Collision damage waver

I've written on the topic of car insurance abroad many times before and once on this blog but I've never really looked into the insurance on a hire car.

Most of us have experienced the hard sell from reps when we go to pick up our hire car after arriving at our destination. They tell you that you are not covered for various eventualities and try to sell you cover such as chassis/underside protection should you hit a particulary enormous bump in the road, well let's face it, you'd have to in order to cause that much damage.

Most of these extra insurance add ons are a con and a way for hire companies to make extra profit from you the holiday maker.

One thing you should be sure you've got is a collision damage waver policy.

A lot of companies will provide this one as standard but you need to make sure you have it, even if it means paying an extra £10-20.

If you are to have a bump, this will protect you for the cost of repair and loss of business from the car being in a garage.

Above all, make sure you find out exactly what you are covered for before you take the keys off the rep and should there be any damage or marks on the car report this to the rep before you leave (or take a picture for later use).

One last little trick they pull out of their sleeves is to charge you for filling up the fuel at exorbetant prices should you be even a fraction below the full mark.

Please don't let any of this put you off getting a hire car abroad, just be careful :)

Man Steals Police car

I've not been on here for a while and whilst having a nose around for some insurance news I found this amusing title; "Charges over theft of police car".

Would you believe it, a man from Berwick (I'm afraid I have no idea where that is) actually managed to break into and steal a marked police car and then later crashed into 2 other vehicles. Luckily no one was injured but he is due to appear before magistrates who I imagine will give him a slapp on the wrists and a few hours of community service due to the lack of space in our prison systems at present.

What is the world coming too when a police station has to claim through their car insurance for vehicle theft and damage ;)