When you use a third party claims management Company you, in any agrement, are liable for any sums not recoverable from the third party.

Your garage should have insisted on you signing the claims managements Company documentation, at the time. and cannot force you to sign now,

That being said they probably will not relaease you car untill they have been paid, by you or the claims company.

If this was me ,in future I would be taking my insurance elsewhere, the last thing you want is any claim being handled by a claims management Company (Generally rip off merchants)

They might as well just ask you to send them your cheque book! They've repaired a vehicle, attempted to recover the bill from an insurer in the usual way, are having difficulties doing so and now wish to chase you for the money instead. Only, somebody forgot to ask you to sign the paperwork to agree to be liable for it, and unless you sign it now, they've got a bit of a problem.

Simply tell them you decline the terms of the contract and don't wish to sign it, and equally would not have done so had the document been presented to you in the correct way at the appropriate time. It's your right to refuse it, it's their problem if they did the work without it. However, I presume they could ultimately persue you for payment via the courts if need be, though your insurance company should have it sorted way before then. It's likely the garage simply got bored waiting for a typically lethargic and lazy insurer, and thought it easier to come after you for their money instead. I would suggest you chase your insurer and tell them to get their backside in gear and have the garage paid. Given their rather unpleasant sneakery, I'd also suggest shifting your garage custom elsewhere for the next time!

Edited by 520i on 01/03/2018 at 18:05