Car hire insurance excess charges as high as £2,500 were landed on British holidaymakers last year, figures from ExcessBuddy.com reveal.
- Excesses mean car hire can end up costing more than the holiday.
- Complaints about car hire practices jumped 35% last year.
- It’s important not to leave car hire excess insurance until the last moment.
Car hire insurance policies with eye-watering excess levels mean renting a vehicle can sometimes end up costing more than the holiday you’ve just taken.
At ExcessBuddy.com, we know of several cases in 2018 where our insurance partners reimbursed customers for excesses of £2,000 or more in the wake of damage to their hire vehicles. In a couple of examples, the excess figure topped £2,500.
These figures remind Britons that they should always plan ahead before they travel in order to avoid these extortionate car hire excess charges.
Car hire complaints
And it certainly pays to tread carefully where car hire is concerned. The UK European Consumer Centre reported a 35% jump in complaints about car hire to 753 in the year to last February.
Common gripes include post-hire damage charges — especially after unsupervised drop-offs — as well as hidden charges for fuel and disputes relating to insurance.
It’s estimated that over 20% of car hire insurance claims are for low-level damage. But that’s not to say the cost of the repair will be cheap. A recent Which? Travel survey highlighted a quote of £1,154 for a windscreen chip that could have been fixed for as little at £35.
Excess insurance cover
Collision Damage Waiver insurance is usually included as part of the initial cost of the car hire in Europe. However these policies often come with excesses running into thousands of pounds.
To buy car hire excess insurance cover at a rental desk can cost as much as £15 a day. A premium bought beforehand through ExcessBuddy.com can be as little as £2 a day. This covers an excess of several thousand pounds, as well as misfuelling, key cover and more.
Many people don’t consider the option of car hire excess insurance. But it’s not uncommon for excesses to be in the thousands.
Remember that you are not the policy holder of the collision damage insurance. Therefore it is not your choice whether or not to claim. Even if the damage is not your fault, you will be liable for the excess. That could be a very costly end to your holiday.