Standalone excess insurance

Frugalsnail

We have hired a car from Enterprise at Carcassonne airport in a couple of weeks time. Following Martin's advice, we were going to purchase standalone excess insurance. However, we're put off by reading that Enterprise may then take a large deposit from our credit card rather than ringfence the amount, leading to potential exchange rate loss and cash flow problems as we pay our credit card off in full each month and any refund might take 30 days to clear. Should we therefore just take Enterprise's excess insurance when we pick up the car?

WAYT

Have you actually called them at Carcassonne Airport, in order to determine their policy?

+33 4 68 71 69 97

Frugalsnail

No, not yet. We got the information from Martin's cheap car hire sheet. Thank you for the number. We will call them tomorrow. Thanks for your help. I will let you know what they say.

Frugalsnail

Well, I spoke to Enterprise at Carcassonne and the rep said that they deduct 250 euros security charge which is refunded on return but that the 850 euros is only taken if the car is damaged. So it looks like it would be safe to take standalone insurance for the excess but my husband thinks it's safer to take the rental companies excess - 20 euros a day. He thinks it's less hassle. I better check that the rental company's excess includes undercarriage, glass, tyres. I'll probably have to phone again to do that!

PeacefulWaters

Well do you want to pay c£50 for an annual standalone policy (or £2-£3 a day) or €20 a day for a ridiculously overpriced hirer policy?

How big is your credit card limit? How much will enterprise ring fence?

How likely is an accident? I'd suggest not very.

How capable are you of pulling together three or four pieces of paperwork, photographing them with your phone and emailing them as attachments if you make a claim?

I've made a claim this year using a third party insurer. The claim was quickly settled and money was refunded within ten days or do.

WAYT

Frugalsnail wrote: »

Well, I spoke to Enterprise at Carcassonne and the rep said that they deduct 250 euros security charge which is refunded on return but that the 850 euros is only taken if the car is damaged. So it looks like it would be safe to take standalone insurance for the excess but my husband thinks it's safer to take the rental companies excess - 20 euros a day. He thinks it's less hassle. I better check that the rental company's excess includes undercarriage, glass, tyres. I'll probably have to phone again to do that!

Don't listen to your husband. Pack his bags.

Excess Protection is an optional product available only if Damage Waiver is included in your rate that reduces any applicable Damage Waiver excess (see Damage Waiver terms) to Vehicle class Economy - Mini - Electric - Compact - Intermediate - Standard- SUV- Convertible, 150.00 EUR, Vehicle class Monospace -Mini-van - Fullsize Wagon - Luxury, 500.00 EUR - Van-Fullsize, 300.00 EUR. Excess Protection is not insurance and before purchasing you may wish to check if your personal coverage is adequate to cover damage, theft, loss of revenue, administration fees, diminishment of value and any towing, storage of impound fees. If you decline Excess Protection then you are required to pay any applicable Damage Waiver excess and seek compensation from your carrier.

So even with their Excess Protection, there is still an excess and they don't even cover you for windscreen, tyres, lost keys...

.....they have bundled in Roadside Protection in that 20€ per day fee.

Enterprise offers Roadside Assistance Protection. Roadside Assistance Protection allows Enterprise customers to waive all financial responsibility for the following - tyre (excluding the rim) and glass repair or replacement costs, except when part of a larger repair, replacement keys costs and all recovery and call charges imposed by our chosen roadside assistance providers as result of a fault caused by renter error. Roadside Assistance Protection does not exempt you from these charges if there is any breach of our rental agreement. Roadside Assistance Protection is an optional product; before purchasing you may wish to check if your personal coverage is adequate. If you decline RAP then you will be required to pay any applicable charges and see compensation from your carrier. RAP is not insurance

Wherein they don't even cover you for the wrong type of fuel etc.

So how is that "less hassle"? Pack his bags and show him the door until he can see the error of his ways.

A decent standalone policy with cover you for all of that.

http://www.insurance4carhire.com/european-car-hire-excess-insurance

https://www.quidco.com/insurance4carhire-com/

Gloomendoom

PeacefulWaters wrote: »

I've made a claim this year using a third party insurer. The claim was quickly settled and money was refunded within ten days or do.

Apparently, not everybody is so lucky...

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5713855

Tice12

Going to piggy back this one in a vein hope. Completely forgot to get my standalone insurance. Declined the insurance at the desk so left with the potential full excess.

All I have to do is be careful right...... there are no magic companies that will insure me now?

Here is hoping

WAYT

Tice12 wrote: »

Going to piggy back this one in a vein hope. Completely forgot to get my standalone insurance. Declined the insurance at the desk so left with the potential full excess.

All I have to do is be careful right...... there are no magic companies that will insure me now?

Here is hoping

Two posts. Both exhibiting a lack of good judgement. No chance of getting insured unless you cancel current rental and start again.

Frugalsnail

Thank you WAYT. I think the extra hassle would be in the extra care required to record the condition of the car on pick up and, in the case of an incident, paying then reclaiming and an anxious wait to see if the claim would be successful. From your quotes from the Enterprise excess cover (where do you get that?) for the 20euros a day, 150 euros excess would still be payable; glass, tyres and keys would be covered but not undercarriage or wrong fuel. Thank you for your link. It leads to annual cover and we're only likely to take a single trip. Your advice (and Peaceful water's) has been very helpful and appreciated.

WAYT

Frugalsnail wrote: »

Thank you WAYT. I think the extra hassle would be in the extra care required to record the condition of the car on pick up and, in the case of an incident, paying then reclaiming and an anxious wait to see if the claim would be successful. From your quotes from the Enterprise excess cover (where do you get that?) for the 20euros a day, 150 euros excess would still be payable; glass, tyres and keys would be covered but not undercarriage or wrong fuel. Thank you for your link. It leads to annual cover and we're only likely to take a single trip. Your advice (and Peaceful water's) has been very helpful and appreciated.

From the Enterprise website. I did a dummy booking and checked the T&C of the cover offered.

http://www.insurance4carhire.com/daily-car-hire-excess-insurance £3.99 per day. Not the cheapest, but since your husband appears risk averse, an established and reliable company.

Newer company; https://www.bettersafe.com/Products/Car-Hire-Excess-Insurance-Protection £1.99 per day.

Do check that Enterprise don't take the security excess regardless of whether you take their policy or not.