Courtesey car petrol tank problem

[Sazzle1983]

I had a courtesey car whilst mine was in for repair and the day before it was due to be collected I went to put some petrol in it as the tank was empty. As I was putting the petrol in it was coming out the bottom of the car, I managed to drive the car to my parents house (where the vehicle was being collected from the next day) and called the garage to advise them what had happened. In hindsight I shouldn't have been honest and told them what had happened I should have let them come and collect it, get down the road and let the car konk out and deny all knowledge when they came back to me at a later date but I didn't, I did the honest thing and called them and told them.

 

They collected the car and I heard nothing then a few days later I received a call from them stating the tank had be vandalised and a hole stabbed through the tank (who would do this I do not know, everybody with half a brain cell know's courtesey cars have no more than about £5 of petrol in them at any one time and the car had the name of the garage & 'courtesey car' written all over it!!)

 

I checked with my insurance company who say unless a claim is made they will not get involved, my insurance company say the garage are liable however their's say I am liable to pay.

 

The garage are persuing me for £340.00 which I do not have. I do not know what to do, have tried CAB and Consumer Direct and have had no luck at getting any help. I really do not want to pay it as I honestly do not see why I should have to but if I refuse what happen's next? I am due to go on maternity leave next month and this is a HUGE stress for me at the moment that I really don't need.

 

The garage must have known the petrol tank was dodgy because when the car was delivered to me the guy told me to ignore the milage counter in respect of the amount of petrol left to the mile (it said 50 miles to go before the tank was empty, I was not planning on going far in the car so didn't think at the time to ask why.) I have my own theory on what's happened and that is that the tank was dodgy and it had been repaired in the past, we had a lot of snow and ice a few weeks ago and I am convinced that the ice has got into where a previous repair job was done and has reopened an existing hole. I do not know if this could happen but this is my theory on it.

 

Any help & advice gratefully received.

 

Thanks

[heliosuk]

If it's a relatively modern car then the tank would have been plastic and you just don't repair plastic tanks. What makes you say it had been repaired before? The next thing is whilst your car was in for repair who's insurance covered it?

[barracad]

Did you complete and sign paperwork to use the courtesy car? Do you have a copy?