Insurance for Spanish rental car.

[Sgt Bilco]

Me and the better half are off to Spain in a week or so for a nice break in Andalucia and are renting a car from Malaga airport for 10 days.

The guy from the travel company suggested we took insurance to cover any issues with the rental because as we all know, they can be pretty brutal when you return the car.

Any ideas what he's talking about?

 

[wessie]

You will have basic insurance to comply with local law but you might not have any cover for own damage or a large excess. The hire company will offer you extra insurance to cover this - collision damage waiver - at an inflated cost. You can buy your own from a broker in the UK. Read this guide https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-car-hire/

 

[Joca]

I have an annual policy that I have used for a few years. Last year I made a claim and they paid out (after waiting for all the receipts).
If you book through AutoEurope, you also get the option of their own excess insurance.

Sent from my M2007J22G using Tapatalk

 

[leadfarmer]

If you have a visa premier / gold card or similar it may include cover for hire cars so you don’t need their CDW

Check the conditions of your card

 

[Paul G (BHT)]

@G&T might have some advice on this one.

 

[G&T]

@G&T might have some advice on this one.

As noted before you will not be covered for the excess, or in UK insurance speak ‘the compulsary’ of any claim.

The hire company will offer their own ‘CDW’ Collision Damage Waiver policy, either at the point of hire, or at the desk when they explain you are not covered for the excess.

Many people think they have full insurance when booking but this is not always the case with car hire companies whose business model is based on the cheapest price. Watch the people at the counter arguing the case to no avail.

You can choose their CDW or a UK alternative, plenty out there.

Whatever you do...always...always...always take pictures of the car when you pick up and when you drop off. And keep them for a few months after.

It’s not brutal, just an inconvenience of time checking the car.

Andalucia interior is stunningly beautiful and you will be smitten - guarantee it. Have a great time.

 

[Mallard]

As most hire cars any where in the world are hired on credit cards, one of the hire companies' tricks is to welly your card again for some superfluous reason, usually for damage or tyres, after you have flown home. Spain seems to have a very bad reputation for this. When you pick your car, photograph it all round, and let them see you do it. Do the same on return. It's no guarantee but its helped me a couple of times, both in Australia.

 

[Sgt Bilco]

Thanks guys.

All sorted for the princely sum of £20.00.

 

[leadfarmer]

Thanks guys.

All sorted for the princely sum of £20.00.

It would have cost a lot more than that at the counter

 

[Myke Rocks]

2 stories on this.
Went to Spain for 3 weeks in 2005. The excess insurance was so much a day, and at 21 days it would have cost me more than the excess of 500 euro. Declined it. No damage to car on return so win on both counts.

Around same time brother went to Spain and declined excess cover. On returning car, lady in office said he had damaged the windscreen, this was before car was examined. He went out with her and asked where the damage was. She lifted the windscreen wiper and showed him a chip underneath it. He was charged 500 euro.

 

[Mallard]

2 stories on this.
Went to Spain for 3 weeks in 2005. The excess insurance was so much a day, and at 21 days it would have cost me more than the excess of 500 euro. Declined it. No damage to car on return so win on both counts.

Around same time brother went to Spain and declined excess cover. On returning car, lady in office said he had damaged the windscreen, this was before car was examined. He went out with her and asked where the damage was. She lifted the windscreen wiper and showed him a chip underneath it. He was charged 500 euro.

I bet a lot of other folk paid for that windscreen as well

 

[G&T]

Around same time brother went to Spain and declined excess cover. On returning car, lady in office said he had damaged the windscreen, this was before car was examined. He went out with her and asked where the damage was. She lifted the windscreen wiper and showed him a chip underneath it. He was charged 500 euro.

Sneaky!