The ABC of car hire excess cover

ICARHIREINSURANCE.COM has created what it calls a beginners guide to car hire excess insurance … 

• If a hire car is damaged or stolen in Europe, the car is insured but the driver has to pay the excess (i.e. the first part of the claim), which can be up to £2,000. 

• Rental companies often insist that they hold this excess amount during the rental, either in cash, or more usually on a credit card, unless the customer buys their excess insurance. 

• Rental desk excess insurance is usually expensive, approximately £17 a day, and has many exclusions. 

• Excess Insurance can be bought from other specialist insurance providers at up to 85% cheaper. 

• Cover from specialist insurance providers usually includes cover for vulnerable parts of the vehicle, e.g., windows, tyres, roof, and undercarriage, which are often not covered by rental company policies. 

• Stand-alone policies are valid with all rental companies, as they refund the customer, not the rental company, and customers should stand their ground if the rental desk staff try to hard-sell them their insurance. 

• Customers who do not buy the rental company's excess insurance, including those with independent excess insurance, will need to let the rental company hold the excess during the rental – so it is a good idea to have a spare credit card available. 

• When the car is returned undamaged, the deposit is refunded. 

• If charges are made for damage, customers with stand-alone insurance claim this back from their independent insurance provider. 

• Always check the hire car for damage before it is driven, and ensure any damage is recorded on the check-out sheet, to ensure charges are not made for existing damage. 

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