Car hire "free" upgrade

MickB1969

I hired a car through one of the larger providers recently. When I went to collect the vehicle, they told me that they didn't have any of the size and type I'd booked left (I'd booked and paid online several weeks earlier). 
They told me not to worry as they'd upgrade me "for free", which I thought was fair. 
Then they pointed out that the insurance I'd taken out didn't cover the upgraded vehicle. I wasn't obligated to take any extra cover out, but 'any' incident would carry an excess of £2500. I clarified this and even if I'd gotten a puncture, they said I'd be billed the £2500!
Excess protection was available at £25 per day, so I had to part with another £75 for the 3 days. 

Should they have covered the extra cost? I was out of pocket due to them failing to provide the vehicle I'd booked abs paid for. 

I'm hiring another in a couple of weeks and suspect they may pull the same thing and want to be prepared. 

Thanks in advance. 

M

Flugelhorn

could always take out car hire excess insurance then if they do do this you will be covered

MickB1969

Flugelhorn said:

could always take out car hire excess insurance then if they do do this you will be covered

I'd taken it out for the vehicle I'd initially booked and was expecting. Because of the upgrade, the cover I had wasn't suitable. It was then a choice of either risking £2500 or paying another £75 because they couldn't provide the right vehicle. 

I feel like the obligation to cover that should be on them as they're the ones not fulfilling the hire agreement. 

cymruchris

MickB1969 said:

Flugelhorn said:

could always take out car hire excess insurance then if they do do this you will be covered

I'd taken it out for the vehicle I'd initially booked and was expecting. Because of the upgrade, the cover I had wasn't suitable. It was then a choice of either risking £2500 or paying another £75 because they couldn't provide the right vehicle. 

I feel like the obligation to cover that should be on them as they're the ones not fulfilling the hire agreement. 

I think @Flugelhorn means a separate policy that you take out through a third party company prior to going to the rental place. So that it covers you no matter what car you have. Then when they try and 'upsell' the insurance - you can show them you already have cover, and then take the 'free' upgrade without worry. 

Nebulous2

cymruchris said:

MickB1969 said:

Flugelhorn said:

could always take out car hire excess insurance then if they do do this you will be covered

I'd taken it out for the vehicle I'd initially booked and was expecting. Because of the upgrade, the cover I had wasn't suitable. It was then a choice of either risking £2500 or paying another £75 because they couldn't provide the right vehicle. 

I feel like the obligation to cover that should be on them as they're the ones not fulfilling the hire agreement. 

I think @Flugelhorn means a separate policy that you take out through a third party company prior to going to the rental place. So that it covers you no matter what car you have. Then when they try and 'upsell' the insurance - you can show them you already have cover, and then take the 'free' upgrade without worry. 

Some of the car excess insurance policies specify that you are not allowed to tell the hire company that you have separate cover. 

I've rarely been in the position to get a free upgrade, but in my experience the excess cover they sell you is a fixed price, regardless of whether you rent a bigger vehicle. 

SiliconChip

Nebulous2 said:

cymruchris said:

MickB1969 said:

Flugelhorn said:

could always take out car hire excess insurance then if they do do this you will be covered

I'd taken it out for the vehicle I'd initially booked and was expecting. Because of the upgrade, the cover I had wasn't suitable. It was then a choice of either risking £2500 or paying another £75 because they couldn't provide the right vehicle. 

I feel like the obligation to cover that should be on them as they're the ones not fulfilling the hire agreement. 

I think @Flugelhorn means a separate policy that you take out through a third party company prior to going to the rental place. So that it covers you no matter what car you have. Then when they try and 'upsell' the insurance - you can show them you already have cover, and then take the 'free' upgrade without worry. 

Some of the car excess insurance policies specify that you are not allowed to tell the hire company that you have separate cover. 

Really? Which ones? It's not something I've ever come across, and I don't see how it would work, when the hire company are likely to ask for proof that you do have alternative cover in order for them to allow you not to buy theirs.

GrumpyDil

SiliconChip said:

Nebulous2 said:

cymruchris said:

MickB1969 said:

Flugelhorn said:

could always take out car hire excess insurance then if they do do this you will be covered

I'd taken it out for the vehicle I'd initially booked and was expecting. Because of the upgrade, the cover I had wasn't suitable. It was then a choice of either risking £2500 or paying another £75 because they couldn't provide the right vehicle. 

I feel like the obligation to cover that should be on them as they're the ones not fulfilling the hire agreement. 

I think @Flugelhorn means a separate policy that you take out through a third party company prior to going to the rental place. So that it covers you no matter what car you have. Then when they try and 'upsell' the insurance - you can show them you already have cover, and then take the 'free' upgrade without worry. 

Some of the car excess insurance policies specify that you are not allowed to tell the hire company that you have separate cover. 

Really? Which ones? It's not something I've ever come across, and I don't see how it would work, when the hire company are likely to ask for proof that you do have alternative cover in order for them to allow you not to buy theirs.

As far as I am aware the excess cover is optional. Certainly in my recent hire there was no issue with my declining the hire company's excess cover as long as I signed their form to acknowledge the excess amounts. 

ontheroad1970

GrumpyDil said:

SiliconChip said:

Nebulous2 said:

cymruchris said:

MickB1969 said:

Flugelhorn said:

could always take out car hire excess insurance then if they do do this you will be covered

I'd taken it out for the vehicle I'd initially booked and was expecting. Because of the upgrade, the cover I had wasn't suitable. It was then a choice of either risking £2500 or paying another £75 because they couldn't provide the right vehicle. 

I feel like the obligation to cover that should be on them as they're the ones not fulfilling the hire agreement. 

I think @Flugelhorn means a separate policy that you take out through a third party company prior to going to the rental place. So that it covers you no matter what car you have. Then when they try and 'upsell' the insurance - you can show them you already have cover, and then take the 'free' upgrade without worry. 

Some of the car excess insurance policies specify that you are not allowed to tell the hire company that you have separate cover. 

Really? Which ones? It's not something I've ever come across, and I don't see how it would work, when the hire company are likely to ask for proof that you do have alternative cover in order for them to allow you not to buy theirs.

As far as I am aware the excess cover is optional. Certainly in my recent hire there was no issue with my declining the hire company's excess cover as long as I signed their form to acknowledge the excess amounts. 

They will, however block by taking a preauthorisation for the amount of the excess - which they will also do in the event of you using an excess insurance policy

Herzlos

I've never heard of the cover only applying to certain tiers of vehicle, but maybe it's different for 'premium' vehicles. What did you upgrade from and to?

Mutton_Geoff

ontheroad1970 said:

GrumpyDil said:

SiliconChip said:

Nebulous2 said:

cymruchris said:

MickB1969 said:

Flugelhorn said:

could always take out car hire excess insurance then if they do do this you will be covered

I'd taken it out for the vehicle I'd initially booked and was expecting. Because of the upgrade, the cover I had wasn't suitable. It was then a choice of either risking £2500 or paying another £75 because they couldn't provide the right vehicle. 

I feel like the obligation to cover that should be on them as they're the ones not fulfilling the hire agreement. 

I think @Flugelhorn means a separate policy that you take out through a third party company prior to going to the rental place. So that it covers you no matter what car you have. Then when they try and 'upsell' the insurance - you can show them you already have cover, and then take the 'free' upgrade without worry. 

Some of the car excess insurance policies specify that you are not allowed to tell the hire company that you have separate cover. 

Really? Which ones? It's not something I've ever come across, and I don't see how it would work, when the hire company are likely to ask for proof that you do have alternative cover in order for them to allow you not to buy theirs.

As far as I am aware the excess cover is optional. Certainly in my recent hire there was no issue with my declining the hire company's excess cover as long as I signed their form to acknowledge the excess amounts. 

They will, however block by taking a preauthorisation for the amount of the excess - which they will also do in the event of you using an excess insurance policy

I just rented from Hertz last week. They only placed a block of £200 for fuel in case I didn't return it full. There was nothing applied to my card for the £1,500 excess (which I cover by a cheap annual policy).

Flugelhorn

MickB1969 said:

Flugelhorn said:

could always take out car hire excess insurance then if they do do this you will be covered

I'd taken it out for the vehicle I'd initially booked and was expecting. Because of the upgrade, the cover I had wasn't suitable. It was then a choice of either risking £2500 or paying another £75 because they couldn't provide the right vehicle. 

I feel like the obligation to cover that should be on them as they're the ones not fulfilling the hire agreement. 

as others have mentioned this is a standalone policy you can buy before you travel and covers any vehicle , sounds like some people have annual ones this is  not connected to the hire company - when they say "do you want the all singing all dancing excess cover on this car car for £X a day?" you just say no thanks