Question: You have taken your car in for repairs and the garage have offered you a courtesy car. You are insured to drive it but there will be a large excess you are liable for in the event of damage. What can you do?
Answer: Take out an excess policy before you sign for or take delivery of the car.
1 – When running a quote for excess insurance you will need to select ‘Standard Rental Company’ and ensure you have said you will be hiring in your country of residence (presuming this is a local garage and not one in a foreign country!). If the garage is providing the insurance and you are only liable for an excess then you can just proceed opting for ‘Vehicle Hire Excess Insurance’ when prompted. You will need to tick the four boxes on the next page to continue.
2 – Once your results are displayed use the filter at the top to select Garage loan/Courtesy cars. The options shown will then only include policies that can cover a vehicle on loan from a garage.
3 – Not sure how long you have the car? You can opt for an annual policy starting on the first day of the loan. An annual policy can cover you for up to 60 days in one stretch and could cover another courtesy car or potential car hire in the same year. Click the Details button beside each policy on your quote for more information. If you take out a short term policy, you would need to return the car on the specified end date – if you retain the car longer then you will not be covered unless you begin a new loan agreement and a new excess insurance policy.
4 – If you have signed for or have taken responsibility for the car then you cannot use an excess insurance policy. The only way to solve this issue is to return the loaned car and effectively start again purchasing an excess policy first.
5 - Courtesy car excess insurance can cover not just the excess but also damage to wheels, tyres and glass elements as well as towing costs and lost keys. Information on what is included in each policy is provided in your quote.