02 March 2007

Car Insurance Covers Faulty Petrol | Cheap Car Insurance and Home Insurance from Confused.com

Motorists who have recently filled their tanks with 'rogue petrol' and have incurred breakdown or repair charges as a result, could be covered by their insurance according to leading insurance search engine Confused.com.

Debra Williams, managing director of Confused.com commented:

'The Financial Ombudsman Service, which settles disputes between financial services providers and their customers, has in the past ruled that filling up your tank with the wrong petrol could be classed as 'accidental damage' and therefore covered by a comprehensive insurance policy. Although this was not an industry ruling as such, many insurers have since committed to pay out on such a claim.

'If your car has been damaged by 'rogue fuel', you would be well advised to contact your insurer to verify the details of your policy before taking it to a repairer. Previously such claims were dismissed as negligence and refused, however we're increasingly seeing insurers adopt a more lenient approach to this problem by relaxing their policies.' This is potentially great news for the hundreds of drivers who have been affected, but what do they need to do to resolve the problem?

• First & foremost, contact your insurer to check that a claim could be made on your comprehensive policy on the basis of accidental damage.
• Take your car to an approved repairer suggested by your insurance company, who'll provide you with a courtesy car if necessary (dependent on insurer). If you take your car to a non-approved repairer you'll still be able to claim back garage bills, however not for any courtesy car provided; you would need to seek compensation from the negligent party for this.
• Ask the repairer to take a sample of the petrol from your tank as evidence.
• Keep all receipts and credit card statements to prove when and where you purchased the fuel.
• Keep a diary of when you purchased fuel and what has happened to your car since, include a log of all charges.

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