LONDON, July 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Car hire insurance specialist advises holidaymakers to book excess insurance policies ahead of travelling

Hiring a car when holidaying abroad gives holidaymakers the freedom to explore destinations at their own leisure, however Car-hire-insurance.co.uk is warning that many travellers are not reading the small print when hiring a car and as a result are having to pay out avoidable additional costs.

These costs occur as the insurance excess, which is usually not included within a policy or is made available as an 'extra' to a standard policy.  

When hiring from a supplier there is generally a Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) and theft policy included. However, unbeknown to many, if a hire car is damaged or broken into then the customer will be asked to pay the first part of repair or replacement costs - known as the excess.

The excess can range from anything between £500 and £2000 and can be used for even minor damage to parts of a hire car, including the windows, undercarriage and tyres.

To help holidaymakers keep hiring a car abroad simple and cost-effective, Car-hire-insurance.co.uk has teamed up with Insurance4carhire.com to provide comprehensive excess insurance cover at low prices. This means customers can get a much cheaper deal prior to picking up a hire car, giving them peace of mind that they won't be hit with unnecessary costs.

Ben Simpson of Car-hire-insurance.co.uk said: "Customers often panic-buy excess insurance policies from the supplier at the pick-up location when they are informed about the potential high costs involved if they damage the vehicle in circumstances not included in their basic policy. This last minute buying means the prices paid at the rental desk aren't as competitive as buying excess policies online ahead of travelling.

"Customers need to be aware that they will be required to leave a deposit to the value of the excess on the hire car when they pick up the vehicle, however, the money customers save as a result of buying an excess insurance policy in advance and the increase cover they get with this policy compared with a rental desk policy makes it a worthwhile product to purchase.

"The important point for customers to remember is that if you have already purchased a policy ahead of picking up the vehicle it is not necessary to purchase an additional policy as you will be fully covered for the excess. We advise all customers hiring a vehicle to shop around for the best possible price for their excess insurance policy prior to going on holiday as this can save you significant amounts of money in both purchasing the policy and in the event that the vehicle is damaged."

For more information or to get a quote for car hire excess insurance visit http://www.car-hire-insurance.co.uk

About Car-hire-insurance.co.uk

With more than three million quotes to date, Car-hire-insurance.co.uk's excess car hire insurance policy covers drivers for the total amount of the excess that they are liable for if the car is stolen, broken into or damaged in any way.

Car-hire-insurance.co.uk offers a range of car hire excess insurance policies ranging from one day cover to annual cover, for cover in your own country, Europe or Worldwide.

SOURCE Car-hire-insurance.co.uk