Rental Car Insurance In Australia – 7 Things to Check Before Buying Rental Car Insurance Buying rental car insurance and covering your rental car can be confusing and overwhelming. Amidst all the confusion, we tend to forget or ignore the boring details of car rental insurance. Here are 7 things to check when booking your next trip! 1. Consider getting insurance from a specific insurance provider When you rent a car, your booking may include basic/standard insurance cover. However, this standard insurance can come with a number of exclusions that may give you little or no protection during your trip. This is where it gets tricky. Car rental companies are notorious for forcing customers to buy additional coverage insurance, which can cost more than an individual insurance provider would.
Getting your policy from an independent insurance provider (like this one) can save you money! Want to learn more? Check out our additional insurance page to find out about other types of car hire on the market.
Rental Car Insurance In Australia
2. Check carefully what your rental car insurance covers One of the most important things to know when purchasing rental car insurance is to check what is covered and what is excluded from your policy. The most common exclusions in car rental insurance are damage to the engine, tires, wheels, roof, chassis, windows and mirrors.
Understanding Car Insurance (sli / Cdw / Pai / Pec)
Another thing that is never included in basic rental car insurance is key and lockout coverage. So if you lose your keys or your car gets locked out, your policy won’t cover you.
Likewise, if your car breaks down or you get into an accident and you need roadside assistance, there’s a good chance your rental car insurance won’t cover you.
3. Check if your insurance policy covers roadside assistance Another thing to check when buying rental car insurance is whether roadside assistance is covered. Most rental companies have a separate supplement for roadside assistance.
So if you plan to rent a car for seven days and decide to get full coverage by purchasing insurance from your rental car company, you’ll pay a daily rate for insurance coverage and roadside assistance.
All Inclusive Car Rental Package
However, if you choose an independent insurance provider with comprehensive policies, such as 4. Prepare for credit card deposits. The only downside to purchasing rental car insurance from a specific provider is that most rental car companies require you to put down a deposit, which is refunded when you return the car.
Car rental companies must do this to ensure that their customers are compensated if they are involved in an accident or damage the rental car. Most car companies require a credit card for this. They usually don’t deduct the money, but keep the amount in your account and release it.
So make sure your credit card limit allows you to pay the deposit and any other expenses you have planned for your trip. 5. Consider booking with free cancellation Plans usually change – maybe something urgent comes up, you get sick or you find a better, cheaper deal!
Whatever the reason, make sure you have the ability to cancel or postpone your trip — whether it’s the rental car itself or the insurance you buy with it.
Complete Car Rental Insurance Guide
Always read the terms and conditions carefully before making any booking as these are usually buried in the fine print and often overlooked by most people. 6. Check if the insurance provider is regulated The world of car rental insurance is not black and white. There is a lot of gray. a lot Unfortunately, car rentals can be very tricky and we should all be aware of this.
Always make sure the insurance provider is regulated. You can do this by reading the policy or product disclosure statement.
If a carrier is regulated, it means that it has been inspected and approved by the government and meets insurance guidelines. It also means the carrier can pay claims in the event of an unfortunate event, meaning you’re truly covered!
There is no definitive guide to help you find what you need and what to buy other than the Car Rental Guide. It discusses all the different types of products offered in the country you’re traveling to and tells you what to do in the event of a rental or accident. 7. Have a Company Emergency Number Finally, make sure you have a company emergency number. You don’t want to be stuck in the middle of the road with a broken down car trying to figure out who to contact and how to contact them.
Affordable Airport Car Rentals Across Australia
Be prepared and make sure the emergency number on your policy statement or website is working and up to date before you travel. Car hire insurance advice So you’re planning a road trip in Australia in your own car – congratulations! This is one of the best ways to enjoy our beautiful country at your own pace. See what you want to see, when you see it!
If you drive carefully, your journey will be smooth and trouble-free. However, accidents and breakdowns happen from time to time and if they do, you should make sure that you can cover all the expenses incurred. This is where insurance comes in. While there’s no one-size-fits-all car rental advice, here we’ll outline the basics and explain some general terms to help you decide what’s best for you.
When buying something online, have you ever checked the “I have read the terms and conditions” box without reading anything? Most of us have done this at some point, and it’s usually okay.
Car rental insurance policies can vary widely between companies – don’t assume they all include the same coverage and terms. Even if you regularly rent cars in your home country, insurance procedures in Australia can be very different. You might think you’re covered for something that isn’t included. Conversely, you could end up paying for extra coverage you don’t need. All major car rental companies display their terms and conditions on their websites, so you can check them before you buy.
Foreign Driver’s Guide To Rental Car Insurance In The Us
If you’ve never rented a car in Australia, you may come across a few terms you’ve never seen before. Here are some important ones:
What it is: RHCA (Reciprocal Healthcare Agreement with Australia) If you are a resident of a country that has a Reciprocal Healthcare Agreement with Australia, you will be covered for the care you formally need while visiting Australia.
What it does: You may be eligible for limited Medicare benefits under the RHCA. Benefits only under certain conditions for essential medical services or emergency treatment only. Many items are not covered, such as emergency care, dental treatment, subsidized drugs, private hospital charges for patients or other additional/additional cover or services.
What it is: If you’re from America, you’re probably familiar with the term “deductible,” which refers to the amount you pay before your insurance company starts covering your costs when you make a claim. In Australia, the discount is well known.
Short Term Car Insurance For Australian Visitors
What it does: Let’s say your car rental contract includes $1,000 in excess insurance. The car breaks down during your trip and costs $2,500 to repair. As long as you meet the terms of your lease (more on that later), you’ll only pay $1,000 in maintenance fees, and the rental company will pay the remaining $1,500.
What it is: Car rental companies in Australia require basic insurance as part of the rental fee. This usually includes collision and theft protection for your vehicle – see the terms of your rental agreement for more information.
As mentioned above is usually extra. What if you don’t want to pay more than a few thousand dollars? This is where the Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) or Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) comes into play.
CDW or LDW is a waiver between you and the insurance company, usually in the form of a specific daily charge. If you pay an additional daily fee, the insurance company waives its right to charge the additional fee in whole or in part.
Complimentary Rental Vehicle Excess Insurance In Australia
What it does: If the excess is $1,500 and you rent a car for $50 per day, the rental company may waive the entire excess if you pay a $10 per day fee. Or they may offer to reduce your excess from $1,500 to $300 if you pay an extra $5.