If you are renting a car overseas, you will most likely be offered additional car hire insurance or Super Collision Damage Waiver (SCDW). if you are wondering what is the meaning behind super cdw, we will go over it here.
What is SCDW?
When you rent a car the rental company will not let you start your journey without standard insurance protection. It can be the insurance from the company or with the renter's credit card.
All car rentals will at least need to have insurance called Collision Damage Waiver (CDW). It only covers the bodywork of the vehicle and it limits your financial liability in case of damages to the body of the hired vehicle. That is why most car rentals will offer add-on insurance called Super Collision Damage Waiver also known as Super CDW(SCDW) at the counter.
Super Collision Damage Waiver Meaning
When you rent a car in the US or Canada you will be offered to purchase a Collision Damage Waiver or not. In Europe, often you will be offered to purchase a Super Collision Damage Waiver (SCDW) this can also be called Super CDW. Super Collision Damage Waiver will lower the limit of the excess and may help you to avoid leaving a security deposit while you have the rental car. SCDW is charged per day, usually somewhere between 15-30 USD per day.
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Do I really need extra insurance if I have a Collision Damage Waiver?
The short reply would be no, Collision Damage Waiver can be sufficient enough or if you have insurance from your credit card company. However, it has its downsides where extra cover such as SCDW will come in handy. Below you will find the cons of not having extra protection for your car rental:
It offers limited coverage to the rental car
Collision Damage Waiver will only cover the bodywork of the car, so it will not cover any damages to tires, wheels, windows, engine, interior, undercarriage, etc. Add-on insurances will provide you with coverage for any damages that the CDW insurance simply does not cover.
There is a security deposit to be taken
Since Collision Damage Waiver does not cover more than the bodywork of the car and has an excess. The rental company will require a hold from your credit card while you have the rental car. With SCDW, in many cases, there will not be any hold taken from your credit card since the excess and risk have been minimized.
You still have an excess to pay
Although Collision Damage Waiver (CDW insurance) covers the bodywork of the car, you will still need to pay an excess in case there is damage to the car. This excess can be different between rental companies. This excess can be from 400 EUR to 4000EUR, it will depend on what car you rent and where you rent a car.
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Is Super Collision Damage Waiver enough?
Super Collision Damage Waiver (SCDW) is an insurance that will give you more insurance coverage than the standard Collision Damage Waiver. The Super CDW can give you peace of mind. It has a few great benefits:
It provides more coverage than CDW
All rental companies will have their own SCDW policy, but they will provide you with more coverage than only the bodywork. It still might have some parts of the car not covered, so we recommend you read through the rental company‘s policy before driving away with the rental car.
It lowers the excess
By purchasing Super Collision Damage Waiver you will lower the excess of your rental car. So in case, you will be unfortunate to have damage to your rental car, you have minimized what you will have to pay to the company. Some rental companies also offer their own zero excess insurance.
You can avoid leaving a security deposit
By taking extra coverage at the counter, many companies will not require you to leave a hold on your credit card. In other cases, this hold might be reduced by a significant amount. With this option, you will have less stress and can enjoy your trip with your rent a car.
There are many ways to cover your rental car. SCDW is one way to do so, each rental company will have its own policy. We all know that accidents can never be predicted, which is why we believe it is important to have the correct coverage to avoid unforeseen costs. Quick tip before you start the trip with your car rental. Always check the condition of the rental vehicle before you leave the agency. Taking photos of the car is a great way to avoid misunderstanding at the end of the rental.