Your hired car provision may not be comprehensive enough to meet your needs.
Alexander Forbes Insurance believes that you should plan ahead and investigate the possibility of extending your replacement car hire cover on your motor policy.
Gari Dombo, MD of Alexander Forbes Insurance, suggests extending your car hire from thirty days to sixty days because it is common for vehicles to take longer than thirty days to be repaired 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.
Dombo highlights that paying a little bit more will reduce one’s frustration of being without transport.
“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 Dombo stresses the need to fully understand and be aware of the terms of your motor vehicle insurance contract. “You may need to extend your car hire cover.”
Also view:
Car Rental/ Car Hire and Road Safety