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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To cancel holiday due to anxiety over driving

112 replies

anxious88 · 02/08/2020 16:35

I’ve done something incredibly stupid and am feeling terrible. I’m fully prepared to be told that I’m a total idiot but please try to be a bit kind.

I’m off on holiday in the UK tomorrow with DH. I collected a rental car earlier today and declined to take out the car hire company’s insurance, because I was planning to buy third party insurance with one of those online companies that are much more affordable. However, what I stupidly didn’t realise is that I had to purchase the insurance before collecting the car, which in hindsight of course makes complete sense.

I’m now feeling incredibly anxious about driving without additional insurance, because if I do have an accident or even just a scrape then I’ll be liable for up to £1,000 per incident in damages. The holiday is a 250 mile round trip and will involve leaving the car parked in a car park for some of the time, as well as a bit of driving while we’re there.

If we were to cancel the trip now, we would have to pay the full rental fee for the cottage we’ve hired as it’s less than 24 hours notice, and would also have to pay a £130 penalty refund fee if we cut the car hire booking short and took the vehicle back now.

I’ve told DH that I want to cancel because I’m too anxious to drive and he’s really upset, as we were really looking forward to getting away after lockdown. However he has said that if I really don’t feel up to driving then I can cancel if I want.

DH doesn’t drive, so there’s no option but for me to do all the driving. Our destination is hard to get to by train and we also have a new baby with all the additional stuff that requires, so a car is just far more convenient.

I know I’ve been a total idiot messing up such a basic detail like insurance and am feeling so nervous and panicky about driving without it. AIBU to take the car back now and cancel the trip, with all the fees that will incur?

Thanks for reading.

OP posts:
Timekeeper1 · 02/08/2020 17:40

Why doesn't your husband drive?

You are saying you will have to cancel the trip, when all you have to do is ring up or go to the car company and say you would like to purchase insurance. That's all you have to do. Is just ask.

QuestionableMouse · 02/08/2020 17:42

@daisychain01

I collected a rental car earlier today and declined to take out the car hire company’s insurance, because I was planning to buy third party insurance with one of those online companies that are much more affordable.

So, just to clarify, you booked a rental vehicle which you collected, but failed to produce evidence that you had valid insurance?

I don't know a car hire company that would let you drive away in their vehicle without obtaining proof of valid insurance and valid current driving license.

I’m now feeling incredibly anxious about driving without additional insurance, because if I do have an accident or even just a scrape then I’ll be liable for up to £1,000 per incident in damages

So you're contemplating driving in the vehicle knowing you are not covered with any insurance? You do realise just that act alone, driving with no insurance, irrespective of whether or not you have an accident is breaking the law. I'm speechless!

The @anxious88 has normal car insurance. They're fretting because they don't have the extra damage cover in case the car gets bashed in a car park or whatever.
CheetasOnFajitas · 02/08/2020 17:43

Take a deep breath. This insurance situation is completely resolveable. You’re clearly anxious about driving with your new baby and you’re fixating on insurance instead of the real issue. I’m guessing that, since you have hired a car, you are not a regular driver? And maybe you don’t go on motorways much?

Plan the journey to have very frequent stops. Remember you are in control and you don’t have to rush, just take it gently and as the journey goes on you’ll relax into it. Your DH is not a driver but he can still help you by double checking with you that it’s clear to pull out at tricky junctions etc, or if it makes you feel better he could even sit in the back with the baby for a bit so that he can comfort her if she gets upset.
If it helps calm your nerves, take the car for a 20 minute drive tomorrow by yourself, before setting out on the big journey.

And if the worst comes to the worst, (which I don’t think it will as you can probably get the company to add the extra cover tomorrow) you might have to pay £1000, but it’s only money.
Have a lovely holiday.

SockYarn · 02/08/2020 17:43

I am assuming the OP means additional collision insurance, or super-damage waiver.

The car WILL be insured. But hire cars usually have a much higher excess - which is why the OP is mentioning £1000. You can pay extra to bring this excess down to a more sensible amount, but this is optional.

2155User · 02/08/2020 17:45

Surely I can’t be the only one that never forks out for the additional car hire insurance?!

CheetasOnFajitas · 02/08/2020 17:46

Yes, OP has basic insurance. The car hire company would not have let her drive away in their car without that. It’s impossible to hire a car without any insurance! What she is talking about is an extra payment to reduce the excess.

Floralnomad · 02/08/2020 17:46

What insurance do you have @anxious88 if you’ve declined the car hire companies and you don’t actually own your own car ?

LockdownDowner · 02/08/2020 17:46

YABU for not trying to sort it out first. A simple call to the car hire company will establish if you can still add on the additional insurance - they may have to inspect the car in order to check there has not been any damage.

SockYarn · 02/08/2020 17:48

@2155User we never usually do in Europe. We did the first time we went to the US partly because costs of being involved in an accident there can be so much higher.

We must have hired dozens of cars all over Europe and the US, everything from a wee Smart car to a massive US people carrier. Never ever been charged any damage or been in an accident. And DH and I aren't Lewis Hamilton style expert drivers, we're just ordinary people.

CheetasOnFajitas · 02/08/2020 17:48

@2155User I never buy it. But I do have enough savings that the big excess would not be a financial issue for me. Some people are in a tighter situation. However I don’t think that money is what OP is really worried about.

CheetasOnFajitas · 02/08/2020 17:48

@Floralnomad

What insurance do you have *@anxious88* if you’ve declined the car hire companies and you don’t actually own your own car ?
She has declined the EXTRA insurance.
gobbynorthernbird · 02/08/2020 17:51

OP, whatever you do don't lie to an insurance company like some PP have suggested. You'd risk the policy being voided from inception.

amatsip · 02/08/2020 17:54

I work for enterprise, the excess is £1000 and £13.50 a day to reduce to £100. Lol into branch and they can check condition of car and add it on, no biggie happens daily.

amatsip · 02/08/2020 17:54

Pop not lol

Original poster
anxious88 · 02/08/2020 17:54

Yes, OP has basic insurance. The car hire company would not have let her drive away in their car without that. It’s impossible to hire a car without any insurance!

This!

I will give them a call tomorrow morning and see what can be done. If they can't add the insurance on then I suppose we'll just have to take our chances, but I'd rather not be a nervous wreck worrying about the car all holiday!

The insurance company would know if you took out insurance after hiring the car because they'd no doubt want to see the rental agreement in the event of any accident.

OP posts:
QuestionableMouse · 02/08/2020 17:56

@Floralnomad

What insurance do you have *@anxious88* if you’ve declined the car hire companies and you don’t actually own your own car ?
Additional damage protection insurance. 🙄🙄
BikeRunSki · 02/08/2020 17:57

Do you mean the additional insurance to cover the excess? Because hire cars come with a basic level of insurance. You are insured !

Original poster
anxious88 · 02/08/2020 17:58

Do you mean the additional insurance to cover the excess? Because hire cars come with a basic level of insurance. You are insured !

Sorry yes, that is what I meant! It's the additional insurance that I don't have.

OP posts:
fflelp · 02/08/2020 18:03

Phone them up and ask if it's possible.
If it isn't, I'd just go anyway. You already have the basic insurance. The worst case scenario is that there is a big accident and the car ends up with a lot of damage in which case it will cost 1000.
If there was minor damage you would have to pay for that up to 1000.
The most likely scenario is that there is no damage at all.

You would be losing a lot of money anyway if you cancel the holiday because of this. So you are potentially losing out either way. If you go, at least you will have a nice holiday even if the car ends up scratched.

Floralnomad · 02/08/2020 18:04

In that case you are being ridiculous to think of cancelling a holiday .

mogloveseggs · 02/08/2020 18:05

Ring them now? Surely they'll be open

CheetasOnFajitas · 02/08/2020 18:05

I'd rather not be a nervous wreck worrying about the car all holiday!

Would paying £1000 (absolute worst case scenario) really be the end of the world? Why not try to put that worry into perspective and forget about it?

kindler · 02/08/2020 18:07

Something similar happened to us once - needed to get insurance after we rented car. Car hire company just wanted to check no damage since we’d collected it - so had to take it back for them to check - then they let us buy the additional insurance.

Original poster
anxious88 · 02/08/2020 18:08

Would paying £1000 (absolute worst case scenario) really be the end of the world? Why not try to put that worry into perspective and forget about it?

Well, it's £1,000 per incident I believe - so if you were unlucky enough to have two knocks that would be £2,000; three knocks £3,000!

OP posts:
Original poster
anxious88 · 02/08/2020 18:09

They're closed now unfortunately because it's a Sunday, so I'll have to wait until tomorrow to call.

OP posts:
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