Which? names Questor Insurance best for car hire excess cover

Questor Insurance’s car hire excess insurance policy is rated the best of 24 providers, according to a comparison from Which?

Based on rankings across 16 categories, Questor Insurance top-scored with 82%, placing it at least three percentage points ahead of any other independent provider or car hire firm.

Gaps in insurance cover

Coverage varies by provider too, and drivers can expect to find that certain issues might not be covered – not all policies will cover misfuelling or damage to tyres, for example.

Which? noted a number of exclusions in the policies available from car hire firms, whereas the top-rated independent policies often provided the additional cover.

With a policy limit of £10,000, and coverage for damage to tyres, windscreens and the underbody of a vehicle, as well as for misfuelling, being locked out and for key cover, the Questor Insurance policy was found to provide a level of protection against all of the common problems identified in this study.

Considerable savings are possible

There’s an advantage to opting for car hire excess insurance via a third party, rather than purchasing it at the rental desk too.

According to Which?, opting for the latter could see travellers paying 14 times more than if they were to buy cover from an independent insurer, and to top it off, that cover could then also be inferior.

Having assessed how much it would cost for a week’s car hire in Malaga, Spain, it was found that purchasing cover via Questor Insurance would cost £24 for the week, compared to an average cost of £147 for cover bought directly through a rental firm.

Europcar was the most expensive option, topping the £200 mark, while the lowest price available directly from a hire firm was via Enterprise, costing £115 for the week.

All of the other major car hire firms, including Avis, Alamo, Goldcar and Hertz were found to offer cover costing between those two figures.

Drivers have also been warned to be watchful for pressure selling at car hire desks, as Which? Editor Rory Boland has urged anyone wishing to hire a vehicle to be on the lookout for unscrupulous practices.

Understanding car hire excess insurance

Opting for car hire excess insurance covers drivers for the excess they would need to pay, should their hire vehicle be damaged or stolen.

Which? suggests that drivers may have to pay up to £2,000 to cover any repair or theft costs, even if they’re not at fault, so covering that excess figure could provide much needed peace of mind for the duration of a trip.

It’s important to note that the excess fee would still need to be paid initially in the event of a claim, before the finances would be reimbursed following the successful use of the car hire excess policy.

See how much you could save by retrieving an instant online quote with Questor Insurance car hire excess insurance.

Date Created: 07/09/2020