Avis car hire - extra insurance needed

[generalbeave]

Hi! I'm hiring a car from Avis and have declined all the extras. It looks like I would be covered for public liability should anything happen, but not anything else. Says I can get details of the insurance included when I pick up the vehicle, not very helpful! So lets say I wrote the car off, would I be liable to Avis for a new car? Or should that be covered (or mostly covered) with the hire?

 

[steve_rob]

Where did you book the car hire? Usually if it's through a UK website, then it comes as a package with most of the basic insurances included, including loss or damage waiver (although with an excess usually) and third-party liability cover. These usually can't be removed/declined as it is considered part of the package. Now they will then try to sell you the next level of cover up, which normally has things like removal of any excesses, personal effects insurance, additional drivers etc. and these CAN be declined.

However if you've hired the car through a US site, then normally it doesn't come with any insurance as standard (although once again they will try to sell it to you either there and then, or at the counter) because they assume that most Americans already have some sort of rental cover built in as part of their household insurance / bank account / other financial product etc.

 

[generalbeave]

Thank you for this. Yes I did book through a US site which is probably why I am finding it so confusing! I just went straight to their US site as I knew that was the company with a desk inside my hotel. I'm going to cancel and book through a UK site, hopefully will make a lot more sense that way. Thanks again!

 

[GingerBeacon]

You need sli cover. I don’t think I’m allowed paste a link here but if you google car hire excess you will find a uk site by that name which offers it. I have used them before.

“Worldwide cover with SLI from £6.29 per day or

£107.99 for Annual Cover.”

This will give you full 100% coverage. The lower package will not include all you need.

 

[generalbeave]

That’s great info, thank you, will try that rather than buy their excess waiver thing as no doubt their’s will be considerably more than £6 a day.

 

[Scottishdisneyfan]

You need sli cover. I don’t think I’m allowed paste a link here but if you google car hire excess you will find a uk site by that name which offers it. I have used them before.

“Worldwide cover with SLI from £6.29 per day or

£107.99 for Annual Cover.”

This will give you full 100% coverage. The lower package will not include all you need.

Just to say, ive had two claims with that company (one my mum hit a car causing £1000 damage and the other a bit of debris hit a van we were using in Florida causing £7000 damage), fully covered for both claims, all paid out very quickly and no rise in premium the next year. I could take out that policy for the next 70 years and never make another claim and i’d be in profit.

 

[disneyholic family]

you need to have collision damage waiver coverage.
One of the best deals is to book with alamo UK but using the brit guide reader discount.
all you have to do is google alamo brit guide reader discount and you'll get a link right to the website.
the rates include collision damage waiver and in addition are much cheaper than the rates on the US site (usually).
you also get free extra drivers.