Following the release of the Government’s statement published on Monday 23rd March and the closure of many sites and workplaces around the country, please find below an update on the Operational Services we may provide to your business.

We will update you on the these operational services (and our own provision of services) regularly over the coming weeks and, of course, as and when circumstances change.

We have also launched our Covid-19 Information Hub on our website today, which can be found here. 

All future updates will also be available on the hub.

“Business As Usual”
The following services are currently operating as ‘Business as Usual’:

• Roadside Assistance
• Daily Rental
• Tyre Replacement
• Out of Hours Service

Our third party suppliers in these sectors are classed as providing essential services to customers who are themselves essential service providers. Please follow the usual procedures should you require any of these services.

Please be aware however that it is possible that they may provide a service which is outside of their normal service level response times. The suppliers may have a shortage of staff due to self-isolation or illness.

We will continue to monitor this closely with our suppliers and will provide updates as to the service availability on a regular basis.

Service, Maintenance & Repair

Many dealer groups and independent repairers have closed their doors already as a result of the new government guidelines.

Here at KINTO, we are actively contacting any driver that has made a booking through our Premier service to advise of cancellations as a result of these closures.

Drivers will be advised to contact KINTO Premier Service at their convenience to rearrange the booking once the government lockdown has lifted.

A small number of repairers will remain open to provide essential service for those vehicles who are operating to provide the essential services on the Government’s list– please contact KINTO Premier Service to book your vehicle in for essential repairs should it fall into this category.

MOT’s

Following on from the above, a number of MOT centres are now shut.

The Government has announced a 6 month extension to any MOT’s expiring on or after 30th March 2020.

You do not need to do anything to extend your vehicle’s MOT expiry date if it’s on or after 30 March 2020. However, you must keep your vehicle safe to drive. Your vehicle will be automatically given a 6-month MOT exemption. This will extend your current MOT expiry date by 6 months.

Example:

• If your vehicle’s MOT was due to expire on 3 April 2020.
• This will automatically be extended to 3 October 2020. You will need to get your MOT by this date.

Glass

Yesterday our supplier cancelled all appointments whilst they evaluated Government instructions.
Today they will only be providing service to those customers who fall within the definition of essential services, which includes but may not be limited to:-

• Distribution vehicles used for the distribution of essential products and services
• Emergency Services vehicles
• Identified key workers’ vehicles
• Vehicles in households where the vehicle is required for the mobility or support of vulnerable and dependent people

If you do not fall into this category, please do not contact us to make arrangements to replace or repair your glass until after the current government lockdown.

Accident Management

We continue to operate our service in house for First Notification of Loss.
If a vehicle is involved in an accident and is not driveable, it will be recovered by as per our normal business practices. For driveable vehicles, it is advisable to book repairs once the current travel and isolation restrictions have been lifted. Any vehicle still in progress will be progressed as normal.

Should we receive notification of a repairer closing, the driver will be informed.
Daily rental can be provided by KINTO via your usual booking process if required. As before, if it is not a service you or your employer currently take from KINTO and you have an urgent need for a short term rental vehicle, please do get in touch with us and we can arrange this with you.

Vehicle Movements

All of our current vehicle movement suppliers have ceased operating a collection service (as per Government guidelines they are not classed as essential service providers). This will have some impact on both end of contract inspections and collections and in life movements will also be cancelled until further notice.

We are planning to contact drivers that are due to be impacted by this closure to advise of the options available to them. This may also take place at Fleet Manager or corporate contact level. If a driver is affected by this and would like to contact KINTO to discuss, please do so by email in the first instance so that we can leave our available telephone lines free for the most urgent and emergency queries.

Remarketing

All Auction houses are now closed as they do not fall within the Government’s definition of essential services. Therefore we are unable to arrange for the sale of any vehicles until the current period of restriction has lifted.

Contacting KINTO

During this very challenging time, and whilst there is a nationwide pressure on networks, please may we remind you of our request for you and your drivers to contact us via email rather than phone. This will enable us to manage inquiries in the most efficient and effective manner during this period. If you have an emergency or very urgent however, please do contact us by telephone.

As always, we thank you for your support and patience during this challenging time.

Kind regards,

Matthew Rumble
KINTO