Drivers who buy excess insurance from the car rental company are paying fifteen times more for car hire excess insurance than they probably paid for their travel insurance.

Excess insurance protects drivers from having to pay the first part of any claim, which can be up to £2500, if their hire car is damaged or stolen, which they have to pay even if it is not their fault. Rental desks charge on average £119 a week for this (£17 a day).

Research by YouGov, for the leading providers of standalone excess insurance, found that two thirds (65%) of hire car drivers are not aware that they could be liable for an excess of up to £2500 and 62% believe they can only buy excess insurance from the rental desk.

Holidaymakers are used to paying only about £8 a week for travel insurance, covering them for medical expenses, loss of luggage, delays and legal expenses. It's no wonder that only a quarter (26%) of hire car drivers buy excess insurance, when the majority don’t know the risks, or that it can be bought significantly cheaper elsewhere.

Hire car excess insurance is available from from only £2.99 a day, £20.93 a week, or £39.99 a year, and covers you for damage to the whole of the car, unlike many of the rental desk policies.

Ernesto Suarez, Founder and CEO,, said: It's staggering that holidaymakers are paying fifteen times more for rental desk excess insurance than their travel insurance. Travel insurance used to be expensive but the internet changed this, and since it's been so easy to find alternative providers online prices have plummeted. The same has happened with car hire excess insurance, but as drivers are not as aware of the risk, or that they can buy protection much cheaper from other providers, the majority are still being held to ransom at the rental desk.

For more information contact Cath Roan, Roan Media on 07801 817 451 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

* research

** travel insurance is available from £8.38 a week. The Post office offer daily cover from £2.05 a day. The ABI say that the average price of a travel insurance policy is only £32 and includes both single and annual trip policies.
