I drive a Motability Mercedes van adapted for wheelchair use. In November last year, it developed a gearbox fault.
The RAC attended at the roadside but was unable to make the repair and the van was transported to a garage in Cardiff.
The mechanics said the issue was in an electrical unit controlling the gearbox and told me it was my fault as it was likely caused by a liquid spill from the cupholder. As a result, it said the £1,000 repair would not be covered under my Motability agreement.
The garage told me to contact my insurer, Direct Line. It declined my claim based on the garage’s assessment.
I had to pay the bill myself which has caused significant financial hardship. I feel hard done by. D.S., Tredegar, Wales.
Turned down: Direct Line refused to pay for a gearbox fault in this reader’s car
Sally Hamilton replies: For you, as for thousands of others with a disability, the Motability scheme is a godsend, giving vital freedom and independence to get around.
It is available to people on certain disability benefits who use the mobility element to cover the cost of leasing an adapted vehicle from a dealer via the scheme.
The benefits are paid directly to Motability. The lease package includes breakdown cover (RAC) and insurance (Direct Line), with only claim excesses paid by the customer. Motability meets the cost of routine repairs and maintenance but doesn’t pay for an issue caused by customer neglect.
As your repair was not routine, Motability wouldn’t cough up; and because the Mercedes warranty excludes accidental damage of this kind, Direct Line was your last port of call.
You said it took the word of the garage that it was your fault, meaning you were not covered.
So that you wouldn’t be left housebound you paid the bill but had to borrow from family. You are worried about whether you will be able to repay them.
I revved up my enquiries and found that spillages from drinks through the cupholders are a relatively common cause of car electrical faults.
You were particularly aggrieved that you were blamed for the gearbox fault. You were adamant that you used capped bottles and did not recall any spillage.
I asked the British Insurance Brokers’ Association whether an accidental spillage causing electrical damage might typically be covered by a policy’s accidental damage clause.
Mike Hallam, BIBA’s head of technical services, says: ‘Some comprehensive policies may cover it under the accidental damage section, subject to an excess. However, many policies exclude mechanical, electrical or computer failure, breakdown or breakage.
‘This exclusion could be relevant if there is no identifiable incident, the damage is gradual or linked to wear, or liquid ingress cannot be confirmed. But if the spillage was sudden and accidental, it directly caused the damage and there is evidence of liquid contamination then it could be considered insured as an accidental damage claim.’
In your case there appeared to be no single identifiable incident. You were extra miffed because, at the time of the breakdown and while waiting for the RAC, your wife had placed a sealed bottle of fizzy cherry drink in the cupholder. To your amazement, on taking delivery of your repaired vehicle the bottle remained in the cupholder. You got no response when you asked why it was left in place if it was the supposed culprit.
I asked Motability Operations, the company that runs the Motability scheme, to investigate. After a week of talking to all the parties involved, Motability Operations came to a decision to cover the bill.
A spokesperson says: ‘We are sorry that this case was not handled as it should have been.’
EasyJet wouldn’t let me board Alps flight
I was due to go to the Swiss Alps for a weekend recently for my wedding anniversary, but when I got to the airport easyJet wouldn’t let me board the plane.
My passport had more than three months validity, which Switzerland requires, but the issue date was more than ten years ago which apparently falls foul of post-Brexit Schengen rules. I have ended up £1,750 out of pocket. Can I get my money back?M.B., Nottingham.
Sally replies: How disappointing to have your romantic ski trip knocked offpiste over a passport you were sure was still valid.
It is perfectly natural to focus on the expiry date when checking the validity. But rule changes after the UK left the EU means it is vital to check the issue date.
For travel to Europe (other than Ireland) British holders must ensure their passport not only has at least three months of validity remaining from the date of leaving the European Union, but also that it was issued less than ten years before the day of arrival in the country.
Those with passports issued from September 2018 needn’t worry, as they have a maximum validity of ten years. But the risk of falling foul of the rule affects many thousands who renewed old passports before that date.
Back then, the passport office typically added up to nine months of remaining validity from an old passport onto a new one, meaning some passports were valid for up to ten years and nine months.
Unfortunately, your passport fell into this category. If you had been celebrating your anniversary outside of Europe, you would have been waved through the boarding gate.
You concede it was your responsibility to scrutinise requirements beforehand but feel that easyJet could have made the risks clearer when you checked in online 12 days before your planned flight.
EasyJet says it makes the passport validity message clear on its website. A spokesman adds: ‘It is ultimately the passenger’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of and adhere to documentation rules and that their documents are valid for travel.’
I asked NatWest, which provides your travel insurance cover, whether you might have grounds for reimbursement. A spokesman confirmed what I suspected. They would not cover a claim arising from not having the correct passport or visa for the country you are travelling to.
Your passport faux pas led you to order a new one immediately. I hope you can now rearrange your anniversary get away without worrying about that pesky ten-year rule.
Write to Sally Hamilton at Sally Sorts It, Money Mail, 9 Derry Street, London, W8 5HY or email sally@dailymail.co.uk.
Include phone number, address and a note addressed to the offending organisation giving them permission to talk to Sally Hamilton. Please do not send original documents as we cannot take responsibility for them. No legal responsibility can be accepted by the Daily Mail for answers given.