Warning for extra excess on car hire in Iceland

izzywizzydog

I just wanted to warn anyone travelling to iceland to look out for an "extra" excess they have that doesn't apply anywhere else - it is called sand and ash protection and doesn't seem to be included in the usual comprehensive excess cover insurances available.


I recently travelled to Iceland for a few days, hired my car well in advance via AutoEurope & chose a deal from Budget Car Hire. Usually I have annual excess cover, but this time as it had expired, I just went with AutoEurope's Inclusive package (including cover for wheels, windscreen, underside & roof). Feeling smug, thinking that I was fully covered for all eventualities and that there would be no "hard sell" insurance tactics to face at the car desk....how wrong I was!! Having paid just £175 for 5 days car hire including insurance, I was then faced with another £50 for the 5 days "Ash & Sand Protection"!! Having looked at my car hire documents it did say this was excluded from the cover, but most other companies don't cover this either or don't mention it at all in their cover.



It is probably a good idea to take this insurance, because if it does get windy on Iceland their landscape is harsh and could cause damage to the paint & bodywork of the car. I just wish I had been prepared in advance, knowing this was a peculiarity of Iceland and for the extra cost which it didn't seem that I could have bought in advance.


Just interested if anyone else has come across this, or a way to get it covered at a cheaper price in advance.

2nd_Time_Lucky

yes we travel regularly to Iceland & they all offer this protection. We have gone on the advice of the car hire firms which is if you stick to Reykjavik or the west coats then its an optional cost (so we have never purchased it for there) but if going south or east it is essential as if you get caught in a volcanic ash cloud, it can strip the paint in minutes.
The other unusual thing about driving in Iceland is some roads are only open to proper 4X4!

cubegame

I queried my excess insurance before I went and they said it would be covered. Can't remember who it was at the time though.

Shimrod

I have used Questor excess car insurance in the past, and they have confirmed they would cover any damage due to sand and ash. This is the exact reply I got in 2015 - the cost of cover was about 2 days of the sand and ash cover direct from the hire company.


"[FONT=&quot]The car hire excess policy will cover you for the excess you are liable for on your rental agreement up to £5,000 but this CDW cover can be increased to £50,000 on the worldwide policy for an additional premium, This covers You for any physical loss or damage to the Hire Vehicle for which You are responsible for under the terms of the Hire Agreement following a Fire, Lightning Strike, Explosion, Accident, Accidental Damage, Theft or Attempted Theft, Malicious Damage, Storm and Flood. This section includes loss or damage to Auto Glass, Roof, Tyres, Wheel Rims and the Under Body and Towing and Loss of Use. We will cover damage caused by sand, ash or gravel providing that it is not specifically excluded in your rental terms and conditions."[/FONT]

spud_work

Shimrod wrote: »

I have used Questor excess car insurance in the past, and they have confirmed they would cover any damage due to sand and ash. This is the exact reply I got in 2015 - the cost of cover was about 2 days of the sand and ash cover direct from the hire company.


"[FONT=&quot]The car hire excess policy will cover you for the excess you are liable for on your rental agreement up to £5,000 but this CDW cover can be increased to £50,000 on the worldwide policy for an additional premium, This covers You for any physical loss or damage to the Hire Vehicle for which You are responsible for under the terms of the Hire Agreement following a Fire, Lightning Strike, Explosion, Accident, Accidental Damage, Theft or Attempted Theft, Malicious Damage, Storm and Flood. This section includes loss or damage to Auto Glass, Roof, Tyres, Wheel Rims and the Under Body and Towing and Loss of Use. We will cover damage caused by sand, ash or gravel providing that it is not specifically excluded in your rental terms and conditions."[/FONT]

This last bit means that you wouldn't be covered as it is specifically excluded in the rental terms and conditions

Shimrod

spud_work wrote: »

This last bit means that you wouldn't be covered as it is specifically excluded in the rental terms and conditions

No it doesn't. The car rental agreement does not exclude me from driving in those areas where there is a risk of sand and ash damage. The cover would only be invalid if the rental agreement forbade me from driving in those areas (much like I would not be covered on a F road unless I had a suitable 4x4).

spud_work

Sorry, but I think you are mistaken. Damage caused by sand and Ash is excluded specifically in many car rental conditions of standard insurance that are offered to renters in Iceland so the statement above works against you and you wouldn't be covered.

Of course, this only applies in Iceland because, as far as I am aware, it is the only country that has this specific exclusion for standard cover and this is why it is a costly add-on.

As you state, there is no restriction in relation to going to locations where it might happen, but any damage caused on your trip by sand or Ash will see you out of pocket unless you take the specific insurance add-on as neither the standard insurance or the third party excess coverage noted above would provide you with any financial protection

Shimrod

Here is another, less ambiguous response from Questor:


"[FONT=&quot]I can confirm that our insurance covers you for any physical damage made to the hire vehicle up to £5,000, this includes damage for sand and ash.[/FONT]"

Charlieevans69

I see from this thread that some peeps travel to iceland regularly, we are trying to hire a car and are wondering which company to use as it seems to be a minefield! We are going to get additional insurance from questor, the actual hire company or possibly both (reduce the excess with company and cover it with questor). Any advice would be appreciated much:)

Shimrod

Charlieevans69 wrote: »

I see from this thread that some peeps travel to iceland regularly, we are trying to hire a car and are wondering which company to use as it seems to be a minefield! We are going to get additional insurance from questor, the actual hire company or possibly both (reduce the excess with company and cover it with questor). Any advice would be appreciated much:)

I've been several times and always used Hertz with no problems. You can normally find codes to get a discount online, and compare prices between Hertz.co.uk and Hertz.is because there are sometimes significant savings to be had by choosing the Icelandic website.



Have a look at the airport website https://www.isavia.is/en/keflavik-airport - I use Hertz because they have a desk in the airport, but there are several other companies as well.

PennyPops

I would recommend Lotus car hire.