Car Hire Insurance

jcumpsty

Does any one know the difference between CDW and LDW?

I am looking to rent a car in Canada. I am confused as to if I the comparison sites compare apples with apples, as some seem to suggest LDW or CDW will be offered later.

Anyone shed light on this?

THanks.

trets77

hold tight and i will post on this tomorrow , as i,m late for work now

jcumpsty

OK. I am also trying to decide if it is cheaper to book a car from UK, or wait until we get to Toronto.

AND, I have family coming to the airport, so also is it cheaper to get a car from the airport or from an off airport location?

Cheers.

SlyOne_2

CDW - Collision Damage Waiver and LDW - Loss Damage Waiver, I think are the types of eventualities your vehicle is insured against.

Having said that, most of the policies in car rental agencies usually have some sort of excess which you need to pay in case something happens (usually in the order of £500). There are ways to reduce or even get that to zero, but if you take out the additional insurance it usually means adding an additional £10 or the like per day on your rental. However, some drivers may find their own insurance on their private cars already fully cover them for rental, so it's all good.

For the less fortunate, I'd recommend dailyexcess.com which provides you the peace of mind for £4 a day. I've tried them twice, very efficient (although no claim experience, touch wood). They also operate an annual premium policy I think, if you rent a lot. What's good is that their policies are valid worldwide.

Re: your car pickup issue, I don't think it makes that much of a difference where you get the car from. Things to bear in mind are that if you plan to pick the car up at the airport, you'll have to return it at the airport too. Choosing an alternative drop-off location will usually entail an additional charge.

SlyOne.

trets77

okay . i rented a car from Toronto ( airport) last year as part of the super saver package we got with our Agent ( Travelbag ). they use www.carbookers.com Alamo was the company we got the car off in Canada.

i was prepared to to take out insurance from a independant company with regards to Excess ect but much to my surprise everything was included . Excess was Zero. CDW policy included and taxes paid. ( and printed in black in white what was included in price.)

i was offered personal belongings insurance ( you don,t need it , your travel insurance will cover it) and asked to pay for a full tank of fuel ( around £12) and bring car back empty.

when i handed the car back they barely looked at it and gave me a reciept . all in all a hassel free hire.

the car bookers website clearly list what is included

Your Rate INCLUDES:• Airport Service Charge.
• Fuel (Must be Returned with Full Tank or a Refilling Charge will Apply).
• Local Tax.
• Location Service Charge.
• Loss Damage Waiver with No Excess To Pay.
• Third Party Liability.
• Unlimited Mileage.

and whats not

1 Additional Driver.
• Child Seat Baby
• Navigational System GPS
• Personal Accident Insurance.
• Personal Effects Protection.
• Ski Rack.
• Underage Driver Charges.

i have got a current claim with "daily excess.com" who i have had problems with see my post in this thread.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=508394


2 and half weeks and i,m still waiting for my £50 claim to be paid.


BE SURE YOU READ THIS thread who ever you go through .

http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/travel/your_say/article713476.ece

jcumpsty

THanks for that information. It helped alot.

CarHire 3000 also includes CDW with no excess. Comparing the price of a Chrysler Sebring to a Chevy Cobalt, Carhire 3000 appears to be £100 cheaper than CarBookers.

And Thanks for the Times Article...it has scared the [EMAIL="s#@t"]s#@t[/EMAIL] out of me now.

dzug

However, some drivers may find their own insurance on their private cars already fully cover them for rental, so it's all good.

You've been reading too many American travel sites. No British insurer provides this for overseas rentals. Most American insurers do.

mks_2

I have found Worldwideinsure to be the cheapest for car hire excess insurance.

ringtail

mks wrote: »

I have found Worldwideinsure to be the cheapest for car hire excess insurance.

I'm almost ready to buy car hire excess insurance and I agree Worldwide Travel Insurance is very competitive indeed. I can't see any difference in the cover compared to more expensive policies. Does anyone have any experience (including claims experience) of using Worldwide?

jcumpsty

The strangest thing occured to me about the car hire.

While collecting my car in Toronto, I was told that my CDW with £0 excess covers me for a collision but not for a flat tyre, stone chip or spillage on the seats. I could purchase extra cover for $200 for these items.

HOWEVER, CDW Covers me for an accident and I have not excess to pay.

In other words if I spill wine on the seats or the kids are sick I have to pay. If I write the car off I don't pay a penny.

Does anyone see a problem here? They are basically suggesting that there is only one way to avoid paying should you spill something on the seats or get a stone chip.

Eros

My son is going for a year to Australia with a view to staying longer or maybe going on to NZ.
STA Travel seem to be the only company that will renew the travel insurance policy for a second year. Is anyone aware of other companies that are prepared to insure for a second year?

thanks