Car Rental Hire Standalone Excess Cover query

bery_451

Hi,

Looking for cover to drive in the UK.

Martin Lewis said MoneyMaxim is a good place:

https://www.moneymaxim.co.uk/car-hire-excess-insurance

However which cover providers are known to includes Breakdown Recovery as standard?

Cheers,

DullGreyGuy

Your hire car doesn't come with breakdown cover? Its normally a basic part of the service and not an optional extra.

bery_451

DullGreyGuy said:

Your hire car doesn't come with breakdown cover? Its normally a basic part of the service and not an optional extra.

Does Europcar offer this for free on all their rentals?

Goudy

Europcar cover breakdowns, most usually will.
How do I get assistance when a breakdown occurs? (europcar.co.uk)

But charges may be payable depending on who is responsible for the breakdown.

They will cover normal breakdowns for issues outside your control/responsibility, like a coil pack failing. 

They won't cover breakdowns or towing charges due to problems YOU are deemed responsible for under the T&C's of the hire agreement.

Sounds complicated but lets say you misfuel the thing and it needs towing to a garage. The rental company usually arrange towing and repair but they will charge you for it.

With most excess policies they usually reimburse those costs up to the policy limit stated. So you pay for the tow and repair then claim the costs back on the excess policy (so keep any invoices).

It's the same with any damage.
You pay for it usually up to the rental companies limit, usually out of the deposit and then claim it back from the excess policy. (up to the policy limit)

I've used Eversure
Car Hire Excess Insurance | Feefo Platinum Trusted 2024 | Eversure.com
and Bettersafe in the past.
Car Hire Excess Insurance - Get UK & Worldwide Insurance Cover (bettersafe.com)

Both are pretty good value but they tend to have different section limits, so read up first.
Some won't cover certain rental companies like Green Motion.
There are different policies for UK and Europe and the rest of the world.

bery_451

Goudy said:

Europcar cover breakdowns, most usually will.
How do I get assistance when a breakdown occurs? (europcar.co.uk)

But charges may be payable depending on who is responsible for the breakdown.

They will cover normal breakdowns for issues outside your control/responsibility, like a coil pack failing. 

They won't cover breakdowns or towing charges due to problems YOU are deemed responsible for under the T&C's of the hire agreement.

Sounds complicated but lets say you misfuel the thing and it needs towing to a garage. The rental company usually arrange towing and repair but they will charge you for it.

With most excess policies they usually reimburse those costs up to the policy limit stated. So you pay for the tow and repair then claim the costs back on the excess policy (so keep any invoices).

It's the same with any damage.
You pay for it usually up to the rental companies limit, usually out of the deposit and then claim it back from the excess policy. (up to the policy limit)

I've used Eversure
Car Hire Excess Insurance | Feefo Platinum Trusted 2024 | Eversure.com
and Bettersafe in the past.
Car Hire Excess Insurance - Get UK & Worldwide Insurance Cover (bettersafe.com)

Both are pretty good value but they tend to have different section limits, so read up first.
Some won't cover certain rental companies like Green Motion.
There are different policies for UK and Europe and the rest of the world.

Okay I'm on MoneyMaxim and it is giving me 2 options before the site gives me the quotes:

- Excess Insurance or
- Excess Insurance + CDW

 Does Europcar provide CDW on their rentals as standard for free?

Why some insurers wont cover rental companies like Green motion? If I do buy a policy how would I know they cover Europcar? These car rental companies are regulated right?

DullGreyGuy

Car rental isn't a regulated industry in the UK, in other countries you'd need to check but would be surprised if many are. 

Not my area of expertise when it comes to insurance but to make a claim you cannot simply show the excess has been paid but have to get docs from the hire company to substantiate the cost of the repairs -v- what they've taken. A google suggests that with certain hire car companies there have been problems with refusing to provide docs or providing questionable docs etc to the extent the insurers have decided to exclude them. 

Europcar is the 5th largest firm in the world, Green Motion dont make the top 20. Insurers will cover the former. 


CDW depends on country rather than firm

Goudy

CDW depends on where you are hiring.
In Europe it's pretty much standard that the hire car will be covered for that.

In say North America, probably not unless it's added, but some do build it in to the price.

I've been waiting at rental desks in the States and overheard conversations about CDW.
It seems some Americans have some sort of built in cover on their credit cards, so they usually don't pay it at the desk. I asked Barclaycard about it and they don't.

I do buy the Excess + CDW cover myself when I know I'm renting outside of Europe, usually a single trip policy as it's rarer that I travel to these places.

I've a car booked in the Caribbean next month and haven't looked into what I need yet, it says CDW is included but for a couple of quid extra I might just add it.
There are companies out their that rent out private cars with basically no insurance, I don't want to be standing their without cover if someone is trying to take my pants down after a 9 hour flight has scrambled my senses.

I do rent in Europe and the UK quite a lot, maybe 8 or 9 times a year, so buy a annual straight excess policy from either of the companies I mentioned earlier.

I've had to claim once, some Italian couldn't get their head around the different priority on the only roundabout on Kefalonia.

I hired via Europcar but the car was supplied by their local franchise.
They were great about it, made sure the car was safe and we were ok, it was only a small scuff and dent.
I did get a invoice for around 200 euro and the money was took from my deposit when I returned the car.

I sent the invoice (in Greek) to the Excess company and I had the money back within 10 days.

Some companies have been known to operate some sharp practises when it comes to damage and some Excess policies won't cover them.
So it's worth reading the T&C's before you buy. The "Verde Movimiento" one has been known to, allegedly.

Another gripe is that car hire companies will want to sell you extra cover.
It's expensive at the desk, often more for a week than a yearly stand alone policy.

Theirs don't always cover the full amount, but might reduce your excess to a lower figure, so really not good value.

Same goes for the "extra" cover on some agitator sites.
They often offer you another "special cover or gold cover" price, but you need to see if it covers everything you need and if it's value for money. 

When they apply the sales pressure at the desk,  just say no and smile.
Don't tell them you have cover already, they'll start lying to you it's no good, isn't valid, doesn't cover everything etc.
Just smile like a simpleton and repeat no thank you.
Start to falter and open a crack and they'll be on you like a rash!