{"id":21352,"date":"2018-03-07T10:00:27","date_gmt":"2018-03-07T10:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zestcarrental.com\/blog\/?p=21352"},"modified":"2021-11-17T16:39:18","modified_gmt":"2021-11-17T16:39:18","slug":"car-hire-insurance-differences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zestcarrental.com\/blog\/car-hire-insurance-differences\/","title":{"rendered":"What are the Differences Between the Car Rental Provider\u2019s Local Insurance and the Product Offered Through Zest?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Car hire insurance is one of the biggest uncertainties when it comes to hiring a car. We previously wrote our guide to car hire insurance<\/a> to help clear some of the muddy water that surrounds car hire insurance. Two of your main options when it comes to insurance for your rental car are pre-purchasing the additional top-up insurance offered through Zest, or buying the locally offered product on collection of the vehicle.<\/p>\n

\"SigningPhoto by: Antonioguillem\/Stock<\/span><\/p>\n

Good to know<\/h2>\n

Zest include Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) as standard on all rentals. We also include zero excess liability- this is something that many other brokers or car rental providers will charge a premium for. This is included either as a no insurance excess product, or will include Excess Reimbursement Insurance (ERI), where, should any damage occur, you\u2019ll pay the excess and then claim it back. Our website states which one is included with the vehicle you\u2019re looking to hire.<\/p>\n

Additional top-up insurance from Zest<\/h2>\n

Zest offer a third-party insurance through Questor Insurance for a small additional fee. Questor Insurance are an award-winning broker who have sold over a million policies. Zest have worked with Questor for 10 years. The top-up product covers you against accidental damages to the car that the included CDW excludes. This is typically damages to parts of the car such as tyres, glass and the underbody. You can find out more about this cover in our guide to car hire insurance<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Please note: Currently it\u2019s not possible for all customers to purchase top-up insurance. There are limitations in place for residents of certain countries and also age restrictions.<\/em><\/p>\n

How will I know if I am eligible to purchase top-up insurance?<\/em>
\nYou must be aged between 21 and 84 years of age. When running a quote on our website, the product will be offered to you on Step 2 if you are eligible. Alternatively, you can visit the top-up insurance section in our FAQs<\/a>, where a list of countries we can sell to is provided. You can also call our Customer Support Team for advice.<\/p>\n

Why am I not eligible to buy the top-up insurance?<\/em>
\nAs the top-up insurance is provided by Questor, only residents from the countries that they are licensed to sell to, as part of regulations, can purchase the insurance. If you are a resident from a country that they cannot currently sell to, then unfortunately you cannot purchase the insurance.<\/p>\n

Why should I purchase this insurance?<\/em>
\nThis product can often be cheaper than that offered locally. Local products can cost up to \u00a320 per rental day.<\/p>\n

The product is from an award-winning UK-based company which can limit barriers caused by time zones or language differences.<\/p>\n

Purchasing the top-up insurance through Zest means that we can act as an intermediary with any claims. Should you have a query about the progress of your claim with Questor, then we can check this for you. If you need some assistance chasing required paperwork from the car rental provider, then we can support you.<\/p>\n

\"CarPhoto by: Kwangmoo\/Stock<\/span><\/p>\n

Local insurance offered by the car rental provider<\/h2>\n

Some of our customers prefer to take out the product offered by the supplier. We do not receive any information about these products so cannot advise customers on the terms and conditions that apply.<\/p>\n

Why would I purchase the local insurance product?<\/em>
\nTaking out the insurance offered by the car rental provider can reduce or remove the need to leave a security deposit. You can find out more about the security deposit in our blog about why you need a credit card to hire a car<\/a>.<\/p>\n

You may also take this product if you\u2019re not eligible to purchase the top-up insurance we offer, and haven\u2019t pre-purchased insurance elsewhere.<\/p>\n

Some customers believe that settling a claim is easier when the insurance company is in the same country in which the car rental provider is located. Bear in mind that we cannot assist with claims on the insurance offered by the provider.<\/p>\n

The representative has told me I must take their insurance or they won\u2019t let me have the car. What should I do?<\/em>
\nContact us for assistance. Sometimes representatives may say the top-up insurance isn\u2019t valid- this isn\u2019t true unless their terms and conditions specifically state this; the top-up insurance simply is not linked to them. There are certain reasons why you would need to take local insurance due to age restrictions or because you haven\u2019t got a credit card, but there a very few circumstances you will need to take their insurance on the grounds that the top-up insurance isn\u2019t valid.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve taken the local insurance but I\u2019d already bought top-up insurance. What should I do?<\/em>
\nIf you want to refuse the local insurance, then stand your ground. If you\u2019re uncertain then you should contact us before signing any paperwork so we can clarify the situation. If you agree to the insurance because you feel pressured or if you\u2019re not sure if you\u2019ve done the right thing, contact us immediately. The sooner we\u2019re contacted, the better.<\/p>\n

If you contact us before you sign any paperwork then we can clarify the situation so you feel more comfortable with whatever decision you make.<\/p>\n

If you sign the paperwork and agree to take their insurance then it may not be possible to reverse this. Not all providers will allow the insurance to be cancelled once it\u2019s in place. We can contact the provider on your behalf about this charge, but they may require you to go back to the office to leave a security deposit (if you\u2019ve not already done so) or to re-do your rental agreement with the insurance charge removed. It may not always be possible to obtain a full refund as you may still have to pay for the time in which the insurance product was active and in place. It may not be possible for you to go to a different office to do this; you may have to return to your collection point. This is why it\u2019s important that you don\u2019t sign anything that you\u2019re unsure of, and contact us immediately.<\/p>\n

The provider\u2019s decision on reversing the insurance and the requirements of this are final and has no input from Zest.<\/p>\n

If you contact us when your rental is over, it is impossible to reverse an additional insurance cost as the insurance policy will have already been in place for the duration of the hire period. It cannot be refunded retrospectively.<\/p>\n

Deciding what car hire insurance to take<\/h2>\n

If you remain unsure, contact our Customer Support Team on 01362 852288 for assistance. They\u2019ll be able to explain to you what your options are.<\/p>\n

You may also find it useful to read our complete guide to car hire insurance<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Written by Jessica Juby.<\/em><\/p>\n

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