ANZ Car Rental Cover - increasing from $2,400 to $5,000 from 1/4/12

[AdMEL]

I've just noticed on the ANZ website that their Car Rental Cover is increasing from $2,400 to $5,000, with a $350 excess, effective 1/4/2012.

A very worthwhile update, given how much car rental insurance excess has increased in recent years. With this increase, it will limit your liability to $350 for all rentals through Avis, Budget and Europcar (not useful for Hertz or Thrifty - see below), including at airports.

I spotted this in their Platinum Cards insurance policy dated 11.11.

At this stage, it looks like it is only for Platinum Card holders - no mention of the increase in the standard Car Rental Cover policy wording, or on the ANZ website. Having said that, the latest policy wording I can find for the standard Car Rental Cover I can find is dated 10.10, so hopefully their is an update coming and they will increase the cover for all card holders. I assume that the price will increase though (currently $24 p.a.).

I just got off the phone to ANZ, but they weren't very helpful! Didn't know anything about the changes, other than I gleaned from their website! IME, no one seems to know much, if anything, about Car Rental Cover, when you call.

For those that don't know, brief conditions, other than noted above, are as follows:

- Covers card holder and additional drivers, when rental charged to card;
- Does not cover anything other than the standard excess, so no use for Hertz and Thrifty, if you are involved in a single car accident, as you have to pay an additional excess, which voids the cover;
- Can be attached to any ANZ credit card.

For full policy wording, see:

ANZ - ANZ Car Rental Cover

 

[openseat]

Very useful, thanks AdMEL. I'm disappointed that it still doesn't cover SVA on Hertz. Bad luck if you hit a roo. Unfortunately our corporate deal is with Hertz, so I've taken out a annual trip insurance policy that covers SVA excess. Hertz is really starting to be a pain because of the change in types of cars as well as SVA excess and the like. (Does Avis status match?)

 

[markis10]

Very useful, thanks AdMEL. I'm disappointed that it still doesn't cover SVA on Hertz. Bad luck if you hit a roo. Unfortunately our corporate deal is with Hertz, so I've taken out a annual trip insurance policy that covers SVA excess. Hertz is really starting to be a pain because of the change in types of cars as well as SVA excess and the like. (Does Avis status match?)

Avis does not have stays levels locally.

 

[AdMEL]

Very useful, thanks AdMEL. I'm disappointed that it still doesn't cover SVA on Hertz. Bad luck if you hit a roo. Unfortunately our corporate deal is with Hertz, so I've taken out a annual trip insurance policy that covers SVA excess. Hertz is really starting to be a pain because of the change in types of cars as well as SVA excess and the like. (Does Avis status match?)

My employer has arrangements (negotiated rates) with both Hertz and Avis. Avis is for staff leisure use only. Hertz has a CDP for work use and a separate CDP for leisure use. The work use rates are significantly lower than the leisure rates. All three have reduced excess - for Hertz the ADE is $700 + SVA $2,200 for both work and leisure. Our company policy is that where the rental is for work use, it is to be charged to a corporate credit card and excess is not to be reduced.

I only rent for personal purposes, so I'm with you regarding the disappointment of SVA excess not being covered.

Have you considered a Westpac Plat card which covers excess up to $5,500? Amount covers any excess payable, including SVA.