Rental Vehicle Insurance Excess

When you hire a vehicle, you’ll be asked if you want to take out excess insurance, which eliminates the excess charged by your rental company should you have an accident, or the vehicle is damaged. You will be charged a daily fee on top of the cost of the rental for this which is usually overpriced. Our travel insurance covers for this excess insurance whether you?re renting a car in Australia or Overseas, so you don?t need to pay for it at the depot.

• We will reimburse you up to the rental vehicle excess insurance amount listed on your policy, covering any excess or deductible you become legally liable to pay under your rental vehicle hiring agreement.
  
  It is payable if your rental vehicle is involved in an accident while you are driving, or if the rental vehicle is damaged or stolen while in your custody.
  
  Please be aware this benefit does not take the place of rental vehicle insurance. Also, the following conditions must be met for cover to be available under this benefit:
   
  1. The rental vehicle must be rented from a recognised rental agency;
   
  2. The hiring arrangement must incorporate motor vehicle insurance or damage waiver against loss or damage to the rental vehicle; and
   
  3. You must comply with all requirements of the rental agency under the hiring agreement and, if applicable, the insurer under such insurance.

• Rental vehicle excess cover is not applicable to scooters and motorcycles, and is also not available with our Medical Only policy.  

The additional cover offered by a rental company is typically an excess reduction option, which reduces or eliminates the amount you would need to pay (the excess) if the rental vehicle is damaged or stolen.

1Cover provides cover for your rental vehicle insurance excess, meaning you may be able to claim the excess amount you are charged by the rental company, subject to the terms, conditions and limits of your policy.

However, it’s important to understand that 1Cover’s rental vehicle excess cover does not replace the rental company’s insurance. The rental vehicle must still be covered under the rental company’s insurance arrangement.

Please also note that 1Cover does not provide cover for personal liability while driving or riding a rental vehicle. If you require personal liability cover, you should check the cover available through your rental company.

To assess your claim, you will need to provide copies of the following documents:

• - Your rental vehicle agreement;

• - The incident or accident report completed at the time of the event;

• - The repair invoice or repair account;

• - An itemised breakdown of the damage and associated costs; and

• - Written confirmation from the rental company advising that you are liable to pay the excess, damage liability fee, or similar charge.

• Providing all required documentation will help us process your claim as quickly as possible.

When we refer to “Rental Vehicle” we mean a campervan, car (4WD, coupe, convertible, hatchback, sedan, SUV, utility, van), minibus, motorhome or people mover that is equal to or less than 4.5 tonnes that can be hired with a standard car drivers licence from a commercial rental motor vehicle company. This does not include services such as peer to peer car sharing, dirt bikes, mopeds, motorcycles, or scooters

Yes, but only if the rental vehicle insurance also covers it. Our insurance does not cover your liability in respect of tyres, windscreens, roof and underbody damage if you are not already covered by the protection from the rental company under the Rental Vehicle agreement.

Rental Vehicle Excess Cover is designed to reimburse the excess you are charged by a rental company following damage to or theft of a rental vehicle. It does not replace the rental company’s insurance and does not provide cover in all circumstances.

You will not be covered if:

• - The claim arises because you breached the terms and conditions of your rental vehicle agreement.

• - You were under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs at the time of the incident.

• - You did not hold the appropriate licence required to drive the rental vehicle. This includes holding a valid Australian driver’s licence and, where required by local laws, a valid International Driving Permit.

• - You were travelling less than 200 kilometres from your home at the time of the rental, as cover only applies when you are travelling more than 200 kilometres from home.

Other terms, conditions, limits and exclusions apply. Please refer to the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) for full details of what is and is not covered.