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Thursday 29 May 2014

Car hire comparison website PR says Having inadequate car hire insurance could cost holidaymakers up to €2000

The car hire comparison search engine Carrentals.co.uk issued a press release yesterday about  Having inadequate car hire insurance could cost holidaymakers up to €2000 - As excess costs on car hire policies continue to rise across Europe the need for sufficient insurance increases.

It went on to say "Compulsory excess costs on car hire policies, which is the amount the policy holder must pay in full should they be involved in an accident or damage the rental vehicle, are rising significantly with some now reaching €2000 in Europe. As a consequence, the need for travellers to take out additional insurance has increased.

Similar to conventional insurance on owned vehicles, car hire policies carry a compulsory excess charge which is the responsibility of the driver to pay in full if the car gets damaged or stolen. The exact amount differs on each policy and will be found in the T&C’s on the rental voucher. Travellers need to have excess waiver insurance to avoid paying excess charges.

Excess Waiver Insurance is generally not included in policies and must be arranged in addition to the car hire. It will be offered to holidaymakers when they collect their car but this is often at a high cost. The cheapest solution is to purchase the insurance online prior to your trip from sites such as Carrentals.co.uk.

Gareth Robinson, Managing Director of Carrentals.co.uk said: “We monitor excess insurance costs carefully across over 50 suppliers and we have seen them rise over the years. It is unlikely now to see excess insurance costs on a rental vehicle under €900. Many people believe the excess quoted, or the need for additional insurance is a scare tactic used to make extra money but it isn’t.

Others don’t understand the excess policy or read the terms closely enough to realise how high it is. You can get the cover you need for as little as £2.50 a day, so you aren’t at risk of having to pay up to €2000.”

Access Carrentals website via this link and arrange your car rental now

Saturday 24 May 2014

Holiday car hire - a seasonal check list from the Telegraph

It is a wet bank holiday weekend in Britain and yesterday the Daily Telegraph's Gill Charlton published an article
 
"Holiday car hire: an essential guide to save you money - Our consumer advice expert offers a guide to every aspect of hiring a car, from which insurance policy to buy to what to check before you drive away"
 
Running through a check list that includes: 
  
How not to get ripped off by a car rental company
Full-to-empty fuel policy

What does CDW really cover?

Should I use a broker?

Should I buy excess reduction insurance in the UK?

Should I have to pay for an upgrade?

Checklist -- Before you book

At the car hire desk

Before you drive away
When you return the car
A very comprehensive article that covers arranging car rental and what to look out for and of course much information already been published in the media including this blog.
Under "Should I buy excess reduction insurance in the UK?" Gill's report said "Top-up CDW and theft protection cover is designed to refund any excess charges levied by the car rental company (which can be as high as €1,500 on an economy car). Cover bought at the time of reserving the car is often provided by an insurer in the UK and not by the local car rental company.
This is why the local agent will still need a deposit on a credit card. Some agents pre-authorise an amount, ring-fencing it so it cannot be spent elsewhere; other providers process the payment and refund it after the car is signed back in often at a poor exchange rate.
The cost of any damage is deducted from the deposit held. There is usually a standard charge per scratch or ding. To reclaim this amount you must obtain an estimate of the cost of repair from the hire company (often a frustrating business) and make a claim through your UK insurer on your return.
Be aware that excess reduction products vary widely in cover. Some exclude breakdown, towing charges and damage where no other vehicle is involved. Auto Europe is one of the few brokers to be upfront about the limitations of its excess insurance (it excludes damage to windows, the interior, wheels, tyres, roof, damage in a parking bay or car park and clutch failure). In contrast, insurance4carhire covers all of the above." 


Tuesday 13 May 2014

Couple want to rent a car for holiday in Canada are afraid of being ripped off

The Irish Independent on Sunday's had a question and answer session with Dermott Jewell who is policy adviser with the Consumers' Association of Ireland (www.thecai.ie).

The headline was "I want to rent a car but I'm afraid of being ripped off" - A couple from Clodagh, Monkstown, Co Dublin, Ireland will be heading to the Canadian Rockies for their holidays this summer. Rather than go as part of an organised coach tour, they have decided to rent a car. This is the first time they  have hired a car and they wanted to know how should  they go about it to prevent being ripped off?

Dermot said: "Before committing to any company, use a few of the car hire comparison websites to get a feel for the market. Check that the currency quote is in euro. Word-of-mouth recommendations can also be invaluable"

The question of car hire excess waiver insurance was also included. He said "Be wary of insurance add-ons. Many car hire companies include the cost of Collision Damage Waiver insurance in the car hire quote. This insurance limits your liability for certain damage to the car while you're renting it"

He also advised -  1) "Take a walk around the car – with the agent – to identify any dents, scrapes or damage when you first collect the car. And do this again when you return it.

2) When you pick up your car, ask if there are any extras which you will be charged for – before driving off.

3) Finally, remember to pack a hard copy of your booking details and the original of all driving licences required before you set off for your trip."

No car hire companies were quoted in the article or car hire excess waiver insurance companies. 

Most of the insurance companies providing excess waiver insurance for Canada and the USA advertising on the insurance4carrental.com site can be found via this link

Tuesday 6 May 2014

How to avoid the holiday car hire rip-offs in the news again

The "Mail on Sunday" had another article by Fred Mawer around the subject "How to avoid the holiday car hire rip-offs: Look for 'fair fuel' arrangements and avoid sky-high excess waiver insurance fees "
 
These type of articles do come out every so often in the main newspapers warning readers about the problems of hiring a car and in particular about car hire excess waiver insurance problems,
 
The article starts by saying that the good news is that it’s getting easier to avoid being ripped off. A growing number of car hire brokers and comparison sites are now highlighting firms offering ‘fair fuel’ arrangements, and there are much cheaper alternative excess waiver policies out there.
 
Spain has been a place where this has occurred a lot so several firms are switching to a system that requires payment at the start of the rental for a tank of fuel and a ‘service charge’.

Excess Waiver Insurance is the next topic covered and the article goes on to say Basic car rental insurance comes saddled with hefty excesses. For example, with Hertz for a week covering an economy car from Pisa airport, it costs €205 (about £172) – far more than the basic rental cost.

The solution? Buy an excess waiver policy in advance from a specialist insurer. It will work out cheaper, and cover is likely to be more comprehensive
Bear in mind that if you decline the rental firm’s excess waiver, the amount of the excess (which can be a four- figure sum) will be blocked off on your credit card as a security deposit against the possibility of any damage.

Any reader of this blog site will know there are a number of these specialist excess waiver insurance companies advertising on the insurance4carrental.com site - Questor Insurance - Worldwide Insure - Essential Travel - carhirexecss.com / Blue Insurance - Insurance4carhire - iCarhireinsurance and Protect Your Bubble. They all offer some great value products and find out more here. 

Finally Fred's tips are ones that we have written about on this blog a great deal and also have on the insurance4carrental.com we bite. Basically they are:

Even if you are armed with excess waiver cover, before driving off you should inspect the car for dents and scratches, take photographs, and ensure staff document everything.

When returning the vehicle, if possible get a signed receipt confirming the vehicle is in good order, and how full the petrol tank is.

When you’re back home, watch out for unexpected charges from the rental company appearing on your credit card statement – they are all too common, and can sometimes be worth disputing . See the article in full here