What does car hire excess insurance cover?
If you purchase stand-alone car hire excess insurance in advance of travelling, you can gain a reasonable daily or annual rate and get a policy suited to you to cover trips of varying length.
The key benefit is that car hire excess insurance policies will provide protection for the most vulnerable parts of the vehicle - such as the wheels, tyres, windscreen, roof and undercarriage - which are most likely to get damaged. As stated above, these are not usually included in car rental companies' own cover, even if you purchase additional waivers.
Policies can also cover other potential mishaps, such as loss of the vehicle keys, or accidentally misfuelling the car.
Remember, before leaving the car rental pick-up, always inspect the vehicle carefully and try to take photos. Otherwise, if you have excess insurance rather than their own, there can be a dispute, and it’s crucial to report back any problems they haven't listed to your car hire excess company to insure you will be fully covered on your excess insurance.