So, you
landed at the Cork Airport after a long flight and ready to pick your car hire Cork airport? The process is
indeed quite simple, but when you reach the desk of the rental company, you
need to scrutinise the contract and give the rental car a quick glance to check
for the damages. The usual temptation is to agree on each and everything in a
quick manner in order to not keep the queue behind waiting. The car hire excess
insurance is a significant extra one needs to have with the rental car, but a
big sum can be saved by buying the same at home before setting off.
Let's
decode some of the important queries that may be hovering in your hand the
moment you read the title of this post. Read further:
So, what
is a car hire excess insurance?
When you
hire a car, a loss damage waiver insurance is usually included in the rental
price. The policies usually fail to provide a sense of security because in case
you need to make an accidental claim or claim for the damage to the vehicle,
you are still made liable to pay the claimed amount's first part, which is
termed as 'excess'. This excess amount varies in accordance with the car rental
agreements. This amount is usually higher than the amount one has paid as the
cost of car hire. This is where the car hire excess insurance sets in for
preventing the guest to pay the hefty amount. This helps in providing the peace
of mind to the guest in case something goes adverse.
What is
the benefit of the car hire excess insurance?
There is
no denying the fact, that none of us likes to imagine of being involved in an
accident, but that's something one can't really ignore. According to a
research, nearly 22% of the claims dealt in the last year were damages that
took place due to unattended vehicle. However, the claims related to the car
hires being written off for a stolen vehicle are far. Such scenarios usually
bring a lot of stress, but minor damages usually don't cost much in repair. In
the absence of excess protection, the consumer may be charged out of pocket.
What is
the cost of purchasing a car hire excess insurance?
Same as
is true with a number of travel related extras, in case one buys the car hire
excess insurance at the very last moment, just before getting into the car rental Cork airport vehicle, the
charges would surely be quite high. Taking a waiver agreement at the car rental
desk can also cost much if we compare the weekly cost of the same. But, in case
you shop around, you can easily get a car hire excess insurance which may not
be that expensive. For instance, if the car hire excess insurance policy is
bought online in advance, it can cost very economical. In case you happen to be
a regular traveller, having an annual policy in place could save you more money
than actually paying for the damages, in case it happens.
Is it
better to take an independent policy for car hire excess insurance?
As per
the statistics, about 10% of the claims received by the insurance companies is
for damages that are caused to the windscreens or the tyres of the car. In the
presence of waivers present at the car rental help desk, the damages that take
place to the vulnerable parts of the hired vehicle are not covered. Hence, an
independent policy that covers the vulnerable parts of the vehicle are
considered to be of a greater and better value.
Is there
anything else one needs to be aware of when considering car hire excess
insurance?
The
independent policies usually work on the basis of reimbursement. Thus, in case
a damage takes place to the rented vehicle, then the guest is liable to pay the
damages to the rental company which can then be claimed back from the insurance
provider by producing the necessary evidence and submitting the required
documents.