Car rental insurance is confusing. Many of us don\u2019t hire cars regularly and car rental providers often make things more confusing by using different phrases for the same insurance product. For a more in-depth explanation of insurance, head over to the Complete Car Hire Insurance Guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n Here at Zest Car Rental, we\u2019ve tried to make our quick summary to car rental insurance as clear and easy to understand as possible. Remember, if you\u2019re ever in any doubt about car rental insurance when you collect your car, contact us immediately. DO NOT sign anything unless you understand EXACTLY what you\u2019re agreeing to.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Without CDW, you could be liable for the full cost of the rental vehicle. You would have to pay a contribution to repair costs up to an agreed level of \u2018excess\u2019 which can be as high as \u00a32,000, regardless of who is at fault.<\/p>\n Having CDW in place, provides basic cover and it reduces your liability in a collision. It means you wouldn\u2019t have to pay the full cost of any repairs.<\/p>\n In addition, CDW generally does not cover certain areas of the car such as the windscreen, wheels, undercarriage and roof. If these parts were damaged individually, outside a collision, the provider would charge you the excess. For example, if there was a windscreen chip or a flat tyre, the CDW would not cover these.<\/p>\n If you wish to cover damage to these parts, you should purchase our additional Top-up Insurance. Please note that due to stipulations from the third party this is supplied through, certain countries of residence are excluded from eligibility and cannot purchase this cover.<\/p>\n Remember, CDW isn\u2019t an insurance in its own right. It’s just a variation of the rental terms where the provider will waive the terms that make you liable for:<\/p>\n CDW is always included when booking with Zest Car Rental with either no insurance excess or Excess Reimbursement Insurance (more on this later). Some other firms or brokers offer CDW and theft waiver but with a huge excess.<\/p>\n An equivalent of CDW, but protects against theft if the vehicle is stolen. It DOES NOT cover theft of items within the vehicle \u2013 your holiday\/travel insurance should cover this. Theft as a result of negligence, such as leaving the keys in the ignition is NOT covered.<\/p>\n TW is always included when booking with Zest Car Rental with either no insurance excess or Excess Reimbursement.<\/p>\n Covers injuring other people or destruction of property. Essentially the same as with standard car insurance.<\/p>\n This is always included when booking with Zest Car Rental.<\/p>\n NB All of the above, except the additional top-up insurance, are provided by the car rental provider\u2013 NOT by Zest Car Rental.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/a> As with the excess on your own home or car insurance policies, the excess is the first part of any successful claim you are liable for. In some cases, the excess can as high as \u00a32,000\u2013 just as well we cover that for you!<\/p>\n As mentioned above, your hire car comes insured to a certain standard with Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) and Theft Waiver (TW) included. This can collectively be referred to as Loss Waiver (LW).<\/p>\n CDW is designed to cover damage caused in a collision and not single-vehicle damage. It does not cover damage caused by driving into a wall or negligence. Think of it as a very basic 3rd party policy.<\/p>\n However, individual damage to parts such as wheels, tyres, and glass parts aren\u2019t normally covered. This is why you can purchase additional top-up insurance when you book a car with Zest Car Rental.<\/p>\n When you hire with us, some deals include Collision Damage Waiver and Theft Waiver with no insurance excess (zero excess liability). Where we cannot negotiate this with the provider, we offer Excess Reimbursement Insurance (ERI) which covers the excess instead. Therefore, there will always be zero excess liability when hiring through Zest.<\/p>\n If hiring a car through another firm, make sure you check what\u2019s included in the price. Even if it says CDW and TW are included, it is very likely that a large excess is still applicable.<\/p>\n Zero Excess Claims Procedure:<\/em> Failure to do any of these could invalidate the insurance and leave you liable as the provider will assume you\u2019ve been negligent.<\/p>\n Excess Reimbursement Insurance \u2013 ERI<\/strong> In the event of a claim, you simply pay the excess amount to the provider, then claim it back through the insurance policy upon your return home. This is actually a very simple, stress-free process and only requires you to follow procedure.<\/p>\n ERI Claims Procedure:<\/em> ERI has nothing to do with the provider\u2013 it is supplied by Zest Car Rental\u2019s insurance partner Questor Insurance Services Ltd. This means the provider WILL charge you for the excess if the vehicle is damaged. You will have to pay this and then claim back eligible costs via the ERI when you return home. This is why it\u2019s important to obtain a police report in any accident to ensure you are held liable only for the appropriate damage.<\/p>\n As stated above, with ERI it is very easy to claim back but if you have any concerns or questions during the process, please contact us immediately so we can assist you.<\/p>\n NB You will still be required to leave a security deposit.<\/em><\/p>\n Exceptions<\/em> You can now purchase Top-up Insurance through our travel agents.<\/em><\/p>\n Top-up Insurance is the top level of cover available. It provides reimbursement cover against any loss or damage to the vehicle not covered by the standard insurance. This includes damage to the wheels, tyres, glass, under body, roof, keys, locks or loss due to misfuelling, lock outs, and battery failure. It also covers mobile phone charges, curtailment, car-jacking, and road-rage incidents.<\/p>\n You have 3 options when it comes to Top-up Insurance:<\/p>\n If in any doubt, call us prior to signing any forms upon collection so we can clarify the situation for you.<\/p>\n <\/a> Car rental providers may not recognise third party insurance policies because the policy isn\u2019t provided by them or connected with them in any way. Third party insurance such as Top-up Insurance protects you the customer and not the car rental provider. Top-up Insurance is valid providing you’ve met the terms and conditions of the policy. If you find yourself in this situation, you should contact Zest Car Rental immediately.<\/p>\n <\/a> Sometimes a provider will say they won\u2019t take a deposit if you purchase their insurance. If you have Top-up Insurance we\u2019d recommend you decline this as you\u2019re simply insuring yourself twice for no additional benefit.<\/p>\n The security deposit (sometime confusingly called an excess) is there to cover damage to parts of the vehicle not covered by the standard insurance. If you take out the provider’s insurance at the collection desk (at an inflated cost) the security deposit will sometimes be reduced or removed completely. Bear in mind however just how costly the provider’s insurance could work out to be.<\/p>\n The security deposit is always refunded. Your insurance won\u2019t be.<\/p>\n Again, if you find yourself in this position, call Zest Car Rental and we will clarify the situation for you.<\/p>\n <\/a> However, in some cases, a charge may be applied if the breakdown is a result of negligence \u2013 misfuelling or ignoring a warning light etc.<\/p>\n The provider may also charge if the client requests breakdown assistance for a puncture as this is considered something any driver should be able to manage themselves. Always phone the provider to check.<\/p>\n If you are taking the vehicle into a different country (cross border), providers will provide breakdown assistance to some extent. You may be required to pay towards the cost of recovery or the provider may cover all costs to get their vehicle back. Always check with the provider what the terms are if you\u2019re driving to another country.<\/p>\n <\/a> Am I better off buying an annual car Rental insurance policy?<\/strong> What does the insurance actually include?<\/strong> What do I do if I am offered additional insurance when I collect the hire car?<\/strong> Why does the car rental provider say my Top-up Insurance is not valid?<\/strong> I took out Top-up Insurance and bought the provider’s insurance as well, what should I do?<\/strong> Why can\u2019t I get a refund on my insurance when I didn\u2019t make a claim?<\/strong> Why do I need to leave a security deposit?<\/strong> All the providers we operate with require a security deposit to be authorised on the main driver\u2019s credit card upon collection.<\/p>\n This is to cover the provider for any parking or speeding fines, uninsured parts of the vehicle, if a claim is made when the insurance has been invalidated, and to ensure the safe return of the vehicle.<\/p>\n Why do I need a credit card for the deposit?<\/strong> If the insurance\/car hire forms are in a foreign language for any reason, ask to see the English equivalent. If this isn\u2019t possible, contact us at once before signing them.<\/p>\n If, when you collect your car, the terms\/insurance seem different to what you were expecting, call us immediately so we can clarify things for you. DON\u2019T leave it until you get home as trying to resolve an insurance (or car hire) issue after you\u2019ve used the service is almost impossible.<\/p>\n With us, CDW ALWAYS means Zero Excess or Excess Reimbursement so you won\u2019t be out of pocket. Other firms will still charge an excess which can be very expensive.<\/p>\n If you have any other questions regarding car rental insurance, please get in touch<\/a> or read our terms and conditions<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Car](\"https:\/\/www.zestcarrental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/insurance-Stock-Fantasista-min-1024x729.jpg\")
Photo by: Fantasista\/Adobe Stock<\/span><\/p>\nCommon Insurance Terms<\/h2>\n
Collision Damage Waiver (CDW)<\/h3>\n
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Theft protection\/Theft Waiver (TW)<\/h3>\n
Third Party Liability and Public Liability<\/h3>\n
Excess & Deductible<\/h3>\n
\n\u201cWhat is the car hire excess?\u201d is one of the most common questions we are asked. The excess (sometimes called the \u2018deductible\u2019) is the amount you pay the provider if the car has been involved in a collision or has been stolen.<\/p>\n![\"damage](\"https:\/\/www.zestcarrental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/camera-car-damage-Stock-Kwangmoo-min-1024x682.jpg\")
Photo by: Kwangmoo\/Adobe Stock<\/span><\/p>\nNo insurance excess & Excess Reimbursement Insurance (ERI)<\/h3>\n
\nIf your rental vehicle package includes no insurance excess, and you\u2019ve had an accident, you MUST follow these steps:<\/p>\n\n
\nExcess Reimbursement Insurance (ERI), also known as excess protection or excess waiver, protects the excess amount should your hire car be damaged or stolen.<\/p>\n
\nAssume your rental vehicle package includes ERI and you\u2019ve had a traffic collision. You MUST follow these steps:<\/p>\n\n
\nThe following instances\/scenarios are not covered by either the ERI or Zero Excess policies:<\/p>\n\n
![\"paying](\"https:\/\/www.zestcarrental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/credit-card-payment-Stock-alice_photo-min-1024x683.jpg\")
Photo by: alice_photo\/Adobe Stock<\/span><\/p>\nTop-up Insurance<\/h3>\n
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The Collection Desk Hard Sell<\/h3>\n
\nYou\u2019ve arrived at the collection desk, are going through the paperwork, and the agent says, \u201cThat insurance isn\u2019t valid\u201d or \u201cYou need to take out our insurance\u201d. I know many of you have heard this. But why?<\/p>\nSecurity Deposit<\/h3>\n
\nA security deposit is required upon collection to release the car. This is so the provider has some guarantee the car will be looked after. You will need a credit card upon which a security deposit will be authorised.<\/p>\nBreakdown<\/h3>\n
\nBreakdown assistance is always included when you book with Zest Car Rental and is free of charge.<\/p>\n![\"Car](\"https:\/\/www.zestcarrental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Broken-car-Stock-Rostislav-Sedlacek-min-1024x683.jpg\")
Photo by: Rostislav Sedlacek\/Adobe Stock<\/span><\/p>\nCar Rental Insurance FAQs<\/h2>\n
\nWhat is Top-up Insurance and what does it cover?<\/strong>
\nTop-up Insurance is the top level of cover available. It provides reimbursement cover against any loss or damage to the vehicle not covered by the car rental insurance. This includes parts such as wheels, tyres, glass, under body, roof, keys, locks, misfuelling, lock outs, and battery failure. Top-up Insurance also covers mobile phone charges, curtailment, car-jacking, and road-rage incidents.<\/p>\n
\nThis depends on how often you hire a car. Many annual policies cost over \u00a340 so if you only hire a car for 14 days a year, you\u2019re better off purchasing Top-up Insurance through Zest Car Rental.<\/p>\n
\nThis can vary from car to car and provider to provider. When you have your quote, click the \u2018View Rental Conditions\u2019 link underneath each vehicle. Look at the heading marked Deposit Requirements and you will find more information regarding the insurance.<\/p>\n
\nMany providers try to sell additional insurance when you collect the car. This will cover damage to items which are not included in their standard insurance such wheels, tyres and glass. Taking this insurance is entirely at your discretion. If you have already taken out Top-up Insurance there is NO point in taking out additional insurance.<\/p>\n
\nDon\u2019t worry, it is valid. The Top-up Insurance protects you first and the provider second. The provider would rather you buy their insurance which protects them first and you second. Our main concern is looking after our customers, if you have any issues regarding this, contact us immediately.<\/p>\n
\nUnfortunately, it is almost impossible to refund the cost of insurance once you\u2019ve used the car for that period even if you didn\u2019t need it as you\u2019ve signed a contract stating you agree to the terms.<\/p>\n
\nThink of your own car insurance policy. If you use your own car for a year and don\u2019t make a claim, do you ask Aviva, Elephant, Admiral, or Direct Line for a refund? The policy has been in place and there for you to claim on should it have been necessary so it\u2019s not possible for this amount to be refunded.<\/p>\n
\nImagine you\u2019re renting out your own car. Let\u2019s pretend it\u2019s a 2017 Ford Focus worth \u00a312,000 and you hire it out for a week for \u00a3131. How much would you want the customer to leave as a deposit?<\/p>\n
\nDepending on which firm you rent through, a deposit can be as high as \u20ac3,000. Do you want to stick that on your debit card? Credit cards also provide customers with a high level of protection in case of disputes and are usually cheaper with regards to currency conversions. Find out more about this here.<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Car](\"https:\/\/www.zestcarrental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/car-lighthouse-Stock-emaria-min-1024x683.jpg\")
Photo by: emaria\/Adobe Stock<\/span><\/p>\nDon\u2019t forget\u2026<\/h2>\n