Travel Tips | Segurocochedealquiler.com | Rental Car Insurance Comprehensive Coverage

Understanding the Difference Between Excess and Deposit When you rent a car, there are two terms commonly used by rental companies that can be confusing: excess and deposit. What does each one mean? Excess is related to the car insurance and refers to the maximum amount you would have to pay if the vehicle is damaged, stolen, or involved in an accident. For example, if your rental car insurance has an excess of €200 and you have an accident that results in €800 worth of damage, you would be responsible for the first €200, and the rental company would cover the remaining €600. Deposit is the amount held on your credit or debit card when you pick up the vehicle. This blocked amount, which you cannot use, is held by the rental company to cover any misuse of the vehicle (such as interior damage, excess mileage, fines, etc.). If the car is returned in good condition, the deposit is released and the funds become available again on your card or bank account. Want to eliminate the excess and deposit from your car rental? The rental car excess can be eliminated by upgrading the insurance coverage. You can purchase what rental companies often call 'SuperCover', which increases the rental cost by €15–€30 per day, or you can choose our excess reimbursement insurance, which can be up to 80% cheaper than the rental company's option and includes additional coverage such as tires, windows, misfuelling, or lost keys. Eliminating the deposit is not as easy. It depends on the terms and conditions of each rental company, so we recommend checking directly with the company you plan to rent from.			Avoid Being Charged for Damage You Didn't Cause to the Rental Car When returning the car after your rental period, many companies may charge you for damages that were already present. To avoid this, you should carefully inspect the condition of the vehicle when you pick it up. The company will provide you with a check-out report that includes a diagram of the car showing all existing damages. This is the moment when you must check for any damage, no matter how minor, and make sure it is recorded in the report—scratches, dents, or small chips. In the car diagram, not only should the location of the damage be marked, but also the type of damage. If the type of damage is not specified, and the damage doesn't match the report when you return the vehicle, the company may hold you responsible for it during your rental period. This is an example of how damages are shown in the check-out report: In addition to filling out the report, we recommend that you take photos or videos of the vehicle. This ensures you have visual proof of the car’s condition at the time of pick-up, so if the rental company tries to charge you, you can dispute it. When returning the car, you should follow the same process. Take photos and videos to document the car’s condition at drop-off. The company should also provide you with a return report similar to the one you filled out at pick-up, showing the condition of the vehicle at the end of the rental. If the rental company charges you for damage you didn’t cause, keep the check-out report showing the vehicle’s condition at the start of the rental and the check-in report showing its condition at return. With these documents, along with the photos or videos you took, you’ll be able to file a damage claim with the rental company.
What to Keep in Mind When Renting a Car When renting a car, you should be aware of the rental company's policies to avoid extra charges upon return. Here are the most important points to check before signing the rental agreement: Pay attention to the rental dates and times. Companies charge in 24-hour blocks. If your rental starts at 10:00 AM, the car must be returned by that same time on the return day. If returned later, you’ll likely be charged for an extra day. Find out how much deposit will be held. All rental companies place a hold on your card to cover potential damages. If you have a credit card, the hold is placed on your credit limit. If you only have a debit card, the hold is placed on the available funds in your account. Check how the company handles fuel charges. Most rental companies offer three options: Full/Full: You pick up the car with a full tank and must return it full. Prepaid with refund: You pay for the full tank plus a refueling service fee when picking up the car. Full/Empty: You pick up the car full and return it empty. You pay the rental company’s set price for the fuel at pick-up. Mileage. Check how many kilometers are included in the rental contract. Companies usually offer two options: Unlimited mileage: You can drive as much as you want. Limited mileage: There’s a maximum distance you can drive. If you exceed it, you’ll be charged a fee per extra kilometer, usually between €0.10 and €0.40 depending on the company. Insurance. Most rental cars come with basic insurance that includes an excess. For example, if the excess is €500 and the car is damaged for €800, the driver pays the first €500 and the rental company covers the rest. Removing the excess through the rental company can increase the daily rate by €15–€30. We recommend removing the excess with our additional insurance, which can be up to 80% cheaper. Learn more about the coverage in the ‘Insurance’ section.
Putting the Wrong Fuel in Your Rental Car – What to Do? Although it may seem like a hard mistake to make, when renting a car, it's easier than you think to get distracted and use the wrong type of fuel. The most common mistake is putting petrol in a diesel vehicle. The reverse is less likely, as diesel pump nozzles are usually larger than the fuel inlet of petrol engines. Petrol in a diesel or diesel in a petrol – what now? If you realize the mistake before starting the engine, the damage will be less severe than if you drive the car. Once the engine runs on the wrong fuel, the vehicle will quickly start to behave abnormally and malfunction. In either case, you must call the rental company to report the issue and ask where to call for the vehicle to be towed to a workshop. At the workshop, they will clean the fuel system, drain the tank, and replace the fuel filter. If you’ve driven the car, the injection pump and injectors may be damaged, which can be costly to repair. The cost of draining and cleaning the fuel tank can range from €150 to €400. If you have comprehensive insurance with an excess, you’ll have to cover part of the repair cost. With our rental car excess insurance, we reimburse you for the cost of draining and cleaning the engine, towing the vehicle, and any additional travel expenses.

Understanding the Difference Between Excess and Deposit When you rent a car, there are two terms commonly used by rental companies that can be confusing: excess and deposit. What does each one mean? Excess is related to the car insurance and refers to the maximum amount you would have to pay if the vehicle is damaged, stolen, or involved in an accident. For example, if the rental car insurance has an excess of €200 and you have an accident that results in €800 worth of damage, you would be responsible for the first €200, and the rental company would cover the remaining €600. Deposit is the amount held on your credit or debit card when you pick up the vehicle. This blocked amount, which you cannot use, is held by the rental company to cover any misuse of the vehicle (such as interior damage, excess mileage, fines, etc.). If the car is returned in good condition, the deposit is released and the funds become available again to the customer. Want to eliminate the excess and deposit from your car rental? The rental car excess can be eliminated by upgrading the insurance coverage. You can purchase what rental companies often call 'SuperCover', which increases the rental cost by €15–€30 per day, or you can choose our excess reimbursement insurance, which can be up to 80% cheaper than the rental company’s option and includes additional coverage such as tires, windows, misfuelling, or lost keys. Eliminating the deposit is not as easy. It depends on the terms and conditions of each rental company, so we recommend checking directly with the company you plan to rent from.
Avoid Being Charged for Damage You Didn't Cause to the Rental Car When you pick up your rental car, you should carefully inspect its condition. The company will provide a check-out report with a diagram of the vehicle showing all existing damages. This is the moment when you must check for any damage, no matter how small, and make sure it is recorded in the report—scratches, dents, or small chips. In the diagram, not only should the location of the damage be marked, but also the type of damage. If the type of damage is not specified, and the damage doesn’t match the report when you return the vehicle, the company may hold you responsible for it during your rental period. This is an example of how damages are shown in the check-out report: In addition to filling out the report, we recommend that you take photos or videos of the vehicle. This gives you visual proof of the car’s condition at pick-up, so if the rental company tries to charge you, you can dispute it. To file a damage claim with the rental company, keep the check-out report showing the vehicle’s condition at the start of the rental and the check-in report showing its condition at return. With these documents, along with the photos or videos you took, you’ll be able to submit a damage claim to the rental company.
What to Keep in Mind When Renting a Car When renting a car, you should be aware of the rental company’s policies to avoid extra charges upon return. Here are the most important points to check before signing the rental agreement: Pay attention to the rental dates and times. Companies charge in 24-hour blocks. If your rental starts at 10:00 AM, the car must be returned by that same time on the return day. If returned later, you’ll likely be charged for an extra day. Find out how much deposit will be held. All rental companies place a hold on your card to cover potential damages. If you have a credit card, the hold is placed on your credit limit. If you only have a debit card, the hold is placed on the available funds in your account. Check how the company handles fuel charges. Most rental companies offer three options: Full/Full: You pick up the car with a full tank and must return it full. Prepaid with refund: You pay for the full tank plus a refueling service fee when picking up the car. Full/Empty: You pick up the car full and return it empty. You pay the rental company’s set price for the fuel at pick-up. Mileage. Check how many kilometers are included in the rental contract. Companies usually offer two options: Unlimited mileage: You can drive as much as you want. Limited mileage: There’s a maximum distance you can drive. If you exceed it, you’ll be charged a fee per extra kilometer, usually between €0.10 and €0.40 depending on the company. Insurance. Most rental cars come with basic insurance that includes an excess. For example, if the excess is €500 and the car is damaged for €800, the driver pays the first €500 and the rental company covers the rest. Removing the excess through the rental company can increase the daily rate by €15–€30. We recommend removing the excess with our additional insurance, which can be up to 80% cheaper. Learn more about the coverage in the ‘Insurance’ section.
Putting the Wrong Fuel in Your Rental Car – What Should You Do? Although it may seem like a difficult mistake to make, when renting a car it’s actually quite easy to get distracted and use the wrong type of fuel. The most common mistake is putting petrol into a diesel vehicle. The opposite is less likely, as diesel pump nozzles are usually larger than the fuel inlet of petrol engines. Petrol in a diesel or diesel in a petrol – what now? If you realize the mistake before starting the engine, the damage will be less severe than if you drive the car. Once the engine runs on the wrong fuel, the vehicle will quickly start to behave abnormally and malfunction. In both cases, you must call the rental company to report the issue and ask where to call to have the vehicle towed to a workshop. At the workshop, they will clean the fuel system, drain the tank, and replace the fuel filter. Depending on how long you drove the rental car, the injection pump and some injectors may be damaged, which can lead to costly repairs. The cost of draining and cleaning the fuel tank can range from €150 to €400. If you have comprehensive insurance with an excess, you’ll have to cover the cost of the repair. With our rental car excess insurance, we reimburse you for the cost of draining and cleaning the engine, towing the vehicle, and any additional travel expenses.