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hi beagles, i.ve had some good advice from you before , i wonder if i can get some more. I hired a van & got a puncture , on return informed the check in man who said ok and sent me on my way. I was not informed of any impending charge. I charged my customer for the job plus van hire cost and was paid. A day later was informed by hire co that tyre was irreparable so i must pay for new one. I cant now go back to my customer & ask for another £130.If they'd told me at the time I could had recouped the cost from my customer. Shouldn't the van co have have inspected the tyre at the time? & the tyre was 30.000 miles worn .Should I have to pay for a new one? they've had 30,000 miles of hire income from the old one. regards. peppi
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Re: vehicle hire
What do the Terms & Conditions say?
It is difficult to see how you could be expected to pay for a simple puncture, although many hire firms do operate some sort of damage scam. -
Re: vehicle hire
hi retriever, yes, the hire form says i have to pay puncture costs (and would have done so) but as the checkin man knew about the puncture , but didnt bother to check the tyre or say that there'd be an extra charge, i assumed (naively) ? that he'd waived the charge. I even said "no extras?" as i thought there might be some mileage costs but he said "no" and cleared me to go.Comment
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Re: vehicle hire
Why should you have to pay for a new tyre if the hire form says "puncture" costs?
All they can claim IMO is a contribution towards the cost of the new tyre.
If you can find out what sort of mileage is to be expected from a tyre on this sort of vehicle (does its position < front or rear> on the vehicle have a bearing on its expected mileage?) you could then respond (in writing signed for) offering to contribute a reasonable percentage to their costs.
If they refuse to negotiate let them threaten CC, because if you have been reasonable and offered a fair amount it won't be worth their while.
PS have you checked their charge for a new tyre is not inflated?Comment
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Re: vehicle hire
Tee hee for the bit in red, Des, tres drole!Originally posted by des8 View Post
It does seem unfair as the tyres would be part of their normal wear and tear. Unfortunately, new tyres are expensive and so is labour to repair punctures, so there's unlikely to be a huge difference:tsk:
I wonder if you could just tell them to stuff it?Comment
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Re: vehicle hire
"I wonder if you could just tell them to stuff it?"
With straw or foam?
More seriously, whilst new tyres are expensive, the hirer should only have to put the owner back in the position they would have been in prior to the puncture. If the tyre was near end of life why should in all fairness the hirer have to pay for a new tyre. Some vans, especially some Transit models, are notorious for excessive tyre wear. Tyres often not even lasting 30000 miles.Comment
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Re: vehicle hire
I have to agree with you, Des. Tyres are classed as "consumables", along with brake and clutch linings, light bulbs, and air and oil filters. They will, sooner or later, wear out and need replacing. Whether it is reasonable for the hire company to expect the OP to pay for a new tyre will depend on the condition the tyre was in when the OP took possession of the van. If it was a relatively new tyre, then the hire company may have a case, but if it was nearing the end of its serviceable life, then I would argue the hire company is on a sticky wicket and would be entitled to ask for no more than 10% of the cost of a new tyre, if at all. Also, a hire company would be in a position to purchase the tyre and have it fitted on trade terms, so they cannot expect the OP to pay retail prices. As you quite rightly say, the hire company is only entitled to be put back in the same position they were in before the puncture occurred.Originally posted by des8 View Post
I would say that it is not unreasonable for the OP to offer the hire company an ex gratia payment of £15 towards the costs of a new tyre. However, when looked at in the cold light of day, I am of the opinion a court would not look favourably upon a hire company that tried to put itself in a position where it was better-off than before.Life is a journey on which we all travel, sometimes together, but never alone.Comment
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Re: vehicle hire
How did he know about the puncture?Originally posted by peppi View Post
Speaking hypothetically ...... but didnt bother to check the tyre or say that there'd be an extra charge, i assumed (naively) ? that he'd waived the charge. I even said "no extras?" as i thought there might be some mileage costs but he said "no" and cleared me to go.
If there was no paperwork created at the time (and preferably acknowledged by you), then there is really no way that they can convincingly show that the puncture was actually there when the vehicle came back, is there?Comment
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Re: vehicle hire
Is it still possible to obtain inner tubes for motor-car tyres?Originally posted by bluebottle View Post
If it is, then all the hire company would need to do would be to remove the tyre, remove the cause of the puncture, fit the inner tube, refit the tyre and inflate it.Comment
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Re: vehicle hire
[QUOTE=CleverClogs;392017]Is it still possible to obtain inner tubes for motor-car tyres?
No. Tubeless tyres can no longer be repaired by using an inner tube. These regulations have been in place for several years now.Comment
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Re: vehicle hire
Whether a tubeless tyre can be repaired will depend on the nature of the puncture and where on the tyre it is, e.g. bead, sidewall or tread.Life is a journey on which we all travel, sometimes together, but never alone.Comment
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