Car Hire in Australia: need for SLI?
In summary, is it sensible to take out Supplementary Liability
Insurance (SLI) when hiring cars in Victoria, New South Wales, Northern Territory and Queensland? I have read past threads about car hire insurance but cannot find a clear answer. This is partly because I cannot find out just what is covered by the mandatory insurance. By way of background: o we are UK residents o we shall be hiring cars in Melbourne, Sydney, Ayers Rock and Cairns o we intend to take out separate insurance against excess, tyres, windows etc from Questor or the like since the hire companies charges seem exorbitant (eg AUD33 a day from Thrifty in Ayers Rock). o the separate insurance providers invariably offer policies with and without SLI. I know that SLI is highly desirable (in my view essential unless one is a gambler) in the USA and Canada where there is otherwise little or no cover for third party liabilities What I can't find is the position in Australia (in the States/Territories mentioned above) as regards damage to third parties and third party property. The hirers sites generally just say that compulsory third party insurance imposed by the various State and Territory Registration Authorities is included in the cost (often with a fee shown for it). But I can't see what it covers and for how much. Any advice - if only on where to look - would be much appreciated. -- R |
Car Hire in Australia: need for SLI?
gravel roads, road trains, roos, completely different to what most tourists
have encountered b4, high likelihood of glass damage but still more like buying the car again $230/week $33/day isnt bad, for the rental co -- _ _ "neverwas" wrote in message m... In summary, is it sensible to take out Supplementary Liability Insurance (SLI) when hiring cars in Victoria, New South Wales, Northern Territory and Queensland? I have read past threads about car hire insurance but cannot find a clear answer. This is partly because I cannot find out just what is covered by the mandatory insurance. By way of background: o we are UK residents o we shall be hiring cars in Melbourne, Sydney, Ayers Rock and Cairns o we intend to take out separate insurance against excess, tyres, windows etc from Questor or the like since the hire companies charges seem exorbitant (eg AUD33 a day from Thrifty in Ayers Rock). o the separate insurance providers invariably offer policies with and without SLI. I know that SLI is highly desirable (in my view essential unless one is a gambler) in the USA and Canada where there is otherwise little or no cover for third party liabilities What I can't find is the position in Australia (in the States/Territories mentioned above) as regards damage to third parties and third party property. The hirers sites generally just say that compulsory third party insurance imposed by the various State and Territory Registration Authorities is included in the cost (often with a fee shown for it). But I can't see what it covers and for how much. Any advice - if only on where to look - would be much appreciated. -- R |
Car Hire in Australia: need for SLI?
almostbob wrote:
gravel roads, road trains, roos, completely different to what most tourists have encountered b4, high likelihood of glass damage but still more like buying the car again $230/week $33/day isnt bad, for the rental co Fair point (although I am not sure why road trains are a bigger risk than French artics tail-gating me at 110 kph in the rain on the autoroute). But damage to the car from gravel* etc are all covered by the policies I am looking at. The main issue I have is whether or not to include the SLI. That said, another issue is whether car hirers in Oz are willing to sign off a car on its return. Or do they - like those in the USA - insist on you dropping the car off and leaving them to "find" scratches etc later - possibly after the cars been scraped in their yard? *though I'm too old to chance driving unpaved roads in a hire car in remote locations so we'll be sticking to the Stuart Highway etc -- R |
Car Hire in Australia: need for SLI?
neverwas wrote:
almostbob wrote: gravel roads, road trains, roos, completely different to what most tourists have encountered b4, high likelihood of glass damage but still more like buying the car again $230/week $33/day isnt bad, for the rental co Fair point (although I am not sure why road trains are a bigger risk than French artics tail-gating me at 110 kph in the rain on the autoroute). But damage to the car from gravel* etc are all covered by the policies I am looking at. The main issue I have is whether or not to include the SLI. That said, another issue is whether car hirers in Oz are willing to sign off a car on its return. Or do they - like those in the USA - insist on you dropping the car off and leaving them to "find" scratches etc later - possibly after the cars been scraped in their yard? *though I'm too old to chance driving unpaved roads in a hire car in remote locations so we'll be sticking to the Stuart Highway etc My wife and I hired a 4WD campervan (brand spanking new) for 9 weeks in Australia earlier this year from one of the major companies. We relied on the hire company's insurance cover which seemed OK. We drove more than 16,000 km, about 4,000 of that on dirt/gravel roads and tracks with quite a few creek crossings. At the end of the hire the hire company rep gave the van a 60-second inspection and signed it off on the spot. -- Norman (from the UK) |
Car Hire in Australia: need for SLI?
On 3 Jan 2010 16:27:07 GMT, "Norman" wrote:
neverwas wrote: almostbob wrote: gravel roads, road trains, roos, completely different to what most tourists have encountered b4, high likelihood of glass damage but still more like buying the car again $230/week $33/day isnt bad, for the rental co Fair point (although I am not sure why road trains are a bigger risk than French artics tail-gating me at 110 kph in the rain on the autoroute). But damage to the car from gravel* etc are all covered by the policies I am looking at. The main issue I have is whether or not to include the SLI. That said, another issue is whether car hirers in Oz are willing to sign off a car on its return. Or do they - like those in the USA - insist on you dropping the car off and leaving them to "find" scratches etc later - possibly after the cars been scraped in their yard? *though I'm too old to chance driving unpaved roads in a hire car in remote locations so we'll be sticking to the Stuart Highway etc My wife and I hired a 4WD campervan (brand spanking new) for 9 weeks in Australia earlier this year from one of the major companies. We relied on the hire company's insurance cover which seemed OK. We drove more than 16,000 km, about 4,000 of that on dirt/gravel roads and tracks with quite a few creek crossings. At the end of the hire the hire company rep gave the van a 60-second inspection and signed it off on the spot. They will sign off on the spot as Norman says. I am not sure what extra policy you are contemplating I do take extra coverage with me through my travel insurance. I did have an accident in Tasmania, but that time my coverage had been arranged locally so I do not know if supplemental insurance was a part, but I did not have to pay even though the front corner of the driver's side was clipped by a right turning vehicle. Joseph Coulter Joseph Coulter Cruises and Vacations www.josephcoulter.com |
Car Hire in Australia: need for SLI?
On Sun, 03 Jan 2010 12:37:02 GMT, "neverwas"
wrote: In summary, is it sensible to take out Supplementary Liability Insurance (SLI) when hiring cars in Victoria, New South Wales, Northern Territory and Queensland? I have read past threads about car hire insurance but cannot find a clear answer. This is partly because I cannot find out just what is covered by the mandatory insurance. By way of background: o we are UK residents o we shall be hiring cars in Melbourne, Sydney, Ayers Rock and Cairns o we intend to take out separate insurance against excess, tyres, windows etc from Questor or the like since the hire companies charges seem exorbitant (eg AUD33 a day from Thrifty in Ayers Rock). o the separate insurance providers invariably offer policies with and without SLI. I know that SLI is highly desirable (in my view essential unless one is a gambler) in the USA and Canada where there is otherwise little or no cover for third party liabilities What I can't find is the position in Australia (in the States/Territories mentioned above) as regards damage to third parties and third party property. The hirers sites generally just say that compulsory third party insurance imposed by the various State and Territory Registration Authorities is included in the cost (often with a fee shown for it). But I can't see what it covers and for how much. Any advice - if only on where to look - would be much appreciated. |
Car Hire in Australia: need for SLI?
On Sun, 03 Jan 2010 12:37:02 GMT, "neverwas"
wrote: In summary, is it sensible to take out Supplementary Liability Insurance (SLI) when hiring cars in Victoria, New South Wales, Northern Territory and Queensland? I have read past threads about car hire insurance but cannot find a clear answer. This is partly because I cannot find out just what is covered by the mandatory insurance. By way of background: o we are UK residents o we shall be hiring cars in Melbourne, Sydney, Ayers Rock and Cairns o we intend to take out separate insurance against excess, tyres, windows etc from Questor or the like since the hire companies charges seem exorbitant (eg AUD33 a day from Thrifty in Ayers Rock). o the separate insurance providers invariably offer policies with and without SLI. I know that SLI is highly desirable (in my view essential unless one is a gambler) in the USA and Canada where there is otherwise little or no cover for third party liabilities What I can't find is the position in Australia (in the States/Territories mentioned above) as regards damage to third parties and third party property. The hirers sites generally just say that compulsory third party insurance imposed by the various State and Territory Registration Authorities is included in the cost (often with a fee shown for it). But I can't see what it covers and for how much. Any advice - if only on where to look - would be much appreciated. Supplemental (how apropos!) to my other note, I recommend either their insurance or a coverage from a third party (be sure that you are covered in Australia as OZ and NZ are often included with Italy as exceptions to general coverage. There are a lot of nocturnal beasts who seem intent on destroying the invasive car population one car per beast. |
Car Hire in Australia: need for SLI?
"neverwas" wrote in message m... In summary, is it sensible to take out Supplementary Liability Insurance (SLI) when hiring cars in Victoria, New South Wales, Northern Territory and Queensland? I have read past threads about car hire insurance but cannot find a clear answer. This is partly because I cannot find out just what is covered by the mandatory insurance. By way of background: o we are UK residents o we shall be hiring cars in Melbourne, Sydney, Ayers Rock and Cairns o we intend to take out separate insurance against excess, tyres, windows etc from Questor or the like since the hire companies charges seem exorbitant (eg AUD33 a day from Thrifty in Ayers Rock). o the separate insurance providers invariably offer policies with and without SLI. I know that SLI is highly desirable (in my view essential unless one is a gambler) in the USA and Canada where there is otherwise little or no cover for third party liabilities What I can't find is the position in Australia (in the States/Territories mentioned above) as regards damage to third parties and third party property. The hirers sites generally just say that compulsory third party insurance imposed by the various State and Territory Registration Authorities is included in the cost (often with a fee shown for it). But I can't see what it covers and for how much. Any advice - if only on where to look - would be much appreciated. -- R From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_insurance "In South Australia, Third Party Personal insurance from the Motor Accident Commission is included in the licence registration fee for people over 16. A similar scheme applies in Western Australia. "In Victoria, Third Party Personal insurance from the Transport Accident Commission is similarly included, through a levy, in the vehicle registration fee. "In New South Wales, Compulsory Third Party Insurance (commonly known as CTP Insurance) is a mandatory requirement and each individual car must be insured or the vehicle will not be considered legal. Therefore, a motorist cannot drive the vehicle until it is insured. A 'Green Slip,'[citation needed] another name CTP Insurance is commonly known by due to the colour of the pages the form is printed on, must be obtained through one of the seven main insurers in New South Wales. "In Queensland, CTP is a mandatory part of registration for a vehicle. There is choice of insurer but price is government controlled in a tight band. "These state based third party insurance schemes usually cover only personal injury liability. Comprehensive vehicle insurance is sold separately to cover property damage and cover can be for events such as fire, theft, collision and other property damage." I hope this helps. Not sure of the exact coverage but I doubt if many Australians take out extra insurance of the kind you are thinking about. Perhaps you could check out the web pages of the various licensing authorities. Gerrit |
Car Hire in Australia: need for SLI?
As I understand it:
1. You don't have to worry about personal injury insurance; all States have such insurance included as part of the car's registration. (CTP = compulsory third party insurance; all registered vehicles are so covered). You can't even buy such insurance excepting as part of registering a vehicle. 2. Most car rental places already include some form of damage insurance, its just that these typically have quite high excesses (eg you pay the first $2,000 on any claim). In this case, you are really only insuring the excess. If they don't explain this on their web pages, I am sure you could ring them and ask them. This is called "CDW" or collision damage waiver insurance, though it covers theft etc as well. 3. All rental car insurance is a rip-off, and those policies offered at the point-of-sale by the car rental company are a massive rip-off. 4. If you rent a car using an Amex credit card, its quite possible that you will get free CDW through Amex (which shows you what a rip-off this insurance is, that Amex gives it away free). 5. If you can't get free CDW insurance through Amex, my suggestion would be to find a car rental company with a reasonable excess, and simply don't bother. |
Car Hire in Australia: need for SLI?
[Default] On Sun, 03 Jan 2010 16:00:14 GMT, "neverwas" offered the following words of wisdom: almostbob wrote: gravel roads, road trains, roos, completely different to what most tourists have encountered b4, high likelihood of glass damage but still more like buying the car again $230/week $33/day isnt bad, for the rental co Fair point (although I am not sure why road trains are a bigger risk than French artics tail-gating me at 110 kph in the rain on the autoroute). Do NOT expect to find the same standard of roading in OZ as you enjoy in Europe |
Car Hire in Australia: need for SLI?
SLI is not required in Australia.
Personal injury insurance (for all except the driver in some states) is included either in Licence fees or in vehicle registration. Check on glass coverage, but it is usually included in the vehicle insurance. Also check the 'excess' (called deductible in the USA) you will be required to pay if you claim. It can be as much as $500 - but can be covered by a small daily payment, which gives you a 'No-Excess' coverage. Be very careful of most small 'single office' care hire places. While most are ethical a small number of these 'independents' rip extras and penalty fees off from your signed credit card authorisation without any approval after you've returned the car. Stick to a 'major' hirers for certainty. .. "neverwas" wrote in message m... In summary, is it sensible to take out Supplementary Liability Insurance (SLI) when hiring cars in Victoria, New South Wales, Northern Territory and Queensland? I have read past threads about car hire insurance but cannot find a clear answer. This is partly because I cannot find out just what is covered by the mandatory insurance. By way of background: o we are UK residents o we shall be hiring cars in Melbourne, Sydney, Ayers Rock and Cairns o we intend to take out separate insurance against excess, tyres, windows etc from Questor or the like since the hire companies charges seem exorbitant (eg AUD33 a day from Thrifty in Ayers Rock). o the separate insurance providers invariably offer policies with and without SLI. I know that SLI is highly desirable (in my view essential unless one is a gambler) in the USA and Canada where there is otherwise little or no cover for third party liabilities What I can't find is the position in Australia (in the States/Territories mentioned above) as regards damage to third parties and third party property. The hirers sites generally just say that compulsory third party insurance imposed by the various State and Territory Registration Authorities is included in the cost (often with a fee shown for it). But I can't see what it covers and for how much. Any advice - if only on where to look - would be much appreciated. -- R |
Car Hire in Australia: need for SLI?
[Default] On Sun, 03 Jan 2010 16:00:14 GMT, "neverwas" offered the following words of wisdom: almostbob wrote: gravel roads, road trains, roos, completely different to what most tourists have encountered b4, high likelihood of glass damage but still more like buying the car again $230/week $33/day isnt bad, for the rental co Fair point (although I am not sure why road trains are a bigger risk than French artics tail-gating me at 110 kph in the rain on the autoroute). But damage to the car from gravel* etc are all covered by the policies I am looking at. The main issue I have is whether or not to include the SLI. Having spent a fair amount of time driving around the UK I must say that one of the biggest mistakes you could make is expecting the roading standards in OZ to be like those you're used to in the UK. To put it another way, I live in New Zealand and I always get SLI whenever I rent a car in either NZ or OZ because I'd rather pay the extra premium for "peace of mind" than get a nasty surprise on my credit card. |
Car Hire in Australia: need for SLI?
" A Mate" wrote in message u... SLI is not required in Australia. Personal injury insurance (for all except the driver in some states) is included either in Licence fees or in vehicle registration. Check on glass coverage, but it is usually included in the vehicle insurance. Also check the 'excess' (called deductible in the USA) you will be required to pay if you claim. It can be as much as $500 - but can be covered by a small daily payment, which gives you a 'No-Excess' coverage. Be very careful of most small 'single office' care hire places. While most are ethical a small number of these 'independents' rip extras and penalty fees off from your signed credit card authorisation without any approval after you've returned the car. Stick to a 'major' hirers for certainty. . And another thing. Check the insurance papers to ensure you are covered for single vehicle accidents. Not all have those covered. |
Car Hire in Australia: need for SLI?
|
Car Hire in Australia: need for SLI?
They will sign off on the spot as Norman says. I am not sure what
extra policy you are contemplating I do take extra coverage with me through my travel insurance. I did have an accident in Tasmania, but that time my coverage had been arranged locally so I do not know if supplemental insurance was a part, but I did not have to pay even though the front corner of the driver's side was clipped by a right turning vehicle. Thanks (to you and Norman). An example of the insurance I have in mind is www.questor-insurance.co.uk It seems to be pretty much a UK-based product - possibly driven by the number of Brits who fly/hire rather than enduring a channel crossing. -- R |
Car Hire in Australia: need for SLI?
I hope this helps.
Not sure of the exact coverage but I doubt if many Australians take out extra insurance of the kind you are thinking about. Perhaps you could check out the web pages of the various licensing authorities. yes, thanks. But sadly Wikipedia doesn't give figures so it looks as if I'll be off to look for those state by state. I put it that way 'cos in some US States there are similar requirements for 3rd party liability cover but the sum assured can be as low as USD 15,000. The impression I'm getting is that Oz is more regulated than that but it'd be nice to be sure. -- R |
Car Hire in Australia: need for SLI?
I think most major credit cards do this, at least if you're above the
basic level. I know my Visa Platinum card does. FWIW nor do any of my 3 UK credit cards provide cover for car hire. -- R |
Car Hire in Australia: need for SLI?
Check on glass coverage, but it is usually included in the vehicle
insurance. Also check the 'excess' (called deductible in the USA) you will be required to pay if you claim. It can be as much as $500 - but can be covered by a small daily payment, which gives you a 'No-Excess' coverage. Not in any of the firms I've checked so far. Indeed, my impression (albeit just from a handul of trips in recent years) is that all the main companies now exclude damage to windows, lights, tyres and underbody (and towing cost following any accident) from their basic insurance so they can then sell you an expensive add-on policy. Be very careful of most small 'single office' care hire places. Check the insurance papers to ensure you are covered for single vehicle accidents. Not all have those covered. Thanks. My checklist is growing fast. -- R |
Car Hire in Australia: need for SLI?
Having spent a fair amount of time driving around the UK I must say that one of the biggest mistakes you could make is expecting the roading standards in OZ to be like those you're used to in the UK. Point taken - although with the past 4 weeks freezing weather here, and the squeeze on public expenditure, I've seen more potholes and gravel driving around East London in the past week than I met in 3,000 miles in NZ. BTW, If anyone wants to enjoy really good road surfaces in the Podes I recommend Southern Spain: the combination of no frost and vast EU subsidies (grrrrrrrrrr). To put it another way, I live in New Zealand and I always get SLI whenever I rent a car in either NZ or OZ because I'd rather pay the extra premium for "peace of mind" than get a nasty surprise on my credit card. May I check that it is SLI - ie cover for third party liabilities - rather than collision excess waiver or the like? Sorry to ask but I'm wondering if I am using the wrong language. -- R |
Car Hire in Australia: need for SLI?
On Mon, 04 Jan 2010 21:41:38 GMT, "neverwas"
wrote: I think most major credit cards do this, at least if you're above the basic level. I know my Visa Platinum card does. FWIW nor do any of my 3 UK credit cards provide cover for car hire. It sounds like you are contemplating the kind of third party insurance that I encourage and that I take on my rentals in Australia. ie in lieu of the CDW from the car hire company. Joseph Coulter Joseph Coulter Cruises and Vacations www.josephcoulter.com |
They will sign off on the spot as Norman says. I am not sure what
extra policy you are contemplating I do take extra coverage with me through my travel insurance. I did have an accident in Tasmania, but that time my coverage had been arranged locally so I do not know if supplemental insurance was a part, but I did not have to pay even though the front corner of the driver's side was clipped by a right turning vehicle. |
Car Hire in Australia: need for SLI?
"Joseph Coulter" wrote in message ... On Mon, 04 Jan 2010 21:41:38 GMT, "neverwas" wrote: I think most major credit cards do this, at least if you're above the basic level. I know my Visa Platinum card does. FWIW nor do any of my 3 UK credit cards provide cover for car hire. It sounds like you are contemplating the kind of third party insurance that I encourage and that I take on my rentals in Australia. ie in lieu of the CDW from the car hire company. Joseph Coulter Joseph Coulter Cruises and Vacations www.josephcoulter.com You probably recommend it because it has very fat margins. By any reasonable standards, CDW from car hire companies is a complete rip-off. I insure a $60,000 motor car for about $800 per annum, or about $2.50 per day. That's $2.50 to insure a $60,000 loss. The excess on most car rentals is $2,000, and that is all most CDW covers. It typically costs $20/day. So when I am driving my own car, $2.50 a day carries a $60,000 risk. If I am driving a rental car, $20 carries a $2,000 risk. The insurance per dollar covered for CDW is 240 times as much for other car insurance. That's basically why some credit card companies give it away for free. The real value of insuring a $2,000 excess through CDW is probably closer to $2,000/$60,000 * $2.50, which is about 8 cents a day. Small enough for credit card companies to give it away for free. Yet car companies charge $20/day. And many people buy it, because they can't work out the math to realise what a rip-off it truly is. |
Car Hire in Australia: need for SLI?
snip
It sounds like you are contemplating the kind of third party insurance that I encourage and that I take on my rentals in Australia. ie in lieu of the CDW from the car hire company. Joseph Coulter Joseph Coulter Cruises and Vacations www.josephcoulter.com You probably recommend it because it has very fat margins. By any reasonable standards, CDW from car hire companies is a complete rip-off. snip Possibly some misunderstanding here? I can't speak for Joseph Coulter's intended meaning but what I took him to mean was that he buys insurance from a company *other than the car hire company* to cover the excess on damage plus such things as damage to tyres & windscreen. That's what I am now doing with Questor (http://www.questor-insurance.co.uk/). Interestingly their annual policy for the world for 2 drivers (but excluding SLI) costs GBP 60 (c. AUD 105 or AUD 0.30 per day) for cover up to USD 80,000 for damage. That seems to me not bad at all - bearing in mind that then when I used to deal with the car industry 20-odd years ago they had firm figures to show drivers treat company and hire cars differently from their own cars. -- R |
Car Hire in Australia: need for SLI?
On Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:01:14 GMT, "neverwas"
wrote: Possibly some misunderstanding here? I can't speak for Joseph Coulter's intended meaning but what I took him to mean was that he buys insurance from a company *other than the car hire company* to cover the excess on damage plus such things as damage to tyres & windscreen. That's what I am now doing with Questor (http://www.questor-insurance.co.uk/). Interestingly their annual policy for the world for 2 drivers (but excluding SLI) costs GBP 60 (c. AUD 105 or AUD 0.30 per day) for cover up to USD 80,000 for damage. That seems to me not bad at all - bearing in mind that then when I used to deal with the car industry 20-odd years ago they had firm figures to show drivers treat company and hire cars differently from their own cars. Thank you.. |
Car Hire in Australia: need for SLI?
"neverwas" wrote in message om... snip It sounds like you are contemplating the kind of third party insurance that I encourage and that I take on my rentals in Australia. ie in lieu of the CDW from the car hire company. Joseph Coulter Joseph Coulter Cruises and Vacations www.josephcoulter.com You probably recommend it because it has very fat margins. By any reasonable standards, CDW from car hire companies is a complete rip-off. snip Possibly some misunderstanding here? I can't speak for Joseph Coulter's intended meaning but what I took him to mean was that he buys insurance from a company *other than the car hire company* to cover the excess on damage plus such things as damage to tyres & windscreen. That's what I am now doing with Questor (http://www.questor-insurance.co.uk/). Interestingly their annual policy for the world for 2 drivers (but excluding SLI) costs GBP 60 (c. AUD 105 or AUD 0.30 per day) for cover up to USD 80,000 for damage. That seems to me not bad at all - bearing in mind that then when I used to deal with the car industry 20-odd years ago they had firm figures to show drivers treat company and hire cars differently from their own cars. My argument was CDW from car hire companies was a complete rip-off. Other sources may be OK. (Indeed, as others have confirmed, some credit card companies incude it for free, which is a very good deal indeed). -- R |
Car Hire in Australia: need for SLI?
I've been reading past threads as well and I'm really interested with the extra liability insurance so thanks for doing the difficult job of finding out more about it. I like to travel at my own pace so having that kind of assurance is perfect for me. -- leila Message origin: TRAVEL.com |
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