Comparing Rental Deals - Zero Insurance Excess
Zero Insurance Excesses can be a significant factor in selecting a rental company for those people seeking the peace of mind that the title infers.
In establishing our own Zero Insurance Excess Reduction Package, (which we call MaxiSafe Plus), we fully researched the Gold Coast market.
We approached our research on the simple basis that if one actually had a Zero insurance excess package in their rental transaction, they should not expect to have to outlay in money whatsoever in respect of any incident, other than matters that they would reasonably expect to be excluded. So, if you were not drunk or drugged, not driving excessively dangerously (e.g. no burnouts, no red light running, etc.), you were authorised to drive the rental car and you were within the agreed usage zone – you should have no worries.
- 52 rental websites (other than our own website) servicing the Gold Coast, were examined by us on 5th and 6th July 2018.
- 17 of these 52 other companies purport to offer a Zero Insurance Excess package to their rental customers. Sadly, we have found that “Zero” does not always mean “ZERO”! We also found that three of the websites are the same company, operating under different names.
- 10 of the 17 websites provided enough detailed information to enable us to determine the credibility of their zero excess claims. Nine of these 10 failed our assessment, some on more than one count.
- Only one of the above-mentioned 10 websites maintained their Zero Excess status after our thorough examination – this was Hertz.
- 7 websites excluded “Accessories”, including keys and/or remotes which can add up to more than $1,000 for a full re-keying of a car. We believe these items should be expected to be covered within any motor insurance arrangement.
- 1 major company excludes Hail Damage (often costing between $10,000 and $20,000) as well as Accessories. Of course, hail damage is covered almost universally in motor insurance policies.
- 1 company has a $5,000 excess on Overhead Damage and "roll overs" and imposes full liability on the renter for any vehicle retrieval costs. Getting a vehicle out of a gully or river can be very costly indeed and is normally covered within insurance arrangements.
- 1 company excludes Tyres, Keys, Reversing Damage, Overhead and Underbody Damage, irrespective of cause. Re-keying a car can cost more than $1,000 and we believe that so long as the vehicle is being driven responsibly, all of these exclusions should be covered.
- 1 company cancels the zero excess if the renter incurs a police fine in relation to the incident, reverting the renter’s liability to $3,000. If the fine is minor, you should have the cover that you paid for!
- 1 company imposes a mandatory $60.50 accident administration fee, so, even though it isn’t much money, it is not really “zero”, is it? This same company excludes 3rd party damage, theft, and windscreen & tyre damage at standard or intermediate insurance excess levels.
- 5 companies offer a blame-free roadside assistance service (out of fuel, lights left on etc.), but three of them exclude key extraction from locked vehicles.
Apart from us, only one other company offers emergency overnight accommodation costs – their allowance is $150, whereas ours is $200 and they are one of the companies that excludes accessories and keys.
With 9 out of the 10 companies which have provided detailed information, failing to actually deliver what they purport to offer – we do not have any confidence that the 7 who do not bother to provide sufficient information to enable an independent assessment of the merits of their claim, would perform any better under scrutiny.
These are the websites claiming to offer a Zero Insurance Excess package:
| Website Name |
|---|
| Family Car Rentals |
| abaa car rentals |
| Ace Rental Cars |
| Apex Car Rentals Australia |
| Atlas Car & Truck Rental |
| Bargain Car Rentals |
| Cut Price Car Rentals (Also called Select Rent A Car & Suncoast Car Rentals) |
| Enterprise Rent-A-Car |
| Europcar |
| Hertz |
| Jucy |
| Network Car & Truck Rentals |
| RaD Car Hire (Rent a Dent) |
| Redspot |
| SEQ Rent A Car |
| Thrifty Car Rental |
Summary
“Zero” is hardly ever “ZERO” and you can’t count on the familiarity of brand name to ease any anxiety – remember, one of the more famous names won’t cover you for Hail Damage and a subsidiary of another famous name doesn’t cover you for damage to other people’s property unless you take their “Zero” excess package (which really isn’t “Zero” anyway).
Conclusion
There is simply no substitute to forensically reading the fine print of the intended rental contract before you commit yourself to a rental transaction. We know that it is unlikely that you will do so, but frankly, we have no better advice to offer you.
But, we can tell you, that with us, you get a lowest price guarantee, Australia's fairest rental terms and conditions and a genuine ZERO excess option - all adding up to complete peace of mind!
Family Car Rentals Reviewed on Google by 192 People. Rated 4.3/5
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