Van Hire Knowhow
What is an ‘excess’ in Charters Hire Limited?
If something happens to the rental van while you have it, the company will repair or replace it and charge you an 'excess'. Find out how an excess works and how to avoid paying one.
If a hire van is damaged or stolen, there’s a limit to how much the renter will have to pay to repair or replace it. ‘Excess’ is simply the name for that limit. The van’s damage or theft cover will pay the rest of the cost.
Normally, Collision Damage Waiver covers:
- the van’s bodywork.
How much is the excess?
The most common types of cover for hire vans are Collision Damage Waiver and Theft Protection. These policies almost always have an excess: usually between £500 and £3,000.
Will the renter always pay the full excess if there’s a problem?
No. If fixing the damage costs £200, the renter will pay £200, whether the excess is £1,000 or £3,000 .
However, some costs simply aren’t covered by the damage or theft policies.
Collision Damage Waiver covers only the bodywork. If there’s any damage to something else, this policy won’t help at all. So the renter will pay the full cost of repairs to the van’s wheels, tyres, windows, undercarriage, engine, interior, etc.
Damage and theft policies can be invalidated. These policies won’t provide any protection if someone breaks the rules set out in the Charters Hire rental agreement (which they sign when they pick the car up).
So, for example, Theft Protection won’t help if someone leaves the windows open and/or the key in the ignition – and the van is stolen.
And Collision Damage Waiver won’t help if the van is damaged while the driver is, for example:
- driving on an untarmacked road
- driving the van in a different country, where the coverage isn’t valid
- not named as a driver on the rental agreement, or
- speeding, driving dangerously, drunk, etc.
In any of these cases, the van hire company would charge the renter the full cost of repairing or replacing the van.
How can you avoid paying an excess?
If you’re not keen on the idea of an excess, you could buy extra cover:
- while you’re booking the van
- through a third-party insurer, or
- from the Charters Hire company when you pick the van up.
To find out more about these options, see What's the best way to insure your rental van?
Please note: If you go with option 1 or option 2, you’ll still pay out if something goes wrong, but you’ll get that money refunded, as long as your claim is accepted. Any extra cover you buy will also have terms and conditions – and exclusions – so it pays to read the paperwork carefully.