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Insurance excess mitigation on hire cars?

I have use of a hire car after a minor ‘no fault’ incident. The hire company damage excess being £300 (reflecting that of my own policy) regardless of how any damage is caused. I have rightly but begrudgingly chosen to negate this with £70’s worth of excess mitigation insurance to the hire company.

If, for example, some unknown person ‘keys’ my car, I have the option of having it cosmetically repaired at my expense at around £70, thus avoiding my own policy excess costs. If on the other hand the hire car is damaged in this (or any other) way, I’d have to fork out £300, with little chance of any change.

It cannot be morally right that I cannot re-claim this premium from the other party’s insurer via my own policy's Legal Protection, and I’m down £70.

Asked on 7 December 2015 by Whatdowepayourroadtaxfor

Answered by Honest John
I'd guess that your hire car is actually a Credit Hire car, the cost of which you are directly liable for if the 3rd party insurer challenges the cost of it. Accident Management is a racket, Credit Hire is a racket and the excess mitigation situation you describe is also a racket. There are more crooks in the Insurance, Accident Management and Credit Hire businesses than there are in prison. But no private individual has the money to take a case to the High Court and challenge them (£200k), so they don't.

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