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hlbtimes2
03-02-2006, 08:02 AM
I'm feeling a bit inexperienced today. I have found a great rate for a car rental for our trip next week. We have only rented a car once before. It was years ago. We had it for one day to drive to Magic Mountain.

So, my question for those that rent often, is this- do I need to buy the extra insurance from them? Of course the way it reads I'm going to be in big trouble if something happens to the car. Is that really the case? The insurance is almost as much as the daily rate!

Thanks!

going2disneyAZ
03-02-2006, 08:05 AM
I'm feeling a bit inexperienced today. I have found a great rate for a car rental for our trip next week. We have only rented a car once before. It was years ago. We had it for one day to drive to Magic Mountain.

So, my question for those that rent often, is this- do I need to buy the extra insurance from them? Of course the way it reads I'm going to be in big trouble if something happens to the car. Is that really the case? The insurance is almost as much as the daily rate!

Thanks!

NO you do not HAVE to buy their insurance.

First check your regular auto insurance company to see if they cover you on rentals, they should.

Also check with your credit card companies. Many today offer some type of rental car coverage as part of your benefits.

Rteneyck
03-02-2006, 08:06 AM
I'm feeling a bit inexperienced today. I have found a great rate for a car rental for our trip next week. We have only rented a car once before. It was years ago. We had it for one day to drive to Magic Mountain.

So, my question for those that rent often, is this- do I need to buy the extra insurance from them? Of course the way it reads I'm going to be in big trouble if something happens to the car. Is that really the case? The insurance is almost as much as the daily rate!

Thanks!

Most major credit card companies offer car insurance if you use their card to rent. This way you wouldn't have to purchase their insurance. I would check with your card companies for more information.

markarkaymat
03-02-2006, 08:12 AM
While it is true that most CC offer some sort of insurance when renting a car, should anything unfortunate happen while on vacation I think you will need to pay for the damages upfront and then file a claim with either your own car insurance company or your credit card. While the insurance is a pain (and can be quite expensive) and I have never used it before, I just get it because then any damage to the car is not my problem. I pick it up and I don't have to check it well because if there are damages that you don't note on the paper if you waive insurance I think you might be held liable if they "find" the damage when you bring it back. Also when i drop it off, I just hand over the keys and don't worry about anything. It also gives me piece of mind while driving...

hlbtimes2
03-02-2006, 08:14 AM
Thanks! I'll call today before I book the car. I knew there was some reason I didnt need to buy it and couldn't remember what. LOL

nightdesigns
03-02-2006, 09:25 PM
I just asked this question to my Insurance company because I was getting a rental while in my car was in the shop being worked on.

I was told by Mercury (my insurance company) that the rental is considered a replacement to my vehicle and it is covered. I was told that the Liability carries over.

Opus1guy
03-02-2006, 10:38 PM
Yep. Check with your regular car insurance company to see if you're covered.

Just as an aside, most all credit card coverage is only "supplemental" insurance. That means they'll only cover the difference/balance after your primary insurer funds any coverage they may provide. Now of course if you somehow don't have primary coverage by an insurance underwriter...then the credit card company has to cover up to their max.

Just be aware that not all credit card companies offer this extra protection. Most basic cards do not. It's usually only the levels beyond basic, such as "Gold" or "Platinum" or "VIP" versions of Visa, MasterCard, etc that offer car rental protection.

Further, ekkhogge is absolutely correct. If you have an accident and you have not taken the Rental Car company's protection...you will have to fork out on-the-spot for any damages even if you have insurance and/or credit card coverage! You will be expected to make your own claim for reimbursement later with your insurers and credit card companies. The car rental company doesn't want to hear anything from you except "charge my credit card" or "here's my check for the damages." And this reveals what the primary advantage is to paying the Rental Car company their extra fees for Collision Loss Damage Waivers and such: If you've paid them those fees...you get to "walk away" from the damage (with some provisos of course, like you weren't drunk driving etc, etc.). And you don't have to file a claim with your own insurance company for the rental car's damage, which might cause your insurance premiums to go up.

As most renters have either insurance company coverage and/or supplemental credit card coverage...they usually decline the rental car company's damage waivers. But some do take the waivers for the peace-of-mind and "no-hassle" aspect, that it provides.

I seem to recall we have a MousePadder that works for Enterprise Car Rental. Perhaps they'll read this thread and chime in.

ymn
03-03-2006, 04:53 AM
You should check with your credit card company. In 1999 my rental car was damaged in a hurricane on St. Martin. Visa sent a check to the rental car company for $2700 to cover the damages. It was an easy process. Things may have changed since then though.

The Mouse Is Back
03-04-2006, 02:02 PM
Speaking of Enterprise, I just had a rental with them for our little 3-day vacation, and when I was driving down to Anaheim on Wednesday the rear passenger side tire blew out at 65mph. Not just a flat, mind you - the entire wall blew out.

I've rented from Enterprise on and off for years and loved their customer service, until recently. I don't know if it's new corporate policy in place or what, but they definitely don't value their frequent renters any more. Suffice it to say that not only did not one person out of the five I spoke to at Enterprise even ask if my daughter and I were okay, but they told me that no matter what insurance I have, tires aren't covered and they'll decide whether the blowout was my fault. If they decide it was, they intend to make me pay for not only the tire but any damage to the rim or undercarriage. I don't think I've ever been treated so rudely by so many people in one day.

Not to mention that I believe their stance on this is BS.

I guess what I'm saying is...I don't recommend them.


-Allegra-

Mark Goldhaber
03-04-2006, 02:29 PM
Speaking of Enterprise, I just had a rental with them for our little 3-day vacation, and when I was driving down to Anaheim on Wednesday the rear passenger side tire blew out at 65mph. Not just a flat, mind you - the entire wall blew out.

I've rented from Enterprise on and off for years and loved their customer service, until recently. I don't know if it's new corporate policy in place or what, but they definitely don't value their frequent renters any more. Suffice it to say that not only did not one person out of the five I spoke to at Enterprise even ask if my daughter and I were okay, but they told me that no matter what insurance I have, tires aren't covered and they'll decide whether the blowout was my fault. If they decide it was, they intend to make me pay for not only the tire but any damage to the rim or undercarriage. I don't think I've ever been treated so rudely by so many people in one day.

Not to mention that I believe their stance on this is BS.

I guess what I'm saying is...I don't recommend them.


-Allegra-
I don't rent from Hertz for this very reason. And the incident was 25 years ago. (ouch)

nightdesigns
03-04-2006, 03:15 PM
Speaking of Enterprise, I just had a rental with them for our little 3-day vacation, and when I was driving down to Anaheim on Wednesday the rear passenger side tire blew out at 65mph. Not just a flat, mind you - the entire wall blew out.

I've rented from Enterprise on and off for years and loved their customer service, until recently. I don't know if it's new corporate policy in place or what, but they definitely don't value their frequent renters any more. Suffice it to say that not only did not one person out of the five I spoke to at Enterprise even ask if my daughter and I were okay, but they told me that no matter what insurance I have, tires aren't covered and they'll decide whether the blowout was my fault. If they decide it was, they intend to make me pay for not only the tire but any damage to the rim or undercarriage. I don't think I've ever been treated so rudely by so many people in one day.

Not to mention that I believe their stance on this is BS.

I guess what I'm saying is...I don't recommend them.


-Allegra-

What in the? Based on that logic, if the car breaks down, you're at fault!

Malcon10t
03-04-2006, 08:43 PM
I appreciate this info, so I know who to AVOID!

Mermaid
03-05-2006, 10:29 AM
Okay- I am here!! I work for said Enterprise. Now- while I don't love it and am counting the days until I don't get yelled at daily for things WAY out of the realm of my control, like the color of the car or that someone's insurance allows them $20/day TOWARDS a car and they want an SUV for free, I can shed some light on this!

You do not usually NEED the insurance. Now- if you only have liability coverage (no collesion) I would HIGHLY reccomend you get it. Without your own collesion coverage, you would be resposible for paying 100% of the damages. For instance, you total a Neon- you have to pay $10,000 or so to the rental car company. I would check with your auto insurance company too. 90% of policies transfer to a rental but some companies (Safeway, Safe Auto, Victoria off the top of my head) don't. In this case, again you do not NEED to get it, but would be really risking it not to. In AZ we can not deny rental because you do not get the insurance. We have liabilty on our cars. Now, from what I undertsand, in CA they do not.

On the credit cards, as people have said, each one reads differently. As Opusguy said, most are supplemental so you still have to file a claim and pay your deductible up front and they will reimburse you. Most you have to have a ploice report and in AZ the police will not come to minor accidents on private property (e.g. Parking lots). Diner's Club is the only card who I know for a fact covers the car compeletly.

Now, there are definate advantages to getting it though. You do not have to file a claim with your carrier and you do not have to pay your deductible. For people with $1000 deductibles or a lot of accidents, this can be a nice feature. We also have to file a claim with your insurance regardless of who was at fault. We have to get our cars fixed right away so they do not go into the he said- she said of most accidents. Now, usually it gets sorted out and the other insurance reimburses you your deductible, but what a pain. A few times I have seen the other party fess up right away so we could go staright through the other guy, but not real often! So basically it ends up being a risk vs rewards factor. I always get it, but when I do not work for them anymore I will take these things into account- 1. How well do I know the area and 2. How long is the rental- more than 4-5 days, I would probably risk it and not get it. But, to each his own!!

Allegra- I am really sorry that happened to you. You should not be responsible for a blowout at all. Ask to speak to their "Area manager" about the situation. They should be refunding days of rental for the unsafe situtation and the inconvienece. I imagine they had to call roadside assistance to help you so they know where it happened. That is just crazy. I mean blowouts do happen, but we haven't had one in a long time. They should be taking care of you instead of trearting you like that! PM me if you have more trouble and I can get you the name of who you need to talk to.

3894
03-05-2006, 12:29 PM
A semi rearended our rental van at a stoplight. The entire back 1/3 crumpled like an accordeon. Thank God that was it. Our daughters were in the second seat.

We had Hertz's supplemental insurance. We limped into the Hertz branch with the police report (absolutely not our fault, 100% the other guy's). They were very nice, gave us another vehicle right away and we never heard another word about their totalled van.

hlbtimes2
03-07-2006, 10:41 AM
I've called visa and my insurance company. I'm covered by both of them.

Klutch
03-07-2006, 04:04 PM
I've rented dozens upon dozens of cars in the US and overseas for business and leisure travel; Hertz, Avis and Enterprise. Funny how when your renting for leisure travel, it's really important to have the extra insurance. However, whenever I rented for business, the rental places knew better than to pressure me.

The insurance for rental cars is an enormous profit maker. It costs the company almost nothing and significantly increases the cost of the rental. If you are someone who wants ultimate peace of mind, can afford the extra money, and would never want to deal with damage to a rental car in any way, go ahead and buy the insurance. Otherwise, I'd recommend blowing it off. If you don't own a car and have no car insurance, you might also want to get rental car insurance.

I once rented a car in DC and some chucklehead broke the side mirror off in the Pentagon City parking lot. Avis tried to give me some baloney about me having to pay for it. I didn't react at all and just said, "Yeah, right, bill me". I never heard a word about it and I have rented many Avis cars since. Pay no attention to the rental agent when it comes to insurance. They don't know anything about it other than they're supposed to sell it.

Mermaid
03-07-2006, 07:37 PM
Pay no attention to the rental agent when it comes to insurance. They don't know anything about it other than they're supposed to sell it.
BUT- if you are going to pay no attention and act mightier than thou- please do not yell at me when someone rear ends you and I have to collect your $1000 deductible. I know a lot about it- I know it is not always needed, I will not lie to you, I will not pressure you- I present your options and you can choose. I don't actually care if you take it or not but i will tell you collecting deductibles is probably the worst part of the job.

awinner
03-07-2006, 11:09 PM
Pay no attention to the rental agent when it comes to insurance. They don't know anything about it other than they're supposed to sell it.

I love people who think they know my job better than me. By law, in CA the CA Dept. of Insurance makes us take a course on the products that we sell. I too work for ERAC. Like I tell all my customers...please read the contract before you put your "7" initials on the contract...it is a legal binding contract. In regards to the "insurance", ERAC does not offer "insurance" on it's vehicles, we offer damage waiver, meaning if you take our coverage you are waiving your responsibilty for any damage that might happen to the car... your fault or not. Credit cards might cover you as secondary coverage, the only one I know for certain that covers you from dollar 1 is Diners Club. 99.5% of the time credit cards will not cover 3rd party liability. I look at it this way and I tell my customers this if your having the car for 2 weeks or less go with my protection, wouldn't you keep my car for 3 days and spend $36 if you total my car, or would you rather me collect your $1000 deductible, make a claim w/ your insurance co. & have your rates go up 10% for a car you never will even drive again.:confused:

Klutch
03-08-2006, 06:33 AM
BUT- if you are going to pay no attention and act mightier than thou- please do not yell at me when someone rear ends you and I have to collect your $1000 deductible. I know a lot about it- I know it is not always needed, I will not lie to you, I will not pressure you- I present your options and you can choose. I don't actually care if you take it or not but i will tell you collecting deductibles is probably the worst part of the job.

Sorry for the broad-brush statement, folks. I'm glad to hear you are well aware of the policies. Unfortunately, many agents I have encountered in fact know nothing other than they are supposed to sell it.

Pat-n-Eil
03-08-2006, 12:06 PM
Something else that I haven't seen written in this thread yet is something I learned when I used to work for Budget Rent-a-car.

If you get in an accident in your rental car and you did not purchase the collision damage waiver, then you (and/or your insurance company) are not only responsible to pay for the damge to the car, but you are also responsible to pay for the days of lost rental fees while the car is being repaired! This can become major dollars.

Yes, the CDW is an expensive add-on expense and it is absolutely there to make money for the rental company. Strictly speaking you don't need to get it to be covered in an accident - but I can tell you from first hand experience that it will absolutely save you a ton of headaches (and money) should you actually need it.

The Mouse Is Back
03-08-2006, 02:33 PM
The situation I'm having with Enterprise is somewhat different, though. A blowout is not an "accident". Tires are something that Enterprise is responsible for maintaining, and considering that the WALL of the tire failed, whether Enterprise knew it or not, there had to have been a defect in the tire. If it had been a front tire, I shudder to think what would have happened, because even with it being the passenger side rear it was no picnic maintaining control of the car and getting it safely to the shoulder.

I'll tell you this much - if ANYONE had expressed ANY concern whatsoever for myself and my daughter, and if I hadn't encountered snarky attitude problems from several Enterprise employees, I wouldn't be as angry as I am. I put a call in to the VP of the District Office, and his assistant bumped my message down to an area manager. Yet another way to say "we don't give a crap what you think about this or the incovenience, or the fact you could have been killed - all we care about is our Suzuki Forenza".

I've had excellent experiences with Enterprise up until recently, when the new manager came into the local branch I've been renting from, but this one experience pretty much cancels out any good customer service in the past.

If my second call to the VP doesn't get me a callback from him...well, you know, the internet is a really good place to make people aware of how various businesses treat you, so others can take your experience into consideration when they need the same service or product.

And thanks to Mermaid for being so helpful! :) If only the eight (so far) Enterprise employees I've dealt with on this had been as nice, I wouldn't be posting this right now!


-Allegra-

The Mouse Is Back
03-08-2006, 06:19 PM
Update:

The assistant to the District Office VP called me. She said I should have been given a refund of at least one day as soon as the blowout occurred, and she is refunding two days to my CC. The car was at the repair shop until today - the force of the blowout was so intense that it damaged the underside of the quarter panel. She said the investigation showed that it was highly unlikely I ran over any object in the road because a regular puncture-type flat wouldn't have been such a violent blowout, so they aren't going to try to charge me for any damage. She also said the matter is being taken up with the branch manager who dropped the ball.

I may or may not rent from Enterprise again. Overall, though, I've never had anything less than stellar customer service from them in the 5+ years I've rented from them on and off, including the year and a half I rented every single weekend.

So I'd still recommend them. Just remember this story if you ever get poor treatment from any company, and take your complaints as high up the ladder as you need to go.


-Allegra-

awinner
03-08-2006, 09:42 PM
Update:

The assistant to the District Office VP called me. She said I should have been given a refund of at least one day as soon as the blowout occurred, and she is refunding two days to my CC. The car was at the repair shop until today - the force of the blowout was so intense that it damaged the underside of the quarter panel. She said the investigation showed that it was highly unlikely I ran over any object in the road because a regular puncture-type flat wouldn't have been such a violent blowout, so they aren't going to try to charge me for any damage. She also said the matter is being taken up with the branch manager who dropped the ball.

I may or may not rent from Enterprise again. Overall, though, I've never had anything less than stellar customer service from them in the 5+ years I've rented from them on and off, including the year and a half I rented every single weekend.

So I'd still recommend them. Just remember this story if you ever get poor treatment from any company, and take your complaints as high up the ladder as you need to go.


-Allegra-
I am really suprised this happened to you...meaning the way they treated you. we get promoted based partly on our customer service score. if it was my office (and this is my personal opinion, not the companies) i would have taken care of 2 days of rental, given you at least a 1/2 tank of gas free on future rental as well as a 2 free car upgrade w/o you even having to have called someone. in regards to the tire blowing out...i don't think its ERAC's negligence, we probably get the car serviced more that most people due on their own car. When we get the car serviced, we have to rely on the shop that maintains our car.

The Mouse Is Back
03-08-2006, 10:19 PM
Oh, I never meant to imply that the blowout was Enterprise's fault, just that whatever happened to the tire, short of me driving it up and down curbs or through a construction site :p wasn't my fault, either. The lady who finally cleared it all up did say that employees are told not to commit to any kind of responsibility until after an investigation, but a few of the ones in this debacle were practically accusing me of doing something reckless to "make" the tire blow up.

Anyway, like I said - this isn't a reflection AT ALL of the experience I've had 98% of the time with Enterprise. I'd recommend them in a second, and maybe when I've had a chance to cool off from this I'll go back to them, too.

Just not the branch this happened with. ;)


-Allegra-

ghoofie
03-09-2006, 03:27 PM
I rent a lot of cars for business. I will never rent from Enterprise again. Nothing but trouble from the local office. Nothing but arrogant people working there. They NEVER (and I mean NEVER) have a car ready when I arrive after having a reservation for weeks in advance. My company is currently getting new corporate accounts with Avis and Hertz, partly because I work closely with the people that do the contracts. As I told the last person I ever delt with for Enterprise, she didn't know who she was dealing with, and I gave her another opportunity to cooperate. She refused. Enterprise has lost lots of our business because of her.
So every chance I get, I tell people....don't use Enterprise.