Get Affordable Motor Insurance with Excess Cover for Vans

Excess charges apply to most major insurance types, such as car insurance, travel insurance, and home insurance. It acts as your contribution towards part of the claim but also sets a baseline for your insurance claims. Contract hire van leasing is a common method of financing commercial vehicles and fleets, but it often comes with high insurance premiums and excess fees, in addition to the initial rental agreement.

To save money on comprehensive cover, you can select a high excess; however, this means you will be responsible for a larger portion of your van insurance claim. Excess cover (also called excess protection or excess waiver insurance) is a type of policy that reimburses your voluntary and compulsory excess in the event of a claim.

What is Excess in Van Insurance?

Similarly to car insurance, you will have to pay a contribution to your motor insurance company when you make a claim. This amount is typically split into your compulsory excess (the amount set by your insurer) and your voluntary excess (the additional amount you choose to contribute).

Why Do Van Insurance Policies Have High Excess Fees?

Insurers often set high excesses for vans because they tend to be more expensive to repair and are at a higher risk of damage, theft and third party liability due to business use.

• More expensive to repair: the vehicles are heavier, more powerful and more expensive than cars, so they usually require specialist repairs and costly parts. Additionally, if a van is stolen or written off, the insurer will be required to pay a significant settlement based on its market value, given slower depreciation rates.
• More likely to claim: vans are often insured for commercial purposes, parked on the street, and can be targeted for theft. Other factors, such as the driver’s profile, experience level, and the number of additional drivers, can also affect the price of insurance and the minimum excess.

Because van insurance is so expensive, many policyholders choose a high voluntary excess to reduce their premiums. However, this can leave you covering a significant portion of your total claim.

Additionally, most insurance companies include variable compulsory excesses, depending on the type of claim. For example, a write-off, theft or vandalism, or claims on young drivers often come with a higher set excess. This can often be double the normal amount. Sometimes, insurers increase the excess for uninsured driver incidents or own-fault claims, which leaves you considerably out of pocket when you need to claim.

Excess cover insures incidents involving uninsured drivers and own-fault claims, offering greater peace of mind when making a claim. Get a quote.

How Van Excess Insurance Works

Van insurance excess cover is a helpful type of insurance which covers the excess you pay towards a claim. Policies typically last a full year, and you can claim as many times as needed until you reach your set policy limit. With ALA, you can set a policy limit of up to £2,000, and the policy is often much more affordable than setting a super low excess on your motor insurance. It also gives you peace of mind that your out-of-pocket expenses are kept to a minimum.

How to Get Excess Insurance for Vans

You can buy excess insurance cover online in a few simple clicks. Enter your vehicle’s details and set your claim limit for a quick quote. Once you’ve purchased securely online, the policy lasts 12 months, and you can make a claim after the 30-day cooling-off period has ended.

Making a Claim on Excess Insurance

When you need to claim on motor insurance, you will usually have to pay the excess amount first (unless it’s being deducted from a total loss payout). Once you’ve started an auto insurance claim, you can contact our claims handler about excess reimbursement.

What Does Van Excess Insurance Cover?

Excess insurance covers the excess paid to your motor insurance company up to the set claim limit of your policy. It covers the total voluntary and compulsory excess for all claims* including own-fault and no-fault cases. It covers contract hire vans but doesn’t include temporary car hire excess cover

* Excluding glass claims

Exclusions and Limitations to Watch Out For

While excess insurance helps to cover your car insurance excess, not just total losses, there are a couple of limitations and exclusions to be aware of, the main one being :

1. ALA doesn’t cover temporary van hire excess
2. Policies don’t cover glass claims
3. We’re exempt from excess reimbursement if it has been waived by a third party
4. Any incident occurring before the policy start date
5. Any incident where repairs are less than the total excess on your car insurance policy
6. Excluded vehicles, such as courier tuition or temporary rental cars, are not covered under this type of insurance

Choosing the Best Excess Insurance Policy

To get the most out of your motor insurance products, it’s a good idea to shop around for the best excess insurance policy. A good value policy offers affordability, generous claims limits, zero hidden fees and flexibility. Explore the benefits of ALA Excess Cover:

1. Policies are available from £23.86
2. Policy limits from £250 to £2,000 are available
3. ALA is a trusted insurance broker with a Trustpilot rating of 4.9 stars
4. All insurance products are protected by the FCS and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authorit
5. Policies cover cars, vans, motorhomes and pickups.
6. There are no age or mileage restrictions.
7. There are no admin fees if you need to make a change or cancel
8. You can get a free, full refund if you cancel within the 30-day cooling-off period.

Get a quote today.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I get excess insurance for multiple drivers on my van?

Excess insurance covers all named drivers on the policy, including young drivers. This can be particularly helpful for commercial vans where multiple employees will be driving, including apprentices and young professionals.

Does van excess insurance cover international travel?

If your motor insurance covers international travel, your excess insurance policy will remain valid.

Are campervans and minibuses included in van excess insurance?

ALA excess insurance covers cars, campervans, motorhomes, vans and pick-ups. Your quote may vary depending on the type of vehicle you’re insuring.

What happens if my excess is higher than my policy limit?

If paying back your excess will exceed your policy limit, you will be entitled to a partial reimbursement. If you haven’t selected a high enough limit when purchasing your excess cover, you can cancel for free within 30 days and take out another policy with a more suitable claim limit.