Having to do a bit of to-ing and fro-ing now flying into south east for the working week, but need a car to get around. For the last couple of trips I have rented a car, but jesus H christ its getting to be a joke with the insurance malarky.

1) Take car rental, 4 days, 120 odd quid + a BAZZILLION pounds in excess charges “oh, and we have to hold that as a deposit”. **** jog on.
2) Take car and extra insurance which normally is a hell of a lot more expensive than the rental was in the first place.

Arsebiscuits!

So, what’s the solution? Anyone use long term rentals? try to avoid the big airport rental guys (flying in and out of London City, so options a bit tight). Thought about buying a car but thats a monumental faff.

Your thoughts?

you can get stand alone annual hire car excess insurance. A years cover costs about the same as 2 days damage waiver from a hire co. I think my cover was from Questor. You can even get stand-alone hire-car insurance (rather than just the excess) so that you can pay hire only rather than hire and insurance which is what you typically do, although the difference in price hasn’t been enough for me get my own policy for that to date.

Also – investigate getting an account with a hire co if you’re hiring frequently, it can bring the rate down significantly and speeds up the transaction each time you hire.

Last time I hired a car- which was years ago to be fair- they weren’t happy with my documentation so wouldn’t cover me on their policy. So we got the hire car covered on my own car insurance, which cost me IIRC seven pounds. No clue if that’s common or practical though

That’s interesting. Do they cover Ireland as well?

2012-14 I made a number of trips to Co.Leitrim via Dublin airport, started with just Europcar but then all the others started doing it. 20 Euros per day insurance to cover the 1000 Euro excess, or pay the excess up front. No other option available.
Thankfully it was covered by my expenses but annoying nonetheless

That’s interesting. Do they cover Ireland as well?

You can either get UK cover only or UK/Ireland/Europe

I’ve been lucky that my company always covered it in the past, but I’m changing jobs and starting out myself so am acutely aware of the cost of everything now!

Kev

get yourself a trade account then

I didn’t know about extra insurance – am checking now. I would guess that in with this insurance I still have to stump up/deposit the huge excess?

I would guess that in with this insurance I still have to stump up/deposit the huge excess?

Might depend on the hire co. The company I hire from.. no whether I hire on account or not they never take a deposit whether you’ve got excess insurance of your own or not

Stand alone excess cover. Was about £2 a day last time I got it.

hire quite a bit and use these people for annual excess cover policy

http://www.worldwideinsure.com/car-hire-insurance.htm

not had a hirer charge the full excess as part of deposit – some seem to want a deposit of a couple of extra days on pick up

remember though with an excess policy if you do damage the car you will have to pay the excess and reclaim it – not done it but a friend who used this co had a bad smash on way to airport in Geneva and it all got refunded back to her no problem

Have a Hertz Gold Card and that seems to save time with them – think they’ll just give you one if you ask and they’ve got a few transactions on file

Not a loyal customer though usually book through a 3rd party consolidator rather than direct as rates are better

That’s all really helpful folks, thanks. Had no idea about the alternative excess insurance, since I will be doing this a fair bit, makes sense.

mac – I’m not set up yet, in transition period, so a trade thing might be tricky, but also something I had not considered. Thank you.

When up in Scotland, we always use Arnold Clark. Staff are complete comedy, often unconciously (its often like a Chewing the skit), but somehow seems a fair deal compared to Europcar or the likes, who seem a bunch of shysters.

Its Arnold Clark I’ve got my account with. Mostly for van use (which they can’t be bettered by anyone to be honest) I don’t hire cars very often at the moment. They’ve got a few branches down south but nothing near London last time I checked. If you are Glasgow based use their South St branch – massive stock there, late opening for returns and the guys there are really on the ball.

The big names, nationals / multinationals – I’m always disappointed by them.

It does feel, at least with enterprise, as though the staff are on targets and / or commission to up-sell the additional insurance covers as the experience is somewhat akin to the “extended warranty” offers you get pushed at you in Currys / PC World.

I hired a car the other day which was brand spaking new (had less than 5 miles on the clock) and when I declined the additional insurance to reduce or eradicate the excess, was told I was “very brave risking that on a brand new car” – I did then ask why she thought there was a greater risk of me crashing a brand new car over one a few months old, but that just seemed to confuse..

It does feel, at least with enterprise, as though the staff are on targets and / or commission to up-sell the additional insurance covers as the experience is somewhat akin

Its really more about not allowing you to compare costs between hire co’s. You shop around for prices choose the best deal but don’t find out what the cost of hire really is, in terms of milage allowances, fuel surcharges, deposits, excesses etc until you actually turn up to collect.

Nanny – if you want true chewing the fat comedy – try hiring from Boulevard. Its a mystery how that company exists at all, its like hiring from a scrapyard.

I use Sixt for work.

Very good service, price and range of cars. Over the past 18 months probably had 30 different cars now, and never had an issue.

I pay by credit car before collection, which takes the daily rate down a little, typically £25-£30 per day. In terms of excess there is a £1,500 excess as standard, you can opt to lower that, but never have done. In terms what is held on your account as a deposit, it’s hire agreement plus £150, which is never actually taken from your accounts, just the hire cost.

I’ve now got my own car, so wont be using them as much, having said that at 45p a mile is usually cheaper for work if I hire and claim this and fuel back.

We use Arnold Clark locally, very good ime- they’ll bend over backwards to help. And unfortunately Enterprise nationally, who’re generally all right but have some branches that are terrible, Belfast and Bristol airports spring to mind where they offer an airport service and when you get there, it’s somewhere else