What's Worse Than a Wreck? A Rental Car Wreck!

[Hisgirl]

When we were entering into the MK 'property' under the sign, we looked to the other side of the road and saw a bad wreck had just happened. The emergency vehicles weren't there yet. I do hope all folks were okay.

And I got to thinking...so many folks rent cars in WDW. Have any of you ever had a wreck in a rental? The companies always make it sound like hell itself will envelope you and your entire life if you don't have their insurance. We purchased a thing from our credit card where we pay 24.95 every time we rent a car and that one time price lets the credit card become our #1 policy then our auto policy picks up. So we always turn down the rental company policy.

But I've always wondered.....just what exactly happens when you wreck a rental...and I mean WRECK.

 

[SamSam]

When we were entering into the MK 'property' under the sign, we looked to the other side of the road and saw a bad wreck had just happened. The emergency vehicles weren't there yet. I do hope all folks were okay.

And I got to thinking...so many folks rent cars in WDW. Have any of you ever had a wreck in a rental? The companies always make it sound like hell itself will envelope you and your entire life if you don't have their insurance. We purchased a thing from our credit card where we pay 24.95 every time we rent a car and that one time price lets the credit card become our #1 policy then our auto policy picks up. So we always turn down the rental company policy.

But I've always wondered.....just what exactly happens when you wreck a rental...and I mean WRECK.

We've never wrecked a rental...thank goodness. Our credit cards cover us, as does our own car insurance...hopefully that really works.

 

[mrsstats]

We live in NY so our auto policy covers a rental vehicle under our auto insurance.

We had an accident in Florida when a van crossed into our lane in a rotary. The rental car was no longer driveable. The rental car company was about 2 hours from where we were staying. They brought us out a car, picked up the other car.

I reported the claim to my insurance company and never was bothered by the rental company at all.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Rental car co. make it sound so scary in order to pressure you into buying the insurance. The agent at the desk gets a commission on the insurance they sell. That is why there is a hard push to get you to buy.

 

[KGK]

Rental car co. make it sound so scary in order to pressure you into buying the insurance. The agent at the desk gets a commission on the insurance they sell. That is why there is a hard push to get you to buy.

Completely illegal for them to receive commissions or bonuses on insurance sales unless they are licensed by the state insurance department. I'm not sure all of the desk agents are...

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

The real problem is if your auto policy or credit card policies cover for the time the car is out of service? Not all do!

If not, the rental company will/can charge YOU the full rental rate for how many days the car is being repaired and out of service

AKK

 

[JessicaKnits]

I used to work for a large online travel website. The only thing I ever encountered with a customer was that they were blacklisted from that particular rental agency. (The accident was entirely their fault, not sure if that had anything to do with it or if that is standard policy.)

 

[Lewisc]

Rental car co. make it sound so scary in order to pressure you into buying the insurance. The agent at the desk gets a commission on the insurance they sell. That is why there is a hard push to get you to buy.

Completely illegal for them to receive commissions or bonuses on insurance sales unless they are licensed by the state insurance department. I'm not sure all of the desk agents are...

Your both sort of right and sort of wrong. The waivers sold by the rental agencies aren't insurance, even though many customers think of it as insurance. The desk agents don't have to be licensed to receive compensation based on "extras" sold.

 

[kathie859]

The poster who mentioned that the "insurance" sold by rental companies is not true insurance is correct. It would be cost prohibitive for rental companies to have insurance on their fleet of vehicles so they are "self insured" by having money set aside for repairs, etc.

I was rear ended while driving a rental car last year while visiting my son in Long Beach. The driver was a Turkish national who was ALSO driving a rental car. He was at fault and cited; however, was not insured. My insurance company would have handled the claim for me but I choose not file a claim and paid for the repair to the car I was driving which luckily was <$1000. I figured it was the cheaper thing to do in the long run and to avoid an increase in my premium. I lucked out actually since my rental vehicle was drivable and suffered minor damage whereas the one he was driving wasn't drivable and a real mess. Oh, BTW, he was reaching for his cell phone when he hit me while I was at a stop light

 

[KrazeeK120]

The poster who mentioned that the "insurance" sold by rental companies is not true insurance is correct. It would be cost prohibitive for rental companies to have insurance on their fleet of vehicles so they are "self insured" by having money set aside for repairs, etc.

I was rear ended while driving a rental car last year while visiting my son in Long Beach. The driver was a Turkish national who was ALSO driving a rental car. He was at fault and cited; however, was not insured. My insurance company would have handled the claim for me but I choose not file a claim and paid for the repair to the car I was driving which luckily was <$1000. I figured it was the cheaper thing to do in the long run and to avoid an increase in my premium. I lucked out actually since my rental vehicle was drivable and suffered minor damage whereas the one he was driving wasn't drivable and a real mess. Oh, BTW, he was reaching for his cell phone when he hit me while I was at a stop light

I work in insurance and have actually spent over 3 years as an auto underwriter. Your insurance premium should NOT go up for a not-at-fault accident. If it does...time to find a new insurance company.

 

[seashoreCM]

(snip) I was rear ended while driving a rental car last year while visiting my son in Long Beach. The driver was a Turkish national who was ALSO driving a rental car. He was at fault and cited; however, was not insured. My insurance company would have handled the claim for me but I choose not file a claim and paid for the repair to the car I was driving which luckily was <$1000. I figured it was the cheaper thing to do in the long run and to avoid an increase in my premium. (snip) :

If the other driver had declined the optional coverages then his rental company would have paid for the damages to your car, coordinated by your insurance company's subrogation. No need for you to pay fo the repair yourself

 

[seashoreCM]

I work in insurance and have actually spent over 3 years as an auto underwriter. Your insurance premium should NOT go up for a not-at-fault accident. If it does...time to find a new insurance company.

That circumstance would be an excellent time to find a new insurance company. They pay the claim and then you leave them high and dry. (hypothetical) They had the chance to continue to receive your unraised premium next year and the year after but no, they were greedy and wanted to receive a raised premium and instead get nothing!

And if you had homeowners with the same company you take that to your new company. The old company takes away your combined policy discount when you no longer have oth home nd car with the same company so your old company loses that business too.

 

[sympatico]

I had a small accident with a rental while in Orlando. I backed into another car. It didn't do a lot but did damage both vehicles. My credit card insurance covered my rental and I had bought the third party liability from Alamo which covered the damage to the other car. My own car insurance third party liability didn't extend to a rental car so that's why I bought Alamo's. I've since changed Insurance companies and this one does.

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

Have had two accidents in rental cars in the past five years - neither my fault and both at Disney. I swear people cannot drive there!

Anyway, my insurance (State Farm) paid both claims without a problem and I paid the deductible ($250).

I was surprised by how painless the process was.

 

[LadyBeBop]

I work in insurance and have actually spent over 3 years as an auto underwriter. Your insurance premium should NOT go up for a not-at-fault accident. If it does...time to find a new insurance company.

I do know someone who had horrible luck being rear-ended. Five separate times; none of them her fault. Her insurance company threatened to drop her if she was involved in another accident.

 

[chartle]

Have had two accidents in rental cars in the past five years - neither my fault and both at Disney. I swear people cannot drive there!

Anyway, my insurance (State Farm) paid both claims without a problem and I paid the deductible ($250).

I was surprised by how painless the process was.

Pretty sure they can't.

I have only been up and down I4 outside WDW a handful of times and I swear half the time there is an accident with either a mini van or a SUV upside down in the median.