The Stanley Steamer

How Short-Term Car Insurance Saved My Friendship

Last year, my freelance computer consulting business required some extensive commuting time on my part. I was having my classic vehicle restored and there were still several weeks until the work would be completed on it. I had a good friend who had a spare vehicle that he kept in a rented garage and wanted to lend me. The car had been parked for some time so we took a weekend to change the fluids and test her out to make sure she was in good running shape.

Once we determined the car was travel worthy, I asked my assistant to research insurance options for the vehicle. I informed her that I was only going to be using it on a temporary basis until the restoration of my own vehicle was complete. A couple of days later she emailed me some information about short-term car insurance and rates.

The companies that specialize only in short-term car insurance offer their policies at affordable and competitive rates. You can choose from the minimum of third party insurance to comprehensive cover and the policies can be issued for up to 28 days of cover. My assistant also provided the rates of my normal insurance company for temporary cover, which were remarkably higher.

My assistant had done most of her research online and then over the phone. She gave me her overall impressions on the knowledge and courteousness of each company in her report as well. I read her detailed report and made my decision based on good reviews and the most reasonable rates for the cover I wanted.

I chose the most extensive cover I could get for my friends Porsche and spent the next couple of weeks commuting over a hundred miles a day without incident. The area of town in which I was consulting in was not the best as far as crime was concerned and I was very cautious about where I parked the vehicle. I rented a parking space at a garage because I thought that would be the safest place for the car.

Towards the end of my consulting project, I started working late into the night in order to finalize some reports and presentations for senior management of the firm. I stopped to get a late supper and then walked to the garage to drive home. When I arrived at the parking garage and got to my parking space my jaw dropped at the site of my friends beautiful Porsche. The scene was devastating.

All of the windows of the vehicle were smashed out, including the windshield. The entire body was dented as if someone had taken a sledgehammer to it. There was graffiti tagged on the hoods and all over the body of the car. All four tires were slashed and the trunk had been compromised. I called the police and they took my report. There were no witnesses to the crime.

The short-term insurance policy I took out covered nearly all the damages done to the vehicle and it was restored back to its original pristine state in a matter of weeks. My friend is more cautious about lending out his car to anyone but is thankful I had comprehensive cover to repair his vehicle.