FAQs
- What is Car Hire Excess?
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When a car is hired in the UK, Ireland, Europe, Africa,
New Zealand, Australia, and most of the Middle and Far East, CDW (Collision
Damage Waiver), Theft and Third Party Liability are included in the car rental
price. There is always an Excess (also referred to as Super CDW, Non Waiver or
Deductible) on the CDW and Theft portion of the rental. The Excess will range,
depending on the country and the car rental company, from about £500 to £1,600.
This means that in the event of theft or damage to the rental vehicle, you must pay the first
portion of the cost, i.e. the Excess, to the car rental company.
It is this excess that is covered by our insurance Policy.
- How does it work?
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The policy operates on a pay and reclaim basis, the hire car
company would have already held an amount on your credit card to cover their
excess. This amount would be deducted from you in the event of an accident in
the vehicle you are hiring from them.
It is this amount that will be reimbursed by carhireexcess.com’s insurers.
- What do I do in the event of a claim?
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Should you wish to claim under your policy, you should call
the claims Helpline on +44 845 458 9677 as soon as possible, no later than 31
days of the date of the occurrence or upon your return from holiday whichever
is the sooner. You may be asked for specific information with regards to your
claim, all of which is detailed under the ‘Claims Notification’ section on your
policy wording.
- What is the difference between a single policy and an annual policy?
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A Single Trip policy will cover you for a ‘one off’ car
rental agreement, and is only valid for the rental dates specified on the
certificate of insurance.
An Annual policy is valid for 12 months from the issue date
and will cover you for unlimited car rental agreements so long as the
individual car rental does not last longer than 31 days at any one time.
- What is the maximum duration of continual cover allowed on this policy?
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Single Policy - 180 days any one continuous rental.
Annual Policy - 31 days any one continuous rental.
- Who underwrites this policy?
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This policy is Underwritten by Inter Partner Assistance S.A.
Direktion fur Deutschland, which is a branch office of Inter Partner Assistance
S.A. a Belgium registered Insurer and part of the Worldwide AXA group of Companies.
- Does my car rental agreement already include insurance?
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If you are hiring a car in the UK, Europe, South Africa, New Zealand
and Australia, the answer is generally Yes. This is always worth checking prior to hiring the car
though. If it does, your car rental agreement will include cover for: CDW
(Collision Damage Waiver), also known as LDW (Loss Damage Waiver), Third Party Liability and Theft.
There is almost always an Excess (also known as Super CDW, the Deductible, or Non-Waiver) on
the CDW and Theft part of the rental agreement. This Excess is likely to range
from about £500 to £1,600. It is this Excess which is covered by our insurance Policies.
If you are hiring the car in the USA Canada, the Caribbean and South
America, it is generally the case that your car rental will not
include insurance. The renter must purchase CDW (Collision Damage Waiver)/LDW (Loss Damage Waiver) and Supplemental Liability
Insurance. This is sold at the car rental counter and will cost between US$20 and US$30 a day.
- What is the difference between Excess, Super CDW, Non–Waiver and the Deductible?
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Each car rental company uses different terminology, but they all refer to the same thing. When a car is hired, Collision Damage Waiver
and Theft cover are included in the car rental price. There is always an Excess (also referred to as Super CDW, Non Waiver or Deductible) on the CDW and Theft portion of the rental agreement. This amount varies according to the car rental
company, the location and the size of the vehicle, and can range from £500 - £1,600.
- Will the car rental company pre-authorise my credit card when I have your Excess Insurance?
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Each car rental company will have their own policy and procedures on deposits. A number of companies will either pre-authorise or debit a sum equal to the Excess from your credit card, while others may merely take an imprint.
- I have a credit card which covers my Collision Damage (CDW) – Do I need your coverage?
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You should carefully read the policy that is provided by the credit card company to determine the coverage, ensuring that it covers the country in which you are renting the vehicle, and whether or not there is an Excess (non waiver, deductible) on the policy.
- What is the Minimum and Maximum age limit on the policy?
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You must be a minimum of 21 years of age and a maximum of 74 years of age at the date of hiring the vehicle.
- What is the maximum coverage limit on the policy?
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The policy covers up to a maximum of €3000 for any one individual claim with the total limited to a maximum of €4500
in any one year in respect of an Annual Policy.
- Is there an Excess on this policy?
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No excess applies to this policy, the amount deducted from your card will be the amount returned to you up to the limit specified in the policy.
- What types of Vehicles are not covered by the policy?
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The policy does not cover rental of any of the following vehicles: motor homes, trailers or caravans, trucks, commercial vehicles, motorcycles, mopeds, motorbikes, off-road vehicles (other than licensed Sport Utility Vehicles), recreational vehicles, vans and vehicles with more than 9 seats.
