Gap Protection Terms and Conditions

1. Conclusion of contract

1. 1.1.The insurance contract is concluded when you purchase Gap Protection (Vehicle Rental Insurance).
2. 1.2.The insurance contract consists of these parts:
   1. 1.2.1.These Terms and Conditions;
   2. 1.2.2.Insurance policy – a confirmation of the concluded contract;
   3. 1.2.3.Insurance Product Information Document (IPID) – a brief description of Gap Protection;
   4. 1.2.4.Annexes and amendments – if any.

2. What is Gap Protection?

• Gap Protection is an optional insurance product designed to reimburse customers for certain unexpected costs arising during a car rental, including damage to the vehicle's glass or tires, as well as eligible roadside assistance, towing, accident-related taxi expenses, damage administration fees, loss-of-use charges, document replacement costs and loss of a security deposit where the Rental Company becomes bankrupt or insolvent and fails to return it. It provides additional financial protection against costs that are usually not covered by either the basic protection included in the Rental Agreement or the additional protection offered by the Rental Company at pick-up.
• Our Gap Protection applies only when the damage is not otherwise covered by the vehicle's insurance.

3. What is insured?

1. 3.1.You are insured for the following proven losses under this insurance contract:
   1. 3.1.1.Charges for repairs of the vehicle's tires, rims and hubcaps; windows, mirrors and lamps, if the damage is caused by an accident, collision or hit-and-run;
   2. 3.1.2.Roadside assistance costs;
   3. 3.1.3.Towing expenses directly related to transportation of damaged rental vehicle;
   4. 3.1.4.Taxi expenses up to €200 directly related to the accident;
   5. 3.1.5.Administrative fees related to the time and effort required by the rental company to handle the necessary administrative processes associated with the covered vehicle damage, such as customer service team costs (excluding other administrative fees, for example, for traffic violations, tolls, fuel, cleaning, or late returns);
   6. 3.1.6.Loss of use charges related to compensation owed to the rental company for lost earnings while the vehicle is out of service for repairs of the covered damages;
   7. 3.1.7.Losses up to €200 arising from the theft or accidental loss of a passport, national identity card, driving licence or required international driving permit, limited to reasonable and necessary document replacement costs and transport expenses directly related to obtaining replacement documents;
   8. 3.1.8.Reimbursement of the security deposit paid under your rental agreement, provided that the rental company fails to return it as a direct result of its insolvency, bankruptcy, or liquidation.

4. Insured sum

1. 4.1.We will compensate you up to a maximum amount of €1,000 per insurance contract.
2. 4.2.Several insured events occurring at the same time from the same cause shall be deemed to be a single insured event.

5. What is not insured?

1. 5.1.Gap Protection does not cover the following:
   1. 5.1.1.Extras, such as the loss of or damage to child seats, navigation devices or other special equipment included in the rental vehicle contract;
   2. 5.1.2.Loss, damage or theft of personal possessions, or valuables;
   3. 5.1.3.Damages that occurred while you were not complying with the terms of the rental agreement or local laws (driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs, driving off-road, committing a traffic violation, etc.);
   4. 5.1.4.Accommodation/hotel costs, meals, missed or unused events (e.g., concerts, shows, sports fixtures, tours, attractions), medical expenses, phone and mobile data charges, toiletries and any other out-of-pocket expenses;
   5. 5.1.5.Cleaning costs;
   6. 5.1.6.Damage to the vehicle's interior or mechanical parts;
   7. 5.1.7.Bank fees or any differences in currency exchange rates;
   8. 5.1.8.Damages resulting from unforeseeable or uncontrollable events such as war, revolution, terrorism, strikes, or severe weather and natural disasters such as hail, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc.;
   9. 5.1.9.Third-party liability;
   10. 5.1.10.Losses and/or additional expenses related to a no-show;
   11. 5.1.11.Personal injury, property damage or financial loss to third parties with the exception of claims by the rental company under this insurance contract;
   12. 5.1.12.Legal, litigation, or collection costs;
   13. 5.1.13.Financial losses incurred by you or the authorised driver, insofar as they exceed the limits or scope defined in this insurance contract;
   14. 5.1.14.Reimbursement of rental vehicle costs for the days on which you did not or could not use the rental vehicle;
   15. 5.1.15.Claims by the rental company in connection with the participation of the rental vehicle in motor sporting events in which the achievement of a maximum speed is important. This also applies to associated practice drives;
   16. 5.1.16.Damage to or destruction of connected trailers/caravans or towed vehicles;
   17. 5.1.17.Towing not resulting from damage to the rental vehicle (e.g., towing due to illegal/incorrect parking);
   18. 5.1.18.Reimbursement of the rental company's claims against you to the extent that they are covered by the rental vehicle's third party liability insurance;
   19. 5.1.19.Claims arising from insured events caused with malicious intent by the insured party;
   20. 5.1.20.Claims arising from insured events caused by gross negligence on the part of the insured party. In such cases, insurance indemnity may be refused;
   21. 5.1.21.Claims for fines or penalties, including those imposed for driving without the required documents following their theft or accidental loss;
   22. 5.1.22.Any loss or retention of the security deposit for reasons unrelated to insolvency, bankruptcy, or liquidation, including but not limited to vehicle damage, theft, traffic violations, parking fines, fuel charges, late return fees, or any other breach of your rental agreement.

6. Who is insured?

1. 6.1.When purchasing the insurance policy:
   1. 6.1.1.You must be at least 18 years old.
   2. 6.1.2.You must hold a current, valid driving licence.
2. 6.2.You are insured if you're authorized to drive the rental vehicle according to your vehicle rental agreement, and the vehicle is either the one listed in your agreement or a replacement provided by the same rental company.
3. 6.3.All additional drivers included in your vehicle rental agreement are covered with no extra charge.

7. Who is the insurer?

1. 7.1.This policy is issued by Insurance Joint Stock Company "Sincera Insurance" (registration number: 40203597938 and registered office at Karla Ulmana avenue 2, Riga, LV-1004, Latvia) regulated and authorized by the Bank of Latvia.

8. Who is the distributor of this insurance?

1. 8.1.This policy is distributed by Joint Stock Company "Discover Car Hire" (registration number: 40103690968, registered office at Karla Ulmana avenue 2, Riga, LV-1004, Latvia) as an Ancillary Insurance Intermediary of Insurance Joint Stock Company "Sincera Insurance".
2. 8.2.As an ancillary intermediary, Discover Car Hire receives a commission for each policy sold through https://discovercars.com. This commission is a percentage of the premium paid by the customer and is already included in the total premium amount.
3. 8.3.You can easily find the register of ancillary insurance intermediaries, along with more details, here.
4. 8.4.Our ancillary insurance intermediaries do not provide personal recommendations regarding the suitability of the insurance cover. If you have any doubts or questions, don't hesitate to reach out to us.

9. What regions does the insurance policy cover, and what are the duration limits?

1. 9.1.Gap Protection applies in the countries or regions where driving is permitted under the terms of your rental agreement.
2. 9.2.Gap Protection starts and ends on the dates shown in your insurance policy, provided that a valid rental contract has been concluded.
3. 9.3.If you extend your rental contract, you also need to extend your Gap Protection policy accordingly.

10. Your obligations when using the rental vehicle

1. 10.1.You and all authorised drivers must comply with the terms and conditions of the rental vehicle contract throughout its entire term.
2. 10.2.No repair work may be carried out on the rental vehicle without the prior consent of the rental company, unless obtaining consent is not possible or reasonable in the circumstances.
3. 10.3.The rental vehicle may not be used outside countries or regions defined in the rental vehicle contract.
4. 10.4.You must seek the instructions of your rental company before using commercial breakdown services from a third-party provider, insofar as you are able and can reasonably be expected to do so. Obtaining instructions from your rental company may be waived if this is not possible or reasonable due to imminent danger.
5. 10.5.When using the rental vehicle, the road traffic laws and regulations applicable at the place of use must be observed and complied with.
6. 10.6.The rental vehicle may only be used by an authorised driver as permitted by the rental vehicle contract.
7. 10.7.The driver of the rental vehicle must hold a valid driving license. In addition, you must not allow the vehicle to be used by a driver who does not hold a valid driving licence.
8. 10.8.The rental vehicle must not be driven by anyone who is unfit to drive the vehicle safely due to the consumption of alcohol or other intoxicating substances. You must also ensure that no such driver operates the vehicle.

11. Your obligations in the event of a claim

1. 11.1.You must notify us as soon as reasonably possible (at the latest within 90 days after the occurrence of the insured event) of any insured event that may lead to a claim against us.
2. 11.2.You must report any damage to the rental vehicle to the state police as soon as reasonably possible, if required by rental vehicle contract.
3. 11.3.If an authority (such as the police or public prosecutor's office) is investigating the insured event, you must inform us and keep us updated on the progress (e.g. penalty order, penalty notice) as soon as reasonably possible, even if you have already reported the claim to us.
4. 11.4.You must do everything that is necessary to clarify the insured event and the scope of our obligation to pay compensation to you. In particular, you must:
   1. 11.4.1.answer truthfully and completely our questions about the circumstances of the insured event, the extent of the loss and our obligation to pay. We may require that you respond to us in writing;
   2. 11.4.2.provide the evidence requested by us to the extent that you can reasonably be expected to obtain it;
   3. 11.4.3.follow our necessary instructions to clarify the damage;
   4. 11.4.4.allow us to investigate the circumstances of the event giving rise to the claim and our obligation to pay compensation;
   5. 11.4.5.avoid and mitigate any loss or damage as far as possible when an insured event occurs.

12. How to submit a claim?

1. 12.1.To initiate a Gap Protection claim, visit SinceraInsurance.com and upload all required documents as soon as you have them available within 90 days after the insured event. Once the claim is approved, the indemnity amount will be paid to you promptly.
2. 12.2.You will be asked to submit the following documentation:
   1. 12.2.1.A copy of the rental contract signed when collecting the vehicle (contact the rental provider if you do not have one);
   2. 12.2.2.The rental company's vehicle condition report from both pick-up and return;
   3. 12.2.3.The invoice from the rental company showing charges for damages and/or for other damage-related services (e.g., taxi, towing, etc.);
   4. 12.2.4.A receipt or bank statement payment of these charges;
   5. 12.2.5.Your bank account details;
   6. 12.2.6.In the event that you submit incorrect or incomplete bank account details and, as a result, we incur losses due to a bank fee charged for a returned payment, we shall be entitled to deduct that fee from your indemnity amount.
   7. 12.2.7.A detailed description of the incident (include photos or video, if available);
   8. 12.2.8.A written police report, if applicable;
   9. 12.2.9.Any other information or documents you consider relevant to your claim or additional documents requested by the claims officer.

13. Legal consequences of breaching your obligations

1. 13.1.If you breach any of your obligations to us with malicious intent or through gross negligence before the occurrence of the insured event, the insurance contract will be terminated.
2. 13.2.If you breach any of your obligations with ordinary negligence before the occurrence of the insured event, the insurance contract may be amended or the insurance indemnity reduced.
3. 13.3.Our right to terminate the contract is excluded if you prove that you have not breached your obligations either with malicious intent or through gross negligence.
4. 13.4.If you breach an obligation under this insurance contract or applicable law with malicious intent or gross negligence, we are released from the obligation to pay compensation.
5. 13.5.In the event of a breach of your obligations due to negligence, we are entitled to reduce the compensation payable to you to the extent that your negligence contributed to the insured event.

14. Payment of insurance indemnity

1. 14.1.We are obliged to pay the insurance indemnity within 30 days from the date the decision to pay the indemnity was made. We are obliged to make a decision within 30 days of receiving all the information and documents necessary to determine the facts, circumstances, consequences of the event, and the amount of indemnity payable.
2. 14.2.If we fail to take the decision within the specified period due to objective reasons, we will inform you in writing about the reasons for the delay.

15. When and for what reason can you terminate the insurance contract?

1. 15.1.If you cancel your insurance contract before the day when your rental agreement starts (before the rental vehicle pick-up day), we will fully refund the premium paid.

16. When and for what reasons can we terminate your insurance contract?

1. 16.1.After the occurrence of an insured event, we can terminate the contract.
2. 16.2.We may also terminate the contract if we can prove that, had we known the actual facts you failed to disclose, we would not have entered into the contract.

17. When does the premium need to be paid?

1. 17.1.You will pay a single insurance premium, which will be taken from the payment card you used to make your booking.
2. 17.2.If the required single premium is not paid, the insurance contract will not be valid.

18. Applicable law

1. 18.1.This agreement is governed and interpreted in accordance with the laws and courts of your home country within the EEA, which will have exclusive jurisdiction on any disputes between you and us, unless otherwise required by law.

19. Economic and trade sanctions

1. 19.1.Regardless of any other provision of this agreement, we will not provide cover or make any payment, benefit or advantage under this policy for the benefit of you, any insured or any third party if doing so would breach any applicable regulation, law or economic or trade sanction whether by your actions or these of insured or third party.

20. Our right to recover costs (Subrogation)

1. 20.1.By accepting a claim payment, you transfer to us your rights to receive compensation from third parties. If you receive any refund from the vehicle rental company or other third parties, you will transfer it to us.