Car insurance agreements could be axed if motorists decide to use a valet parking service at hotels or airports as policies may not provide cover for damage caused by another driver. Some comprehensive policies have valet services under their list of car insurance clauses meaning any damage will not be covered.
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Car insurance could be axed by going on holiday
Analysis from Defaqto found 49 percent of 363 comprehensive policies did not include any cover for valet parking.
According to Go Compare, policies that do offer some cover will have restrictions and are only likely to cover small damages such as cracked windows.
Experts at Compare the Market says the terms and conditions will state whether a motorist is covered for valet parking.
The group says road users should still check for any exclusions in their policy even if valet parking is included.
Motorists will then need to weigh up the risk as the services may then inadvertently break other rules.
For example, many services could leave your keys inside the ignition so you can start your car and leave straightway.
However, leaving keys in the ignition is likely to invalidate most policies and car insurance services will refuse to pay for any repairs or damage claims.
Car insurance companies could also refuse to pay out for simply handing the keys to someone else to use.
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This could be seen as negligence and will place the responsibility onto the policyholder rather than the company in the event of a car crash.
Insurance providers may refuse to pay out for claims because the person driving the car would not be named on the insurance documents.
Even drivers with a “Driving other cars” (DOC) policy will face challenges on claiming after an inident.
This is because DOC policies often only cover third party repairs to the other affected road users.
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It means motorists are not covered for any vehicle or car damage if it was caused by themselves.
Go Compare’s Lee Griffin said: “Read the valet parking operator’s terms and conditions, because it’ll outline what insurance cover, if any, the operator offers, including the exclusions and excesses.
“Operators offer very limited cover for damage to your car, which you’ll need to spot and report to them when you collect your vehicle. And possessions left in your car are usually excluded.”
The AA says road users should always give their car a good inspection when collecting their car.
It means motorists are not covered for any vehicle or car damage if it was caused by themselves.
Go Compare’s Lee Griffin said: “Read the valet parking operator’s terms and conditions, because it’ll outline what insurance cover, if any, the operator offers, including the exclusions and excesses.
“Operators offer very limited cover for damage to your car, which you’ll need to spot and report to them when you collect your vehicle. And possessions left in your car are usually excluded.”
The AA says road users should always give their car a good inspection when collecting their car.
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