Why You Need Car Hire Excess Insurance

If you’re new to car hire, making sure you’re fully aware of all the ins and outs of your rental agreement is a must. Even those who have signed rental contracts before may be in need of a refresher – particularly when it comes to car hire excess insurance and why you need it.

To make sure you’re completely clued up and won’t get caught off-guard with any hidden costs, read through this article and learn how to save savvy during your rental journey.

What’s in the Contract?

Before you start thinking about purchasing additional protection for your hire car, you’ll need to make sure you’re aware of everything that’s already included in your contract. Most companies will offer a Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) or a Loss Damage Waiver (LDW), which at a first glance may look pretty comprehensive. Unfortunately, this is not usually the case.

CDWs and LDWs not only come with a high excess charge, but also only protect you against repairs and replacements to the body of the vehicle. This means that payments for any damage done to the tyres, windows, undercarriage or windscreen will be coming straight out of your pocket. For this reason, having car hire excess insurance is a must.

Additional Cover: What’s Included?

If you choose to invest in car hire excess insurance, you’ll be well on your way to a fully protected, stress-free rental experience! Specialist companies offer comprehensive protection that includes the following:

• £800 to cover window, sunroof and windscreen damage
• Up to £500 for the undercarriage
• Protection for loss of or damage to personal possessions
• Up to £50 per tyre for tyre repairs or £100 for a replacement

Some companies also offer a choice of single or annual multi-trip cover, meaning that you can judge how much you’ll spend depending on your frequency of travel – it couldn’t be easier.

The Claiming Process

Purchase your policy through a reputable company and you’ll be sure to enjoy a straightforward claiming process. All you’ll need to provide are some important documents regarding your rental: relevant invoices and receipts, your licence and documentation detailing your dates and times of travel. Any other supporting information is also always useful to have to hand while making your claim.

Once the claim is processed, you should have your money back in your account within a few days, so whatever happens you won’t be left out of pocket for too long.

Investing incar hire excess insurance is the best way to ensure you’re not caught up in the cheeky charges that hire companies often hide away in their documents. Purchase through a professional, low-cost company and you could save hundreds if anything unfortunate were to happen to your vehicle during the rental.

Author Plate

Sam Walker is a specialist insurance expert at LowerHire, a company that offers low-cost single trip and annual multi-trip car hire excess insurance policies. Travellers can rest easy knowing they will be fully protected against any hidden hire car costs and look forward to a stress-free rental experience.