I ask because of Westpig's post on the delivery van driver's stolen van thread:
you lend your car to a friend put him on your insurance and whilst he has the car in his care he leaves the keys in the ignition when he bought a paper in the morning car gets stolen.
If either one of them blew the car up then the friend may or may not offer to contribute to the repair (i think they should) whereas the employee wouldn't....but leaving the thing for an easy steal is fairly negligent and shows sod all respect for the owner
If I lent my car to somebody who left the keys in and it was stolen, yes, I would expect them to cough up. If they have a puncture, then yes, I expect them to buy a new tyre, although I would contribute depending on how old it was.
But if the car "blew up" then that is not their fault. A broken exhaust; a destroyed alternator; a bust cambelt. How could that be their fault?
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I do lend my cars but only to people who I judge to be at least as careful and as sensible as I am. No mishaps yet and the car comes back cleaner than it left.
659.
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I have lent my car to a close friend, but on the terms that they were responsible for any loss / damage that occurred. Of course mechanical failure, unless caused by them, would be my problem, but had my friend left the keys in the car and it had been stolen, I would certainly have expected him to replace it.
As it was, after about 2 months it came back spotless, with a new road atlas on the passenger seat and a set of golf clubs in the boot.
Chose your friends (and your employees) well and all is easy...
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I concur with Gordon. If I lend a car to anyone, it's on the strict understanding "you bend it, you mend it" and that goes for whatever happens while they've got it!
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I sometimes briefly "borrow" cars from my daughters.
An example, daughter no. 1 who still lives at home, if her Panda is in the way of all the other cars and I want to go to the shop I will use it. I also use this as an opportunity to check it out for faults as she would not notice. There is an element of risk as, although my insurance covers me for use of other vehicles, I'm not sure how well covered I am so I drive very, very carefully.
If daughter no.2, who is more savvy about cars, says she thinks there's a fault, again I will test drive for her but carefully and not too far.
I would never lend a car to anyone.
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Doctorchris >> although my insurance covers me for use of other vehicles
Usually only covers 3rd party risk. This DOC [driving other cars] 3rd party extension is increasingly getting harder to find, so it is worth checking that you are still covered. Some exclude cars at the same address, and most exclude cars owned by spouse/partner. [Your stay at home daughter may find her insurance is cheaper if she includes you as a named driver! ]
Gordon M >> As it was, after about 2 months it came back spotless, with a new road atlas on the passenger seat and a set of golf clubs in the boot.
The true test of the friendship would have been if/when the car had not come back!
Edited by jbif on 15/07/2008 at 19:11
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Many years ago I used to have a boss who would loan me his car whenever he went on holiday. This was usually on the understanding that I would use it to drop him and his family at the airport and return in it to collect them at the end of their holiday. I was allowed to use it for my own purposes in the meanwhile. At first I felt favoured by this "treat" until the penny eventually dropped. Not only was he getting a cheap airport taxi but a free valet as well. He was notorious for having a dirty car both inside and out despite them being pretty upmarket models. I think he knew that I would clean it up to show off in and that he would get a sparkling car back at the end of his hols.
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My other half doesn't even drive mine. She knows the consequences of coming back with a kerbed alloy. :)
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Reminds me of a story against myself MLC. A long time ago when I used to spend far too much money on cars, my then girlfriend and now wife, had pleaded for a shot of my car. I reluctantly let her drive it and to my horror she not only kerbed the wheel but split the tyre sidewall as well. Changed wheel and feeling suitably grumpy I drove home muttering stuff about a certain person not having the requisite skills to handle a car like this, should stick to her wee hatchback, and so on..............
On arrival at our house I took a wide swing at the drive at a fair rate of knots. A technique I had honed (or so I thought) to perfection. Promptly wiped the side of the car down the gatepost at about 20mph. GF nearly choked trying not to laugh.
:-(
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Long ago I had a beautiful pristine 911.
My girlfriend of the time had a knackered Mini.
I was working away in Europe and mummy was due for a visit.
Girlfriend begged for use of the Porsche which she was not allowed to drive to show off to mummy. Girlfriend was not insured to drive the Porsche as I didn't want her to use it. But she begged she was only going to take mummy out to lunch in it, 5 miles away, what could go wrong?
Took mummy out to lunch. Mummy, one of the most horrible women I have ever met, had a bad wrist so rather than open the door unlatched it and kicked it open.
Girlfriend had parked close to a Bentley.
My door bent the Bentley dented. I had to settle the Bentley driver in cash and pay for my car to be mended. Relationship ended soon after.
Won't tell you what it cost me but expensive lesson well learned...
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No to the OP question ? I?m not as cavalier as I used to be in this more complex and small print world.
Phone call from person using your car: ?Sorry your car is write-off.? Take your pick why from below.
Over the alcohol limit.
Using a mobile
Speeding
Not wearing my spectacles
Have driving convictions
Doctor told me not to drive
Let my underage son have a drive
Didn?t secure brake on a slope
It?s enough to make you paranoid. Would think all invalidate your insurance.
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I don't allow anyone to drive my car [other than my wife]. I also don't borrow anyone else's car.
Obvious cases, like mechanic wants to test ride, don't count.
My friends also don't want to drive each others' cars. If courtesy service, like dropping/picking up from airport is required, I use my own car to drop them (and vice versa).
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Wife and father - Yes
Mother-in-law - my car no, Espadrille's - Yes although with new A-class unlikely.
Secretary - if absolutely necessary
Anyone else - no!!! Certainly not my friends who have little motoring knowledge, so do not know how to treat a decent car. My accountant and close friend drives his pristine Audi A4 (renewed religiously on lease every three years) to and from the office each day and that is it. Total mileage each day - oooh no more than three miles in total. I have persuaded him to buy my old pedal bike off me.
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Ditto the above Humph re the boss/git, 'shame' that after I'd had the Big Beema for a week or two I told the clump that the oil was low, he didnt do anything about it and blew the engine a couple of months later on the way to a big family get together, shame :-)
CBG
Edited by corblimeyguvnar{P} on 15/07/2008 at 21:20
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Only in a dire emergency would I lend my car to SWMBO-one look at the scrape marks on her newish Corolla is reason enough for this approach.
Like Movilogo, I never lend my car,nor will I borrow someone else`s car. The incident of the stolen van is warning of the unforseen consequenses of doing so.
People will say "but my insurance covers me to drive any car" little realising it only covers them for third party risks.
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The C15 I am currently driving (see profile) is borrowed, I pay the tax, insurance, servicing and anything normal that goes wrong (tyres, brakes, exhaust etc). Will I pay out if it goes BANG due to something untoward, well we shall see.
I treat it better than the owner ever did/will so lets hope its OK for a few months more.
As for lending a motor to anyone, mmm, just the wife, definitely not the daught after her vehicular history, maybe a very trusted friend in dire need, but I'd probably hire them a motor and pay for it if they were that desperate, or drive them myself.
Cor! aint we funny when it comes to our motors?
CBG
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I once bought a car for fifty quid for SWMBO to learn to drive in. It used oil at about 50 MPP!
Brother-in-law borrowed it ( I included a five litre can of used engine oil). He moaned about putting the oil in, and claimed he had to drive it around for over an hour after he wanted 'to use up the petrol he'd put in it'.
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Two poor experiences of borrowing have left me very wary.
First time was when we agreed to drive a friend's car down from Scotland to London, I wasn't driving as I was about 8+ months pregnant. As we drove down the motorway we had a blowout - husband managing to get us to the hard shoulder via a small gap in the lorries (thanks guys for being so quick to appreciate our problem). We then discovered the spare was completely bald.....
Second time was ten years later, and surprise surprise, I was pregnant again, although slightly less so. This time we were living near Congleton and had just bought a Volvo estate, so husband and pal decided to take that to Scotland (fishing again..)leaving me with the children and pal's Golf. Returning from the school run, during rush hour, the Golf conked out on a junction just turning right onto the A34 - just brilliant. Fortunately some nice chaps came and pushed it off the road and the AA towed it away.
I have lent a few cars and will probably not be doing that again, as they were not as good with someone else's property as I would wish.
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I have a very good mate who will lend me his Nissan Navara and large trailer if need be - I also take and pick him up from airport - it is a company vehicle and insured for anyone over 25 - said mate went out one night with three other mates - one of them talks to God and is tea total so drove another's VW VR6 - speed and twisty roads don't mix - total write off - I don't think anyone will let him drive their car again -- I am very particular about locking Nissan - so much so I always go aback and double check but I wouldn't let anyone drive my old banger.
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I have lent vehicles. The main two conditions are:
You bend it, you mend it.
You must have suitable insurance and are otherwise "legal".
The first is obvious. Get someone to hear what's said.
The second is a defence of "allowing and permitting".
In the case of older vehicles, I have made other stipulations, mainly regarding the lessening of chances that the vehicle will "blow up".
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My father, mother, brother (when he's visiting from UK), and one or two mates, and co-workers.
Has happened before that somebody broke their wrist, so lent them the car and used theirs - also an astra - as mine is an auto box.
BUT had a relative over a few years ago, who I let drive the car once - for about a mile, before telling him in no uncertain terms what I thought of his driving, and pointed out that it wasn't a company car to be abused. He was quite miffed, and the discussion became a bit heated.
Next trip, the moron - who in the meantime had picked up a 6 month driving ban in the UK for various offences (BIG speeding, reckless and negligent etc) had the gall to ask to borrow the car again!!!
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SWMBO uses mine all the time, usually because it has more fuel in then hers (or so she says!!)
The monster in law and father in law are also insured to drive both our cars and we are insured to drive both of theirs as well, we quite often swap cars around for various reasons, works quite well as long as you all trust each other not to wreck the cars on purpose!!
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i drive her indoors car from time to time, mainly when its a more appropriate car (smaller more economical) for whatever we are doing, and we are both going, and mainly if its a more complex driving task such as motorways etc, as she is a less experienced driver this usually works out, if i stacked it id end up paying anyways, but then if she stacked it id be paying probably also
she er isnt insured to drive mine yet, maybe next time
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My Dad has a good saying.
Never a lender or borrower be.
My husband gets the usual warnings when he takes my car. We are both insured on each others cars but even so. My neighbours actually thougt it was acceptable to ask us if they could borrow father in laws car while theres was being serviced. er NO.
He also reckons he is insured on anycar?? This one always gets me. Firstly I may look like a plum asking to see proof and secondly he could be insuring a fiesta and be insured on every car with the owners permission. Lets say he pays £500 to insure his fiesta and is insured on all cars. Can he drive my £200,000 ferrari on that piddly little insurance policy?? Im thinking his ins company might start wriggeling if he pranged that!!!
I do not have a ferrari im just saying ok
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The only insurance most drivers have to drive others cars is the legal minimum, Third Party. Fine if they are good for the £400 mine is worth, but not so fine with your £25k pride and joy.
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I am selective on who I lend my car out to. Normally, I ensure I have seen how they drive first.
On my visits to the UK, I have been loaned BMW X5's, Mercs, MR2's and the occasional Porsche. I am very careful about these cars but i do enjoy them to permissable limits. Where possible, I always clean the cars up and return them or repair odd niggling things that were wrong - fused buld, dicky catch etc.
I used to leand my car to my mother and sister but have had them returned with odd scratch and comment, "you should not have lent it if you expected it to come back pristine". Hence they never get my cars even if they need the space. whereas my father in law will refuse to drive my cars but will ask me to drop him!
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lent my f-i-l my car in Jan and it broke down on him, throttle sensor went. I've owned it over 6 years without one hitch, lent it to someone for a week and it rebelled.
was driving my mates' wife's car (Suzuki Jeep) a few years back in a field in Devon (having a barbecue at the bottom of the farm and needed to return to the house for more provisions). Reversed it into a gate, pushing in the rear bumper slighly and broke the light lens. I took it to my brother's garage and between us we manipulated the bumper back to the right shape and I coughed up for a new lens.
few years back i offfered to lend my car to a good mate for him and his girlfriend to have a weekend away, he'd have been fully comp on my insurance. He declined, didn't want the responsibility...(car was fairly new then). With mate's like that you wouldn't mind lending stuff. There are others I wouldn't lend my wheelbarrow to.
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