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The
Great Excess Insurance rip-off - EU Car Rental firms fleece
Brit drivers with massive excess Penalties
11th
February 2008
- Excess
bills of up to £1,000 leave travellers with dents in their
wallets
- Majority
of car rental firm policies exclude damage to tyres, windows
and undercarriage
- No
catch standalone Excess cover at just £49 a year saves drivers
£££s
BRITS
driving rented cars in the Eurozone are vulnerable to huge
Excess penalties of up to £1,000 which car rental firms can
swipe from their credit cards, reports standalone Excess insurance
specialist Insurance4carhire.com.
The
territories where car rental companies have Brits over a barrel
include popular European
holiday and second home hotspots such as Italy,
Spain,
Portugal,
France
and Ireland.
"Whilst
overseas, many UK drivers have to accept the car hire firm's
policies at inflated prices or else drive away with no protection
against a host of potential problems," says Insurance4carhire.com
spokesperson Larry
Ursich.
But
even with a policy bought from their car rental firm, drivers
may still have to cough up in the event of a breakdown or
damage to the undercarriage, tyres and windows as many firms
exclude this from their policies.
"It
is astounding that many hire car drivers don't bother with
the small print - this can potentially cost them hundreds
of pounds should they return with a chipped window for which
they weren't covered," he says.
"We
would strongly advise anyone hiring a car abroad to read their
policy documents as they vary from country to country, as
does the Excess charge which they could be liable for (see
table below). Better still, buy from a standalone insurance
provider before leaving the UK.
"Although
Portugal, with its hefty Excess penalty of up to £1,000, generally
includes damage to the undercarriage, tyres and windows, those
travelling to France could be stung by a charge - between
£550 and £750 - as damage to those parts of the vehicle is
generally excluded."
Excess
charges in the Eurozone
Source:
Insurance4carhire.com
research, January 2008
But
Insurance4carhire
has developed an alternative that will save motorists a small
fortune: low annual car rental Excess insurance products to
protect customers whenever they rent a car, with peace of
mind that the total amount of Excess will be covered.
Annual
policies for Europe start from £49, covering the policyholder
and all additional drivers on the car rental agreement for
multiple uses throughout the year.
A
convenient cost-effect policy for those who travel for long
periods of time, especially to long haul destinations, is
the worldwide policy from £69 which is valid for up to 60
days for any one car rental agreement.
Notes
about this Press Release
Founded
in 2002 Insurance
4 Car Hire is an innovative online insurance company whose
core business is the provision of car rental Excess insurance.
The business was born out of the high costs being charged
by the car rental companies for Excess cover. Insurance4carhire
strives to bring customers annual Excess insurance products
offering customers convenience, peace of mind and very significant
savings when they rent cars.
In
2005, for the second year running, Insurance4carhire received
the accolade of "World's Leading Innovative Ecommerce Travel
Product" from The World Travel Awards. These annual awards
celebrate achievement in the travel industry and are based
on votes cast by travel industry professionals throughout
Europe.
To
reflect the increasingly global reach of its products, Insurance4carhire
changed underwriters to AIG UK Ltd, a member company of American
International Group, Inc., (AIG) in December 2007. AIG is
one of the worlds leading insurance companies with operations
in more than 130 countries.
Insurance
4 Car Hire is now part of the Towergate
Partnership the largest independently owned insurance
intermediary in Europe.
Source:
Insurance4carhire.com
See
also - other Insurance4carhire.com Press Releases
Drivers
Down Under Hit by biggest Car Hire Excess Charges – Don’t
go the distance without protection, warns INSURANCE4CARHIRE.COM
- Excess charges incurred by drivers in Australia disproportionately
high compared to other motorists - June 2008
Drivers
Abroad are stumped by hefty Car Rental Excess costs, but could
save £££’s on the holiday budget with an annual policy - April
2008
Confusing
car rental jargon, unclear insurance policies and excessive
excess – The Big 3 pitfalls that can leave you out of pocket
when hiring a car on holiday, warns Insurance4car.com - April
2008
Age
no barrier to protection for older drivers – Low cost excess
waiver policy helps over 75s stay on the Road - March 2008
Brits
set to get stung this Easter with Sky-High excess insurance
costs – EU car rental firms cash in on UK drivers with massive
excess charges - March 2008
insurance4car
hire.com - March 2008
Brits
go holiday crazy reckons major survey – but Insurance4carhire.com
says watch out for excess car hire charges - March 2008
Trusting
travelers tripped up by Holiday Car Hire pitfalls – Wise up
or pay up, says Innsurance4carhire.com - March 2008
The
Great Excess Insurance rip-off - EU Car Rental firms fleece
Brit drivers with massive excess Penalties - February 2008
Towergate
Partnership announces the acquisition of Insurance 4 Car Hire
Agents Ltd - January 2008
Lower
prices for car hire excess insurance from December - December
2007
Annual
Car Rental Insurance Renewal is here again - October 2007
ALSO:
Exercise your constitutional rights in the air - January 2001
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for car hire excess insurance?
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