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Wanted to come on here to vent and tell you about what happened with my car. It’s a wild story so buckle up.
Last year mid October we received our motability car after waiting a year, it’s a gorgeous Toyota RAV4. Mid November I was involved in an accident (not my fault) A car swerved into my lane from the left on a roundabout and me in my panic steered to the right into the roundabout, into a pole. I still blame myself for my reaction but I honestly don’t even remember how it all happened. Luckily another car had dash cam footage.
When I saw the car afterward I was 90% sure it was a write off. Motability kept it for a month at the car impound to try and find a garage to deal with it. Every garage declined apart from 1, and it was finally sent to them in January this year for repairs. I couldn’t believe it was repairable.
The garage let us know that because it was a brand new car, it would be hard to get parts and the estimated date the car would be finished is end of March/early April. I thought great! That’s not that bad.
The estimated date kept getting pushed back and the garage was no longer answering any emails or phone calls from myself. I was checking their google reviews religiously and seemed like they never answer the phone to anyone. They did answer once to tell me that they are very busy so the car will be worked on and they’d let us know by text message when it’ll be finished.
I got a text message in August to say that it finished, I went to get the car and upon arrival I discovered it wasn’t fully finished. The garage told me that they never updated the system to say it finished, and that it’ll probably finish late September, they were just waiting for one more part.
I gave them some time until early October because when I saw the car, it looked great! I also knew they have never finished on time so I thought let me wait until they send me a message, as they don’t reply to their phone and the garage is quite far from me so I don’t want to make unnecessary trips.
Early October I google the garage just to see, I was shocked to discover that it was “permanently closed” I was panicking and called motability who told me that they no longer are working with this garage and my car will be taken elsewhere to finish the repairs.
I got a call this morning from RSA motability and what they told me shook me. I wasn’t expecting this but I’m not very surprised.. Turns out all the cars in the garage are a write off, including mine. They’ve been keeping motability cars and agreeing to repair any, even written off looking ones because RSA pay them monthly for any motability car they’re repairing on site!!! This has now become a criminal case and I’m so much money out of pocket.
Me being a Capricorn I went on an FBI mission to find the owner of the garage. Found him on social media, he’s been living in dubai for the past few months. LOL!!!
What an eventful Monday morning. I hope your year has gone better than mine!
Moniq
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How are you out of pocket… it’s a motability car so you get onto them for a replacement vehicle while yours is being repaired ?♂️
Yeah, sounds like it should be a criminal case.
Sorry it wasn’t really the right term, I wouldn’t call it “out of pocket.” But I was only provided with a hire car for 3 months and since then they have offered a taxi service to be booked in advance for any appointments. I haven’t used the taxi service as I’ve had family members offering with driving. So since this all has happened my mobility part of PIP is still going to the car, but I have been assured that it will be refunded for the 10 months that I haven’t had my car or the hire car.
Moniq
Interesting read! However, Motability, RSA or both, perhaps should have put two and two together when all other repairers rfused to work on your car.
You have also been driving around in a write off, since you collected it, which in its self isn’t the best situation to be in. Today RSA rings to tell you this, so where is your car now and have they advised you not to drive it and it will be collected on “x” date?
Have Motability advised you, to start looking for a new vehicle, whilst keeping you in a hire car, which I also expect you had use of whils’t yours was in for repair initially?
Hpe you have a better 2024 🙂
Sorry but I think you’ve been treated shockingly and are definitely out of pocket… you’ve been paying for a car for 10 months and not been able to use it?
Offered a pre bookable taxi service is rubbish… what if you want to go visit someone miles away, try a new shopping centre, go on holiday, pick up someone from the pub etc etc
I’d be screaming blue murder to have had a replacement car supply while mines was in for repair
Interesting read! However, Motability, RSA or both, perhaps should have put two and two together when all other repairers rfused to work on your car. You have also been driving around in a write off, since you collected it, which in its self isn’t the best situation to be in. Today RSA rings to tell you this, so where is your car now and have they advised you not to drive it and it will be collected on “x” date? Have Motability advised you, to start looking for a new vehicle, whilst keeping you in a hire car, which I also expect you had use of whils’t yours was in for repair initially? Hpe you have a better 2024 ?
Hi Kezo!
Sorry for the confusion, I went to go see it when they sent a text message to tell me it was finished. When I went it looked good, they turned me away and said it wasn’t finished yet.
I think they were fixing just the outsides but not the inside? I don’t know where the car is, they said all the cars at the garage are a write off and we won’t be getting it back. They’ll call after Christmas with more updates and next steps, they just wanted to call me to let me know it was a dodgy garage and is now a criminal case.
Moniq
I’m suprised by how long it took RSA to realise something was up – surely “repairs” taking that much time should be pretty suspicious?
Yeah I’m surprised too, especially because 4 garages had rejected the repairs beforehand, and it seems like loads of motability cars had been going to this garage but none were actually getting repaired. Their google reviews are flooded. Not sure why it’s taken them so long, I know motability have now changed insurers and hopefully the new insurers are much more vigilant. I don’t even want to know how much money they’ve lost.
Moniq
Once the car is officially written off you can get on with ordering a new car and starting your three year lease again (as long as you have 12 months PIP remaining). From the point of write off its quite straightforward, the only challenge being finding an in stock car or waiting for delivery.
When mine was written off I did not take the courtesy car or taxi and was refunded any PIP money, but I am able to drive any car so was able to use a family car on the odd occasion when I really needed something and there was nobody available to give me a lift.
Good luck with it and sorry to hear about the horrible experience
I am actually in shock reading this. I am in a slightly similar situation. My car was picked up after an accident and within a month, I was told it was written off. I could swear that the car could be repaired but we are where we are. I currently have a hire car and waiting for January to see if there will be any new cars as I loved my Tiguan so much.
I am actually in shock reading this. I am in a slightly similar situation. My car was picked up after an accident and within a month, I was told it was written off. I could swear that the car could be repaired but we are where we are. I currently have a hire car and waiting for January to see if there will be any new cars as I loved my Tiguan so much.
Hi Xeba,
It really is a shock.. I did call motability yesterday just to get some more information on the write off aspect and they actually told me the write off is not from the accident, but damages to the car incurred at the garage. The representative also told me all the cars at the garage have been written off due to damages incurred at the garage. I’m inclined to think that this garage was taking parts out and selling them (?) I’m not sure. Had a look at their social media and it looks like the owner and workers have moved abroad months ago.
Moniq
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