Did you know the leading cause of frustration, anxiety and financial distress when renting is a damaged vehicle? And nothing ruins a well-planned trip more than an insurance claim!

When you rent a vehicle in Australia you are, by default, 100% liable for all damage to the vehicle, and any damage to other vehicles or property. The only liability that you don’t have to worry about is that from injuring another person. This is always covered by the compulsory CTP insurance required on all vehicles in Australia.

Sounds scary? First thing’s first – provided you don’t break the Terms and Conditions of the Rental Agreement, if your rental vehicle is stolen or damaged your liability is limited to the amount of ‘excess’ (aka Damage Liability Fee) noted in your Rental Agreement.  This ‘excess’ is simply the reduction of your liability from the full amount of damage down to the limit on the Rental Agreement.

The exception to this, includes:

  • any Exclusions, i.e. overhead, underbody, hail and water damage
  • whether your damage is a single incident or multiple
  • any surcharges for a Single Vehicle Accidents (SVA).

Exclusions are the situations that are simply not covered by any level of protection cover. For instance, even if you purchased Extra Cover with all the additional options available, you must still pay for:

  • Each event of damage or loss
  • Any damage to the windscreen, glass, or tyres
  • All damage to the roof or underbody
  • Using the wrong fuel type
  • Driving on unsealed roads, or above the ‘snow line’ unless you have purchased snow cover
  • Loss or damage to any accessories added to the vehicle (baby seats etc)
  • Leaving the scene of an accident without collecting the required information for the Vehicle Incident Report Form (VIRF).

SVAs are incidents that incur a surcharge on top of your required ‘excess’.  When you have an accident (or otherwise cause damage) without another car involved, except for a parked car which is also considered an SVA, you will be liable for an additional fee. This includes if you can’t identify the vehicle you had a collision with.

Identifying a Single Vehicle Accident

Confused? For a full explanation and comparison between the protection options available at Everything Fleet, keep reading. We hope to save your sanity and some dollars!

Everything Fleet has two main levels of protection cover options available that determine the amount of ‘excess’ you will pay.

Standard Cover

Our vehicles have a standard level of coverage included in the price at no additional cost. If there is damage to the vehicle, windscreen, tyres, theft or third-party loss instead of being liable for the full cost, your liability is reduced to the Standard Cover amount (provided the Terms and Conditions have not been breached).

Extra Cover

If you want greater peace of mind, you have the option to purchase Extra Cover (for an additional daily fee) to reduce your Damage Liability Fee. Extra Cover reduces your liability from the Standard Cover to the Extra Cover amount.

Note: Standard and Extra Cover is subject to complying with the Terms and Conditions. Standard and Extra Cover does not cover any loss or damage due to hail, water, overhead and underbody damage. Put simply, you are liable for the costs associated if there is damage to these areas.

Need a little more cover?

We understand that sometimes you might need additional cover to suit your driving situation. Which is why, on top of our Standard and Extra Cover, we offer optional extras for an additional daily fee, allowing you to update your cover until it’s just right. Speak to one of our staff to work out your best option.

Windscreen and Tyre Protection – waives the liability fee for any Glass or Tyre Damage. This excludes rims or damage that occurs in a multi-vehicle accident.

Premium Roadside Assistance – this covers you for events such as Flat Tyre Assistance, Battery Assistance and Vehicle Lock-out Service. Purchasing our optional Premium Roadside Assistance, negates the need for an additional call out fee.

Want to know more? Let us help you work through it. Contact our team who will be happy to answer any questions you have.