We are thinking of getting a caravan to go with our motability car, Can you please advise if i get a tow bar fitted through the motability i.e. seeking their permission, Will they remove it from the car once the lease is up and refit it on to the new car??
No because the towbar is your responsibility and nothing to do with Motability at all that is why you need to have it installed by a professional towbar fitter so you have a receipt just in case any problems occur regarding the electrics etc. You also need to contact the Motability insurance which is Royal Sun Alliance and inform them as the car will be deemed as having a modification. Each car is different therefore towbars have different fitments for each vehicle so it's unlikely that it will fit another vehicle once the 3 year hire contract expires. They did at one time request the towbar to be removed before return but Motability changed their policy on this issue as it was causing more problems as the crash beam wasn't replaced when the towbar was removed so now they ask you to leave it on at the end of the lease. If you do have a towbar fitted they will remove the crash beam in order to replace with a towbar so make sure that you ask for the crash beam back as it doesn't belong to either the garage or yourself. The first towbar I had fitted on a Motabilty vehicle was fitted by the Dealer we had the car from but as they disposed of the crash beam I had to let Motabilty know. The dealer had to refit the crash beam at their expense but I had a legal battle with them because they had no right disposing of the crash beam knowing full well that it was a Motabilty vehicle. We have had three vehicles on the Motabilty scheme that have had towbars fitted so I know exactly what is required, but because the down payments were increasing for an ideal car for a caravan plus the weight of a mobilty scooter in the rear, the cost of a new towbar every 3 years and then having to put a 1000 miles on the clock from new before towing so the warranty wasn't void we decided that having our own car was the best policy for us.
Post last edited on 02/09/2012 18:13:27
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If you look in your Motabilty folder there are several freephone numbers relating to different issues but if you call their customer helpline they will answer any of your queries. I phoned them when we wanted a towbar fitted and their reply was it had to be a dealer fit with a receipt of all work undertaken and that you wasn't allowed to do it yourself or any back street cowboys for reasons of safety as the car actually belongs to Motabilty. However, we had our towbar fitted at a Vauxhall dealer which cost about £120 more but it wasn't till 3 years later when I phoned Motabilty again regarding having a towbar fitted to a Ford that they said the towbar had to fitted by a towbar specialist. So basically Motabilty got their wording wrong the first time around. When they said it had to be a dealer fit they actually meant a towbar dealer and not the car dealer so I could have saved myself well over £100 but like yourself I was new to having a towbar fitted with a Motabilty vehicle so I hope this information has at least helped you understand what is required and how to avoid being ripped off. Just as an add on here, when the Motabilty vehicle lease expires it is good advice that you keep your towbar receipt for at least 3 years because if the next owner of the vehicle does happen to have any issues or problems with wiring etc. then you have the necessary document to prove that whilst you were hiring the vehicle you did exactly as required by Motabilty terms and conditions. You may never need it but it's priceless if you do.
Yes rang them this morning, They basically told me to get it done by a professional with a guarantee, However the car must be returned with the tow bar left in place.
So when it comes to the time to replace the car i will need to purchase a new one to go with the new car.
When you contacted 'Motability' did they say anything about contacting the insurance company 'Royal Sun Alliance'? This is what they told me when I had a towbar fitted to ensure you are covered on the insurance policy. As the towbar is your own liabilty and something does happen go wrong then it's peace of mind knowing you are covered because otherwise your insurance could be void which means that you would be responsible for paying out for any damage out of your own pocket. You have to remember that the car is owned by 'Motabilty' and they need to be guaranteed a good resale price when you return the vehicle at the end of the 3 year hire lease. Also, their current policy is that if the car is returned in good condition (apart from wear & tear) then you get a reward bonus of £250 which will be checked by the dealer that you return the vehicle to.