Planning a trip soon and wondering if you can get a virtual “buy one get one free”, by saving on hire car excess with travel insurance? Find out below if that’s possible!
You may have heard from a friend or a colleague that he had to pay quite a large amount on the excess for hire cars whilst on his trip. He may even have expressed how much he regretted not spending that little bit more on his travel insurance to have it cover his hire car excess, but is that actually possible? Allow us to clarify!
Hire Car Excess
Hire Car Excess, or what is more formally known as Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) is an optional insurance cover which when bought, protects you from paying for any repairs to the hire car should it sustain any damage whilst in your custody, care or control. Whilst you remain responsible for paying the applicable excess, this is a valuable option as it could save you considerable money according to the size of the claim. If you want to know more about what an excess is, read our previous blog: What Is The Meaning Of The Term Excess In A Car Insurance Policy?
Alternatively, if you’re interested in reading more on the different insurance covers you can obtain for a hire car and whether your Comprehensive insurance covers hire or rental cars, please visit our previous blog: Are rental cars insured under my car insurance/motor policy?. But now, let’s go back to the question at hand.
The Verdict: Possible Or Not
In the insurance world, there is often no “black or white” or so to speak hence while not all travel insurance policies would cover your hire car excess, some may do so.
Many comprehensive travel insurance plans offer an add-on or “extension” to cover collision damage waiver on your hire car, saving you from paying a daily amount for that cover from the hire car company. You should remember that of course this will only cover (or exempt you from) the collision damage, and won’t cover other losses such as any items lost or damaged within the hire car, or pay your medical bill, that might result from an accident. However, you may still be covered for those with your medical travel cover so it’s always advised to buy a good policy!
Should you extend your travel insurance to cover hire car excess?
Whilst you stand to save a lot of money by extending your travel insurance to cover your hire car excess, it’s not necessarily the wiser option to take. Some hire car companies may not accept any CDW’s policies other than their own and may stipulate that you should purchase a collision damage waiver through them exclusively!
It’s therefore advisable to do a little bit of research and planning ahead by checking in with your go-to hire car company to see what their stance is on that.
Alternatively, a wise move would be to contact our expert team of insurance advisors at InsuranceMarket.ae to help clarify any concerns you might have. They can not only answer your CDW questions but also assist you in obtaining the best possible travel insurance policy. Happy motoring and safe travels!
