[old cheese]

Hi, thought I would tap into the consciousness of the wise ( ) masses on here to ask if anyone has an opinion. I am hiring a car in Spain and rather than buy their car insurance I heard that it is often better to get your own insurance as extra drivers are cheaper to add and the overall price is cheaper for a better coverage.

Can anyone out there verify/ deny this or even better have a recommended company they have used. When I searched quickly I found 'excess insurance' which I took to mean insurance against any excess I may have to pay in the event of a claim, not the actual car insurance or am I just being a bit thick?

[slackline]

Not thick at all, my experience over the last few years since discovering this sort of thing is that its possible to take out the excess waivers insurance with a third party rather than outright overall insurance with a third party.  It is generally cheaper than that offered by the hire companies themselves which often have exclusions like windscreens and under car damage which are included in the excess waivers insurance.

I've used www.carhirexcess.co.uk and whilst I've never had to claim myself, friends on the same trip had a window smashed above Cala Gonone (took a glasses case!?!?!) and made a claim through this company and had no problems (bar the ballache of having to go to the police station to get an official report of the criminal damage for the car-hire and insurance).

I've often found www.carhire3000.com to come up with the cheapest deal for hiring cars too (compares multiple companies simultaneously).

[old cheese]

Thank you slackers,

The insurance looks cheap! Did you go for a daily rate? I would probably not need insurance for the rest of the year but I guess you never know?

[slackline]

Yes, just daily as I had no other plans to hire cars in the next year.

[SA Chris]

Another thread made me think of something to post here.

I've always used www.insurance4carhire.com annual policy for car hire excess insurance so you don't need to pay daily.

In January I had a hire car in the Alps and was charged an extortionate amount when I hit a rock and got a flat tyre.

I submitted all the paperwork to them, and they paid up the full amount within a week. Was very impressed with service.

[dunnyg]

Use them insurance4carhire for a trip in the USA. Made a claim for around $2000 worth of damaage, first time I rang they said they didn't cover it (!) and holiday insurance should (BMC) who said they didnt cover it. Submitted forms to insurance4carhire and they paid out....
Have used them since but not claimed again, I tend to just get the annual one (about £50) if doing a long rental trip.

[spidermonkey09]

https://www.questor-insurance.co.uk/ have been great. Paid out for a smashed window in Spain within days. The one time I forgot to get it in Ceuse my friend reversed the car into a sign. The rear windscreen replacement cost about €800...

[bigironhorse]

I think some credit card packages include this insurance so worth checking that before spending on extra.

[Potash]

Be aware that if you are using stand alone insurance the car hire company may wish to take a large ( £1,500 ) block on your credit card.

When I picked up a car last year there was a very upset couple being pushed into buying the car hire insurance despite having stand alone insurance as they did not have a free grand and a half on their credit card.

[SA Chris]

Was that Europe or US? Never come across it but you can kind of see why. Maybe they do it surreptitiously when you are paying for the car, and it's never flagged up if you have sufficient credit available.

[bigironhorse]

Be aware that if you are using stand alone insurance the car hire company may wish to take a large ( £1,500 ) block on your credit card.

When I picked up a car last year there was a very upset couple being pushed into buying the car hire insurance despite having stand alone insurance as they did not have a free grand and a half on their credit card.

Whenever I have hired cars (europe) this has been required whether I used their insurance or not!

[duncan]

Used insurance4hirecar year-long excess cover once, claimed for big paintwork scratch (~£250), they paid out promptly and without question. I had to leave a big deposit on my credit card with the car rental company .

[Potash]

Was that Europe or US? Never come across it but you can kind of see why. Maybe they do it surreptitiously when you are paying for the car, and it's never flagged up if you have sufficient credit available.

This was in Northern Island. If you buy their insurance they don't require it. If you have your own insurance or a willing to chance it they want a huge deposit. I agree it makes some form of sense but it was really not clear on the booking and if you don't have a spare £1,500 you are totally buggered.