Australian Car Hire Insurance Options

INSURING your rental car throws up many options with each supplier offering different ways for you to reduce the excess liability - that is the amount you would have to pay in the event of an accident or damage to the vehicle. However there are ways to reduce this excess fee.

The first thing to be clear on is that vehicles hired through DriveNow come with standard insurance provided by the rental companies. In all cases this includes a Standard Excess fee which varies depending upon supplier and as the hirer you are responsible to pay for repairs up to this amount.

• Tips
• Travel Insurance / Credit Card Benefit Insurance Options
• Avis Car Rental Insurance Options
• Budget Car Rental Insurance Options
• Europcar Car Rental Insurance Options
• Hertz Car Rental Insurance Options
• Thrifty Car Rental Insurance Options
• Car Hire and Skiing - Taking your rented car to the Snow
• The Small Print - About insurance Excess Fees on this page

Please note that the information on this page is a guide only. Actual excess fees and other dollar amounts may vary and change beyond the control of DriveNow.

Tips

• The best and simplest tip is to talk to the rental company when picking up your vehicle to ensure that you understand exactly what options are available to you and what you are liable to pay for in the event of an accident.
• In checking the vehicle, you should be given a vehicle diagram with all marks/scratches highlighted. Check all scratches and marks against the form and have it amended by the counter staff before departing.
• With Most mobile phones being equipped with cameras, taking photographs of any existing damage or scratches before you drive away can be helpful. Remember to ensure that any such damage/scratches are flagged with the rental company when departing with the vehicle.
• Your Credit Card will be swiped for a bond to cover the Excess Liability if you haven't taken an Excess Reduction option. The Credit Card will need sufficient funds to cover this at the time of pickup.
• Breaking the law will invalidate the supplier's insurance cover.

Travel Insurance & Credit Card Benefit Insurance Options

Perhaps the cheapest way to reduce this excess fee is through Travel Insurance or Credit Card membership benefits, often these include car hire insurance. Generally the way this works is that you hire the vehicle with no additional excess reduction options and if an accident occurs you pay the standard excess. You can then recoup that cost from your insurer or Credit Card organisation. The things to remember with these options are:

• Read the Terms & Conditions of your policy/membership or speak with your insurer/Credit Card company to ensure you are covered!
• To be eligble for the Credit Card cover you must book and pay for the car rental using the corresponding card.
• In the event of an accident the Standard Excess amount you are liable for will be charged to your Credit Card and you then recoup the cost from your Travel Insurer.
• Make sure you receive copies of all the paperwork covering any accident (including Police Reports) and Vehicle Repairs (workshop invoices from the rental company). You will need these to support your insurance claim.

Avis Car Insurance Options

Avis standard insurance includes a Loss Damage Waiver that limits your liability to $2915*. Optional Avis plans include:

• Excess Reduction: Reduces your excess liability to $330*. Note that this can vary by age, rental location, vehicle type and rate. The Excess Reduction does not cover certain loss or damage and cannot be waived in full.
• Personal Effects & Baggage Insurance: Provides damage and loss cover to a certain amount for belongings & baggage within the vehicle belonging to the hirer and their travelling companions excluding hitchhikers.
• Personal Accident Insurance: Covers the authorised driver for Death, Permanent Disablement, Specified Permanent Total Loss and in certain circumstances medical expenses all up to a certain limit.
• Optional Protection Package: Combines Excess Reduction, Personal Effects & Baggage Insurance and Personal Accident Insurance. As with all options Avis advise reading the Product Disclosure Statement to ensure you understand what's covered and your entitlements.

Budget Car Insurance Options

With Budget the hirer is financially responsible for any loss or damage to the vehicle or third party as a result of using the vehicle including acts of nature such as hailstorm or falling trees etc. This financial responsibility (Excess Fee) is capped at $2750* for Cars, light trucks and vans and $5500* for Trucks, 4 Wheel Drives and speciality vehicles.

You can reduce this Excess Fee by taking out Budget's Optional Coverage, a daily charge that brings down the Excess fee to $330* for Cars; $550 for light trucks and vans; $1100* for Trucks, 4 hweel Drives and speciality vehicles. The daily rate charged may vary depending upon age and rental location.

Please Note that there are 3 exceptions where the hirer is liable for the entire cost of any damage to Budget vehicles as follows:

• Overhead Damage - Damage to vehicle roofs from overhead projections such as bridges,boom gates etc
• Water Damage - Budget Vehicles cannot be driven through water. Convertibles should not be left with roofs down.
• Underbody Damage - damage to exhaust, suspension and underbody caused by careless driving. No Budget vehicle may be driven off-road nor above the snow-line.

Europcar Car Insurance Options

Europcar standard insurance cover includes a Damage Liability Fee that is charged by Europcar in the event of an accident irrespective of who is at fault or the amount of damage incurred. If the loss or damage is later proved to be less than the Damage Liability Fee then part of that Fee will be reimbursed. The important thing to note here is that the entire Fee is charged following an accident. To reduce your liability Europcar offer:

• Windscreen, Headlights and Tyre Cover: Provides protection through a daily fee for the front windscreen, headlights and tyre punctures.
• Loss Damage Waiver Cover: Reduces the Damage Liability Fee in the event of loss or damage to the vehicle or third party and excludes Windscreen, Headlights and Tyre protection.
• Total Protection Package: Includes both the Windscreen, Headlights and Tyre protection and Loss Damage Waiver cover at a combined lower cost. The Damage Liability Fee is reduced not eliminated.
• Full Protection Package: Combines both the Windscreen, Headlights and Tyre protection and Loss Damage Waiver cover and reduces your excess liability to nil. The Damage Liability Fee is eliminated.
• Snow Cover: If you intend to take the rental vehicle above the Snow Line it is mandatory that you purchase Snow Cover. Additionally you must purchase either the Total or Full Protection Package. Snow line is defined as the entrance to the ski field access roads.
• Young Drivers: Drivers aged 21-22 cannot reduce the Damage Liability Fee.

Hertz Car Insurance Options

Hertz Accident Damages Excess (ADE) fee is $3300*. Where the cost of repairs including the repair of damage to any third party is assessed by Hertz to be close to or exceeding the ADE Fee then the full fee is charged to your Credit Card. Subsequently if the repairs prove to be less than the ADE then the difference will be credited back to your card.

Additionally Hertz operate a Single Vehicle Accident(SVA) fee. If the rental vehicle is damaged in a Single Vehicle Accident - an accident not involving a collision with another vehicle other than a parked vehicle, then you are liable for repair costs of up to the Accident Damages Excess plus up to an additional SVA fee of $2200*. (note that the SVA does not apply in Tasmania however there is a non-waivable $2500* excess on unsealed roads in that state).

However You can reduce your liability by:

• Maximum Cover:
  • Reduces the Accident Damages Excess (ADE) to nil
  • Accidental Tyre and Windscreen cover
  • Single Vehicle Accident Excess buy out
  • Capped at 10 days per 30 day rental period
  • Not available for 4 Wheel Drive or Commercial Rentals
• Accident Excess Reduction: Reduces the Accident Damage Excess to smaller nomated amount (varies but generally around $450* and provides for accidental tyre and windscreen damage (not available in Broome or Kununurra or on 4 Wheel Drive & Commercial vehicles).
• SNO Cover: Options are available from selected locations and on selected vehicles to reduce your otherwise full liability on taking a vehicle above the Snow Line. We strongly recommend speaking with Hertz on picking up your vehicle if you intend to visit any Australian Snow field in your rental car.

Thrifty Car Insurance Options

Thrifty Standard insurance covers the vehicle and third party with a Damage Recovery fee of $3300* - the excess. Additionally in the event of a Single Vehicle Accident a Recovery Fee of $2200* may apply. These excess fees are subject at Thrifty's discretion and can be confirmed when picking up your vehicle. To reduce your liability Thrifty offer:

• Premium Cover: Daily fee that reduces the Damage Recovery Fee. The Single Accident Fee still applies.
• Ultimate Cover: Only available in selected City locations, Ultimate Cover reduces the Damage Recovery and Single Vehicle Accident Fee to nil. This cover includes Accidental Tyre and Windscreen damage.

Car Hire and Skiing - Taking your rented car to the Snow

If you plan to take your rental car to the snowfields you must notify the rental company and purchase additional snow insurance when picking up your vehicle. Driving above the snowline or into an officially designated snowfield invalidates all insurance cover unless previously agreed with the rental company. Most companies offer specific Snow deals during the winter months. Contact the DriveNow Res team for further information and assistance.

The All Important Small Print

* All excess fee amounts are set by individual rental suppliers and as such are subject to change beyond the control of DriveNow. Whilst we will make every effort to ensure that the information listed here is accurate it is subject to change and should therefore be taken as indicative of the insurance options provided by each vehicle supplier. Please confirm insurance terms and conditions on picking up your vehicle.