Carrentals advises to research car hire excess insurance options to avoid surprise charges

Carrentals.co.uk which is one of the UK’s leading car hire comparison website, and celebrated its 5th birthday as a comparator in February 2012, is advising customers to research car hire excess insurance options to avoid surprise charges. They say in their press release  "Car hire insurance excess – plan ahead or pay the price"

They say that customers to carefully read through the terms and conditions of their car hire excess insurance policy to avoid being faced with additional charges at their vehicle pick-up location.

According to a recent survey conducted by YouGov for iCarhireinsurance.com, more than a fifth of consumers who rented a vehicle in the UK or overseas consider excess insurance to be a "rip off" when buying from the rental firm directly.


Gareth Robinson, Managing Director of Carrentals.co.uk, said: "Although many people see excess insurance as an expensive hidden cost, if they shop around before they travel, or purchase this policy at the same time they make their car hire booking, the price they’ll pay for the policy will be significantly different from the price which will be offered to them at the car pick-up desk on arrival at their destination.


"It is also important to remember that a deposit on a credit card is required on the pick-up of any hire car and this applies to policies bought from external providers. This is something that often catches people out as they arrive to pick up their car without having the necessary funds, meaning they are left with little option other than to accept the often expensive policy from the pick-up desk – which isn’t a great start to the holiday."
If excess cover isn’t bought for a rental vehicle then the customer could be liable to pay up to £2000 if the car is damaged or stolen and with some insurance providers, and particularly the rental desk, the policy does not cover damage to windows, tyres, roof or the undercarriage. Excess insurance from third party providers can cost significantly less and offer more comprehensive cover than the rental provider itself.


Gareth Robinson added: "Being aware of exactly what you’re covered for is essential to ensure you’re paying a fair price and for peace of mind that you’re well protected if something was to happen to the vehicle."
Carrentals.co.uk is the UK’s leading car hire comparison site, comparing deals from up to 50 suppliers in 15,000 locations around the world to provide customers with a wide choice of vehicles at the lowest price.

To find out more about Carrentals follow this link

To find out more about iCarhireinsurance follow this link .