12 questions to ask a credit hire company
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Before signing with any credit hire company, put these twelve questions to it and expect specific written answers — a competent firm answers all twelve without hesitation. The questions cover the vehicle, the delivery, the agreement, the money and the exit; a firm that dodges any of them has told you what you need to know.
Ask for specifics
Ask about the actual replacement, not a vague category
Small details can change whether a replacement works: doors, seating, boot access, controls and collection arrangements. Get the promised specification and substitution process in writing before you accept the agreement.
Image context: manufacturer press photography illustrates vehicle types and decision points only. It does not show, rank or evidence the fleet or availability of any listed firm.
What questions should I ask a credit hire company before signing?
Ask about the vehicle and delivery first (questions 1–4), then the agreement and money (5–9), then what happens when things go wrong (10–12). Each question below states the answer a good firm gives, so you can judge the reply you get against it.
1. What exact vehicle will you supply me?
A good firm names a model or a tight class — “a C-segment diesel estate, e.g. X or Y” — not “something similar to yours”.
2. Will you confirm delivery to my postcode, and when?
A good firm confirms your postcode and gives a delivery window in writing. “We’re nationwide” without a postcode confirmation is not an answer — see coverage.
3. Is the replacement genuinely equivalent for my use?
Plated for my licensing authority if I drive a taxi; matching payload and fit-out if it is my work van; equivalent licence category if it is a motorcycle. A good firm addresses your use, not just the vehicle segment.
4. Who is my named contact while I have the vehicle?
A good firm gives you a named handler and a direct route to them, not only a call centre queue.
5. What am I signing, and can I read it first?
A good firm sends the full hire agreement before you sign and walks you through it.
6. What is the daily rate, and what does it include?
A good firm states the rate and what sits inside it (insurance, delivery, collection) in writing. Vague answers about rates become disputes later; your job at selection is getting the figure on paper.
7. In what circumstances could I end up paying anything?
A good firm answers this directly — naming the circumstances, such as a claim that fails or statements you made that prove wrong — rather than saying “never” and moving on. Evasiveness here is the single strongest warning sign in the set.
8. What do you need from me, and by when?
A good firm lists your obligations — documents, statements, cooperation with the repair timetable — at the start, because your cooperation affects the claim.
9. How long will I have the vehicle, and what decides that?
A good firm ties the hire period to the repair or settlement and tells you who monitors it, because unnecessarily long hires are where claims get challenged.
10. What happens if the other insurer disputes the claim?
A good firm explains its handling of disputes and keeps you informed, rather than promising disputes never happen.
11. Where are your reviews, and how do you handle complaints?
A good firm points you to its public review profiles and describes its complaints process. Check the reviews at source — no listing here currently carries a published review score, and each says so plainly (how review signals work).
12. What is your registered company, and who regulates what you do?
A good firm gives its registered name and Companies House number and is straight about its regulatory position — including where credit hire sits outside FCA regulation. Verify against the registers linked on the firm’s listing.
What should a credit hire company tell me before I sign?
Everything above, unprompted, in writing: vehicle, delivery, agreement, rate, your obligations, and the failure cases. The firms that volunteer this information are the ones this checklist exists to find.
What happens if I do not ask?
You find out the answers anyway — later, when the vehicle is not what you drive, the hire period is challenged, or a charge appears you did not expect. Ten minutes of questions before signing is the cheapest protection available in this market.