Covers & Insurance

Frequently asked questions about covers & insurance

• Travel Insurance

  If you have already purchased your own travel insurance covering rental car hire, we recommend that you check your travel insurance policy carefully.

  Some insurers require you to take the excess reduction (“Reduced liability” above) and some policies may not cover you if you drive your rental car on unsealed roads.

  In the event of damage to your rental car we will charge your credit card with the applicable excess for your hire, and you would then need to lodge a claim with your travel insurer to claim the excess back on your return home.

  The same applies if you have purchased travel insurance from your travel agent.

  The applicable excess on your hire with us will be charged, and you would need to claim this charge back from your agent’s travel insurance provider on your return home.

• Are there any cover exclusions?

  Yes there are times when you won’t be covered by our insurance. They include:

  • When you drive your rental car on Ball Hut Road (Mount Cook), Skipper Road (Queenstown), 90 Mile Beach (Northland) and State Highway 38 Lake Waikaremoana, or any other ‘off-road’ driving. These roads are not part of normal touring routes.
  • Any off-road driving on beaches or off public roads.
  • Damaging the rental car purposely.
  • Driving recklessly, while intoxicated or in a rally or other competition.
  • Allowing unauthorised drivers to use the rental car.
  • Driving beyond the agreed return time.

  This information should be used as a guide only. You will be required to sign a car rental agreement when you collect your rental vehicle.

• What are your standard cover excess levels?

  Insurance excess applies with standard cover as follows.

  • Mitsubishi Lancer* and Super Saver* – NZ$1,500
  • Toyota Yaris* and Toyota Corolla* – NZ$2,500
  • Toyota RAV4 - 2WD and Toyota RAV4 - AWD* – NZ$3,000
  • Toyota Highlander*, Toyota Hilux* and Kia Carnival* – NZ$3,500
  • Hyundai iMax* and Toyota Hiace* – NZ$4,000

  *or vehicles in the same category

• How much will it cost to add the Stress-free cover (excess waiver) or the Hedge your bets (excess reduction) cover to my booking?

  You can opt to waive or reduce your cover excess on your hire by purchasing our additional Stress-Free cover (also called Collision Damage Waiver or CDW) or our Hedge-your-bets cover (also called Collision Damage Buydown or CDB) with your car hire. Our CDW and CDB options both include glass cover so you will be covered in the event of a stone chip or glass damage during your hire as well as accident damage to the vehicle. CDW and CDB daily rates start from just NZ$15 per day and reduce your liability for the vehicle during the hire down to either a zero excess with CDW or a substantially reduced excess with CDB.

  Our prices are shown as additional options in all rental vehicle quotations we provide.

  You can add your preferred coverage directly when making an online booking, or contact us or even enquire at our branches when picking up your rental car.

  Click here to read our full rental car agreement.