Whatever the reason is, it’s always a pain when your car is in for repair. Having a car is our key to freedom, to being lazy and to getting where we need to be. But fear not, just cause your car’s getting some TLC, it doesn’t have to mean you can’t get to work, can’t drive to the shops instead of walk, or even go on that epic road trip you were planning.
What are my options?
You’ve got a few different choices to make when it comes to getting around without your own motor:
Courtesy Car
Some insurers may offer a courtesy car while your vehicle’s off the road. This means that if your motor is being repaired or serviced, the repairer gives you a vehicle to keep you on the move. However, this depends on availability and can differ with each insurer.
Certain insurers may also offer an optional add-on called “Guaranteed Replacement Car” which does exactly what its name suggests. It guarantees you access to a car to keep mobile. But you’ll have to double check with your insurer to see if this can be added on or if it’s already included.
Hire Car
A different option could involve renting a car from a hire company yourself. Car rental often comes with its own insurance so you wouldn’t have to worry about this. But, make sure you check the details to ensure that you are fully covered in case of an accident.
Also, be aware that this process can often be expensive because you have to pay for both the car hire and your insurance cover.
Becoming a Named Driver
Another option could involve becoming a named driver on another person’s policy. This involves the policy holder contacting their insurer and getting you added to their own policy.
However, this could be a time-consuming process and might not be necessary if you’re only going to be using the vehicle for a short period of time while your own car is in for repair. It could also affect the vehicle owner’s premium.
Temporary Car Insurance
One other option, then, could be to get temporary car insurance on your mate’s or family member’s car while your car is in for repair. This way, you don’t have to pay to hire a car or go through the whole process of becoming a named driver.
Getting insured isn’t as difficult as you may think either, especially with Jaunt’s temporary car insurance. With Jaunt, you can get insured in minutes and be on the road in no time at all. Another great advantage of this option with Jaunt is that if you do end up having an accident in another driver’s car, their no-claims bonus won’t be affected. However, the driver will need to notify their insurer of the claim and that could affect their premium in the future.
The policy is super flexible too so you can get insured on the car for the time you need it, for up to 28 days. Just because you don’t have your car, doesn’t mean you have to be without one.
Check out our short-term car insurance guide for more info.
