Vehicle Insurance

This is everything thats wrong with UK Insurance !!!

Your insurers really should pay for the damage and loan you a hire vehicle and they recover these costs back. You could also recover reasonable expenses for any losses you incur as a result of your non fault claim. 

Yes that means you pay the excess but as its non fault you will get that back in a few weeks.

Problem is now-a-days is you get ambulance chasers ringing you 24/7 encouraging you to put a claim in for PI when in reality you haven't sustained any injury but its so hard to prove you are likely to get paid out. Just 'coz everyone else is doing it most peoples attitude is its free money and why not?

Or, as in Barneys case above, costs of hire vehicles are over inflated and the other parties insurers end up footing a massive bill.

The losers in this actually are you and me, as we are paying extra money in their premiums due to this culture of ""free"" money from a non fault claim 

I could have arranged the van hire myself for between £30 - £40 per day instead of the insurance company's which equated to £109 per day. Now, my van I insure through a company called Adrian Flux (the broker) the insurance itself is underwritten by Qudos (the insurance company) claims are handled by ULR Additions who arrange the repairs through their so called approved garages, I've never heard of them until now, but a quick search makes interesting reading The very idea of being sued by solicitors for not fulfilling a referrals quota is a joke in itself.

Having just spoke to ULR Additions on the phone once again, they are trying to pressurise me into to using the same outfit as the last one. I have told them I am unwilling to go along with this as the previous repairs are still unsatisfactory, they replied that they have other approved garages and vehicle hire outlets. I have told them that I will pay the excess and will supply them with 3 quotes and will hire a vehicle at a reasonable cost.... All she could say was " have you got any whiplash injuries?" complete joke......

You are under no obligation to use their approved garages but they will attach limitations to vehicle hire etc to that, all unfair IMHO.

Best of luck mate  

Sounds like you are perfectly in charge of the situation but if you want any help or advice you know where i am 

As it happens, just before Christmas my van was sandwiched by a London double decker bus, after reviewing the CCTV the bus company The Go Ahead Group admitted full liability the following day, offered to sort out all the repairs themselves, cover any out of pocket expenses plus any vehicle hire....Which was capped at £31 a day they did say I was at liberty to use my own repairers and hire my own vehicle but they would not pay more than the £31. 

I didn't have any problems with this as although I informed my insurance company, I haven't had to use them to resolve the issues. Just annoyed that my insurance company charges £66.17 a day when they all use the same hire companies for replacement vehicles. And then state in their policies that you can only claim for actual losses / expenses.... Seems to me all this out sourcing to claims management companies is forcing premiums to rise rather than actual driver claims....