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These type of articles do come out every so often in the main newspapers warning readers about the problems of hiring a car and in particular about car hire excess waiver insurance problems,
The article starts by saying that the good news is that it’s getting easier to avoid being ripped off. A growing number of car hire brokers and comparison sites are now highlighting firms offering ‘fair fuel’ arrangements, and there are much cheaper alternative excess waiver policies out there.
Spain has been a place where this has occurred a lot so several firms are switching to a system that requires payment at the start of the rental for a tank of fuel and a ‘service charge’.
Excess Waiver Insurance is the next topic covered and the article goes on to say Basic car rental insurance comes saddled with hefty excesses. For example, with Hertz for a week covering an economy car from Pisa airport, it costs €205 (about £172) – far more than the basic rental cost.
The solution? Buy an excess waiver policy in advance from a specialist insurer. It will work out cheaper, and cover is likely to be more comprehensive
Bear in mind that if you decline the rental firm’s excess waiver, the amount of the excess (which can be a four- figure sum) will be blocked off on your credit card as a security deposit against the possibility of any damage.
Any reader of this blog site will know there are a number of these specialist excess waiver insurance companies advertising on the insurance4carrental.com site - Questor Insurance - Worldwide Insure - Essential Travel - carhirexecss.com / Blue Insurance - Insurance4carhire - iCarhireinsurance and Protect Your Bubble. They all offer some great value products and find out more here.
Finally Fred's tips are ones that we have written about on this blog a great deal and also have on the insurance4carrental.com we bite. Basically they are:
Even if you are armed with excess waiver cover, before driving off you should inspect the car for dents and scratches, take photographs, and ensure staff document everything.
When returning the vehicle, if possible get a signed receipt confirming the vehicle is in good order, and how full the petrol tank is.
When you’re back home, watch out for unexpected charges from the rental company appearing on your credit card statement – they are all too common, and can sometimes be worth disputing . See the article in full here
