Is Credit Hire Yesterday’s News?
2 minute read | April 10, 2018
“Credit Hire is so last year. I don’t mean that it is unfashionable, on the contrary. The need to provide mobility to customers caught up in a non-fault accident is as vital as ever.
At MSL, our clients typically include people who make their living from being at the wheel, including driving instructors, taxi and limousine drivers. Therefore an hour off the road is an hour when they aren’t earning a living. The service we provide clients whose cars are off the road following an accident is all about speed, whether the accident was their fault or not.
We aim to get them back on the road within four hours, thanks to our network of replacement vehicles positioned and ready for use all over the UK.
Coming back to fashion. My point is that credit hire, after being under the microscope from politicians, regulators and journalists between 2012 and 2015, has come through a turbulent period to retake its position as a legitimate, even vital, service to the public.
On average, people have a car accident once every seven years. Thankfully most involve bent metal, rather than injuries to the driver and passengers. However, unless they have mobility (and the right mobility) while their cars are being repaired, how can they get on with their lives?
Driving instructors can’t have any old replacement vehicle. They need one with dual controls. A mother with four kids needs a car big enough to do the school run safely. Credit hire providers like us step in to match the right vehicle to the customers’ needs, and help them navigate their way through what can be a stressful and complex customer journey.
This service is provided at a cost of less than £4 on the average car insurance policy, according to the Competition and Markets Authority, which investigated the credit hire industry in 2013 and reported in 2015. To me, that seems pretty good value, especially as the claims journey is about far more than simply providing a ‘courtesy car and telling the customer to get on with it.’
In 2016 the government issued a consultation exercise where it asked interested parties to answer a number of questions about the future for credit hire, and whether there are better ways to manage and regulate the industry. That consultation has long since closed, but the outcome of the government’s consultation has yet to be published.
My sense is that further intervention in our industry has become unnecessary. The thousands of customers who we help every year are happy with our service. They’re glad that they can rely on someone to look after their interests. We have proved that credit hire is an important and cost effective part of the claims value chain, and look forward to continuing to serve our customers in their hour of need for many years to come.”
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