Car Hire Excess Insurance FAQ


What is car hire excess insurance?

Car hire excess insurance, also known as excess waiver insurance, is an insurance policy that protects you against excess charges you may have to pay in the event your hire vehicle is damaged or stolen.

The 'excess' is the amount of money you will have to pay the rental company if your vehicle is damaged or stolen during a rental agreement.

For example, your hire vehicle gets damaged and it costs £2,000 to repair it, and the rental company has an excess of £500. You would be liable to pay the first £500 of the claim, then the rental company's insurance would cover the remaining £1,500.


Why do I need car hire excess insurance?

Anyone hiring a vehicle either in the UK or abroad would benefit from car hire excess insurance.

Many people don't realise that most car hire insurance policies have high excess payment requirements, usually between £500 to £1,500.

Without car hire excess insurance, you are liable to pay the excess requirement toward the cost of repair or replacement if your hire vehicle is damaged - often regardless of whether it was your fault or not.


Why should I buy excess insurance from Coverwise?

Car hire excess insurance offered by rental companies is usually far more expensive (around £25 per day) than standalone alternatives like Coverwise.

Cover offered at the rental desk is usually less comprehensive and often fails to cover the parts of the vehicle more likely to get damaged, such as the windows, tyres, undercarriage and roof. In addition, not all waivers are zero excess, which means you could still be charged even with their cover in place.

Our car hire excess policies offer worldwide cover at a fraction of the price of that offered by most rental companies, with zero excess to pay, and we always include cover for damage to the more vulnerable parts of the vehicle.


What’s the difference between Single and Annual cover?

Our Single policy provides cover for one vehicle rental, which can be up to 31 consecutive days. You can name up to 9 drivers on a Single policy so that they're each covered to drive the hire vehicle, and all drivers named on the policy must be the drivers named on the rental agreement.

Our Annual policy provides cover for as many vehicle rentals as you like over a 12-month period, each of which can be up to 31 consecutive days. You can name up to 2 drivers on an Annual policy, who can each take out rental agreements and drive hire vehicles independently throughout the year.

Both our Single and Annual policies offer worldwide cover as standard.


Are any countries excluded from cover?

Our car hire excess policies provide cover for vehicle rentals anywhere in the world except:

  • Afghanistan
  • Belarus
  • Cuba
  • Congo
  • Iran
  • Iraq
  • Ivory Coast
  • Liberia
  • Myanmar (Burma)
  • North Korea
  • Sudan
  • Zimbabwe

Who can I get cover for?

We can provide cover for drivers who:

  • are aged between 18 and 75
  • are permanent residents of the United Kingdom
  • hold a valid driving licence or international driving permit recognised by the country in which the rental is taking place
  • are shown as a named driver on the rental agreement for the hire vehicle

What type of vehicle can I get cover for?

We can provide cover for any hire vehicle that has 9 seats or fewer and will not have any commercial use during any rental period.


How long can I hire a vehicle for?

We can provide cover for vehicle rentals up to 31 consecutive days.

Under our Annual policy, the total duration for all rental periods can be up to 180 days over the course of 12 months.


Does it cost more to add drivers to my policy?

You can name up to 8 additional drivers on a Single policy, free of charge. Each driver must also be named on your rental agreement and drivers can’t be added or swapped after a policy has started.

You can name a second driver on an Annual policy, providing you're a couple living at the same address. Although it costs more to name 2 drivers on your Annual policy, each driver can travel and take out vehicle rentals independently, giving you complete freedom over your rental plans for the course of the year.


Where can I get my policy documents?

We'll send your documents to you by email when you purchase a policy from us online or by phone. If you didn't receive an email or you need us to resend your documents for any reason, please us know by phone on 01903 931 057. Our normal office opening hours are 9am to 6pm on Monday to Friday and 9am to 2pm on Saturday.


How can I fix an error on my policy schedule?

If any details shown on your policy schedule are incorrect, please email us at carhire@coverwise.co.uk from the email address you used to purchase your policy. Include your policy number and the correction you'd like to make so we can update your details and send you a new policy schedule.


Can I cancel my policy and will I get a refund?

If your cover no longer meets your needs, you can cancel your policy at any time. For Single policies, you'll receive a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before your policy start date. For Annual policies, you'll receive a full refund if:

  • you cancel within 14 days of receiving your policy documents
  • you haven't started any vehicle rentals since purchasing your policy

To cancel your policy, please email us at carhire@coverwise.co.uk from the email address you used to purchase your policy, including your policy number and the reason you'd like to cancel.


Can I extend my cover?

If your vehicle rental is extended and you need cover for the additional time, please contact us before your policy expires by phone on 01903 931 057. Our normal office opening hours are 9am to 6pm on Monday to Friday and 9am to 2pm on Saturday.

If possible, we'll issue an extension policy to start as soon as your existing policy expires so that you'll have continuous cover.

Please note that once a policy has expired, it can't be extended.


Can I change the dates of my cover?

You can change the start date of your Annual policy at any time before the policy has started.

If you need to change the dates of cover on your Single policy, we may need to cancel your existing policy and issue a replacement with the new dates you need.

To change your dates of cover, please contact us before your policy starts by phone on 01903 931 057. Our normal office opening hours are 9am to 6pm on Monday to Friday and 9am to 2pm on Saturday.


How do I make a claim?

If you'd like to make a claim on your car hire excess policy, please contact the AXA claims office by:

You'll need to provide:

  • your Coverwise car hire excess insurance policy schedule
  • your vehicle rental agreement
  • a copy of your credit or debit card statement showing the excess or administration charges
  • a copy of the driving licence of the driver who was driving the hire vehicle at the time of the incident
  • copies of any invoices, receipts or other documents confirming the amount you have paid in respect of the damage to the hire vehicle
  • photographs of the damage (if applicable)
  • a copy of the repair invoice from the garage that carried out repairs to the hire vehicle (if applicable)
  • a copy of the local police report (if applicable)

When AXA have received the details they require, the claims team will register your claim and be in touch with you throughout the process.


How can I check the progress of a claim I've made?

If you've submitted a claim, please be assured that the AXA claims office will keep you updated using the contact details you provided when you made your claim.

If you created an AXA account when making your claim, you can check for updates by logging in at https://www.excessclaim.co.uk/public/login.aspx


How can I make a complaint?

We aim to deliver the highest standard of service to every customer, so we're always sorry to hear that expectations haven't been met.

 

If your complaint relates to our Car Hire Excess claims process or the coverage offered by your insurance, you can contact the AXA Complaints team by:

 

If your complaint relates to the sale or general administration of your insurance, you can contact our Sales and Service team by:

 

  • email at carhire@coverwise.co.uk
  • phone on 01903 931 057
  • post to The Operations Manager, Coverwise 4th Floor, 11 Southfield House, Liverpool Gardens, Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 1RY

If you remain dissatisfied following the final written response you receive, you may be eligible to refer your case to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).

 

The FOS is an independent body that arbitrates on complaints about general insurance products. You have 6 months from the date of the final written response you receive to refer your complaint to the FOS, and doing so does not affect your right to take legal action.

 

You can contact the FOS by: