Travel Insurance and Overseas Car Hire

[prozac]

The plan is I will fly to Denmark, hire a car and drive via Germany to Netherlands and the reverse for the return journey.

Car Hire. One car hire company has quoted around $16 odd per day to remove the insurance claim excess from any insurance claim on the hire car. I don't know if this will change if I book a more expensive vehicle. Right now I have opted for a VW Golf at around AUD$42/day. On a 22 day hire it means I will pay somewhere over $350 for excess removal. Effectively this increases the hire cost to about $59/day.

I looked at what insurance I might get if I book and pay using my new Westpac Altitude Black. It does not appear that this card will cover overseas car hire excess, unlike the previous Altitude Platinum.

Now I am thinking would travel insurance cover car hire excess? I looked into a commonly discussed travel insurer on FF, Travel Insurance Direct. It seems that TID will cover hire car insurance exess up to $4,000. But what about the cost? TID quote for 2 people for this travel period will cost $242! This is a big saving over taking separate car hire excess waiver insurance. Sure TID charge $100 excess on any claim but his can be removed at a cost of only $25.

Perhaps I will put the extra toward a better hire car.

As an aside I would not generally take travel insurance for a trip to the Netherlands as it is only medical that I consider requires covering. The Netherlands have a reciprocal agreement with Australia to cover medical expenses. I have decided to make the trip more interesting this time by flying into a different international airport and making a road trip out of it.

 

[lovestotravel]

I have looked at travel insurance or car insurance before but the vehicle I hire are usually excluded as their RRP is above what the policy would cover.

All I can say is read the PDS FULLY several times, and ensure that it covers everything!

 

[prozac]

................All I can say is read the PDS FULLY several times, and ensure that it covers everything!

Thanks for the observation lts. I will investigate further as I still have a bit of planning to do.

Hopefully someone might post their experience making such a claim.

 

[lovestotravel]

I have only rented a few time in Europe and have always just paid for all insurances through Hertz as it's just easier than being hit with $$$$$ of charges for any damage, and then making an insurance claim later on through the insurance company and potentially being out of pocket for an extended period of time.

My last rental was from Zurich and if you didn't take some insurance from Hertz the deducatable was 20,000 CHF and if you took the basic insurance it reduced it to 2000CHF of thereabouts.

You had to take SUPER COVER to make the excess $0

Feel free to tell us the car company you are looking at using so we can assist

Looking at Hertz in Denmark:


In Denmark it is compulsory for a car rental company to provide damage insurance on all rental vehicles with a maximum excess of DKK 5,000.00 per accident.

In Denmark Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) is known as Collision Damage Insurance (CDI).

Collision Damage Insurance (CDI) is an optional* service which, if accepted, reduces your financial liability for loss of revenue due to damage to the Hertz vehicle, its parts and accessories, except for theft, attempted theft or vandalism, provided the vehicle is used in accordance with the terms and conditions of the rental agreement.

*CDI may be mandatory and included in some contract or preferential rates.

If CDI is declined, you will be responsible for an excess for damages of DKK 5,000.00 and for loss of revenue of DKK 500.00 per day up to a maximum of DKK 15,000.00 for all vehicle groups.

Regardless of CDI being accepted or included, all rentals are subject to a non-waivable excess in the amount of DKK 5,000.00 for all vehicle groups for which you are responsible in the event of damage to the Hertz vehicle during the rental. Your financial liability for loss of revenue is reduced from a maximum of DKK 15,000.00 to DKK 5,000.00.

A damage administration fee of DKK 50.00 (excluding tax) will apply.


You can further reduce your excess liability in relation to damage of the Hertz vehicle and eliminate your financial liability for loss of revenue. – Please refer to "Super Collision Damage Waiver (SCDW) / STP" in Rental Qualifications & Requirements.

If you choose to rely on your credit card for cover, we strongly recommend that you fully understand the terms and conditions of any cover provided by your credit card company before you decline any of our optional services.





Keep in mind the following if you don't take the Hertz insurance

If CDI is declined, you will be responsible for an excess for damages of DKK 5,000.00 and for loss of revenue of DKK 500.00 per day up to a maximum of DKK 15,000.00 for all vehicle groups.

So you could be liable for up to 20,000DKK which is about $3500, now that does appear to be covered by what you have said, but technically the excess is only 5000DKK it is the extra up to 15,000DKK which is loss of revenue... which may or may not be covered by travel insurance....

Hope that helps a little

 

[prozac]

Well lts, that makes it a little daunting. I haven't settled on a car hire company yet, though have looked at Europcar, Hertz and Dansk as well as Argus. Travelling in September.

Thanks for your help.

 

[AdMEL]

In my observation:

- cost of excess reduction in Europe is higher the more expensive the car you rent is.
- Excess is also higher the more expensive the car.
- AUD59 a day is not a bad rate for a Golf with 0 excess.
- Some rental companies cap the excess reduction payable at something like 10 days.

Where are you getting the idea that Westpac Black does not include rental car excess cover like Plat Plus did? Black definitely does - $5,500 with a $250 excess. Exactly the same as Plat Plus as the policies are identical. If you were upgraded from Plat Plus to Black, all you would have received was a small amendment brochure stating the cover has been amended to include Black the same as Plat Plus. Everything on the website states Black has rental car excess!

Black does not limit cover to car type or market either, like some cards do - Amex plat and CBA for examples of cover that limit the car by market value and type (sedans and wagons only, if I remember correctly), respectively.

 

[prozac]

..................Where are you getting the idea that Westpac Black does not include rental car excess cover like Plat Plus did? Black definitely does - $5,500 with a $250 excess...........

When I read the PDS today (quickly...) I noted coverage stated was for car hire in Australia. In the absence of any mention of overseas car hire I took this to mean Altitude Black only covered car hire in Australia.

From the PDS;
"Rental vehicle excess insurance in Australia policy.
Rental vehicle excess insurance in Australia cover is available
to Westpac Black card, Platinum Plus card and Platinum A card
cardholders.

We will reimburse you up to A$5,500 for any insurance excess or
deductible which you become legally liable to pay in respect of a
claim under the comprehensive insurance policy of the rental
vehicle during the rental period provided:
...................................................................................."


Happy to be told I have missed something.

 

[AdMEL]

When I read the PDS today (quickly...) I noted coverage stated was for car hire in Australia. In the absence of any mention of overseas car hire I took this to mean Altitude Black only covered car hire in Australia.

From the PDS;
"Rental vehicle excess insurance in Australia policy.
Rental vehicle excess insurance in Australia cover is available
to Westpac Black card, Platinum Plus card and Platinum A card
cardholders.

We will reimburse you up to A$5,500 for any insurance excess or
deductible which you become legally liable to pay in respect of a
claim under the comprehensive insurance policy of the rental
vehicle during the rental period provided:
...................................................................................."


Happy to be told I have missed something.

You've missed something! The Australian rental car excess cover is in a section of its own and always has been, as it only applies to Plat Plus and Black and does not require an international ticket! Overseas rental car excess cover is in the overseas section and always has been.

 

[prozac]

You've missed something! The Australian rental car excess cover is in a section of its own and always has been, as it only applies to Plat Plus and Black and does not require an international ticket! Overseas rental car excess cover is in the overseas section and always has been.

Ahhh, so I have. There it is an page 42/43.

Benefit 6: Rental vehicle excess.
We will reimburse you for any insurance excess or deductible
which you become legally liable to pay in respect of a claim
under the comprehensive insurance policy of the rental vehicle
during the rental period provided:
● the rental vehicle must be rented from a licensed rental
agency; and
● the cardholder was operating the rental vehicle within the
local laws of the country/city; and
● the hiring agreement must incorporate the standard comprehensive motor insurance normally provided by
the rental agency covering loss or damage to the rental
vehicle; and
● you must comply with all the requirements of the rental
organisation under the hiring agreement and of the rental
vehicle insurer.


We will not pay for...
We will not pay for your costs arising from:
● loss or damage resulting from the operation of the rental
vehicle in violation of the terms of the rental agreement; or
● wear and tear, gradual deterioration, damage from insects or
vermin, inherent vice or damage; or
● driving the rental vehicle on non-public roads.

The explanation is very clear so it does not look like any surprises in the event you need to lodge a claim. Does it tck your boxes lovestotravel? Thanks AdMEL.

 

[AdMEL]

I rely on the rental car excess cover all the time in Australia, but have never had to make a claim. As far as I can tell, it is the best card cover available - the highest amount (some other cards have useless amounts, like CBA's $1,250!) and the least restrictions (it covers any type of excess, including the additional single vehicle accident excess Hertz and Thrifty charge, which many cards don't - ANZ, for example).

I haven't relied on it for overseas rental car excess cover, but would do so.

I just noticed your last comment about travel insurance - I'm surprised you're not relying on the Black insurance! That I do rely on often, but haven't yet had to make a claim. Hopefully won't have to!

 

[prozac]

Thanks for the comments re using the card for hire-car excess AdMEL. I have just transitioned from Platinum to Blackand to behonest I'd forgotten about the insurance cover. The only time I have needed hospital medical cover I was in the Netherlands where as I mentioned Aussies are covered under reciprocal arrangements. Nice to know you have that piece of mind with the card cover.

I am looking at Dansk Autorent Car Rental in Denmark | DanskAutoRent.com . Their rates include comprehensive insurances;
All Rates include liability insurance regarding 3rd party bodily and property damage and collision damage/theft insurance with an excess of maximum DKK 1.000,-. You are not liable to pay for loss of revenue in case of damage or theft. There can be incidents, where the insurance lapses, e.g. violating traffic law regulation etc.. Please be advised, that the terms & condtions applicable for your rental, are the terms and conditions stated on the Rental Agreement at time of pickup.
This deal looks ok at about $1221 for the 21 days. That's about $58/day;

[TD="class: normaltextprices"] (R) Volvo V70, Audi A6 Wagon Volvo V70 Wagon or similar size car Car Details

[TD="class: normaltextprices, align: center"]

[/TD]

[/TD]
[TD="class: carpricesmain"]

8192 Kr

1101 €

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Why the wagon? It looks like it is about $200 cheaper than the equivalent sedan.

 

[TheRealTMA]

I've hired many cars in Europe - uk, Germany, Italy and others and have often booked through driveaway.com.au. They offer (or used to) a rental excess cover option. But driveaway can be difficult to deal with at times and their prices are sometimes more expensive than booking direct, especially if you have a wizard or loyalty program with the rental company. Booked direct through Europcar last year and they had good prices so I included full insurance. Survived for whole trip save the last day when some idiot in Verona scrapped the back bumper on the last day we had the car parked. Despite having FUll insurance, europcar charged us the insurance excess and we had to argue for 2 months to get it refunded to then CC.

On other occasions, I have hired direct and used Amex (Westpac earth plat) or similar that had excess cover. Ran into a wall in Montepulciano once and made a claim on CC. They paid up in about 6 weeks less the $200 claim excess.

So in general, the cost of direct cover is often more expensive than the CC excess of $200 so choose the CC method.

Whatever method you choose you have to deal with an insurance company or car hire company in the event of a problem and it will just take 1-2 months to get your refund.

Drive carefully my friend or if not just enjoy the trip

ps. Driveaway can be good and bad. Just booked a car for 2 weeks in US through driveaway on a good advanced purchase plan price and was very unimpressed. Not only did they advertise and charge me for a car that did not exist through Avis at the depot (charged CC fully at time of order so now waiting for refund for lower category car they could supply) but they then told me (after FULL CC CHARGE) that I will have to pay a $400 one-way fee direct to Avis. Technically deceptive and misleading behaviour I suggest.

 

[AdMEL]

I've hired many cars in Europe - uk, Germany, Italy and others and have often booked through driveaway.com.au. They offer (or used to) a rental excess cover option. But driveaway can be difficult to deal with at times and their prices are sometimes more expensive than booking direct, especially if you have a wizard or loyalty program with the rental company. Booked direct through Europcar last year and they had good prices so I included full insurance. Survived for whole trip save the last day when some idiot in Verona scrapped the back bumper on the last day we had the car parked. Despite having FUll insurance, europcar charged us the insurance excess and we had to argue for 2 months to get it refunded to then CC.

On other occasions, I have hired direct and used Amex (Westpac earth plat) or similar that had excess cover. Ran into a wall in Montepulciano once and made a claim on CC. They paid up in about 6 weeks less the $200 claim excess.

So in general, the cost of direct cover is often more expensive than the CC excess of $200 so choose the CC method.

Whatever method you choose you have to deal with an insurance company or car hire company in the event of a problem and it will just take 1-2 months to get your refund.

Drive carefully my friend or if not just enjoy the trip

ps. Driveaway can be good and bad. Just booked a car for 2 weeks in US through driveaway on a good advanced purchase plan price and was very unimpressed. Not only did they advertise and charge me for a car that did not exist through Avis at the depot (charged CC fully at time of order so now waiting for refund for lower category car they could supply) but they then told me (after FULL CC CHARGE) that I will have to pay a $400 one-way fee direct to Avis. Technically deceptive and misleading behaviour I suggest.

I've always found driveaway more expensive than direct or other third party resellers.

 

[prozac]

Thanks for info RealTMA re the excess claims. I was hoping I would get someone comment with first hand experience to confirm if the CC cover really works.
I note that not all your experiences with driveaway have been satisfactory......why do you keep using them?

I have driven a bit in Europe over the years but never hired before. Now with all the motorways and tricky road junctions I might invest in a GPS. Hire for the 21 days is $16.50/day or around $347. A Tomtom Via280 can be had in Australia for $160 and Euro (west) maps are $99, so for around $260 you can own it.

 

[Austff]

I have used '' icarhire insurance ''. This year will be purchasing a world wide policy to cover USA & Europe trips ,google them ,seems a good deal .

 

[TheRealTMA]

Thanks for info RealTMA re the excess claims. I was hoping I would get someone comment with first hand experience to confirm if the CC cover really works.
I note that not all your experiences with driveaway have been satisfactory......why do you keep using them?

I have driven a bit in Europe over the years but never hired before. Now with all the motorways and tricky road junctions I might invest in a GPS. Hire for the 21 days is $16.50/day or around $347. A Tomtom Via280 can be had in Australia for $160 and Euro (west) maps are $99, so for around $260 you can own it.

I'm quite confident and happy to use insurance via my CC, understanding that it will cost me a $200 excess in the event of an issue.

on each trip, I look at each new car hire as new project and compare what's available. If driveaway is cheaper, as it was for our upcoming US trip then I'll use them (notbwithstanding the onevway fee), otherwise I'll book direct through europcar or hertz / Avis.

For GPS, originally I had a TomTom but the very nice Dutch people from TomTom wanted $150 to upgrade a 1 month old European map, so now I use my iPhone (or andro dequivaent), unfortunately with a TomTom app, but at least now the coughs give you free updates. The days of stand-alone GPS are over. Pointless to carry multiple devices, plus yor phone has Internet access to find stuff your satnav does not yet have.

 

[onjai]

I have used '' icarhire insurance ''. This year will be purchasing a world wide policy to cover USA & Europe trips ,google them ,seems a good deal .

I just asked icarhireinsurance, they don't accept people outside of Europe...
I saw another one, worldwide insure, basically this is the only one I could find... but not many reviews

Maybe I'll just have to pay the $30 odd per day from the car rental company...