Travellers hiring a car during a vacation are not paying enough attention to the small print, according to online car insurance company, Carhireinsurance.co.uk.
The company has stated that travellers are often ignorant of rules that include paying for replacement costs in case of damage as part of an additional cost, or excess. The excess may range from GBP500 to GBP2000, and is often used to pay for minor damage to the car. It is important for travellers booking car rental to be aware whether they have paid for insurance that also covers the excess.
Ben Simpson, the spokesperson for Car-hire-insurance.co.uk, said, ‘Customers often panic-buy excess insurance policies from the supplier at the pick-up location when they are informed about the potential high costs involved if they damage the vehicle in circumstances not included in their basic policy. This last minute buying means the prices paid at the rental desk aren’t as competitive as buying excess policies online ahead of travelling.
Customers need to be aware that they will be required to leave a deposit to the value of the excess on the hire car when they pick up the vehicle, however, the money customers save as a result of buying an excess insurance policy in advance and the increased cover they get with this policy compared with a rental desk policy makes it a worthwhile product to purchase.
The important point for customers to remember is that if you have already purchased a policy ahead of picking up the vehicle it is not necessary to purchase an additional policy as you will be fully covered for the excess.
We advise all customers hiring a vehicle to shop around for the best possible price for their excess insurance policy prior to going on holiday as this can save you significant amounts of money in both purchasing the policy and in the event that the vehicle is damaged.’
