Personal Effects Coverage (PEC)

Personal Effects Coverage protects the things you carry, not the car. If your luggage, camera or laptop is stolen from the vehicle or damaged in an accident, PEC pays out up to a set limit per item and per rental.

It exists because the car’s own theft protection stops at the bodywork. A thief who breaks a window and grabs a bag has stolen your property, not the rental company’s, so the standard cover does nothing for it.

As with personal accident cover, check whether your home contents insurance or travel policy already protects belongings away from home. Many do, often with higher limits than the rental version, which makes PEC redundant.

The cheapest protection of all is behaviour: take valuables with you, and never leave anything visible in a parked car. In busy tourist spots that habit beats any policy.