Guide to Car Hire Insurance

When you rent a car, you are likely to see premiums for unlimited third party liability insurance protection included in your rental cost as this protection is legally required in the UK. Many times, you are also going to be offered excess car hire insurance by your rental company. This is a protection that would cover your portion of the costs of a damaged or stolen vehicle under hire, known as excess.

Excess is the required amount that you would have to pay if something happens to the vehicle in your care. With this insurance cover, your provider would pay for the costs of repair cause by collision or a stolen vehicle. Sometimes providers include protection for tyres, underbody damage and glass that might be damaged while you use it.

Car hire insurance is a product that protects the renter of the vehicle as opposed to the vehicle itself. Excess waiver is nice to have if you are in the unfortunate situation of having an accident or a car stolen when under hire. Excess charges can typically vary from five hundred pounds to over a thousand pounds depending on the company and the vehicle.

How it works

To find car hire insurance, you can go online and look over products and terms with a specialist. There are policies available that cover you for rent in the UK or Europe and also some for worldwide protection.

If you have protection in place, you would file a claim after your credit or debit card is billed by the car hire company after the accident occurs or the vehicle is stolen. The key for you is to decide whether it is better to take on the risk of a potential expense of hundreds or thousand of pounds in excess, or to pay a modest premium cost to know that you would not face a large expense.

Realise that when you go to rent a car, the rental company's car hire excess insurance is optional. Some companies will try to push their policies on you while others simply make you aware that they offer it. Typically, you can find a better premium if you plan ahead and shop with an online specialist.

Now that you understand the basics of car hire excess insurance, what it is about, and what it covers, you can investigate more thoroughly to find the exact right policy for you. You may need to consider:

• how much excess waiver to get, with the obvious awareness that the greater the excess protection the more expensive the premium;

• what features would you want to include? You might decide to get a basic policy to save money, though the broadest protection probably comes by including the benefits for tyres, windows, and more.

Think carefully and consult with your specialist to find your best product.