Europcar "premium" protection query

snowmen

Recently booked flights with easyjet and booked my car hire through them afterwards also.
The booking is with Europcar and I selected the premium protection plan. I thought I was doing this on their own website.
I got an email through this morning from Axa regarding this premium protection.
Is this the company Europcar use for this protection insurance or have I unwittingly been sold a policy by an intermediary?

eDicky

Hire firms offer (push) their own extra insurance at the desk when collecting the car, or sometimes when you book direct. It's the most expensive way.

Third-party car hire brokers such as easyJet often sell an extra insurance to cover CDW excess, which is probably what you've purchased. It's cheaper than that of the hire firm, but still pricy compared to a standalone policy purchased separately - see the MSE advice article.

SimplyBetter

eDicky said:

Hire firms offer (push) their own extra insurance at the desk when collecting the car, or sometimes when you book direct. It's the most expensive way.

Third-party car hire brokers such as easyJet often sell an extra insurance to cover CDW excess, which is probably what you've purchased. It's cheaper than that of the hire firm, but still pricy compared to a standalone policy purchased separately - see the MSE advice article.

To clarify, the hire firms do not offer insurance, but a waiver of any charges. Brokers sell insurance to pay off those potential charges. Two entirely different offers.

eDicky

SimplyBetter said:

eDicky said:

Hire firms offer (push) their own extra insurance at the desk when collecting the car, or sometimes when you book direct. It's the most expensive way.

Third-party car hire brokers such as easyJet often sell an extra insurance to cover CDW excess, which is probably what you've purchased. It's cheaper than that of the hire firm, but still pricy compared to a standalone policy purchased separately - see the MSE advice article.

To clarify, the hire firms do not offer insurance, but a waiver of any charges. Brokers sell insurance to pay off those potential charges. Two entirely different offers.

The only basic difference being the need for deposit or card pre-authorisation to cover the CDW excess if not bought from the hire firm, in what way are they  'entirely different offers'..?

SimplyBetter

eDicky said:

SimplyBetter said:

eDicky said:

Hire firms offer (push) their own extra insurance at the desk when collecting the car, or sometimes when you book direct. It's the most expensive way.

Third-party car hire brokers such as easyJet often sell an extra insurance to cover CDW excess, which is probably what you've purchased. It's cheaper than that of the hire firm, but still pricy compared to a standalone policy purchased separately - see the MSE advice article.

To clarify, the hire firms do not offer insurance, but a waiver of any charges. Brokers sell insurance to pay off those potential charges. Two entirely different offers.

The only basic difference being the need for deposit or card pre-authorisation to cover the CDW excess if not bought from the hire firm, in what way are they  'entirely different offers'..?

I thought that I just explained that.

Car Hire offer is a WAIVER. Broker's offer is an insurance policy.
Car gets a ding? With a waiver, it doesn't matter. Hand it back and walk away.
With an insurance policy, you leave a deposit and pay for any damage out of your own pocket. Then gather evidence for any claim, compile that and send that off, in expectation of reimbursement. Two entirely different offers.

snowmen

SimplyBetter said:

eDicky said:

SimplyBetter said:

eDicky said:

Hire firms offer (push) their own extra insurance at the desk when collecting the car, or sometimes when you book direct. It's the most expensive way.

Third-party car hire brokers such as easyJet often sell an extra insurance to cover CDW excess, which is probably what you've purchased. It's cheaper than that of the hire firm, but still pricy compared to a standalone policy purchased separately - see the MSE advice article.

To clarify, the hire firms do not offer insurance, but a waiver of any charges. Brokers sell insurance to pay off those potential charges. Two entirely different offers.

The only basic difference being the need for deposit or card pre-authorisation to cover the CDW excess if not bought from the hire firm, in what way are they  'entirely different offers'..?

I thought that I just explained that.

Car Hire offer is a WAIVER. Broker's offer is an insurance policy.
Car gets a ding? With a waiver, it doesn't matter. Hand it back and walk away.
With an insurance policy, you leave a deposit and pay for any damage out of your own pocket. Then gather evidence for any claim, compile that and send that off, in expectation of reimbursement. Two entirely different offers.

A good point.
I would want the former as there are just too many ways the latter could go wrong and then not pay out.
Also I would imagine a hire company would be more inclined to find damage when an insurance policy from elsewhere has been purchased.

SimplyBetter

snowmen said:

SimplyBetter said:

eDicky said:

SimplyBetter said:

eDicky said:

Hire firms offer (push) their own extra insurance at the desk when collecting the car, or sometimes when you book direct. It's the most expensive way.

Third-party car hire brokers such as easyJet often sell an extra insurance to cover CDW excess, which is probably what you've purchased. It's cheaper than that of the hire firm, but still pricy compared to a standalone policy purchased separately - see the MSE advice article.

To clarify, the hire firms do not offer insurance, but a waiver of any charges. Brokers sell insurance to pay off those potential charges. Two entirely different offers.

The only basic difference being the need for deposit or card pre-authorisation to cover the CDW excess if not bought from the hire firm, in what way are they  'entirely different offers'..?

I thought that I just explained that.

Car Hire offer is a WAIVER. Broker's offer is an insurance policy.
Car gets a ding? With a waiver, it doesn't matter. Hand it back and walk away.
With an insurance policy, you leave a deposit and pay for any damage out of your own pocket. Then gather evidence for any claim, compile that and send that off, in expectation of reimbursement. Two entirely different offers.

A good point.
I would want the former as there are just too many ways the latter could go wrong and then not pay out.
Also I would imagine a hire company would be more inclined to find damage when an insurance policy from elsewhere has been purchased.

Though it's important to note what the waiver does not cover. Tyres and windscreen etc For this reason, personally I use an excess policy as it covers those items and more.

eDicky

SimplyBetter said:

eDicky said:

SimplyBetter said:

eDicky said:

Hire firms offer (push) their own extra insurance at the desk when collecting the car, or sometimes when you book direct. It's the most expensive way.

Third-party car hire brokers such as easyJet often sell an extra insurance to cover CDW excess, which is probably what you've purchased. It's cheaper than that of the hire firm, but still pricy compared to a standalone policy purchased separately - see the MSE advice article.

To clarify, the hire firms do not offer insurance, but a waiver of any charges. Brokers sell insurance to pay off those potential charges. Two entirely different offers.

The only basic difference being the need for deposit or card pre-authorisation to cover the CDW excess if not bought from the hire firm, in what way are they  'entirely different offers'..?

I thought that I just explained that.

Car Hire offer is a WAIVER. Broker's offer is an insurance policy.
Car gets a ding? With a waiver, it doesn't matter. Hand it back and walk away.
With an insurance policy, you leave a deposit and pay for any damage out of your own pocket. Then gather evidence for any claim, compile that and send that off, in expectation of reimbursement. Two entirely different offers.

And now you explain the differences well.

However the objective of protecting the hirer more completely from the cost of any damage to the vehicle during the rental is always the same, whether you purchase a product from the hire firm, a broker site or a separate insurance provider.

eDicky

snowmen said:

SimplyBetter said:

eDicky said:

SimplyBetter said:

eDicky said:

Hire firms offer (push) their own extra insurance at the desk when collecting the car, or sometimes when you book direct. It's the most expensive way.

Third-party car hire brokers such as easyJet often sell an extra insurance to cover CDW excess, which is probably what you've purchased. It's cheaper than that of the hire firm, but still pricy compared to a standalone policy purchased separately - see the MSE advice article.

To clarify, the hire firms do not offer insurance, but a waiver of any charges. Brokers sell insurance to pay off those potential charges. Two entirely different offers.

The only basic difference being the need for deposit or card pre-authorisation to cover the CDW excess if not bought from the hire firm, in what way are they  'entirely different offers'..?

I thought that I just explained that.

Car Hire offer is a WAIVER. Broker's offer is an insurance policy.
Car gets a ding? With a waiver, it doesn't matter. Hand it back and walk away.
With an insurance policy, you leave a deposit and pay for any damage out of your own pocket. Then gather evidence for any claim, compile that and send that off, in expectation of reimbursement. Two entirely different offers.

I would want the former as there are just too many ways the latter could go wrong and then not pay out.
Also I would imagine a hire company would be more inclined to find damage when an insurance policy from elsewhere has been purchased.

You imagine correctly..!

Take into account that the relative cost of buying extra cover from the hire firm is much higher than for separate insurance.

eDicky

SimplyBetter said:

snowmen said:

SimplyBetter said:

eDicky said:

SimplyBetter said:

eDicky said:

Hire firms offer (push) their own extra insurance at the desk when collecting the car, or sometimes when you book direct. It's the most expensive way.

Third-party car hire brokers such as easyJet often sell an extra insurance to cover CDW excess, which is probably what you've purchased. It's cheaper than that of the hire firm, but still pricy compared to a standalone policy purchased separately - see the MSE advice article.

To clarify, the hire firms do not offer insurance, but a waiver of any charges. Brokers sell insurance to pay off those potential charges. Two entirely different offers.

The only basic difference being the need for deposit or card pre-authorisation to cover the CDW excess if not bought from the hire firm, in what way are they  'entirely different offers'..?

I thought that I just explained that.

Car Hire offer is a WAIVER. Broker's offer is an insurance policy.
Car gets a ding? With a waiver, it doesn't matter. Hand it back and walk away.
With an insurance policy, you leave a deposit and pay for any damage out of your own pocket. Then gather evidence for any claim, compile that and send that off, in expectation of reimbursement. Two entirely different offers.

A good point.
I would want the former as there are just too many ways the latter could go wrong and then not pay out.
Also I would imagine a hire company would be more inclined to find damage when an insurance policy from elsewhere has been purchased.

Though it's important to note what the waiver does not cover. Tyres and windscreen etc For this reason, personally I use an excess policy as it covers those items and more.

Often it's the reverse situation, with the separate excess policy not giving complete cover.

Certainly hirers are often told at the desk that for complete cover their independent policy is not sufficient.

From which provider do you purchase with such confidence..?

snowmen

Good points all.

Just realised that the Axa policy is one offered by the Cartrawler car hire search engine that easyjet use on their website and not the one Europcar use.
Not obvious as it looked like part of the bona fide Europcar website at the time.

Have rebooked everything through Europcar to check (fully refundable so I can cancel).