subject: Renting a Car? [print this page] Renting a Car? Renting a Car?
Considering renting a car for your holiday, a special occasion, or a business trip?
Renting with many companies may seem cheap until the Car Hire Insurance costs start to creep in, then if you are not careful you may find that an accident may end up costing more than a holiday itself. So here are a few tips to avoid that scenario.
Do not take out your insurance with the car rental company!
The primary Car Hire Insurance is the Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) and this may or may not be covered in the car rental hire. If the car rental hire does not include it, the car rental company will then attempt to sell you their own insurance. Firstly the Collision Damage Waiver and then the Car Hire Excess Insurance. Even if the rental includes the CDW it usually only covers damage and theft to the rental car itself.
In many instances the rental company's CDW may not also include the windscreen, the tyres and the undercarriage of the car. In Britain, sleeping policemen (speed bumps) have been blamed for ruining the undercarriages of cars. So can shale, rocky roads and certain terrains. Shale and loose road coverings can also spit up stones which can damage the windscreen and if some sharp stones or broken bottles are displaced amongst it they could do severe damage to the tyres too. If this can happen in a so called civilised country with a supposedly excellent road infrastructure then it is likely to happen in other countries too.
The next Car Hire Insurance they will attempt to sell you will be Car Hire Excess Insurance. This will limit the amount you will have to pay in excess on your CDW. This is a purely voluntary insurance and you can opt out of taking this with the car rental company. However, if you consider that you could be paying out anything from 750 upwards against any damage or theft to the car then the Car Hire Excess Insurance could well be worth it. Though some of the policies that some car rental companies will attempt to sell you could end up costing you twice as much as other quotes that other insurers could offer. Remember too, that the Car Hire Excess Insurance with the car rental companies may only cover the excess that the CDW offers protection against, so any uncovered windscreens, tyres and undercarriage will not be covered too.
So how can I get the best cover?
Scour the internet; check the online insurers cover against their charges. Firstly attempt to get the best Collision Damage Waiver cover and then if you want to cover excess, get the best Car Hire Excess Insurance cover. It may be better to get the same insurer covering both so it will speed up claims if they are necessary to make. Also have in mind what type of vehicle you want to use as larger vehicle protection may cost more.
