Car hire damage refund insurance
Discussion
We recently hired a car for our one week trip to Slovenia. Before we left, I took out a damage refund policy which cost about £12. I could have bought the all inclusive "no worries" package from the car hire company but it was about £15 per day extra. As it was, we just took the standard car hire, reasoning that 1) we'd inspect the car very carefully and 2) even if the car hire company charged us we'd be covered by the stand alone policy taken in the UK.
With respect to point 1, we picked the car up from a dimly lit car park, with pouring rain awaiting us once outside. Realistically, it was impossible to check every inch of the car's bodywork and wheels.
As for point 2, we received a bill for around £350 a few days after returning to the UK. They included photos of the 'damage' which was a tiny, tiny scratch at the front below the number plate. Seriously, you'd have to lie on the ground, and even then you'd need a bright torch to see it. I'm 100% sure that scratch was there when we picked the car up. And £350..........hmmm.
Anyway, we claimed on our UK insurance policy. They demanded lots of photos, every invoice, proof of driving licence, a DNA sample (joke!), you name it. I was able to supply everything, but was sure they'd decline our claim. To my surprise they paid up in full this morning, about six weeks after our holiday.
TLDR: my advice is to either choose the hirer's "peace of mind" option, or buy a damage refund policy before your holiday. Things may differ in the USA, and for other companies (our hirer? think of a number between fifty and seventy........). Our policy cost £12 and saved us £350.
With respect to point 1, we picked the car up from a dimly lit car park, with pouring rain awaiting us once outside. Realistically, it was impossible to check every inch of the car's bodywork and wheels.
As for point 2, we received a bill for around £350 a few days after returning to the UK. They included photos of the 'damage' which was a tiny, tiny scratch at the front below the number plate. Seriously, you'd have to lie on the ground, and even then you'd need a bright torch to see it. I'm 100% sure that scratch was there when we picked the car up. And £350..........hmmm.
Anyway, we claimed on our UK insurance policy. They demanded lots of photos, every invoice, proof of driving licence, a DNA sample (joke!), you name it. I was able to supply everything, but was sure they'd decline our claim. To my surprise they paid up in full this morning, about six weeks after our holiday.
TLDR: my advice is to either choose the hirer's "peace of mind" option, or buy a damage refund policy before your holiday. Things may differ in the USA, and for other companies (our hirer? think of a number between fifty and seventy........). Our policy cost £12 and saved us £350.
I take out annual car hire excess policy with Questor. about £50 for just Europe.
In Tenerife both autoreisen and cicar are honest laid back.
Unfortunately in Mallorca it seems to be the normal scam from all renters.
Last time round they charged me 25 euros because the tank wasn't 100% full. Digital readout rather than analogue with a readout of 99.6 rather than 100.
Partner who doesn't drive doesn't understand why this sort of thing makes my pi$$ boil!
In Tenerife both autoreisen and cicar are honest laid back.
Unfortunately in Mallorca it seems to be the normal scam from all renters.
Last time round they charged me 25 euros because the tank wasn't 100% full. Digital readout rather than analogue with a readout of 99.6 rather than 100.
Partner who doesn't drive doesn't understand why this sort of thing makes my pi$$ boil!
Greenmantle said:
I take out annual car hire excess policy with Questor. about £50 for just Europe.
In Tenerife both autoreisen and cicar are honest laid back.
Unfortunately in Mallorca it seems to be the normal scam from all renters.
Last time round they charged me 25 euros because the tank wasn't 100% full. Digital readout rather than analogue with a readout of 99.6 rather than 100.
Partner who doesn't drive doesn't understand why this sort of thing makes my pi$$ boil!
Well worth having the insurance....but I would also suggest using a smaller local (non-international) firm like Vanrell or Terry's in Majorca (for example). Opt for their 'comfort' insurance package and you'll not pay a penny for damage, regardless of fault. You don't even leave a deposit and it'll still be cheaper than the bigger firms.In Tenerife both autoreisen and cicar are honest laid back.
Unfortunately in Mallorca it seems to be the normal scam from all renters.
Last time round they charged me 25 euros because the tank wasn't 100% full. Digital readout rather than analogue with a readout of 99.6 rather than 100.
Partner who doesn't drive doesn't understand why this sort of thing makes my pi$$ boil!
I have used similar smaller / local firms in Menorca, Ibiza, Crete, Rhodes and Corfu with no problems whatsoever. This is what you want on holiday, not worrying about the inevitable door dings, scratches, chips. They typically have zero wait time (Due to minimal paper work) on collection or drop off. It's a win win.
I've not had to use it, but I've taken out policies with a couple of different firms - the small premium seems like a no-brainer. I'm also happy to spend a few minutes documenting all of the marks on the car at pick up, and if necessary getting the hire agreement amended to reflect any undeclared damage.
I have an annual policy with ReduceMyExcess that’s global coverage and all hire companies except GreenMotion and it’s £50.54 per year.
I do have a duplicate coverage with AMEX though too which I didn’t realise about until a couple of weeks ago so not sure if I’ll let the annual policy lapse in favour of this one.
Curiously I’ve never had any issues until this week; I returned a car to Alamo in DXB T5 at 5am, car was noted as perfect and zero issues on return, paperwork signed and off I went. I then get a call at 3am the following morning saying the bonnet was dinted and I need to provide a police report (followed with an email of the same) … I told them the car was handed over perfect and they gave me paperwork to this effect and also asked for evidence … I’m awaiting the AED3000 excess hold to not be refunded onto my credit card and to pursue from there.
I do have a duplicate coverage with AMEX though too which I didn’t realise about until a couple of weeks ago so not sure if I’ll let the annual policy lapse in favour of this one.
Curiously I’ve never had any issues until this week; I returned a car to Alamo in DXB T5 at 5am, car was noted as perfect and zero issues on return, paperwork signed and off I went. I then get a call at 3am the following morning saying the bonnet was dinted and I need to provide a police report (followed with an email of the same) … I told them the car was handed over perfect and they gave me paperwork to this effect and also asked for evidence … I’m awaiting the AED3000 excess hold to not be refunded onto my credit card and to pursue from there.
MattyD803 said:
Greenmantle said:
I take out annual car hire excess policy with Questor. about £50 for just Europe.
In Tenerife both autoreisen and cicar are honest laid back.
Unfortunately in Mallorca it seems to be the normal scam from all renters.
Last time round they charged me 25 euros because the tank wasn't 100% full. Digital readout rather than analogue with a readout of 99.6 rather than 100.
Partner who doesn't drive doesn't understand why this sort of thing makes my pi$$ boil!
Well worth having the insurance....but I would also suggest using a smaller local (non-international) firm like Vanrell or Terry's in Majorca (for example). Opt for their 'comfort' insurance package and you'll not pay a penny for damage, regardless of fault. You don't even leave a deposit and it'll still be cheaper than the bigger firms.In Tenerife both autoreisen and cicar are honest laid back.
Unfortunately in Mallorca it seems to be the normal scam from all renters.
Last time round they charged me 25 euros because the tank wasn't 100% full. Digital readout rather than analogue with a readout of 99.6 rather than 100.
Partner who doesn't drive doesn't understand why this sort of thing makes my pi$$ boil!
I have used similar smaller / local firms in Menorca, Ibiza, Crete, Rhodes and Corfu with no problems whatsoever. This is what you want on holiday, not worrying about the inevitable door dings, scratches, chips. They typically have zero wait time (Due to minimal paper work) on collection or drop off. It's a win win.
Worst I've had was in Florence on picking up a car I didn't want any additional insurance and told to sign next to the X for the rental agreement. Turns out they'd conned me to sign up for the additional insurance and when I got in touch with the credit card company the rental (it wasn't a back alley company it might have been Hertz) they sent a photo copy of my signature on the document. Obviously it was all in Italian and I was none the wiser.......
It's when you buy any of the excess policies and see that NONE of them cover car hire with Green motion.....
I always have an annual excess policy and I've needed it once in about 8yrs. The policy immediately paid me £278 back for the scuff on an alloy, which I know the hire company won't repair.
And now I never ever hire from Green motion
Insurance companies aren't dim.
I always have an annual excess policy and I've needed it once in about 8yrs. The policy immediately paid me £278 back for the scuff on an alloy, which I know the hire company won't repair.
And now I never ever hire from Green motion
Insurance companies aren't dim.
im covered with the amex platinum one (which is actually great though I've never had occasion to use it to be fair)
There's a couple of companies doing it, check if you're doing excess only cover, or full CDW cover. And if you're renting in the USA you want one that gives SLI insurance, which a lot dont.
The main company I've found that does that is insurance4carhire. An annual worldwide plus cdw and SLI policy is about £125. When you have both of those included you can then search on american sites etc which typically dont include any insurance at all, and sometimes the savings can be big. (sometimes weirdly they can also be more expensive with no insurance too which is weird)
There's a couple of companies doing it, check if you're doing excess only cover, or full CDW cover. And if you're renting in the USA you want one that gives SLI insurance, which a lot dont.
The main company I've found that does that is insurance4carhire. An annual worldwide plus cdw and SLI policy is about £125. When you have both of those included you can then search on american sites etc which typically dont include any insurance at all, and sometimes the savings can be big. (sometimes weirdly they can also be more expensive with no insurance too which is weird)
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