Customers out of pocket after flooding at car dealer

Derby's Jaguar Land Rover dealer was flooded during Storm Babet in October 2023

Customers out of pocket after flooding at car dealer
Photo: Google Street View

Customers have been left thousands of pounds out of pocket after a Jaguar Land Rover dealer in Derby was flooded during last year’s Storm Babet.

Inchcape said it was “sorry for the disruption and inconvenience caused by the flooding”, with Jaguar Land Rover adding it was doing “everything we can to support” its customers “during this difficult time”.

The car dealership remains closed following the flooding in October 2023, with Inchcape telling customers to claim on their own insurance for the damage.

Karen Chambers believes she could be left £30,000 out of pocket after her 2015 Range Rover was damaged. Mrs Chambers spent £600 on a hire car before Inchcape provided a courtesy car three weeks after the flooding.

She told the BBC the insurance payout won’t be enough, adding: “I think they have been very fair, but it won’t cover buying another decent car that is going to take me through retirement.

“I think including the insurance hikes, cost of hire cars, by the time everything is done, including having to buy another car, I’m going to be in the region of £25,000 to £30,000 out of pocket.

“Now I am back into paying off loan repayments. I retire in six years. I will be working full-time until I am 67 now – I have no choice.”

Kevin Caley’s Jaguar I-Pace was in for a battery replacement under warranty and on a lift when the the workshop was flooded. Unfortunately, the battery was on the floor.

Mr Caley told the BBC: “They said the battery was under water and therefore it wasn’t worth repairing the car.

“But from my point of view, the battery was either my old one, which was scrapped, or a new one, which they hadn’t fitted, so still part of their stock.

“I feel very let down. They should have looked after us and told us ‘it’s going to take a few months, but we will sort it out, we will look after you’, but they’ve done nothing.”

An Inchcape UK spokesperson said: “We are making every effort to help our affected customers to get back on the road as quickly as possible, and due to the complexity of each individual situation, we are supporting all of them on a one-to-one basis.

“A number of supportive actions have been taken to help our customers, including: providing replacement or temporary courtesy cars to help keep customers mobile, setting up a dedicated helpline to support with insurance claims and customer queries, and sourcing new and used replacement cars as quickly as we can at a reduced price.

“93 percent of affected customers have accepted this support and we are liaising with the remaining customers to find a solution to get them back on the road.”

Source: BBC

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