Deposit and Insurance Excess

What’s the difference between deposit and excess insurance?

It can be a little confusing, so we hope the below breakdown helps. If you need any further information, please contact us on hello@theout.com 

Starting with the deposit, what is it for? 

The reason we require a deposit is to cover any damage to the vehicle, late returns or other problems that can occur during a booking. Like every other car rental company, we take a deposit before your rental starts. We do this via an authorisation on the original payment method used to confirm the booking, i.e. the deposit amount is held on your card but not charged.
Please note that the deposit must be taken from the same card in which the booking was made.

When do I get my deposit back?

The deposit is authorised on the main driver’s credit card or debit card 24h before your rental starts. Once the vehicle is picked up, checked over by one of our drivers and no damage is to be found, the deposit is released within 48 hours. Please note that depending on your bank it can take between 3 and 10 working days for the deposit amount to appear back in your account. 

Can I reduce my deposit? 

Unfortunately not, we need to hold onto the full deposit amount for the duration of the rental. 

What is the insurance excess for?

Every booking includes insurance and like any insurance product (cars, houses, mobile phones) includes an excess amount that has to be paid when a claim is made.

So, if something goes wrong and the vehicle gets damaged, provided you adhere to our T&C’s and usage policies, you are only liable for the insurance excess, not the full damage cost, which we then take from your deposit (up to max. value of your deposit). 

This includes damage to the bodywork such as scratches, broken or chipped windscreens, punctured tyres, scuffed wheels, damage to the underbody and even misfuelling the car.

Can I protect my insurance excess?

Yes, you can take out Vehicle Hire Excess Insurance (VHEI). Not the catchiest name in the world, but if you take VHEI out and something does happen to the car you can file a claim via our VHEI provider. Please see full details here.

OK so how does Vehicle Hire Excess Insurance (VHEI) work?

Here’s an example; 

You are off to a friend's wedding in the Cotswolds. Nice. You book a Land Rover Discovery Sport for the weekend and during the rental, a parking misadventure means an alloy wheel is scratched. 

Upon collection of the car, our driver verifies the damage, the car is then sent off to be fixed. The scuffed wheel is repaired at a cost of £180, which is taken from your deposit. That’s it. 

If you purchased Vehicle Hire Excess Insurance (VHEI), we still need to take the £180 from your deposit, but you can file a claim to get the amount back from the VHEI provider. 

Can I get more information on Vehicle Hire Excess Insurance (VHEI)? 

Please click here for more detailed information.