Cheap car hire article discussion

keypads wrote: »

It is now 9 weeks on and I am still trying to get documentation from the hire car company (it was a Thrifty car but they have told me to go to Hertz for the documentation) to send to the insurance company following an accident in a hire car. Following earlier advice I contacted the European Car Rental Conciliation Service (ECRCS) but they can't help as the car was rented from Geneva Airport, Switzerland, and therefore not in the EU.

The excess insurance (I purchased from worldwideinsure) seems totally useless unless the accident documentation is supplied by the hire car company, but their customer services have either not responded or have referred me elsewhere which has ended up in another black hole.

Has anyone ever successfully claimed on hire car excess insurance for a car hired in Europe? At the moment it looks like I've taken out hire car excess insurance which is impossible to claim against when I need to.

Any advice on how to successfully claim on excess insurance would be gratefully received. Thanks.

Seriously, how has it got this far? Dispute the charge with your credit card provider until the company supply you with an invoice for the damage.

Did you drop the car off after hours?
Why did you not get paperwork when you dropped the car off?
This is not an Excess Insurance problem. This is a you failing to obtain any paperwork issue. At the time or subsequently.

Have you actually called them? 0041 22 717 80 80 or 001-918-669-2168

Info from Worldwide Locations

What happens if the car is damaged, stolen, or in an accident?
If the car is stolen or has been involved in an accident, first call the local police or appropriate law enforcement agency. Next, call the nearest office of the rental car company, give them your rental agreement or confirmation number and explain what has happened. If it's after hours, Thrifty customers always can call toll free to 1-800-THRIFTY (1-800-847-4389). You'll be led through the procedure to get you going again. Finally, call your own auto insurance company with information on the incident. Be sure to check with the rental company on their breakdown policy before you drive away.

Accidents and vehicle theft aren't something we like to think about, especially on a trip, but they can happen even to the most careful driver. Optional waivers (as outlined above) can be purchased to reduce or eliminate your financial exposure which could include the full value of the vehicle and lost rental revenue during its replacement period.

Be careful not to violate your car rental agreement by driving while intoxicated or under the influence of a controlled substance, allowing an unauthorized personal to drive the vehicle, leaving the windows, doors or trunk unlocked, or leaving the keys in the ignition when parked. If the agreement if violated, it makes the waiver void. Be sure to familiarize yourself with all of the terms and conditions of the rental agreement.

Remember that, as the renter, you are liable for all parking and moving traffic violations, both domestic and international, so please drive safely and observe all ordinances.

keypads wrote: »

I have all the paperwork I could get at the time of the accident. The paperwork required by the insurance company is:

1. A complete damage report from the workshop
2. An invoice showing how much money the repair cost

Neither of these can be obtained at the time of the accident or when dropping off the car, as they can only be obtained from the workshop that does the repair some time after the accident.

Yes I have contacted Swiss customer services, and at one point thought they could supply me with the paperwork required, but they told me I have to send an email to an address known as First Notice of Loss department and they don't have a telephone number. Emails have bounced around between different departments but at no point have I come close to securing the documentation which was not available at the time of the accident but is required by the insurance company.

If this goes on much longer I will contact the credit card company, but of course I willingly paid the excess thinking the documentation I had (and I could get no more documentation) would be enough for the insurance company, but the insurance company require much more documentation than can be obtained either at the time of the accident or when dropping off the car.

As this is my first time trying to claim on an excess policy I wonder whether my problems are unique, or whether anyone else was successful in making a claim on hire car excess insurance.

Looked at the T&C:

The supporting documentation Claim Ez will require to
consider your claim is as follows;
a. a copy of your certificate of insurance.
b. a copy of your car rental agreement.
c. a copy of your charge receipt (if separate from your
car rental agreement).
d. a copy of the Law Enforcement/Police report if;
i. you are involved in an accident with a third party, or
ii. its required by law in the country where the incident
occurs.
e. a copy of the car rental company’s accident damage
or breakdown report which shows the detail of each of
the costs incurred.
f. itemised invoices/receipts/other documents confirming
the amount you have paid in respect of accidental
damage or loss for which the car rental company
holds you responsible.
g. a copy of your credit card statement showing payment
of the damages claimed, including details of the
exchange rate applied.
h. a copy of the driving licence of the person involved in
the accident (the driver at the time of the accident).[/QUOTE]

That is not a workshop report. Just a damage report that they give you before you leave.


Other policies word it differently.

For example:

Renters' copy of the Vehicle Rental Company accident damage report

So you should have received that before leaving the rental office.

You are not expected to chase the Rental company for a workshop report.

It is certainly not in the T&C.

It seems that you left without this paperwork, perhaps expecting that the insurance company would blindly pay without a damage report and invoice.

What paperwork do you actually have? Do you have the Damage Report and an invoice showing what damage was caused, together with the estimated cost?


When I claimed many years ago, I made sure that I had these details. I didn't worry about the amounts, as the insurance company can chase the company up for any exorbitant claims. But I made sure that I had something to show the insurance company as to what hire company would charge me for the damage.
I remember having a specific amount on my invoice before leaving.