Car Rental Insurance

iceteacake on 16/11/2024 - 21:21
Last edited 16/11/2024 - 21:59 by 1 other user

I am hiring a car for my interstate trip and I had a negative experience previously, where I was charged an excessive amount of insurance fees at the time of picking up the car.

I assume that this is a trick that rental car companies use. First of all, they say $xxx to reduce the excess to $0 and then changed it to $xxx when you say that it is excessive.

I don’t want this to happen again, what should I do to prepare myself for this.
What car rental insurance companies I should look for?

Thanks.

Automotive Car Rental Insurance

Comments

  • Benoffie on 16/11/2024 - 21:24

    Have rental cover under your own comprehensive. You can activate and deactivate as needed.

  • life is suffering on 16/11/2024 - 21:25

    What do you mean ? Did the rental charge excess after you paid the fees to make excess 0$?

    • iceteacake on 16/11/2024 - 21:26

      No. They say that to reduce the excess to $0 you have to pay $xxx amount of money. I was ignorant at that time.

  • sumyungguy on 16/11/2024 - 21:26
    +2

    Search for: car hire excess insurance then compare rates. Make sure the level of cover is adequate for your rental company's excess. For longer rental periods a domestic travel policy may work out cheaper. Beware of exclusions like windscreens, tyres, etc.

    • iceteacake on 16/11/2024 - 21:35

      Is it better off to just get the car hire excess instead of a domestic travel insurance as I only care about the car rental? If I opted for the domestic travel insurance, will it cover for the driver or I need to purchase the insurance for all travellers (if I have more than one traveller)?

      • sumyungguy on 16/11/2024 - 21:41
        +3

        Domestic travel cover only works for one driver but can be as low as $50 with Qantas; otherwise I've been using Rentalcover.com which covers all drivers on the rental agreement. Purchasing a policy over the counter is simply a lazy tax.

        • iceteacake on 16/11/2024 - 21:47

          How does that compare to carhireexcess.com.au (car hire is more expensive)? Does it matter or not if it is an Australian insurance company?

          On the policy of rental cover, it does not state the excess amount, does it matter?

          • sumyungguy on 16/11/2024 - 21:56

            @iceteacake: Stand-alone rental cover policies are zero excess. The ones that come with credit cards usually have a token policy excess. Carhireexcess pricing varies according to the level of excess cover. I choose whichever is cheaper for my specific rental. There are comments in other forum posts from members who have made claims.

          • sumyungguy on 16/11/2024 - 22:09

            @iceteacake: For Rentalcover.com, protection to Australian and New Zealand Resident is sold by Cover Genius Pty Ltd (Australian Business Number 43 159 983 598)

        • Hybroid on 16/11/2024 - 22:22
          +6

          Enter your e-mail to 'Save your quote for later', wait 2 days, get 15% off offer. Wait another 2 days, get 30% off.

  • mskeggs on 16/11/2024 - 22:58
    -1

    Hire car insurance is very costly, but so are the bills if you damage the vehicle.
    If you buy via the rental company, any issue you deal with them. If you use a third party, you need to deal with both.
    I’d want substantial savings for that extra hassle.

  • Guy Incognito on 16/11/2024 - 23:31
    +1

    This exact topic was only discussed a few weeks ago.

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/873767

  • Ocker on 17/11/2024 - 07:56
    +1

    Check your credit card insurance for the vehicle excess

  • lisalt on 17/11/2024 - 08:15

    Sometimes I prefer to pay the insurance for 0 excess if it's a short hire, like an extra $10 - $30 for the day as a way to get around dropping a $2000+ bond. Every time I've done the latter, it's taken 30-60 days for the bond to hit back into my bank account, for a 24hour hire.

  • abear on 17/11/2024 - 13:49

    I always use a company called carhireexcess.com.au
    Always been cheaper than the car hire companies insurance

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join