Car Rental Excess at Car Hire International
Global Car Rental Excess Insurance Information:
Excess Reduction/Super-CDW - Reduces the CDW/LDW deductible in case of an accident to a lower amount or completely eliminates all personal liability, so it is highly recommended.
The advantage of taking excess reduction insurance is that if you can eliminate all personal liability, then you don't have to worry about having to fight with the rental car company's staff over responsibility for minor damage (i.e., whether it was pre-existing) when you return the vehicle and then having to get your personal auto insurer or credit card company to reimburse the rental car company's repair costs.
The disadvantage is that the rental car companies know this option removes a key incentive to be extremely careful with their vehicles (i.e., the deductible which they can normally collect from you under regular CDW/LDW), which means the vehicles are slightly more likely to come back with minor damage, so they price this accordingly and it can be very expensive.
Personal Effects Insurance - covers loss of personal items in the car when it is stolen or damaged.
You should take the time to consider the insurance options offered, how they affect your liability, their cost, and whether your personal car insurance, travel insurance, or credit card (that is, the one used to rent the car) provides partial or full coverage.
Sometimes some of these insurance options and surcharges are compulsory, e.g., in foreign countries where your personal insurance doesn't offer coverage. Sometimes some coverages are built into the base rate.
If insurance or waivers are optional, it may be good to consider the following before accepting the charge:
CarTrawler Excess Insurance Information.
The booking process with the CarTrawler Reservation system will automatically offer you the option to purchase car rental excess insurance at a competitive price, should you not be covered by your existing personal policies above.
The excess insurance offered by CarTrawler is a better deal than purchasing from any individual car rental company at their desk when collection your rental car.
More information about the advantages of taking car rental excess insurance offered when you book your car rental with the CarTrawler Reservation system here at Car Hire International, is available on this short video below.
Excess Reduction/Super-CDW - Reduces the CDW/LDW deductible in case of an accident to a lower amount or completely eliminates all personal liability, so it is highly recommended.
The advantage of taking excess reduction insurance is that if you can eliminate all personal liability, then you don't have to worry about having to fight with the rental car company's staff over responsibility for minor damage (i.e., whether it was pre-existing) when you return the vehicle and then having to get your personal auto insurer or credit card company to reimburse the rental car company's repair costs.
The disadvantage is that the rental car companies know this option removes a key incentive to be extremely careful with their vehicles (i.e., the deductible which they can normally collect from you under regular CDW/LDW), which means the vehicles are slightly more likely to come back with minor damage, so they price this accordingly and it can be very expensive.
Personal Effects Insurance - covers loss of personal items in the car when it is stolen or damaged.
You should take the time to consider the insurance options offered, how they affect your liability, their cost, and whether your personal car insurance, travel insurance, or credit card (that is, the one used to rent the car) provides partial or full coverage.
Sometimes some of these insurance options and surcharges are compulsory, e.g., in foreign countries where your personal insurance doesn't offer coverage. Sometimes some coverages are built into the base rate.
If insurance or waivers are optional, it may be good to consider the following before accepting the charge:
- If you have an automobile/car insurance policy on your vehicle at home, check to see if it includes coverage for rental car damage.
- If you plan to pay with your credit card, check also to see if it includes rental car coverage. Be aware that in many cases this coverage is secondary (meaning your existing auto insurance coverage pays first).
- If you have purchased a travel insurance policy that covers trip cancellation, medical expenses, etc., check to see if it includes a rental car collision/loss benefit. Some packages do, providing primary coverage up to a certain amount. (Primary coverage means that the insurance pays before other policies, including your own auto insurance.) Depending on the amount of insurance you buy, the per-day charge for a travel insurance policy that includes rental car coverage can work out to less than the per-day amount of a waiver. It is usually cheaper to purchase travel insurance than to pay for the Excess Reduction/Super-CDW at the rental counter.
- Rental companies tend to prefer bona-fide visitors rather than local renters when it comes to excess levels and excess reduction.
- Sometimes these are lower for international visitors booked in advance, for airport renters with a flight number, or for people using a corporate discount code.
- Many insurance options are void if you use the car in a manner not permitted by the contract, e.g., driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or using it to commit a crime.
CarTrawler Excess Insurance Information.
The booking process with the CarTrawler Reservation system will automatically offer you the option to purchase car rental excess insurance at a competitive price, should you not be covered by your existing personal policies above.
The excess insurance offered by CarTrawler is a better deal than purchasing from any individual car rental company at their desk when collection your rental car.
More information about the advantages of taking car rental excess insurance offered when you book your car rental with the CarTrawler Reservation system here at Car Hire International, is available on this short video below.