What should I be aware of?
The standard insurance covering damage and theft offers good cover in the event of the damage or theft of your rental vehicle. Inform yourself well about your excess.
Collision damage waiver (CDW)
All tariffs shown include insurance against damage. If your rental car is damaged beyond repair, the CDW insurance offers you cover for the majority of the costs. The remaining amount is your excess.
Theft protection (TP)
All tariffs shown include insurance against theft.
An excess applies as with the damage insurance.
Excess
The standard insurance covering damage and theft offers good cover in the event of the damage or theft of your rental vehicle. Usually you will still have an excess. The amount of this excess is stated in the conditions of the selected vehicle.
Excess, excess cover or zero excess?
There are pros and cons associated with all three options. We'll run through the three variants so you can decide what is right for you.
With excess cover
You have an excess and must pay a deposit at the rental location with a credit card in your own name. If your vehicle incurs any damages, the rental company will keep (part of) this deposit.
- Without excess cover
- You have to pay a deposit at the rental location (using a credit card in your name)
- If your vehicle incurs damages you will lose (part of) your deposit and things can get very expensive.
Excess cover
With this variation you first pay a deposit. The rental company will retain a part of this in the event of damage or theft. You can claim this retained amount back from us afterwards.
- Less expensive than local insurance
- You have to pay a deposit at the rental location (using a credit card in your name)
- Finally, zero excess: you get your deposit back.
Zero excess
Via us you choose a vehicle with zero excess. In many cases you then have no deposit to pay at the rental location (or in any case a much smaller one).
- Expensive
- No or (much) lower deposit required
- Excellent insurance, little hassle
Extended cover
Both variations (excess cover and zero excess) can also be extended to include cover for damage to windows, tyres, underbody and roof. We call this 'extended cover'.
- Glass
- Wheels
- Roof
- Undercarriage
Purchasing excess when you pick up your rental vehicle
Zero excess and excess cover is not always available to book via our site. But excess can also be purchased when you pick up your rental vehicle. It is an excellent form of insurance but also the most expensive, and the full amount is not disclosed beforehand.
Frequently asked questions
The most frequently asked questions regarding excess.
The staff at the local rental company will aim to sell you many types of extra insurance since they stand to make money out of it. Don't be persuaded to buy this insurance even if the agent in question is highly persistent; you are already covered by us.
Do ensure that you have sufficient credit on your credit card to pay the deposit. Also note that sometimes you will be required to input your pincode: do you still remember your credit card's pincode?
The rental company may offer you additional insurance policies that does in fact offer added value. It's up to you whether you want additional insurance.
If your rental vehicle has incurred damage or been stolen you will be required to show the following documents:
-
Rental agreement
Damage report from the vehicle rental company
Police report or a written account from the police in the case of a one-sided incident
A proof of payment and/or a copy of the credit card statement
A refund will be made when all documents have been shown and both wilful misconduct and negligence can be ruled out.
The exact procedure is described in the conditions you must accept upon booking the rental vehicle. These are also to be found on the voucher that you will receive after the booking.