management bumpf through the post: I read the (very) small print and it turns out that you agree to foot the 'unrecoverable costs' when using the service. I also noted that the 'Free' part was the upfront service: but the backend costs are not necessarily free. Very sneaky.

If it sounds too good to be true then it is probably a scam.
 
had enyone heard about the police responding to accidents and giving out r. a. c . accident management packs at the scene,..
 
If it sounds too good to be true then it is probably a scam.

what toss ! only sometimes, not always ! Do your homework !!

A reasonable man will do what is only obvious and safe, an unreasonable man will try new things and experiment and find out the FACTS.

Therefore ALL progress is due to
the UNreasonable man (or woman of course ;) )
 
A while back I was sent this accident management stuff from M-B Eastbourne (where I got my R129), this week I've had another lot from Tony Purslow Guildford (where I have it serviced). So presumably it's group-wide, any further thoughts on the scheme?
 
I'm skeptical, having had mixed experiences, but if offered it then I'll read the small print and so forth. At the end of the day its nice for Pammy's dealer to at least try to do more for customer service - and thats what we should be praising.
 
saorbust said:
I'm skeptical, having had mixed experiences, but if offered it then I'll read the small print and so forth. At the end of the day its nice for Pammy's dealer to at least try to do more for customer service - and thats what we should be praising.

Agree - its a another money making "scheme" for the Stealerships and any costs that are not covered by the third party's insurer YOU will end up picking up to cover the Stealers' costs. Read all the small print.
 
OK I've re-read the small print, and not convinced about it being a 'scam'.

There's a guaranteed courtesy car if yours isn't driveable.

If the accident wasn't your fault it says you may be entitled to a like-for-like vehicle (they will liaise with your insurance company and the other driver).

The only exclusion given is
We will not pay for:
  • Any expenses incurred by you should you hold a third party fire and theft motor insurance policy or third party only motor insurance policy.
That's it.

To me the scheme seems to be about providing business to M-B approved bodyshops, which is fair enough. Not sure how the dealer that issues the card would make money from it?
 
BTB 500 said:
OK I've re-read the small print, and not convinced about it being a 'scam'.

There's a guaranteed courtesy car if yours isn't driveable.

If the accident wasn't your fault it says you may be entitled to a like-for-like vehicle (they will liaise with your insurance company and the other driver).

The only exclusion given is
That's it.

To me the scheme seems to be about providing business to M-B approved bodyshops, which is fair enough. Not sure how the dealer that issues the card would make money from it?

Well IF the third party refuses to pay/dispute any part of the cost/claim then YOU will have to make up the short fall for the Stealerships costs...!!! Stealer will make a handling charge from the third party at the very least and may possibly provide the rental car or make a markup as they get them cheap from the rental company!!! :rolleyes:

The full Terms & Conditions will be on the small print once you have signed up or have to make a claim... :rolleyes:
 
Last edited:
You don't have to sign up, and the pack already includes the terms and conditions (with the only exclusion being as already mentioned).

I'm sure you're right that there would be additional conditions associated with any courtesy car though.
 
It relies upon the assumption that the "not your fault" bit means that the other party or their insurance company will pay for like for like car hire costs etc.

But the financial risk of them not doing so always remains yours.
 
Satch said:
It relies upon the assumption that the "not your fault" bit means that the other party or their insurance company will pay for like for like car hire costs etc.

But the financial risk of them not doing so always remains yours.

That's not stated in the Ts & Cs though.

My (naive, perhaps) assumption is that they'd clear a 'like for like' hire car with the other insurer before giving you one. And if you're worried about it, you could presumably opt for a standard courtesy car instead. If this is the only possible 'catch' it's surely not so bad for a free service?
 
BTB 500 said:
That's not stated in the Ts & Cs though.

My (naive, perhaps) assumption is that they'd clear a 'like for like' hire car with the other insurer before giving you one. And if you're worried about it, you could presumably opt for a standard courtesy car instead. If this is the only possible 'catch' it's surely not so bad for a free service?
Please read:

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=20035
 
BTB 500 said:
OK I've re-read the small print, and not convinced about it being a 'scam'.
I think 'scam' is probably OTT, but it's a way of hooking people in, which they should go in to with their eyes open.
BTB 500 said:
If the accident wasn't your fault it says you may be entitled to a like-for-like vehicle (they will liaise with your insurance company and the other driver).
I think the emphasis here should be on If - insurance claims are often not straightforward and insurance companies will often settle 'knock for knock' (because it's easier for them) where you might think the other party was 100% to blame.

The risk here is that you could end up paying the cost of hiring a Merc yourself. Also your insurer may dispute the repair cost using an MB bodyshop.
BTB 500 said:
To me the scheme seems to be about providing business to M-B approved bodyshops, which is fair enough. Not sure how the dealer that issues the card would make money from it?
The dealer makes money by getting the work into the bodyshop (where it would normally have gone to the insurers recommended body shop), and also on the hire car. Whether or not they make additional admin fees, I don't know - I can't imagine insurance companies paying these anyway.
 
OK I remember that thread now.

The outcome being that he got like-for-like, with an assurance that they insure against non-payment from the other insurer ... so he definitely wouldn't have to pay for anything.

So it seems that not all these schemes are scams?
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom