If you’re renting a car on Discover Cars, you’ll come across an option to purchase Discover Cars Insurance. This insurance is also known as Full Coverage. Many people are unsure whether to pay the extra amount to include Full Coverage. In this guide, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about Discover Cars Insurance. By reading this guide, you’ll know exactly what Full Coverage is and whether it’s worth purchasing.
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Table of Contents
1. Is Your Discover Cars Rental Fully Covered?
When booking a rental car on Discover Cars, which is one of the best online car booking platforms, your car won’t be fully covered unless you purchase Full Coverage or you already have other car hire insurance.
Essentially, by booking a rental car on Discover Cars without comprehensive insurance, you’ll usually only have some basic cover included in the Rental Conditions. On Discover Cars, the coverage is listed under the Protection section in the Rental Conditions.
2. What Basic Cover Is Included on Discover Cars?
Most car hire companies on Discover Cars offer some basic insurance in their Rental Conditions. This usually includes Collision Damage Waiver, Theft Protection and Third-Party Liability.
If there are damages or the car is stolen, there is a deductible (AKA excess) to pay. The deductible sets the maximum amount you’ll have to pay, which saves you from having to fork out extortionate amounts in case something goes wrong. Let’s briefly look at these types of insurance below.
- Collision Damage Waiver: this waiver limits your financial liability for damages.
- Theft Protection: this waiver limits your financial liability if the rental car is stolen.
- Third-Party Liability: this is a legally compulsory coverage for all rental cars, that covers you for injuries and damage you may cause to others and other people’s property.
The deductible amount for Collision Damage Waiver and Theft Protection varies between car rental companies but is usually around $1,500–3,000USD. To find out the deductible amounts for your rental car on Discover Cars, check the Rental Conditions.
Even though the deductible limits your financial liability, you could still be significantly out of pocket if you have to pay it. Personally, in 2018, I was driving in Scotland and a rock fell down from the mountainside and cracked the windscreen. Without car hire insurance, I had to pay the deductible, which was around $2,000USD. Yes, I learnt my lesson the hard way!
To cut to the point, if something goes wrong during your rental period and you want to avoid paying the deductible, you’ll need car hire insurance. So, you may want to consider Discover Cars’ Full Coverage.
3. What Is Discover Cars Insurance (AKA Full Coverage)?
By having rental car insurance with Discover Cars (Full Coverage), you won’t be out of pocket if you need to pay any deductible. If you need to pay a deductible, which could be anywhere between $1,500–3,000USD, you’ll be compensated up to the stated amount on your Rental Conditions. Discover Cars Insurance usually covers up to around $3,300USD.
Undoubtedly, having full insurance with your rental car will give you peace of mind. By having Discover Cars Insurance or any other car hire insurance for that matter, we guarantee that you’ll feel less stress when driving your rental car during your travels. Unfortunately, even a safe driver isn’t immune from rental car damage.
And, if Sod’s Law is anything to go by, purchasing Full Coverage is a surefire way to avoid anything going wrong during your rental period. Adversely, without Full Coverage, you’re basically asking for problems with your rental car!
4. How Does Discover Cars Insurance Work?
First things first, you’ll need to purchase Discover Cars Insurance. Thankfully, it’s super easy to purchase Full Coverage during the process of booking the rental car on Discover Cars. After choosing what car you want to hire, you’ll simply scroll down and reach a section asking you whether you’d like to purchase Full Coverage. Simply select this option and you’ll have secured Discover Cars Insurance!
Thereafter, if your rental car is damaged or stolen, you’ll pay any related charges directly to the rental company. These charges may come out of your initial security deposit. Depending on the amount, you may even lose your entire deposit and need to pay the difference of the deductible.
Then, you’ll file a claim for compensation with Discover Cars and they’ll reimburse you for these charges up to the amount stated on your rental voucher (which is usually around $3,300USD).
Once the claim is processed, you should receive reimbursement. Bless Full Coverage!
Discover Cars Insurance (Full Coverage)
Search for a car rental on Discover Cars and add Full Coverage to ensure you are covered for any potential damage or theft.
5. What Does Discover Cars Insurance Cover?
Below, we’ll look at what Discover Cars Insurance includes.
- Damage to the car’s body, undercarriage (excluding mechanical parts), tires, wheels, roof, windshield, windows, mirrors, locks, and hubcaps, which are a result of a collision
- Charges for theft
- Towing expenses
- Taxi expenses directly related to an accident or mechanical problems
- Lost keys or lockout fees (such as fees for a locksmith)
- Administrative fees and rental repair charges related to any damages
For more information, read the general Discover Cars Rental Conditions. You should also read your specific Rental Conditions as set out by the car hire company that you’ve chosen to rent from.
6. What Doesn’t Discover Cars Insurance Cover?
Of course, Discover Cars Insurance doesn’t cover everything. Below, we’ll list what the Full coverage doesn’t include.
- Damage to personal possessions
- Damage that occurred while breaking any rental agreements, laws or during any traffic violations
- Damage to the car’s interior, mechanical parts or cleaning costs
- Damage from unforeseen circumstances such as extreme weather events, natural disasters or civil unrest
- Damage for driving off-road
- Any third-party damages
Again, for more information about exclusions, we recommend reading the general Discover Cars Rental Conditions and the specific Rental Conditions for your car hire.
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7. Does the Insurance Have Theft Protection?
Yes, Discover Cars Insurance does include theft protection for rental cars up to the limit stated in the Rental Conditions. Bear in mind, you’ll have to provide a written police report in your compensation claim. Additionally, your claim which must be submitted within 28 days of the drop-off date or the date the rented car was stolen.
8. How Much Is the Discover Cars Insurance?
For adults over 25 years of age, the Full Coverage offered on DiscoverCars.com will usually cost around $10USD/day. Compared with potentially paying the deductible, which could be anywhere between $1,500–3,000USD, this is really only a small amount to pay that’s well worth it.
Of course, each car rental company will offer their own insurance coverage at the counter. But, the rental car insurance offered by these companies is often overpriced. By already having Discover Cars Insurance, you won’t need to buy any additional car hire insurance from the rental agency itself. Thankfully, Discover Cars Insurance is much cheaper than insurance offered directly by rental vehicle companies.
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9. Do You Need to Leave a Security Deposit If You Buy Full Coverage?
Yes, even if you have Full Coverage, you’ll still have to pay this refundable security deposit. The security deposit amount varies from company to company. But, typically, the amount is usually around $1,000USD.
As mentioned, if something goes wrong with the rental car, you may only receive some of your deposit or you may lose the entire amount depending on the deductible payable. Thankfully, with Discover Cars Insurance, you’ll be refunded this amount up to the limit outlined in your Rental Conditions.
FYI – make sure to take a credit card for the deposit as car hire companies don’t usually accept or will charge you extra to use a debit card. Also, companies often don’t accept virtual payments, so make sure to take physical cards to make payments.
10. How Can You Add Full Coverage After Booking?
You can add Full Coverage after booking by going to the ‘My Booking’ section on Discover Cars. Then, simply add the insurance and pay for it. You’ll then receive a confirmation email with an updated rental voucher.
11. Can You Remove Full Coverage After Booking?
If you change your mind and no longer want Full Coverage after booking it, you’ll have to submit a request to Discover Cars before you pick up your rental car. The support team at Discover Cars will then be in touch to discuss the next steps.
12. How Do You Make a Full Coverage Claim?
To complete a Discover Cars Insurance claim, head to the ‘My Booking’ section on Discover Cars. Then, you’ll need to file a claim in order to get a Discover Cars refund. As mentioned, you’ll need to file the claim within 28 days of the rental car drop-off date or the date on which the rented car was no longer usable or stolen.
13. What Documents Do You Need to Lodge a Claim?
To lodge a compensation claim on Discover Cars, there are a few things that you’ll need to provide. Below, we’ll go through all of the documents and details you’ll need to successfully complete the claim.
- A written police report in some circumstances
- A copy of your ID card or passport
- A copy or screenshot of the bank statement or receipt confirming payment for the damage
- The rental agreement signed with the car hire company when you picked up the car (this isn’t the same as your rental voucher)
- A photo of the damage or incident as proof
- A checklist showing the damages you have paid for
- A copy of the final invoice showing the cost of the damage
Discover Cars will reimburse you through PayPal or a direct bank transfer. So, you’ll also need to provide your PayPal email address or bank details for a bank transfer
14. Is There a Discover Cars Insurance Phone Number?
As far as we’re aware, there isn’t a Discover Cars contact number. To contact Discover Cars Insurance customer service, go to the Help Center on their website and enter your booking number and email address to access your booking and request assistance.
15. Is Discover Cars Legit?
Yes, absolutely! Rest assured, Discover Cars is a legit award-winning third-party car rental company. They provide a reliable and safe platform, where it’s possible to rent a car in roughly 10,000 locations across 145 countries.
Personally, Beck and I have only had positive car rental experiences using Discover Cars. So, we highly recommend them.
Overall, Discover Cars reviews are positive and glowing. On Trustpilot, Discover Cars gets a rating of 4.6/5 stars with over 125,000 reviews. While on Google reviews, there are over 23,000 Discover Cars rental reviews, culminating in a rating of 4.4/5 stars.
Of course, you may have read negative reviews or Discover Cars complaints. Often, these reviews have a negative bias because many people simply don’t read or understand the rental conditions.
Was there anything unclear in this Discover Cars Insurance review? Please leave us a comment below to ask us questions that you have.
Dear Daniel, your article is very helpful. I want your experience in the following:
The car companies always claim (as I read) money for damages that do not exist (scratches etc) even if you have photos for the contrary. Even if Discovercars give the money back after a claim, you have to suffer all this procedure for claiming back. Isn’t better to buy a Zero Excess from the company in order to avoid all this, even if it is much more expenssive?
Thank you
Hi John,
You make a good point. Essentially, you pay a higher price to be insured directly with the car hire company. By doing so, this means you could avoid having to go through a potential claims process through a third-party insurer such as Discover Cars in the event you are charged for any damages.
To be honest, in my experience, most car hire companies won’t dishonestly charge you for damages, especially if you have proof (take a video of the car hire at pick-up), and as as long as you follow the rules and terms and conditions of the company you’re hiring from.
Of course, at the end of the day, it all comes down to personal preference and your stance on risk taking.
Cheers,
Dan
I read that full coverage insurance thru discover cars only covers up to 3300 usd. What covers the rest of the car if wrecked
Hi Brian,
Thankfully, most car rental agreements include a ‘Collision Damage Waiver’, which limits your liability during the rental period, setting the maximum amount of money you’ll have to pay for any potential new damages that occur during your rental period. Of course, double check your rental agreement includes a Collision Damage Waiver.
If the worse case scenario plays out, and you owe the car rental company the maximal amount set by the Collision Damage Waiver, Discover Cars Insurance will often cover this amount. So, that’s certainly one of the main reasons to have car rental insurance such as Discover Cars Insurance.
All the best,
Dan
Great summary! Thanks for taking the time and effort to explain insurance in understandable detail. We’re renting a car in Italy for 3 weeks and this really helps put my mind at ease.
Hi Eric,
It’s our pleasure, thanks for reading our blog. We’re glad you found this post about Discovers Cars Insurance to be helpful.
Have a great time in Italy.
Cheers,
Dan