Cheap Excess Reduction (hiring a car) - help

snoz

My wife's taking a break in London for two weeks, but I'll be needing the car for that time, so we're thinking about hiring a car for her, only they're bloody expensive. I've been looking at getting the excess reduction seperate from Hertz to save a few hundred pounds (thinking about going with rentalcover.com at the moment) but I'm not really well versed in this stuff.

From what I gather, you've got to get the excess cover first and then go hire the car and tell them you don't want their excess reduction. Is this right? What happens if they won't let me use the cover I've bought? And do I still need insurance? If anyone has any experience with this company or similar ones who can shed a bit of light it would be appreciated.

I'd really like to save as much money as possible too because hiring a car for two weeks isn't cheap.

Cisco001

I won't recommend driving in london.

Mattymoo123

Hmm not sure if they offer cars in that area but I have always used an Independent garage, try crudwell garage they are in Malmesbury but possibly have others.

Likewise avoid driving in London, I spent 5 years going from Burnham Beaches into the centre, NEVER again!!! You have to cost congestion charge, parking etc into your total cost when you consider London.

Trains/tubes/cycling better option in my opinion!

Nile

Hello snoz


Welcome to the MSE forum.:hello:

Hi, we move threads if we think they’ll get more help elsewhere (please read the forum rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com"]forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL].

I’ve moved your thread from the ‘I wanna’ board to the ‘Motoring’ board, where it is better suited.

Regards

Nile

InsideInsurance

snoz wrote: »

From what I gather, you've got to get the excess cover first and then go hire the car and tell them you don't want their excess reduction. Is this right? What happens if they won't let me use the cover I've bought? And do I still need insurance? If anyone has any experience with this company or similar ones who can shed a bit of light it would be appreciated.

Id too question what you are doing with a car in London but that aside.....

Doesnt matter which order you book things in as long as you buy the excess insurance before collecting the hire car.

You do then just reject their CDW when you are hiring the car (and then again at the time of collecting the car most often)

They have no choice about "allowing" you to use it, you dont even need to mention it to them. As far as they are concerned you are just having the full excess, the fact you will get that reimbursed should you have a claim is irrelevant.

Just remember that with this type of insurance (a) you will normally have to preauthorise the full excess when collecting the car on a credit card so make sure you have one with a high enough limit. (b) if there is an incident you have to pay the excess yourself and then reclaim it and that can take a few weeks so again make sure you can afford the temporary shortfall

There are many providers, just google hire car excess insurance

Herzlos

Is she in the centre of London or in a Suburb somewhere? I'd have thought tube/taxi would be cheaper and easier than hiring a car if she's in the congestion zone.

InsideInsurance

Herzlos wrote: »

Is she in the centre of London or in a Suburb somewhere? I'd have thought tube/taxi would be cheaper and easier than hiring a car if she's in the congestion zone.

Easier full stop. Used to live in Zone 5 and to get into central Zone 1 by train was 20 minutes on a bad day with trains every 10-15 minutes.

Drove in a few times because of needing to carry something bulky etc and never took anything less than an hour and once took 4 hours