Co-cars User guide

Below is some information from the user guide and the full document can be downloaded by clicking here.

Making a booking
You must book a minimum of one hour.  After that you can book in half-hour units.  The start of the hiring can be on any half-hour, e.g. 9:30 am, 12:00 pm, 3:30 pm, etc.  If your booking extends past midnight (e.g. for a weekend booking), you will have to make two bookings; one up to 11.59 and another from 12am.
Booking By Internet

• Go to www.co-cars.co.uk and select members page from the menu.  Click on ‘on-line bookings’ to log on.
  
• Enter your Driver ID number and password
  
• Check whether the slot for the vehicle you wish to use is free using either todays view or look further ahead by using the weekly, monthly or six monthly view buttons.
  
• Click in your preferred start time slot for the day you wish to book.  This will bring up the booking form. 

  Title: This is just a note about the trip for your own reference such as ‘shopping trip’, or ‘day out’ etc.  Please type in an appropriate reminder.
  
  Facility: VERY IMPORTANT!  Make sure you have selected the vehicle and location you actually wish to book.  If you get this wrong you could be booking a vehicle in another town!  Select from the drop down menu.
  
  Date: Enter the date for your booking.

  Repeat period: Use this only if you wish to regularly book the same vehicle at the same time daily, weekly or fortnightly.

  Start hour: Enter the start time for your booking.  Time slots are in 30 min segments.

  End hour: Enter the end time for your booking. 
  
  Instruction: Optional notes.

  • When happy with your selections, click ‘Submit’.

Internet booking system – Troubleshooting!
See FAQs

Booking by telephone
You can contact the Service Centre to make or change bookings if you do not have access to the internet. When you telephone the Service Centre you will first be asked for your membership number. You will then be asked for the dates and times (start and finish) of each booking you wish to make; and which vehicle you wish to use.

Mondays to Fridays 8.30 am and 6.00 pm: 0845 345 2544
If there is no reply, please leave details on the voicemail. The Service Centre will confirm the booking as soon as possible. 

The Service Centre is not open on outside of the times stated above or bank holidays. During these periods please leave details on the voicemail and the Service Centre will confirm the booking as soon as possible.  Please allow 18 hours minimum notice.

Changing a booking
You should always try to give as much notice as possible when changing a booking to ensure that the car can be made available for other members.

You can extend a booking, subject to availability, at any time before the hire ends, without a charge. If an extension is not possible you must return the car at the booking end time or be subject to a late fine.

You can cancel, reduce or move a booking without charge at any time up to 5 hours before the start of the hire period.  After this time you will have to pay the full time charge for that booking. NB The 5 hours notice refers to hours when the Service Centre is open.

Hire period
The minimum hire period is 1 hour.  Bookings can then be taken in half-hour increments. This is to allow members to book an extra half hour to allow for traffic congestion and not try to rush back in order to avoid a late fine.

Daily, weekend and longer hires may be offered later, depending upon usage of the car. Check our current user rates.

Overnight charges
If your hire ends after (23:59) you will not be charged the hourly rate for the period up until (07:00) the next morning but you will be charged for any mileage covered.  This gives you the option of returning the car by (07:00) in the morning rather than walking home from the car station late at night. 

Please note if you hire the car specifically for use during the night full charges will apply.

Contacting the service centre
You can contact the Service Centre (0845 345 2544) to make or change bookings if you do not have access to the internet, or if you have a question about membership or your account.

You will also need to contact the Service Centre to report damage, theft, or that the car has not been parked in the dedicated bay. Information on dealing with these types of incidents is in the in-car handbook.

Please make sure you have all necessary details ready when you call (see FAQs) and indicate whether you can be called back.

Picking up a car
Go to the hire station for the booked start time and use the key safe combination to get the car key (See Current Car Stations document).

Before driving the car, check it for external damage and internal neglect.  If there are any problems that have not already been recorded on the Damage Record Sheet in the in-car Log Book, you must call the Service Centre before driving to ensure that you do not become liable for any penalties.  Fill in the Damage Record Sheet with any new items.

Enter your name, and the journey start time on the trip record sheet.  Check that the mileage on the speedometer matches the mileage shown for the end of the previous hire. You can then drive away.

Returning a car
You must return the car to the car station you collected it from, at the time you agreed to return. You will be charged (£10) for not returning the car to the right car station and (£5) for every hour, or part of an hour you are late, up to maximum of (£50). If the subsequent Users incur any costs as a result of the vehicle not being available, you will also be liable for a charge to cover their costs of up to (£50).

If you are unable to return the car to its correct bay (due to being blocked by an illegally parked car for example), you should park in another legal location nearby and notify Co-Cars immediately.  You should then make an effort to return to the car later and move it to its correct position.  If you are unable to do this, you should again notify Co-Cars immediately.  If the car incurs a parking ticket or charge as a result of alternative parking, and you have not notified Co-Cars of this, you will be held liable for that charge.

Once you have returned, complete the trip record sheet by filling in the journey end time and mileage figure from the speedometer. Finally lock the car, set the immobiliser, return the key to the safe and make sure the safe is properly closed, even when another member is waiting.

Refuelling
If the fuel gauge goes below ¼ full you are responsible for refuelling the car.

Each car has its own Arval fuel card which is kept in the in- car information folder, so you don’t have to pay for fuel yourself (the bill comes straight to us!). The card is accepted by most major petrol stations including supermarket stations. All cars use diesel fuel. Note the mileage before turning off the engine, as you will be asked for this when presenting the fuel card to the cashier. Put the fuel receipt in the car folder.

What if I can't find a petrol station that takes this fuel card?
See FAQs

The fuel card will also cover putting the car through the car wash and vacuuming so if you have got it a bit messy you can easily return it clean for the next member to use with no cost.

Keeping the car tidy
It is your responsibility to return the car with the interior in a clean and tidy condition. If the car is left untidy or dirty, you will be charged (£5). The fuel cards placed in each car will also cover putting the car through the car wash and vacuuming so if you have got it a bit messy you can easily return it clean for the next member to use with no cost. 

Breakdowns and mechanical problems
In the unlikely event of a breakdown occurring contact the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) using the number given on the sticker on the passenger side of the windscreen, or in the in-car information folder. If ETA need to take the car to a garage the adress is in the in-car information folder.

If you believe there is a minor problem with the car please contact the Service Centre for advice.

Please do not attempt to carry out any repairs yourself.

Accidents

The User must report any traffic accident, loss, damage, or theft to the police immediately and to Co-Cars as soon as practically possible, which would normally be within 6 hours; the police reference number allocated must be provided.

Users are responsible for first £100 of any minor damage (defined as damage costing less than £300 to repair) howsoever caused including windscreens. In the event that the damage is not reported to Co-Cars by the User the contribution shall be up to £200. For claims over £300, the user is responsible for the first £250 and a further £100 may be charged at Co-Cars'
discretion.

The User is responsible for up to £250 towards any costs related to the theft of the vehicle whilst in their custody or control, if no negligence is proved. This contribution will be increased at Co-cars’ discretion if the User is found to have been negligent by failing to comply with
the User Instructions.

Insurance cover
It is essential you notify Co-Cars immediately there are any changes to your circumstances (including points on your license, disqualification, or illness) that may affect our insurance.
All members/users are covered by a fully comprehensive insurance when driving the Service Provider vehicles. The insurance does NOT cover anyone other than the users members to drive the vehicles.

Automatic Liability Insurance cover is defined in our FAQs: What does Co-Cars insurance cover?

There are some health conditions which could affect your membership.  Listed below are ones that the DVLA want to know about. You MUST tell us if you had/have any of these:

• An epileptic event (seizure or fit)
• Sudden attacks of disabling giddiness, fainting or blackouts
• Severe mental handicap
• A pacemaker, defibrillator or anti-ventricular
• Diabetes controlled by insulin
• Diabetes controlled by tablets
• Angina (heart pain) when it is easily provoked by driving
• Parkinson’s disease
• Any other chronic neurological condition
• A serious problem with memory
• Serious episodes of confusion
• A major or minor stroke
• Any type of brain surgery or brain tumour
• Severe head injury involving hospital in-patient treatment
• Any sever psychiatric illness or mental disorder
• Continuing/ permanent difficulty in the use of arms or legs which affects your ability to control your vehicle
• Persistent misuse of alcohol, illicit drugs or chemical substances in the past 3 years (do not include drink/driving offences)
• Any visual disability which affects BOTH eyes (Do not declare short/long sight, colour blindness).

Penalty charges

Note:  The above charges are subject to regular review. 

This material does not give a full statement of the law but is intended for guidance only,
and is not a substitute for professional advice.

No responsibility for loss occasioned as a result of any person acting or
refraining from acting can be taken by Co-Cars Ltd