Is your car hire cover good enough?
Your hired car provision may not be comprehensive enough to meet your needs. You should plan ahead and investigate the possibility of extending your replacement car hire cover on your motor policy.
As it is common for vehicles to take longer than thirty days to be repaired, you should consider extending your car hire from thirty days to sixty days.
Repairs can be delayed as a result of:
- Vehicle agents not keeping adequate stock of parts and therefore repairs being delayed sometimes for weeks so the part or parts can be imported.
- Most panel beaters close their businesses over certain holiday periods such as the festive season.
- Adverse weather conditions such as hail storms can overwhelm panel beaters with unplanned for work, and this problem can be made worse if it happens near or during their holiday shut down. As a result panel beaters may not necessarily have the capacity to complete the necessary repairs to your vehicle within thirty days.
While it will cost more, this little bit extra far outweighs the frustration of being completely without transport.
International travel
When you plan to travel across the border with your hired car, it is important to get permission from the hirer and also check that your motor policy covers you for damage to the hired vehicle when it is outside of South Africa.
In conclusion, you need to fully understand and be aware of the terms of your motor vehicle insurance contract.
About Gari Dombo
Gari Dombo is the MD of Alexander Forbes Insurance.
