If you own your own vehicle, you probably spend a significant amount of time arranging the right insurance coverage for your needs. With a little research, you can find the most suitable policies for your driving needs, at the best prices. However, do you give the same thought to car hire insurance?
Despite the financial implications, many people don’t really consider their insurance options when they’re hiring a vehicle? Instead of scanning the terms and conditions of your car hire agreement, it’s important to take the time to scrutinise them in detail and find out exactly what you’re covered for.
Being involved in a collision or road traffic incident is stressful in itself, but finding out you don’t have appropriate insurance cover can make matters even worse. To ensure you get the best rental car coverage for your needs, take a look at https://www.henfield-hire.com/ and follow these top tips now…
- Check what’s included
If your car hire agreement includes insurance, do check exactly what cover you have. Some of these policies are fairly basic, and they may not pay out very much in the event of an incident. In such cases, you could be expected to make up the shortfall yourself, so having an appropriate level of coverage is extremely important.
- What extras are available?
Your car hire company may have a range of extras which can be added to your policy to increase maximum payout amounts and/or the level of cover you have. If your standard insurance policy doesn’t include theft, for example, you could add a theft waiver to the policy to ensure this type of loss is covered. Similarly, a collision damage waiver can help to make sure you won’t have to pay for the cost of damage to the vehicle out of your own pocket.
- Read the small print
Car rental can be a fantastic way to access private transport facilities at a reduced cost, but it’s important the know what you’re getting. Make sure you understand the fine details of your policy and don’t disregard them! If you are subject to a maximum daily mileage limitation, for example, your insurance may not cover you if you exceed the maximum mileage limit. Make sure you stick to the terms of your car hire agreement or you could find that you’re not really insured at all.
- Consider excess insurance
Some insurance policies have large excesses which need to be paid in the event of a claim. With some insurers charging hundreds or even thousands in excesses, you could be left with a considerable bill, even if you have valid insurance in place. Consider taking out excess insurance if you want to cover these costs in the event of an incident.
- Check what waivers really mean
If your insurance policy includes damage to the vehicle, for example, check what this actually means. A light scratch to the paintwork can happen easily, but it can be costly to repair, so would your insurer cover the cost of this? Always check what your policy actually includes, so you don’t end up with any nasty surprises.
