How is everyone handling the insurance issue for Fl on rental cars?

[FINFAN]

head up: long
If a car is in an accident and out of commission due to repairs etc....the rental companies claim the renter is responsible for covering the cost per day htat the car is out being repaired. In the past, usually the personal insurance you had coverd an accidenet/repairs..and that is still true, but now the rental companies are saying personal insurance will not cover the cost of the loss of the vehicle while it is in for repairs which we all know can take as long as they want it to.


It appears that if you have State Farm Auto Ins., Hertz and Avis are not concerned with the additioinal insurance, but Dollar. Alamo. Budget so far to my personal experience want the extra ins taken out, ususally 20-25 a day. I have rented from Avis to avoid this, but they have not had the greates deals this year....what are others doing? Does anyone have any advice? Any lawyers or Auto Ins gurus on here? Like I said, prior to this latest scam for taking out extra ins., we always declined and felt out presonal ins coverd us. When I called to see if we were covered for this new stuff, out agent said that State Farm works with Avis and Hertz so no need to take additional coverage ( unless we want to)for eother of those 2 places, but if we rent from Dollar, Alamo, National, Budget...we could be held liable for the costs if a car was out due to repair, We could go to court and the rental agency has to PROVE hardship of that car missing from the fleet is indeed costing them money ( meaning if they have any other available cars, they can rent those out so no loss of $$$ so no hardship)however, not like we want to fly back to Fl for a court date to prove hardship etc.

so, do you guys take the extra ins or take your chances?

 

[dd50]

Check if your current car insurance works for rentals. They want to charge you for it because it is 100% profit (most of the time). Why pay if you don't need it.

 

[DebbieB]

Check your credit card. My Visa has secondary rental car insurance that includes loss of use. Secondary means it pays what your personal insurance doesn't. I never buy the rental company insurance. Sometimes I use my corporate contract code and that includes insurance. Car rental rates have really gone up but my corporate code is a flat rate so it ended up being cheaper when I went in early December.

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

Well my husband was just in an accident at Disney at the Hess gas station by the Boardwalk. Tons of damage.

We rented from Dollar, and have State Farm insurance.

State Farm paid every thing (except my $250 deductible). I was surprised by how easy it was - not that I am in a hurry to do it again!

 

[tinkerbell615]

I called our credit card company the last time we rented a minivan and was told that it will cover the loss of use for rentals also if we used the card to pay for the rental.

 

[Brian Noble]

My employer's contract with National includes the loss/damage waiver. If it didn't, I'd probably use AMEX's fee-per-rental insurance.

 

[Promomx2]

Ya'll mentioned visa card having insurance coverage, does that include visa debit cards?

 

[DebbieB]

Ya'll mentioned visa card having insurance coverage, does that include visa debit cards?

You need to check with the issuing bank. I think it varies by card, it's not all VISA cards. It used to be you had to have a gold VISA or higher, not sure if that is still the case.

 

[seashoreCM]

It doesn't matter what the rental company cares about; they cannot force you to buy their coverage unless their policies or rules say so*.

But you had better find out what your own insurance company will and won't cover and find out what your credit card will or won't cover before deciding whether or not bo buy the rental company's coverage.

L&M, Payless, and EZ are a few companies that reserve the right not to rent to you if you decline their coverage and don't show proof of collision coverage on a car you own back at home. How pushy they are also depends on demand for cars, such as during Daytona Week. Some companies require that non-citizens (of the country rented in) buy some or all coverages.

 

[2DisPrincesses]

I would definitely check with your insurance. I went in and talked to our State Farm agent before we rented last year and they told me the same thing as one of the PP experienced- they cover everything, we would just pay our deductible.

 

[vicki_c]

We have never purchased the rental company's insurance, as our State Farm policy would already cover it.

My company will not even let us purchase insurance for business rentals - they won't reimburse it - but insurance is covered through the corporate AmEx we use for travel.

I agree, in most cases - it's just a money-maker for the insurance companies, so check with your insurance agent and/or credit card company.

 

[justplaingoofy]

If you purchased travel insurance you can also check with them re: coverage.

Thanks for posting this... we're arriving tomorrow and I should check with my credit card companies to see if one gives us coverage.

 

[justplaingoofy]

Hi folks...me again... Hope this helps!

Just got off the phone with our Captial One Mastercard. I was informed that we have coverage provided by Mastercard (not Capital One) and this is what I was told I was covered for:

-If I use my mastercard for paying the entire amount of the car rental.
-If I sign the lease agreement.
-If my rental is 15 days or less
-If my rental car has a value of less than $50,000
-If my rental car carries 9 passengers or less.
-If I decline the waiver/collision insurance.

-I would then qualify for Mastercard for secondary coverage (primary coverage though my car insurance company..Amica Insurance)
-I was informed that this Mastercard includes reasonable loss of use as long as I was vehicle as intended (not using a vehicle off road, etc).
-Also with this being a secondary coverage mastercard would reimburse me for the cost of my insurance deductible.


I was given a phone number for Mastercard & thought I'd pass it along.
(800-622-7747) or spell out 1-800-mc assist.

 

[FINFAN]

thnaks everyone, and especially just plain goofy, I am going to call that # and see as we also have Cap 1 M/C. It is just killing me as I need a rental for moving DD college stuff to storage next month..and Dollar/Alamo are so much cheaper than Avis/Hertz fo rmy days...not to mention the type of car I need for moving mini fridge etc.
Thanks!

 

[seashoreCM]

-Also with this being a secondary coverage mastercard would reimburse me for the cost of my insurance deductible..

Yes.

Being secondary coverage, Mastercard in most cases ends up shelling out nothing more than your insurance deductible and maybe the loss of use. Your insurance, being primary, first paid everything it would pay under the accident circumstances.

Now if you did not have collision on your own (usually older) car, then your own insurance first pays everything it would pay which is zilch and Mastercard, being secondary, pays what remains which is everything.

 

[sk8jdgca]

thnaks everyone, and especially just plain goofy, I am going to call that # and see as we also have Cap 1 M/C. It is just killing me as I need a rental for moving DD college stuff to storage next month..and Dollar/Alamo are so much cheaper than Avis/Hertz fo rmy days...not to mention the type of car I need for moving mini fridge etc.
Thanks!

Check this one- I just read my visa card's insurance it doesn't cover moving van or cargo vans only minivans

 

[FINFAN]

Check this one- I just read my visa card's insurance it doesn't cover moving van or cargo vans only minivans

good point...I have reserved a mini van tho, and may even be able to drop to a Dodge Caliber since the seats fold and it is a hatchback. Just glad to know I have options!

 

[Starshine]

When I checked into it, I found this info directly from Visa:

Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver - Personal