Spain and the Spanish islands remain the most popular summer destination for Irish tourists, and many holidaymakers there will rent a car for at least some of their stay. However, this can lead to frustration and even arguments over insurance needed for the hire vehicle. Gerard Carter, the Claims Manager of CFM Group.ie, offers this advice:
If you are travelling to Spain this summer and hiring a car, you might think that the prices look really cheap. The reason for this is that the insurance quoted on the vehicle, while mandatory, is not comprehensive.
When you arrive to collect the car, you will be asked to upgrade to comprehensive insurance. This seems like a good idea as otherwise you will have to leave a deposit of €3,000 on your credit card to cover the excess (the portion you must pay yourself, should there be any damage done to the vehicle while you have it rented).
This is generally a ‘hard sell’ and some attendants can be extremely pushy about it. I suspect they get a commission on each insurance upgrade they sell.
The problem with upgrading to cover the excess is that price-wise, it’s a rip-off. In fact, depending on the vehicle class, it may cost nearly as much as you paid for the vehicle in the first place.
My advice is to take out Excess Insurance before you travel. This will cost you a fraction of what you will pay the car hire company on the day, and will cover the €3,000 excess.
You can produce a copy of this insurance when the attendant begins trying to sell theirs, or else just say nothing, knowing you have it in place just in case.
They will still insist on taking the €3,000 excess deposit on your card regardless of you having your own excess insurance or not. However, the good news is that should anything happen, you can claim the excess back off your excess policy.
One last thing – cheap is not always the best when it comes to renting a car. A cheap hire car may be older and have issues during your trip. It may also have lots of small scratches which can be a case of major argument when you return the car.
Check the car very carefully when shown it originally. Mark any scratches on the form provided and keep a copy for yourself. Better still, give the car the once-over with the video on your phone and make sure you are seen doing this.
It’s best to hire from a reputable firm that’s familiar to you, as they will most likely have new vehicles for every Summer season. Another advantage is that you can get loyalty discounts if you use them no matter where you’re travelling to in the future as they are global companies.
Remember too that arguing over car insurance or having a minor bump while driving is not the only thing that can ruin a holiday. Personal accidents, missed or delayed flights, lost luggage, or medical emergencies can all also turn a dream trip into a nightmare, and leave you wondering how to cope.
However, if you have taken out comprehensive travel insurance before your trip, you will at least have the comfort of knowing that you’re in good hands and that any out-of-pocket expenses will be covered.
At Insuremyholiday.ie, we provide some of the best cover around.
Consider single trip travel insurance if you’re only an occasional traveller, or annual multi-trip travel insurance if you get away more often. Either way, you stand to enjoy all these great benefits:
Key benefits of our Gold Plan travel insurance
- Medical Expenses Cover of €5 Million
- Personal Luggage Cover of €2,000
- Personal Money and Documents Cover of €1,600
- Delayed Departure Cover of €200
- Cancellation or Curtailment Cover of €4,000
- Abandonment Cover of €4,000
- Missed Departure Cover of €500
- Personal Accident Cover of €55,000
- Personal Liability Cover of €2,000,000
- Third Party Supplier Insolvency Cover of €2,000
- Schedule Airline Failure Cover of €1,000
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- Hijack Cover of €1,000
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- Credit or Cash Card Fraud Cover of €300
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- Personal Luggage Cover of €3,000
- Personal Money and Documents Cover of €2,000
- Delayed Departure Cover of €400
- Cancellation or Curtailment Cover of €6,000
- Abandonment Cover of €6,000
- Missed Departure Cover of €600
- Personal Accident Cover of €95,000
- Personal Liability Cover of €2,000,000
- Third Party Supplier Insolvency Cover of €2,000
- Schedule Airline Failure Cover €2,000
- Legal Expenses Cover €20,000
- Hijack Cover of €2,000
- Catastrophe Cover of €1,000
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All are as generous or more generous as you will find with any other travel insurance provider, so it all adds up to even more great reasons to choose Insuremyholiday.ie for all your travel insurance needs.
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