Terms of Service

Last updated: 26 April 2026  ·  These terms are kept under regular review. We recommend you have your own legal adviser review them before relying on them as a partner or hirer.

1. Definitions

• "VDrive Private Hire", "we", "us", "our" — VDrive Private Hire, a private hire vehicle rental and fleet-management business operating from 78 Mill Street, Mill Lane, Kidderminster, DY11 6XJ, England.
• "Hirer" / "Driver" / "you" — the individual who hires a vehicle from VDrive Private Hire under a hire agreement.
• "Partner" — the UK-registered company (limited company or LLP, registered at Companies House) which owns one or more vehicles and appoints VDrive Private Hire to manage them on its behalf under our partner programme. Sole traders and individual owners are not eligible for the partner programme.
• "Vehicle" — any motor vehicle made available for hire through VDrive Private Hire, whether owned by VDrive Private Hire or by a Partner.
• "Hire Agreement" — the standalone weekly hire contract signed at vehicle collection. The Hire Agreement, together with these Terms, forms the contract between VDrive Private Hire and the Driver.
• "PCO/PHV Licence" — a Private Hire Vehicle driver's badge issued by Transport for London (TfL) or by a UK local licensing authority.
• "PCN" — a Penalty Charge Notice, Fixed Penalty Notice, congestion charge, ULEZ/clean-air-zone charge, parking charge, bus-lane charge, dart charge, speeding notice, or any similar contravention notice.
• "Hire Period" — the period from the date and time the Vehicle is collected to the date and time it is returned and signed in.
• "Council" — the local licensing authority (e.g. TfL, Birmingham City Council, Wolverhampton, etc.) responsible for licensing the Vehicle and/or the Driver.

2. Agreement to Terms

By accessing or using VDrive Private Hire's website, applying for a vehicle hire, or registering as a Partner, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use our services. These Terms apply alongside (and do not replace) any signed Hire Agreement or signed Partner Agreement.

3. Eligibility

To hire a Vehicle from VDrive Private Hire, you must:

• Be at least 21 years of age (some vehicles require 25+);
• Hold a full UK driving licence with no disqualifying endorsements, held for the period required by our fleet insurer (typically 12 months minimum);
• Hold a valid PCO/PHV badge issued by a UK licensing authority;
• Provide proof of address dated within the last 3 months (utility bill, bank statement or council tax letter);
• Have the right to live and work in the UK and be willing to evidence it;
• Pass our identity, document and DVLA-check verification;
• Have no outstanding hire debts, vehicle recoveries, or active rental ban with VDrive Private Hire or a known partner business.

4. Application & Identity Verification

You must upload clear copies of your identity, address, driving licence, PCO/PHV badge and any insurance documents during application. We may run further checks (DVLA, fraud-prevention databases, social-media presence in some cases). We reserve the right to decline any application without giving reasons. Approval is normally communicated within 1–3 working days. Approved applicants are invited to attend collection by appointment. See section 4A for how to lock a specific vehicle online while your application is being reviewed.

4A. Online Reservation Fee

Once you have a registered, approved customer account, you may reserve a specific vehicle online before collection by paying a reservation fee of £75 through our payment processor (Stripe Checkout). The following terms apply to that fee:

• What it does. Successful payment locks the vehicle to you only. No other customer can be checked out into that vehicle while your reservation is live.
• Credited to your deposit. The reservation fee is treated as a part-payment of the security deposit on that vehicle. At physical collection, the deposit balance owed is reduced by £75.
• One vehicle, one paying customer. In the rare event two customers pay for the same vehicle simultaneously, the first confirmed payment wins. The second payment is automatically marked for refund and the customer is notified.
• Non-refundable on customer cancellation, no-show or failed later checks. Once you have paid, the reservation fee is non-refundable if (a) you cancel before collection for any reason, (b) you fail to attend the agreed collection appointment (no-show), (c) you change your mind, or (d) you fail any later identity, document or eligibility check that prevents the hire from going ahead. The fee compensates us for taking the specific vehicle off the open market for you, declining other waiting customers for that vehicle, and the administrative work of progressing your file. By paying the reservation fee you accept this and accept that the fee is the agreed measure of our loss in those circumstances.
• Refunded in full when the reason is on us. The reservation fee will be refunded in full to the original payment card where (a) we decline your application after payment, (b) we cancel the reservation ourselves, or (c) we are unable to supply the reserved vehicle on your collection date through our fault (for example, the vehicle becomes unfit for hire or is no longer available). Refunds are processed manually via Stripe and normally appear within 5–10 working days.
• Abandoned checkouts. Starting a checkout session does not, by itself, reserve the vehicle. If payment is not completed within 1 hour, the pending request is cleared automatically and the vehicle remains available to others. No fee is charged in that case because no payment has been taken.
• Account requirement. You must be logged in to a registered customer account to start a reservation. Account approval and identity-verification rules in section 4 still apply; the reservation fee does not bypass approval and does not guarantee a hire if you fail later checks.

Consumer law note. Vehicle hire is a contract for the supply of transport services. Under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 (Schedule 2, paragraph (h)), contracts for the rental of vehicles are excluded from the 14-day right to cancel that normally applies to distance and off-premises contracts. The cancellation rules in this section 4A therefore apply in place of any general cooling-off right. Nothing in this section limits any non-excludable rights you may have under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (for example, where the service is not performed with reasonable care and skill).

5. The Hire Agreement

5.1 Hire model

Vehicles are hired on a rolling weekly basis. Plans are typically offered for 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months, with weekly pricing tiers — the longer the term, the lower the weekly rate. The exact weekly rate, deposit, and minimum hire period are recorded on the signed Hire Agreement at collection.

5.2 Precedence

If there is any conflict between these Terms and the signed Hire Agreement, the signed Hire Agreement governs the day-to-day hire relationship. These Terms continue to apply for everything else.

5.3 Named driver only

Only the named Driver on the Hire Agreement may drive the Vehicle. Sub-hire, lending, swapping or sharing the Vehicle with another driver is strictly prohibited and will end the hire and trigger immediate vehicle recovery.

6. Weekly Payments & Late Charges

Weekly hire is payable in advance on the agreed payment day. Accepted payment methods are recorded on your account. If a payment is not received by the agreed day:

• A late-payment fee may be added in line with our published rates;
• The Vehicle may be remotely immobilised after a short grace period;
• Continued non-payment will lead to repossession of the Vehicle without further notice;
• Outstanding balances will be deducted from the security deposit and the difference (if any) pursued as a debt.

Repeated late or missed payments will result in suspension of the Driver's account and a referral to debt collection where appropriate.

7. Security Deposit

A refundable security deposit is taken before collection. The amount depends on the Vehicle and is confirmed in writing. The deposit is returned within 14 working days of the Vehicle being signed back in, less any of the following lawful deductions:

• Damage to the Vehicle beyond fair wear and tear;
• Unpaid hire, late fees or recovery costs;
• PCN administration fees and any underlying contravention amounts paid by us on your behalf;
• Missing fuel or AdBlue and any cleaning charge if the Vehicle is returned excessively dirty (interior soiling, smoking residue, pet hair, etc.);
• Lost keys, lost V5, missing accessories.

8. Vehicle Condition, Damage & Wear

You must return the Vehicle in the same condition as received, fair wear and tear excepted. We use BVRLA-style fair-wear-and-tear principles as our reference. A walk-around inspection — including video and photos — is completed at both collection (check-out) and return (check-in), and you will be asked to sign these off. Any damage identified at check-in beyond fair wear and tear will be charged at cost (parts, labour, paint), with photographic evidence.

9. Permitted Use & Restrictions

Vehicles may only be used for licensed private hire work in the United Kingdom. You must not:

• Use the Vehicle outside the UK;
• Use the Vehicle on any platform or contract not permitted by your insurance schedule;
• Sub-hire, lease, lend or share the Vehicle;
• Use the Vehicle for racing, rallying, off-road driving, towing (unless expressly permitted), driving instruction or any unlawful purpose;
• Drive the Vehicle while your driving licence or PCO/PHV badge is suspended, expired or revoked;
• Modify the Vehicle, fit aftermarket parts, livery, signage or dash cams without our written consent;
• Smoke, vape or allow passengers to smoke or vape inside the Vehicle;
• Carry pets inside the Vehicle without consent (assistance dogs are always permitted by law);
• Drive while under the influence of alcohol, drugs or any substance impairing fitness to drive.

10. Insurance

Vehicles in our managed fleet are covered by a fleet insurance policy for licensed private-hire use only. You must declare any motoring convictions, driving-licence endorsements, claims history or medical conditions that affect fitness to drive — both at the start of hire and as they arise. Any misdeclaration that invalidates cover will leave you personally liable for the full cost of any claim. An excess applies to all at-fault claims and is your responsibility. Driving the Vehicle uninsured (e.g. with an expired licence or badge) is a serious breach and will end the hire immediately.

11. Penalty Charge Notices, Fines & Tickets

As registered keeper, VDrive Private Hire (or the Partner) initially receives all PCNs, congestion-charge / ULEZ / clean-air-zone notices, dart-charge notices, bus-lane charges, parking charges, red-route fines and speeding notices issued against the Vehicle. Where the contravention occurred during your Hire Period, liability is transferred to you on record at the time of the offence and a non-refundable administration fee per notice is charged in addition to the underlying amount. Failure to settle PCN charges promptly may result in:

• The amount being deducted from your security deposit;
• Your account being auto-blocked from collecting another vehicle until cleared;
• Vehicle recovery and termination of the Hire Agreement;
• Referral to a debt-recovery agency.

12. Fuel, AdBlue, Tyres, Servicing & MOT

Fuel and AdBlue are the Driver's responsibility throughout the Hire Period. Routine servicing and MOT are scheduled by VDrive Private Hire (for our own vehicles) or by the Partner (for Partner vehicles); you are required to make the Vehicle available for these appointments. Tyres must be maintained at legal tread depth — punctures and damage caused during hire are the Driver's responsibility. Any defect (warning light, unusual noise, fluid leak, brake feel) must be reported to us immediately and the Vehicle taken off the road until inspected.

13. Accidents & Breakdown

All accidents — however minor — must be reported to us within 24 hours, with photographs of all vehicles involved, the scene, registration plates, and the contact and insurance details of any other party. Do not admit liability at the scene. In the event of breakdown, contact our 24-hour line for instructions. Recovery of the Vehicle to a safe location is normally arranged through the fleet insurer or our nominated recovery partner; charges may apply where the breakdown was caused by Driver action (wrong fuel, kerbed wheel, lost keys, misfuelling, flat battery from accessories, etc.).

14. Driver Conduct

You must comply at all times with the TfL or local council code of conduct, the Highway Code, and all applicable UK road-traffic and licensing law. Anti-social behaviour, hate speech, harassment of passengers or our staff, or any conduct that brings VDrive Private Hire or our Partner into disrepute is a serious breach of these Terms and may result in immediate termination of hire.

15. Termination, Vehicle Return & Recovery

Either party may end a rolling weekly hire by giving the notice set out in the Hire Agreement (typically 7 days). At the end of hire, the Vehicle must be returned, clean and fuelled, to the address and within the time window we confirm. A late-return fee applies for unauthorised retention. We reserve the right to recover the Vehicle immediately and without further notice in the event of:

• Missed or partial weekly payments;
• Driving licence or PCO/PHV badge suspension, revocation or expiry;
• Misuse of the Vehicle, sub-hire or unauthorised driving;
• Fraudulent activity, false documentation, or repeated dishonesty;
• Material breach of these Terms or the Hire Agreement;
• Reasonable grounds to believe the Vehicle is at risk of theft, damage or unlawful use.

16. Partner Companies — Scope of Service & Liability

VDrive Private Hire provides an operational management service to vehicle-owning Partners. We make sure the day-to-day hire of your vehicles runs smoothly. We do not take on the commercial, financial or legal risk that sits with you as the vehicle owner. The split is set out below so we can both run a clean, professional operation.

16.1 What VDrive Private Hire does for you

We perform the following with reasonable skill and care:

• Listing your Vehicle on our platform and marketing it to qualified drivers;
• Vetting and onboarding drivers (identity, licence and PCO/PHV checks);
• Carrying out a documented check-out inspection (photo + video) when the Vehicle is collected;
• Carrying out a documented check-in inspection (photo + video) when the Vehicle is returned;
• Collecting weekly hire payments from drivers and remitting the agreed share to you, net of the platform fee set out at clause 16.14;
• Logging and routing PCNs, congestion charge, ULEZ, clean-air-zone, dart charge, bus-lane, parking and speeding notices to the responsible driver, and applying our admin fee;
• Chasing late or failed driver payments (reminders, late fees, immobilisation);
• Repossessing your Vehicle from the driver where the hire contract is breached and recovery is contractually permitted;
• Maintaining hire records and providing partner reporting and dashboards.

16.2 What you, as the Partner, remain fully responsible for

The following stay your responsibility throughout — VDrive Private Hire is not liable for any of them:

• Roadworthiness and condition of the Vehicle, including service history;
• All maintenance and running costs — routine servicing, oil and filter changes, brake pads/discs, tyres (punctures, replacement, balancing, alignment), wipers, bulbs, batteries, AdBlue, coolant, software/recall updates, mechanical and electrical repairs, bodywork, paint, valeting, manufacturer recall work;
• All licensing, certification and renewal costs and arrangements — PCO/PHV vehicle licence, vehicle plate, council/TfL operator and vehicle compliance, road tax (VED), motor insurance renewal, hire-and-reward cover, MOT certification (preparation, test and any re-test fees), congestion-charge / ULEZ / clean-air-zone account fees, and any other regulatory permit, inspection, certificate or renewal required to keep the Vehicle lawfully on hire;
• Ownership and finance — V5 in your name, finance/lease/HP repayments, depreciation, residual value;
• Loss of earnings during downtime, repair, servicing, plate renewal, driver changeover or any period the Vehicle is off the road;
• Theft of the Vehicle (subject to your own insurance);
• Accident damage and excess, premium increases, no-claims-discount loss;
• Mechanical failure or breakdown;
• Tax on your earnings (VAT, corporation tax, self-assessment);
• Your own employees, contractors, agents and sub-contractors.

16.3 Failed and missed driver payments

We will use commercially reasonable efforts to recover any sums owed by drivers — automated reminders, late fees, immobilisation, repossession, and (where appropriate) referral to debt collection. We do not guarantee recovery and we are not liable to the Partner for unpaid hire, shortfall, bad debt, write-offs or any sums the driver fails to pay, regardless of the cause. Hire amounts are remitted to the Partner on a received basis only — we only pay across what we have actually collected.

16.4 PCNs, fines and charges

We allocate PCNs and similar notices to the responsible driver on record at the time of the contravention and apply our admin fee. We are not liable for the underlying amount, any escalation, court costs, bailiff action, or charges levied directly against the registered keeper. The Partner remains the registered keeper and ultimately liable to the issuing authority where the driver does not pay.

16.5 Insurance and accidents

VDrive Private Hire is not the Partner's insurer and does not act as an insurance intermediary. We are not liable for any uninsured loss, excess, premium increase, no-claims-discount loss, total-loss settlement, gap-insurance shortfall, or refusal of cover by an underwriter. Accident reporting, claims and recoveries are the Partner's responsibility, working directly with their own underwriter or broker. We will, on request, share the documentation, photos and video evidence we hold to support the Partner's claim.

16.6 Vehicle damage and condition

Our check-out and check-in records (photos + video) are evidential and form the basis of any deposit deduction. VDrive Private Hire is not liable for damage caused by the driver beyond what is recoverable from the driver's deposit and reasonable debt pursuit; nor for fair wear and tear, mechanical failure, tyre punctures, AdBlue, fuel or consumables.

16.7 Repossession and enforcement

We will attempt to recover your Vehicle when the hire contract is breached, but we are not liable for vehicles that cannot be located, are taken outside England & Wales, are damaged or stripped before recovery, or are subject to police, customs, council, court or third-party seizure. Reasonable recovery and storage costs may be charged onwards to the Partner where appropriate.

16.8 Platform availability

The platform, partner dashboard and reporting tools are provided "as is" on a best-efforts basis. We are not liable for downtime, data loss caused by user error, or third-party outages (hosting, payment processors, telecoms providers).

16.9 Indirect and consequential loss

VDrive Private Hire is not liable to the Partner for loss of profit, loss of contracts, loss of opportunity, loss of goodwill or reputation, business interruption, or any indirect, special or consequential loss, however arising.

16.10 Cap on liability

VDrive Private Hire's total aggregate liability to the Partner under the partner relationship in any 12-month period is limited to the management fees actually paid by that Partner to VDrive Private Hire in the preceding 12 months. Nothing in these Terms limits liability for fraud, fraudulent misrepresentation, death or personal injury caused by negligence, or any other liability that cannot lawfully be limited under English law (the Partner's statutory rights are not affected).

16.11 No partnership or agency

VDrive Private Hire acts as an independent service provider. Nothing in these Terms or in any Partner Agreement creates a partnership, joint venture, employment or agency relationship between VDrive Private Hire and the Partner. Each party is responsible for its own taxes and liabilities.

16.12 Indemnity

The Partner agrees to keep VDrive Private Hire harmless from third-party claims arising out of the Partner's vehicle, ownership, finance, insurance, regulatory non-compliance or anything outside VDrive Private Hire's defined scope of service set out at 16.1.

16.13 Order of precedence

If there is any conflict between these Terms and a signed bilateral Partner Agreement, the bilateral Partner Agreement takes precedence. Where there is no signed bilateral Partner Agreement, these Terms apply in full.

16.14 Platform fee, billing cycle and net payouts

VDrive Private Hire charges the Partner a platform fee of £20 per vehicle per week (calculated daily at £20 ÷ 7 = £2.857142… per day, rounded to two decimal places at cycle close) for the operational management services described at clause 16.1. The fee is charged only for the days each vehicle is actually on hire to a driver under a check-out / check-in record on the platform. Days on which the vehicle is off-hire (returned and not yet assigned to a new driver, off-road for repairs, plate renewal, MOT, servicing or any other reason) do not accrue the fee.

The fee is billed on a rolling 28-day cycle, calculated per vehicle. Each vehicle's first cycle starts on the day that vehicle is first placed on hire through the platform (the "anchor date"); subsequent cycles run consecutively in 28-day blocks from that anchor, regardless of calendar month. The check-out date is counted as on hire; the check-in date is counted as returned and is not charged. A day is only counted as a hire day once it has been completed in full. The maximum fee for one vehicle in a single 28-day cycle is therefore £80, applicable only if the vehicle was on hire every day of that cycle.

Each cycle auto-closes the day after it ends and an itemised invoice is generated against the Partner showing days on hire, the daily rate and the total fee for that vehicle and cycle. Closed invoices are settled by the Partner to VDrive Private Hire in accordance with the agreed payment method and timeframe set out in the Partner's onboarding pack or signed Partner Agreement.

On the same 28-day cycle, VDrive Private Hire calculates a net payout per vehicle, being the gross weekly hire actually collected from the driver inside that cycle window (excluding deposits and damage charges) less the matching platform fee for the same cycle. Net payouts are remitted to the Partner by bank transfer in line with the Partner's onboarding pack. Remittance is on a received basis only (clause 16.3) — unpaid hire that has not been collected from the driver is not included in the payout. Both the platform-fee invoice and the matching net-payout record are visible to the Partner on the partner dashboard.

VDrive Private Hire may change the platform fee, the cycle length or the calculation method on at least 30 days' written notice to the Partner in accordance with clause 21. Where a Partner has a signed bilateral Partner Agreement that sets a different fee, cycle or remittance arrangement, that bilateral agreement takes precedence under clause 16.13.

17. Liability (Drivers)

For Drivers, VDrive Private Hire's liability in connection with the website, the application process and the hire is limited to the amount you have paid us in the 3 months preceding any claim. We are not liable for indirect, consequential or economic loss, loss of earnings, or loss of opportunity arising from use of our services or vehicles. Nothing in these Terms limits liability for fraud, death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or any other liability that cannot lawfully be limited under English law. Your statutory rights as a consumer (where applicable) are not affected.

18. Force Majeure

Neither party is liable for any failure or delay caused by events beyond reasonable control, including (but not limited to) acts of God, severe weather, fire, flood, pandemic, war, terrorism, civil disorder, industrial action, government action, fuel shortages, or major outage of telecoms, power or third-party platforms.

19. Complaints & Dispute Resolution

If you have a complaint, please email admin@vdrive.uk with the subject line "Complaint — [your name]". We aim to acknowledge complaints within 3 working days and respond substantively within 14 working days. If we cannot resolve a complaint between us:

• Licensing matters can be escalated to your local licensing authority (TfL or your council);
• General consumer matters can be referred to Citizens Advice (citizensadvice.org.uk);
• Any unresolved legal dispute will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

20. Governing Law

These Terms of Service are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

21. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. For non-material changes (typos, formatting, clearer wording), the updated Terms apply on publication. For material changes (changes to fees, scope of service, or liability allocation), we will give at least 30 days' notice by email and on this page before the new Terms take effect.

22. Contact Us

For any queries about these Terms, contact us at:
VDrive Private Hire (Company No. 17177362, registered in England & Wales)
Trading address: 78 Mill Street, Mill Lane, Kidderminster, DY11 6XJ
Registered office: Paymal House, Stepney Way, London, United Kingdom, E1 3HR
Email: admin@vdrive.uk · Phone: 07777964171