The Car

Q: How old will the car be? How many miles will it have done?
A: The car you choose, and any subsequent car it is replaced with because of extraordinary circumstances, will always be a certain make and model, or a newer version of that model. For example, if you are paying for a Ford Focus Mark 2, you will get a Ford Focus Mark 2. That car will always be:

• In great cosmetic condition (when delivered to you, and we hope you'll want to keep it that way)
• Suitable for your needs
• In full working order
• Well looked after by us
• Reliable (bearing in mind all machines break down eventually)

You aren't buying, leasing or hiring a specific vehicle, you are paying for a mobility service that means you will always have a functional vehicle of that type. As such, we don't specify the age or mileage of the vehicle you will possess under the scheme. When buying a car that is something you would consider, as you might infer a level of reliability from that information. We will always ensure that a Cared-for Car is reliable, so you don't need to consider that information. Instead, think about whether you value always having a reliable car. ↑ Contents

Q: Will I always have the same car?
A: Usually, yes. There are some extraordinary circumstances where we might permanently replace the car with a different one of the same make and model. Here's a non-exhaustive list:

• If your car is irreparably damaged in an accident or stolen (unless your insurer refuses to cover it)
• If your car suffers an irreparable failure
• If your car becomes unreliable such that we are not satisfied with the experience you receive
• If you ask us to change it for some reason, and we agree

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Q: I don't like the colour/shape/model of the cars I see on this site. Do you have others?
A: All vehicles that have been prepared to our rigorous standards and thus are ready to go to a customer are on this site. If you'd like a certain colour or body style (say an estate rather than a hatchback), you can sign up for the service and take an available car while we look for and prepare the car you'd prefer. However, we don't allow changes to these things:

• Fuel (we don't provide diesels if we can help it, they aren't environmentally sound and they don't suit our customers' driving patterns since the DPF was introduced. Unfortunately some models are so rare as petrols that our hand is forced.)
• Make and Model (by limiting the models we provide we make sure we know them really well and can provide you with a great service)
• Non-standard Modifications, apart from towbars and roof bars (which must be provided by us)

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Q: What features will the car have?
A: All vehicles will have at least:

• Electric front windows
• Air conditioning
• FM radio and CD player
• Bluetooth music and phone connection

Most have many more. ↑ Contents

Q: Will it be reliable?
A: We drive our cars for hundreds of miles before they go to you, so we've made sure that every single piece of equipment is working properly before it even appears on our site. So it will certainly be in great working order. Should you experience any failure our inclusive service will make sure its fixed, and you'll get a courtesy car while it is being fixed. Should it ever become unreliable, we'll replace it. ↑ Contents

Q: What about my current car?
A: If you want to get rid of your current car, we'll buy it off you at its market part-exchange price, and use that towards your first month's service fee, even if it has faults. Part-exchange prices are lower than private sale prices, so if you want to get the most you can for your car, you should sell it yourself.↑ Contents

The Service

Q: How long is the contract?
A: Your service will have a 1 year minimum term, and the price will be fixed for 3 years. After 1 year you can give us notice of your itnention to terminate, and return the car. After 3 years, we hope you'll have enjoyed our service so much that you'll want to carry on. You can either carry on with your current car and price as long as you like, or you can sign another 3 year contract and get a new(er) car. Your service fee will then change to the price available at that time. ↑ Contents

Q: Does the payment say the same throughout?
A: Yes. ↑ Contents

Q: What does "never be off the road" mean?
A: It is possible your car will damaged in an accident or break down at some point. When that happens our first priority is to get a courtesy car to you, so that you can get moving again. It will take us up to a few hours to make that happen, so you might need to get the bus to work that morning, but we'll get a car to you at work so that you can drive home again. You can call us 24 x 7 x 365. ↑ Contents

Q: What do you pay for, and what do I pay for?
A: We pay for everything to do with providing and looking after the car. You pay for:

• Insurance & associated fees such as excesses (including windscreen excess)
• Fuel
• Anything arising from your use of the car, such as parking, tolls and fines.

We'll cover up to two punctures per year. ↑ Contents

Q: What if the car gets damaged?
A: There's a certain level of standard wear and tear that you expect to happen over the life of a car, like stone chips, alloy wheel damage, hedges scraping the side of a car etc. We call this fair wear and tear and don't charge anything for it. Having said that, you are responsible for the condition of the car while it is in your possession. If the car gets damaged (through crime, accident or negligence, for example), you will claim for the damage on your insurance (or pay for its repair yourself). In a no-fault accident scenario you will obviously get all your costs back from the party at fault and shouldn't end up out of pocket. If there are no other parties involved and the damage is repairable, you can ask us to repair the damage to save you the hassle of dealing with your insurers. We will charge you, but our charges are often equivalent to or less than your insurance excess. ↑ Contents

Q: What about insurance?
A: We could never include insurance in the service as cheaply as you can get it yourself, so to keep the price of our service low, insurance is not included. You will cover the vehicle with a fully comprehensive insurance policy for all named drivers just as you would if it was your own car. We'll be named contacts on the insurance policy so that we can call your insurer and check that the policy remains in force, and discuss any incidents with them. As the owner of the vehicle, the insurers would pay us for the replacement value of the vehicle if it gets written off. You can use any insurance company that you see fit.↑ Contents

Eligibility

Q: Who is eligible?
A: Anyone with a full driving license who can prove a regular income. This is likely to mean a permanent job, or a contract lasting at least 12 months, but it could also be a pension, or a mobility allowance such as DLA, PIP, WPMS or AFIP. You also need to be able to insure the vehicle, as insurance is not included in your service. ↑ Contents

Q: I have a bad credit rating or history. Is this a problem?
A: We won't run a credit history check when you apply. We don't let computers make decisions about humans. We will talk to you about your past, but we'll be focused on your situation now. We'll look at things like how much income you have now, how reliable it is, and what other costs you currently have. ↑ Contents

Payment

Q: Do I need a deposit?
A: No. You will need to be able to pay your first month's service fee. If you're placing a custom order, we won't start looking for your car until this is paid. ↑ Contents

Q: Is this a loan? Will I own the car? Do I need good credit?

A: This isn't a loan, you don't need good credit. The car will be in your possession at all times, but will be legally owned by us. It's better than owning it - you get all the benefit of it being where you want it when you want it, for your exclusive use, without any of the problems that come with owning it, like bills and maintenance.

Because the car is owned by us, we aren't lending you money to buy the car, and so you don't need a good credit standing. See I have a bad credit rating or history for more information. As long as you pay for the service, the car is yours to use. ↑ Contents

Q: What happens if I can't pay?

A: Your continued use of the car depends upon you paying the monthly service fee. If you find you can't pay, we'll call you to talk about what's happening, and see if we can work something out. We understand every situation is different, and we'll be keen to keep you as a customer. For example, if you lose your job, we know not having a car will make it harder to find another one. If you fall behind in your payments, you will have 21 days to catch up.

If you want to protect against this situation, you can choose to bank some credit, spread out with a small additional payment (which you can choose the amount of) on your service fee, so that should the worst happen you will have some breathing room.

We will always retain the right to take possession of the car from you if you haven't paid. If you fail to pay, you service will end, but we won't report it on your credit history. ↑ Contents