Many people look forward to a memorable vacation where they can have a car to move around conveniently.

Hiring a car may seem like a simple process, but there is more to it. Unforeseen events like an accident or theft of the hired car may lead to a lot of spending on your part. This article aims to help you make informed decisions about getting car hire excess insurance when renting a car anywhere in the world.

What Is Annual Worldwide Car Hire Excess Insurance?

When you hire a car, the rental agreement will typically include Collision Damage Waiver coverage. This means that in the event that the rental vehicle is damaged, you are not liable to the entire cost of repairing the damage and you should only pay a certain amount known as “excess” (or deductible). The car rental agreement will usually specify a rental car excess, which you will be liable for in the event that the rented vehicle is damaged.

If you are a frequent traveler that takes two or more trips a year and hiring a car in different countries, an annual worldwide rental vehicle excess insurance (also known as multi-trip cover) is what you need to prevent hire companies from making a fortune out of you.

What to Look Out For When Buying Worldwide Car Hire Insurance

One important thing to look out for is, will the insurance cover the car hire in the destination where you rent a car? Will it cover you in your home country and abroad? Some policies restrict certain territories and destinations (mainly war zones). Getting flexible insurance is always the best option. Carefully read through the offer before you buy in.

Useful Examples of Potential Claims

When you return the rented vehicle, any damage that wasn’t listed on your pickup slip, might be considered as damage that was created while the vehicle was under your possession. We’ve listed below a few examples:

• Extra charges by the hiring company for damaged seats that are not covered by the insurance policy.
• Scratches or dents on the vehicle.
• Flat tire
• Broken side mirror – this can result as an accident or even when the park is “safely” parked in the street.
• Broken glass resulted by thieves or vandalism.
• Towing expenses.
• Loss of use – in the event that the rental company need to fix the rental vehicle, the rental company might charge you for the money they couldn’t make while the car is been repaired.

How Does Annual Worldwide Car Hire Insurance Work?

If you have an accident with a hired car and there are scratches or damages, the hiring company can charge you up to a thousand dollars or more. Car rental excess insurance protects you from any outrageous fees that the hiring company may bill you.

In case you might be asking yourself how you can eliminate your risk, we’ve outlined the process:

When you book you next overseas car rental, you can simply purchase CarInsuRent’s car hire excess insurance policy and pay the annual premium.

When you pick-up the rental car, the car rental company may offer you to pay an additional amount for a Super CDW (SCDW) coverage to reduce the rental car excess to zero. The additional cost of SCDW is typically calculated based on the number of days that you will hire the car for and may double the entire cost of the rental.

Assuming that you purchased our annual worldwide car rental insurance, you can simply waive the car rental’s offer and save the cost of the rental car excess waiver.

If your rental car is damaged, the rental company will charge you the lower between the actual amount of the repair and the excess amount that is listed on the rental agreement.

You should then submit a claim with us, and our claims team will review and assess your claim. After your claim is approved CarInsuRent will reimburse you.

In Which Countries Can I Drive With the Excess Worldwide Policy?

As the name implies, this insurance is meant to cover hire in any part of the world. There is a reason to pause, though, because different agencies offer different services.

Some insurance policy does not cover trips to Afghanistan, Iraq, and other countries as advised against by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. According to the terms of our worldwide rental car insurance policy, we cover rentals in all countries EXCEPT trips in, to or through Afghanistan, Cuba, Congo, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Liberia, North Korea, Myanmar, South America, Sudan and Zimbabwe.

What Does It Protect Me Against?

If your hire car is damaged, car hire excess insurance protects you from excess (up to the amount you have chosen and as specified on your policy) that you are liable to pay. It may be related to damage to the tire, windshield, scratch, or theft of the hired vehicle. In the absence of this insurance, you could incur about a thousand dollar or more. Our international car hire insurance will cover you for the following:

• Rental car excess insurance of $2,500 is automatically included with our standard policy. We cover the Excess on damage or theft up to US$ 4,500 (depend on the amount that you choose).
• Damage to bodywork, Undercarriage, Roof, Tires Mirrors and Windscreen.
• Payments for towing, breakdown and misfuelling excess costs.
• Protection against theft and vandalism is included
• We cover car damage resulting from single-vehicle accidents.
• Covers up to 8 additional nominated drivers (so long they are listed on your rental agreement).
• Up to 45 days continuous cover on any one rental agreement.
• Drivers aged between 21 and 85 inclusive.

What’s Not Included?

• Vehicle breakdown due to old parts. Some of these parts wear and tear easily, so it is advisable to select your vehicle wisely because in cases like this, the policy has got nothing to do with it. The bills are on you to settle.
• Interior damage to the vehicle. Sometimes while using this vehicle, we might come across some unforeseen situations that might lead to the damage of any of the internal parts; in any of these cases, the policy won’t cover this damage. Better hope for no accidental damage to its interiors because it’s on you.
• The insurance policy does not include vehicles with about nine seats due to their capacity. They rather prefer vehicles with smaller capacities of about 5seats, which in such cases they are sure they are not exploited. Our standard policy cover vehicles with less than 9 seats (including the driver), and if you want to rent a bigger vehicle you can check out our “minibus” coverage.
• Commercial vehicles, motorbikes, camper vans, mobile homes, vans or any vehicle with more than nine seats are NOT covered.
• Driving fines due to violations or incomplete credentials, both vehicle and personal. It is important to always have this factor in mind because most people think the policy covers it. Any error or expenses spent aside from the expected ones is a NO for CarInsuRent. They won’t be responsible for charges due to driving or traffic violations, lack of complete personal information, and also car details.
• The policy does not cover hired vehicles before its policy is put in place. That is, any vehicle hired before implementing a car insurance policy is not covered by it. So whatever happens to the vehicle has to be sorted out by you or whoever is responsible for it.
• Damage due to off-road driving, reckless driving or bad driving habits. The policy will not in any way pay for any damage on the vehicle due to avoidable mistake(s) or carelessness on your part. They feel everyone behind the wheels should be responsible enough to handle a car well, not to the extent of wreaking havoc with it.
• Local “in country” rental (unless you have 2 nights pre-booked accommodation in your home country).

How Do I Make Claim On My Worldwide Multi Trip Car Hire Excess Insurance

In this type of situation, you should probably follow the company’s guidance on how to handle it. After returning the vehicle, you will be charged for any damage during the rental period.

You can simply submit a claim using our online claims portal which is located under “My Account” section.

Our team will review and asses your claim.

If your claim is successful, CarInsuRent will aim to pay your money into your account within 5 working days of receiving your claim and all supporting documentation.

5 Reasons Why Taking Out Annual Worldwide Rental Car Excess Insurance Is Important

1. You can choose your preferred level of rental vehicle excess cover to suit your needs – from US$ 2,500 to US$ 4,500.
2. If you are a frequent traveler, the cost of standalone car rental excess cover may be significantly less than the cost of purchasing excess waiver from the rental company.
3. Authorized drivers listed on your car rental agreement are also covered.
4. You can file multiple claims, up to the Excess limit that you have purchased.
5. Rental vehicle excess insurance cover can give you peace of mind if the rental car is damaged in an accident.

FAQ:

Do I Have to Buy Excess Waiver Insurance From My Hire Company?

You do not need it. Excess waiver offered at the rental desk, may double your rental price. You can simply buy a standalone car rental excess cover and save up to 70% of the cost.

What Are the Advantages of Buying Annual Car Hire Excess Insurance?

The crucial merit is that rental car insurance will provide safety for the most powerless parts of the vehicle, such as the tires, wheels, windscreen, and sometimes engines.

As long as the parts or, in general, the car was in a good state when picked-up, the rental vehicle excess insurance is mandated to cover any unavoidable damage like, car accident, theft and even loss of keys.

In addition, the cost of an annual standalone car rental excess cover may be significantly less than the cost of purchasing excess waiver from the rental company.

What is Annual Worldwide Car Hire Excess Insurance?

It is an insurance agreement that conserves you are not excessively charged if something happens to the rental vehicle while it is in your custody. The annual policy covers you for multiple rentals and multiple claims during a 365 days period.

How Does Annual Worldwide Car Hire Excess Insurance Work?

In short:

1. Before your trip – Purchase a standalone car rental excess cover.
2. When you pick up the rental vehicle – Turn down excess waivers offered by the rental company.
3. In case of damage to the rental vehicle – Pay the rental company for the damage incurred (up to the excess amount).
4. File a claim – you can file multiple claims during your 365 days period.
5. Wait for the approval and payment.

An annual worldwide car hire’s excess insurance could protect you and your money If you have a disaster and damage your hire car.