Frequently Asked Questions

No, you do not. It is your legal right to choose where your vehicle is repaired, after all, it is your car. Some insurance companies may advise a non-approved repair centre, by insisting your vehicle is brought to a manufacturer-approved centre, you protect any warranties. Your preferred choice should always be manufacturer-approved NOT insurance approved.

In most cases, your excess is paid when you collect your car.

Yes. We do repairs on any make and any model. 

Yes we can. We have a collection and delivery service available subject to advance booking.

Credit Hire is when a temporary replacement vehicle is provided by a Credit Hire Organisation (CHO) in the event of a non-fault road traffic accident, and the CHO funds the car hire whilst your vehicle is being repaired.  The CHO will then claim the hire charges back from the at-fault party's insurer.

Credit Hire Organisations can also offer Credit Repair, subject to their terms and conditions, where they will arrange and pay for your vehicle to be repaired and again claim back from the at-fault party's insurer.
AX is a Credit Hire Organisation that provides temporary replacement vehicles, equivalent or like you own, in the event of a non-fault road traffic accident and Credit Repair arrangements in many circumstances, subject to our terms and conditions.

We take care of the entire claims process, from recovery of your vehicle if it is not drivable, to provision of the temporary replacement vehicle, management of the repair process and liaising with all the relevant parties involved to keep them updated until your vehicle is returned, or in the event of a Total Loss, your vehicle valuation has been paid.

An Accident Management company traditionally offers an end-to-end service handling the claims of those who have been involved in an accident.

When you are at fault for an accident, handling it directly through your insurance is effectively the only option available to you. However, when you are not at fault, handling your claim through your own insurer could affect your no claims bonus.

An Accident Management company will mitigate that risk by taking on the case for you, from the moment you report the accident right through to recovering repair and replacement costs from the at-fault party.
It is important to note that when you’ve had any accident it is still wise to report this to your insurer for information purposes only.

• Collect information and details of the accident.
• Provide replacement vehicle as soon as possible.
• Carry out a damage assessment on the vehicle, and on any personal injury you may have sustained too.
• Arrange repairs to be made through the garage/provider of your choice.
• Recover costs and deal with any legal fallout from the accident through the at-fault parties’ insurance provider.
• On the surface, it seems like a no-brainer to involve an Accident Management company to act on your behalf in the aftermath of an accident.
• Choosing the right company to act genuinely on your best interests has become more difficult amongst all the noise of a now extremely competitive industry.

Cons of choosing an accident management company

• Although the benefits are clear to see and the appeal of not damaging your no-claims bonus, or avoiding the hassle of dealing with the aftermath of an accident yourself can be an attractive prospect; Accident Management companies have their pitfalls too.
• Despite the costs of an accident being recovered in whole from the at-fault party, it’s not uncommon to be stung by a list of hidden costs charged to you by an Accident Management company and this is certainly something to watch out for.
• Checking the terms and conditions of any agreement you make with an Accident Management company is crucial to ensuring you are not hit with extra charges further down the line.
• There has been an emergence of Accident Management companies over the past 10 years or so and this makes picking a credible one more difficult.
• Make sure you shop around, and don’t get sucked in by whoever has the loudest marketing. Do your research, and make sure experience and professionalism are top of your checklist when it comes to deciding on a particular company to handle your claim.

In short, an Accident Management company can be a great way to eliminate the stress of dealing with the aftermath of an accident that wasn’t your fault.

It can cut out the need for insurance involvement and provides you with peace of mind that an experienced professional is acting on your behalf.

In addition to repairs to your vehicle and providing a temporary replacement, Accident Management companies can altogether make your post-accident experience more comfortable.

Nevertheless, the industry has become more and more saturated making it much more challenging to distinguish between those out to make a quick buck, and those genuinely looking to act on your best interest.

Yes, we will supply you with a courtesy car for the duration of your repairs. (Subject to availability and status).

Yes, we will wash and vacuum your vehicle after it has been in our workshop to ensure it looks its very best on collection.

Yes, each repair we complete carries a Lloyd Bodyshop Lifetime Guarantee of Repairs. Please see above for more information.

Yes, at Lloyd Bodyshop we will only use genuine manufacturer’s parts in the repair of your car. Across our five sites we are an approved repairer for:

• BMW
• MINI
• Land Rover
• Jaguar
• Kia
• Volvo
• Porsche
• Mercedes
• Bentley

If your vehicle is repaired by a bodyshop that has been approved for that manufacturer, your warranty remains intact.

Lloyd Bodyshops operate throughout Northern England and the Scottish Borders. Click here to see our Bodyshop location page.

No Claims Bonus Protection is a popular optional add-on to your insurance policy, designed to safeguard your no claims discount on renewal rates, should you find yourself needing to make a claim.

By opting into a no claim bonus protection policy, you will notice a slight increase in your monthly/annual insurance policy rate. However, this additional contribution will usually provide you with a window of between 2-3 claims before any sevre damage to your bonus.

Much like when you are considering any new insurance policy, it is important to assess whether this is the right feature for you. For long-term drivers, who may have built up a substantial no claims discount over the years, a protection policy can add an extra layer of security should they find themselves in the unfortunate event of an accident.