Insurance & Excess

In effect from 22 October 2026.

Comprehensive motor insurance is included in every rental. That does not mean you can never be charged if the car is damaged, and we would rather tell you the figure now than have you find it out at the end of your holiday.

The most you can be asked to pay €1,000

For damage to our vehicle, however badly it is damaged — including any administration or loss-of-use charge. Most operators in Seychelles do not publish this number at all.

Usually you pay less than that

Before we claim on the insurance, we get a written quote from the garage we use. If the repair costs less than €1,000 — which for most scrapes, kerbed wheels and small dents it does — you pay the quoted amount and we do not claim at all. You see the quote before you pay anything.

If the repair comes to more than €1,000, we claim and you pay the €1,000. Either way you never pay more than €1,000.

You are not asked to pick between the two routes and gamble on which works out cheaper. We take the cheaper one.

What the insurance covers

The vehicle is insured with SACOS Seychelles under a policy we are required to hold by the Motor Vehicles Insurance (Third Party Risks) Act and by the self-drive hire regulations. The certificate of insurance is in the vehicle.

Covered

Death of and injury to other people. Damage to other people's property. Damage to the vehicle you have hired, subject to the cap above and the exclusions below.

Not covered

Your own belongings and your passengers' belongings, including anything left in the car. It is not travel insurance , personal accident cover or medical cover — bring your own.

One thing worth knowing: during the rental the law treats you as the owner of the vehicle for insurance purposes. If a police officer asks, you must give your name and address, give ours, and produce the certificate of insurance. Keep it in the car.

The cap depends on one thing

After any accident you must report it to the police within 24 hours and get the report reference, and call us before arranging repairs or recovery.

Our insurer can refuse a claim where there is no police report. If that happens, the cap does not apply and you are liable for the full cost of the damage. This is the single most expensive thing to get wrong, and it is the reason we ask you to call us first rather than sorting it out yourself.

What this does not mean: nothing here removes the insurance protecting anyone you injure. That cover is required by law and stands whatever happened. What is at stake is the limit on what you pay for damage to our vehicle.

What sits outside the cap

If any of these applies, the cap does not limit what you owe and you pay the whole cost. These are the exclusions almost every operator applies — we list them here rather than leaving you to discover them.

Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or refusing a test.
Letting someone drive who is not named on the rental agreement.
Taking the vehicle off Mahé by ferry or any vessel.
Driving on beaches, sand, riverbeds, unsealed tracks, or through water.
Putting in the wrong fuel, or the wrong fluids.
Salt water or sand ingress, corrosion from sea water or sand, and immersion.
Deliberate or reckless damage.
Lost or damaged keys, and the cost of replacing and reprogramming them.
Damage to the interior — burns, tears, stains, smoke odour.
Recovery or towing where the vehicle was immobilised by something you did.
Traffic and parking fines, and the administration fee on them.
Continuing to drive after a warning light, a warning noise, overheating, a loss of fluid or a flat tyre.

The full wording is in clauses 12 and 22 of the Rental Agreement, which you can read before you book rather than at the handover.

We do not sell excess cover

Some operators here sell a daily product that reduces the figure — often €10 to €25 a day. We do not, and you are not missing anything. The cap is the same for every hirer, and there is nothing further to buy that would lower it. We would rather price the car properly than sell you down from a number we chose ourselves.

How we handle damage

We will not charge you for damage we cannot show you in a photograph.

We photograph the car at handover and again at return, from the same positions, and you get both sets. If we cannot show you the difference, we do not charge it.

We inspect the car together at handover and at return, and we both sign the condition report. You get a copy.
Found something we missed? Tell us within 24 hours of collecting the car and it is recorded as pre-existing.
Fair wear and tear is not charged. Stone chips under 3 mm, small dents with the paint intact, scratches that do not show primer, alloy scuffs under 50 mm, normal interior wear — all recorded, none charged.
Before we charge anything we email you the return report, the two sets of photographs side by side, and the amount. You then have 14 days to query it, free.
If we disagree, an independent motor assessor on Mahé decides, and we are bound by what they say. If they find in your favour we pay their fee.

If you have an accident

Stop, and make the scene safe.
Call us on (+248) 2 525 077 — any hour, before you arrange anything. WhatsApp (+248) 2 664 760 reaches us too.
Do not admit liability or promise to pay anyone.
Take the other driver's details, their insurer, the registration, and any witnesses' numbers.
Photograph the vehicles, their positions, the damage and the road.
Report it to the police within 24 hours and get the report reference.
Do not arrange repairs or recovery yourself. Call us and we will.

Questions before you book

Ask us. Email bookings@oceancarhire.online, WhatsApp (+248) 2 664 760, or call (+248) 2 525 077. We would much rather answer a question now than have a disagreement later.

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