Any recommendations please ? For the past two years I’ve held a policy with ‘car hire excess.com’ , but there are several companies all circa £40 for an annual policy. The proof of the pudding is in their ability to handle a claim, and I don’t want to find out the hard way.
I’m picking up another Firefly rental from Alicante this weekend, my previous policy expired last month, and I just wondered if anyone unfortunately had cause to make a claim and if so if they were happy with the process and end result.
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Have always used insurance4carhire but never actually had to submit a claim.
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Exactly my point. I wanted a recommendation, or otherwise, from someone who had submitted a claim, or who had knowledge of someone who had.
Lots of good reviews online about ‘ how easy it was’ to take out a policy, but then other reviews from people actually submitting a claim vary tremendously within the same company.
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I've used insurance4carhire for several years.
Last year successfully claimed with no issues.
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You mean you posted rhetorical questions ?
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I mean I have never needed a car hire excess insurance cover, because I have never had a car excess charge.
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Insurance4carhire.com - using Quidco for extra savings, it was about 37 for annual European cover IIRC.
I had a claim of about €550 after some unfortunate incidents in Portugal last year. I made sure I had all the documentation required to support the claim before I left the car rental office, stuck the claim in as soon as I got back and was paid back the money within a week. It was only damage to the rental car, no 3rd party involved, nor personal injury or loss.
(When I took out the car rental and declined their extortionate insurance, the bloke rather sneeringly asked if I'd ever tried claiming through them, as though it would be a nightmare. Oh how wrong he was)
Last edited by: smokie on Wed 8 May 19 at 12:19
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Addendum...
These Spanish companies have extraordinarily low out-of-season rental costs but pump up the insurance. But some of the above is also true of rentals elsewhere, and through reputable companies (e.g. the US). The Spanish companies often have an excess of €1500. A moderate one-month-old SUV cost me around €150 for a month earlier this year.
And, Zero, you do, I'm sure, realise there are huge gaps in what the basic rental insurance covers, often even with the hire company insurance. You often aren't covered for tyres, towing, windscreens, underbody and other things I can't remember.
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I’ve taken out an annual policy with ‘Insurance4 Car Hire.com’ @ £40.
Hired through DoYouSpain a Golf ( or similar) so probably a Leon if past experience is anything to go by. Two weeks 11-25 May Firefly €8.47c ( Full to full fuel) with €1250 excess. As usual the vehicle will be carefully scrutinised in the multi storey at Alicante before driving away!
Last edited by: legacylad on Fri 10 May 19 at 07:13
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Think it was your advice I followed this time last year - hired at Malaga through Doyouspain and firefly for a price around 20 euros for the week.
Ladywas lovely at the car hire desk and had great English until I told her I had my own excess insurance and then her English got poorer and harsher repeatedly telling me how much my excesses were.
Had 2x excesses booked on my credit card (which I didn't realise they were going to be separate) However all was well with handback at end of week - much stress about nothing!
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Whilst in Spain for 8 weeks earlier this year we used OKCars through DYSpain. No free cancellation, unlike Firefly. We had 3 rental periods to get rock bottom rates, and as we were visiting Alicante for the odd few days it wasn’t a problem. OKCars were a very professional off airport operation. Only on the final rental did the young girl go into overdrive trying to sell us their excess insurance, the other periods, plus when we rented from OKCars on Ibiza ( we flew there for a few days from Valencia) no one tried to sell us anything extra.
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I'm insured by Zurich, through icarhire insurance. £47.
I'm renting every three or four weeks from Luton so I wouldn't not take the cover.
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As expected, the rental car for the next two weeks ( ordered as a Golf or similar) from Firefly is a Leon 5 door hatch. Almost new, 3K kilometres on the clock, looks striking in white with black rims which really complement it. 16” rims with 205/55 rubber. Latest large touchscreen which is very easy to use...I spent 20 mins yesterday changing the language, sound balance etc and playing around with it.
Engine is the 3cyl 1.0litre turning out 115 horses, mated to a 6 speed box. Very easy cruising up the AP7 north of Alicante, remarkably relaxed at 140/150kph following a 5 series ( needed to get a move on as it was early evening, we needed to do a small shop then go for a curry). Three up with 2 suitcases and a wheelchair you needed to drop to 5th on inclines to keep the momentum going, but otherwise that small engine was perfectly adequate.
6 of my last 9 rentals have been a 3 cyl engine...Focus with 125 bhp, Pug 208 Allure, 308 Allure (130) Citroen C3 ( worst car by far imho) and now the Leon.
I’ve no idea what version it is, there is a V on the door pillar, but the black rims look really nice on it, plus it’s equippped both front and rear cameras and sensors, fabric seats ( unheated but this is the Costa Blanca). Cheapo plastics on several pieces of trim, but one of my better r3ntals over the years.
The only marked damage was a 1cm scratch on a door mirror. Careful scrutiny in the multi storey showed up another 1cm scratch on the rear bumper, so that was duly brought to their attention and marked on the paperwork.
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I have used quaestor for car rental excess insurance for many years.
Claimed once, the process was reasonably smooth and quicker than I anticipated.
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Following what I took as recommendations from here for excess insurance by Insurance4carhire.com I gave them a go on a flying visit to France. Like others, I have no more to say, I paid for it, later hired the car and had no incidents I am aware of.
I don't yet know how it will pan out because I was forced to dump the key in a letter box and didn't see anybody. To help with any possible issues I took maybe 30 interior and exterior photos of the nearly new (only 400km) Ford Fiesta.
The airport car hire desk area had 6 desks, one each for the usual culprits but only one - Hertz (not mine) was manned. He calmly told me and another drop off customer that the other car hire reps only come on duty when they know they have a reservation for hire. If there's no reservation for that day they just don't turn up.
Knowing that I then took a selfie of me dropping the key in the box.
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Car Hire Excess companies - Bobby
