Asked by
mikcon
on 11th February 2014
Report this content
I want to hire a car with economycarhire, but I don't understand the insurance system.
If I have an accident do I have to pay all costs involved and then reclaim in UK? If is was a bad accident the costs could be huge.
If I have misunderstood can someone please explain what happens in a worst case scenario.
I'm a worrier.
Answers (14)
Report this content
DavidHKent
Written on: 11/02/2014
I hired with them in Portugal in January and all the insurance was taken care of by them, no costs to pay, no additional payments to pay when we picked the car up. No problem with this firm.
Report this content
hudson2000
Written on: 11/02/2014
Most car hire companies give some basic Crash Damage Waiver. However, many of the companies will now try to sell you extra insurance to cover the excess. They try to do this as you collect the car at the airport. The excess would be what you pay if you have an accident and varies from one hire company to another. You can by an annual multi trip excess policy before you go in the UK for about £35 -£40 rather than the 4 -5 Euros per day of hire, eg Direct car insurance sell such annual policies. If you have an accident you will more than likely have to pay the excess due but no more and then reclaim it in the UK.
Report this content
malcolmbarton111
Written on: 11/02/2014
Keep well away from this firm, based in Southern Ireland,I would never use them again.Yes you would have to pay out and reclaim if your lucky.Their cars are old and full of dents,no offices at some airports,just a man in the airport compound.From past experience use Herttz we'll worth the extra and take out excess with your own car insurance in the UK.
Report this content
peterwalter3000
Written on: 11/02/2014
Just give them a phone call, they have a good customer service and will answer any questions you like
Report this content
GeorgefromToronto
Written on: 11/02/2014
My understanding is that if you have a problem, it's covered by the insurance company of Economy Car Hire. You do NOT have to pay and then reclaim the cost. Anyway, if you want to be sure, I'd call them to ask that question to them. By the way, the price you see in your quote is the price you pay (including insurance). There is no "hidden" costs. The only "extra insurance" is to cover keys, tires, glasses, mirrors which is not that much.
I rented with them about seven times and I never had any problem. Their service is great. Have a nice trip !
Report this content
RayJono
Written on: 11/02/2014
My understanding of the Insurance is that Economy Car Hire would settle the claim on your behalf so don't worry about that. I have stopped hiring with this Company as the last vehicle that was supplied to me had two bald tyres, was 8 years old, had high mileage, the interior stank of body odour and there was a huge cigarette burn in the drivers seat. When I returned to the UK I found the Company's response to be poor. I have been traveling to Portugal for 25 years sometimes 2 or 3 times a year.
Hope this helps.
Report this content
RothburyRover
Written on: 11/02/2014
I can't say that I blame you - we are all anxious about the costs of a possible accident in a foreign country. Bearing in mind that I am not an insurance or legal expert, here is my understanding of how the policy works:
Rentals normally include full collision damage waiver and full theft waiver with no insurance excess.
Sometimes, and they do show it when booking, rentals will be subject to an insurance excess but you can include an additional excess reimbursement insurance. If you have this, you need to pay any excess and make a claim for reimbursement. In any case, you cannot be charged for more than the excess on the policy, which I believe they normally set at £300.
More of concern are the exclusions to the standard policies - damage to the tyres, wheels, glass parts and the underside of the vehicle as well as lock out cover, damage/theft/loss of keys, misfuelling and any towing charges that may be applicable in the event of a breakdown relating to the above mentioned items.
You can cover this by a further premium: dearest if you do it on pick-up, cheaper if you get it on booking, and cheapest if you buy your own policy - mine cost me £35 for a calendar year.
So for someone like me (and it sounds like you are in the same boat), the best thing to do is to add your own excess policy to cover everything that the standard policies might not cover. To me it is well worth the £35 per year!
Hope that helps!
Report this content
Portrush
Written on: 11/02/2014
Normally when hiring a car you would be offered CDW insurance - Collision Damage Waiver - which means that you won't be responsible for any costs relating to an accident as you are insured against this situation. BUT there is usually an excess on this insurance (and it can be huge - up to £1000!) Therefore when hiring a car I always take out separate independent insurance to cover this excess risk. However when I hired a car through Economy Car Hire it appeared to be the case that there was NO excess on the CDW. I specifically checked this with them and I was assured that this was indeed the case. Therefore everything appeared to be covered. I assume that if you were to have an accident abroad when hiring through Economy Car Hire you would not have to pay out anything and then reclaim. DISCLAIMER - I give no guarantee that any of this information is correct and any decision made by you is taken entirely at your own risk.
Report this content
Catullo
Written on: 11/02/2014
We hired with them in Portugal last year and they covered the excess charges so there was nothing to pay in the event of a bump.
However the car was second hand and had done 100,000 miles. My crdeit card was cloned whilst in Portugal and the only other time I used it, beside the hire company, was at a filling station with chip & pin.
The hire company copied all the details onto their contract including the rear security number, make your own mind up
USE A DIFFERENT COMPANY !!
Hired last time with Carhire 3000 much better
Report this content
Roadking54
Written on: 11/02/2014
I had the same experience. Everything is covered and taken care of. Couldn't really put that to the test as we had no reason to claim and the car was returned in perfect condition. Having said that I was worried about the cover cost for the motorway toll tag which had to be paid for up front even though we had no intention of using the toll roads. That money was returned to my credit card as soon as the local toll control confirmed no usage.
With economy car hire you could end up with one of several local car hire firms that this agent use, so do some research and insist on the one you like. The Terms and conditions for each company policies varies, so beware.
Report this content
derek999
Written on: 11/02/2014
Economy Car Hire are THE MOST reputable car hire company to use. Their insurance cover is second to none, and there are NEVER any excesses to pay in the event of a claim.
In recent years, car hirers abroad have been asking customers to pay an additional charge for the cover of wheels/tyres/exhausts or windscreens, caused by the abysmal state of their roads (they should see ours)and not covered by their own policies. This is cheaper to cover with Economy Car Hire in the UK that by paying the hirer on arrival, but it does mean paying for damage to these items if it occours. Economy car hire will reimburse this without question when the invoice is sent to them upon return to the UK (again with no excess). Since it is only for these items there is little chance of a huge amount being charged, as the hire charge includes 'normal' insurance for the car itself.
We have used them for years and have always had superb service, high quality cars and helpful, knowledgeable and pleasant staff at the UK office. We will never go elsewhere.
Report this content
markydarky
Written on: 12/02/2014
I am not fully sure. But they are a reputable company and have very good deals. I have used them a few times. I would phone and ask them. I also recommend taking out an annual collision damage waiver if you go abroad more than once. It means you don't need to pay extras at the airport. Type in Questor insurance to google, or collision damage waiver.
Report this content
GrahamB6
Written on: 12/02/2014
They operate a waiver system but, in some cases, with excesses, set by the local company (from whom you are actually hiring the vehicle).You can check the excesses before you buy the deal. Like all companies I've come across Economy do not cover tyres, glass, keys etc. So, following an accident, you could have an excess payable in the country of eg 1000 euros plus non-insured parts. They offer excess insurance that also covers all the non-insured parts or you could use something like insurance4carhire. Sorry it's not a straightforward answer.
Report this content
Lusophile
Written on: 20/02/2014
First of all I can tell you that I have hired cars through Economy Car Hire in Portugal for about 10 years on average two/three times per year and have always found them to be first class - I can highly recommend them.
the answer to your question (obtained from them) is as follows
Regarding the insurance, our price includes a full collision damage and theft waiver with zero excess. Where specified some rentals will be subject to an insurance excess but will include an additional excess reimbursement insurance, so customers can make a claim for reimbursement in the event that they are charged for collision damage or theft. This information is clearly stated at the time of booking and can be found when you click on the ‘Show Rental conditions’ icon. The price also includes third party and public liability cover, a free additional driver and unlimited mileage.
There are some exclusions to the insurance, the tyres, wheels, the glass parts and the underside of the vehicle are not covered as standard. However, we do offer an additional insurance to cover these items which is only £2.00 per day and can be added in step 2 of the booking process. The top up insurance works as a reimbursement policy so any damage done to areas of the car covered by the top insurance would need to be paid for by yourself. When returning the car and at the end of the hire you can contact the insurance company to make a claim for what you have had to pay for.
In the event of an accident, theft or damage, clients must contact the car rental supplier immediately. A damage report must be completed by the driver for any damage to the vehicle, however minor it is.
See All Answers