What Is It?

Just as the term suggests, car hire excess insurance is designed to protect the possibility of your having to pay an excess on the insurance used to cover your rental vehicle against theft, loss or damage.

Typically, the excess insurance works by reimbursing you some or all of the excess you have already paid in settlement of a valid claim.

Why Is It Needed?

Rather like any insurance, the greater the risk and the greater the cost of meeting it, the more likely the cover is to be chosen.

In the case of your hire car, the risk of loss or damage – from the slightest dent or scratch to an expensive vehicle being totally written off – might be considered to be of a relatively high order. If such an event occurs, you are liable to pay any excess on the vehicle’s insurance.

More than that, the amount of excess you may be required to pay is a substantial £500 to £1,500 – depending on the rental company you are using, the type of car you are renting and the part of the world in which you are driving it.

With the uncomfortably real prospect of your being out of pocket to the tune of £1,500, if an accident happens, it might be argued that there is a compelling need for excess insurance.

Saving Money On It

If you are convinced that excess insurance is the sensible way to go, you have two broad choices about where and when to buy it – at home, before you set out on your travels, or once you arrive at your destination:

At Home:

Here at Bettersafe, we have the expertise and experience to provide you with comprehensive excess insurance – at an especially competitive rate.

Choosing whether the cover you need is for driving in the UK and Europe, the Americas and the Caribbean or anywhere else in the world, it is possible to tailor the cover – and what it costs – to suit your needs.

To give you even more flexibility and security, it is also possible to arrange excess insurance that remains valid for the entire year and for every trip you make which includes the hire of a car – thus giving you constant protection, at a cheaper rate than having to arrange it each time you travel.

At Your Destination:

If you have forgotten to arrange your hire car excess insurance before setting out from home, you might find yourself paying a high price for the apparent convenience of buying it directly from your car rental company at the very last moment, when you arrive at the check-out desk.

Certainly, the hire car company is likely to offer you the possibility, but it is likely to prove an expensive option that gives somewhat less comprehensive cover than had you bought the entirely free-standing cover from a UK-based specialist.

In the choice between arranging your excess insurance from home or waiting until you arrive at your destination, therefore, the former is likely to prove the hands-down money saver.