What is a waiver of deductible and why is it worth using this option?

A collision in a rented car is no fun. Often, unfortunately, it can also be expensive if you are at fault. However, there is a way to avoid claims from the owner – it is the waiver of deductible, which is an additional option that we can buy when renting a car. What is it? Is it worth using?

What is the waiver of deductible?

In other words, it is a waiver of financial liability for damage to the vehicle as a result of a collision or other random event (e.g., a fallen tree) under comprehensive insurance. This is an additional option that we offer to our clients in the Flex To Go car rental. Thanks to it, you can be sure you will get your deposit back even if the car is damaged, no matter at whose fault. 

Deductible – if you are the owner of the car – is the percentage or amount accounting for a part of the sum that the insurer must cover for the repair of the car under comprehensive insurance. In simple words, if the cover of comprehensive insurance is PLN 5,000, and your deductible is 10%, then the insurer will pay out PLN 4,500 for a claim for PLN 5,000. It is very similar with a rented car. By signing a car rental agreement, you commit to your own share in the damage, the value of which is specified in the document you sign. This is a natural protection for the rental company against accidents, but also – similarly when you insure a private car – a way to lower comprehensive insurance premiums.

What are the benefits of the waiver of deductible?

Buying a waiver of deductible is a pure saving in the moment when you participate in a road accident while driving a rented car, also if you are at fault. Thanks to this, you gain financial comfort – this cautiousness simply pays off. It is especially worth considering when you are in a city that you do not know at all. It is easier then to make a mistake on the road and even a small collision, which may turn out to be very costly. 

Another situation in which the purchase of a waiver of deductible may protect you against additional costs is damage to the car with no possibility to indicate the person at fault. It may be, for example, scratched paint at a parking lot where there is no CCTV and you are not able to determine the perpetrator, despite calling the police. 

What does the amount of deductible depend on?

The cost of the additional option of the waiver of deductible, depends primarily on the car class. The higher it is, the higher the cost of the waiver of deductible. However, it is worth using this option as this is how you protect your deposit. In the event of damage, the rental company deducts funds from it to liquidate the damage (e.g., scratched paint, dents of the fender, etc.). If you buy the waiver of deductible, the owner will not claim reimbursement of the cost of repair of the vehicle. 

When will the waiver of deductible not be possible?

As with other motor insurance, the owner decides on exclusion of liability here, too. These are circumstances in which no payment will be made. The most common among them are the following conditions:

• when the driver of the vehicle led to a collision through gross negligence or disregard of traffic rules,

• when the driver was under the influence of alcohol, drugs or other intoxicating substances,

• when the driver fled the scene of the accident after the collision,

• when the theft occurred due to inadequate securing of the car (e.g., leaving the door open),

• when the car was refuelled with the wrong type of fuel,

• when the driver of the vehicle was not the person who rented the vehicle.

Do you want to rent a car and drive it without worrying about costs in the event of a collision? Choose the waiver of deductible for the car rented in our car rental and travel with peace of mind!