[Sebastian]

I rented a SUV and I got into minor accident after one day of using it. (I don't drive SUV and I wans't familiar with its blind spot)

I drive a small passenger car and don't carry a full coverage for it.

I looked online extensively and they all said just use your own insurance and decline the insurance at the rental.

So I got a full coverage insurance and made sure it covers the rental vehicle.

the insurance at rental company is $25 a day which is the same cost as renting a car. So I thought that's a rip off. (for short period, I would've just gotten it but it was 30 days rental...)

Now after getting into an accident, I think it would be better off to get an insurance from them because you can do whatever you want and just walk away from it.

If you are using a rental car in states, I recommend just getting a supplemental insurance. (or if you have a credit card that covers it, you can use that too)

If you have a story with rental vehicle, you can share.

[Buakaw]

(03-28-2016 12:21 AM)Sebastian Wrote:  

I rented a SUV and I got into minor accident after one day of using it. (I don't drive SUV and I wans't familiar with its blind spot)

I drive a small passenger car and don't carry a full coverage for it.

I looked online extensively and they all said just use your own insurance and decline the insurance at the rental.

So I got a full coverage insurance and made sure it covers the rental vehicle.

the insurance at rental company is $25 a day which is the same cost as renting a car. So I thought that's a rip off. (for short period, I would've just gotten it but it was 30 days rental...)

Now after getting into an accident, I think it would be better off to get an insurance from them because you can do whatever you want and just walk away from it.

If you are using a rental car in states, I recommend just getting a supplemental insurance. (or if you have a credit card that covers it, you can use that too)

If you have a story with rental vehicle, you can share.

I think most credit cards have insurance if you use it to pay for the car rental. I do believe you need to decline the rental companies own insurance in order for it to be valid. Check with your credit card company to get all the terms and conditions.

I rented a car in Germany some years ago and someone dinged my door overnight. It was really small but Avis charged me 400 Euro to fix it. I got the money back from Visa but it was a bit of a hassle. I had to contact Avis in Germany when I was back in the states and had them send me a copy of the receipt from their body shop. It took a few phone calls and e-mails but in the end they sent me the paperwork. After that it was really easy to get the money refunded from Visa.

[C-Note]

Yes, if your own insurance covers rental cars then it's fine to use it if you ding your rental car. However, you may have a deductible with your own insurance, and the paperwork can be a hassle. You might have to get a police report, etc, etc.

It's true that getting full coverage from the car rental agency is way overpriced. However, there's a reason that every single one of my friends and family members who have worked at rental car agencies have advised me to get it anyway. For one, if you crash the car and you have full coverage, you can usually walk away from the rental with no strings attached, even if the accident is your fault. You usually don't have to get a police report or anything like that. Just return the busted-up car and be on your way. Another reason is that if you purchase full coverage then the employee you're dealing with gets a nice commission and they're more likely to give you a free upgrade.

I had never purchased the rental agency full coverage before until I was on a vacation a few years ago with my LTR. For some reason, when the agent asked me if I wanted the full coverage I said yes even though it almost doubled the rental cost. My LTR asked me why I did it and I couldn't explain it. During the week at the location, I backed into someone in a mall parking lot and severely dented the bumper and smashed the rear taillight of my car, which meant it would not be rentable until the agency fixed it (there was no damage to the pickup truck I backed into). I called the agency and reported the accident, then continued driving it for the rest of my vacation (they asked if I wanted to exchange it and I said no). When I returned it, the person checking me in already knew of the damage so he just gave me my receipt and I was on my way as usual. No ramifications or follow-up paperwork whatsoever. It was definitely worth the extra cost to get their insurance. Now, I always get it.

[EvanWilson]

I always get the loss damage waiver (LDW).

While my insurance in my state is 'supposed' to cover claims on rentals, with a deductible, the problem is that you then may end up fighting with the insurance company and then there are questions as to 'whose fault is it', plus all of the time that would be spent on the problem, etc. With the loss damage waiver purchase, even if the car is a wreck, it will cover it.

One time I had a problem with a van that I rented and drove to Montreal. I left it off in the rental lot at night when I came back. The next day they called and asked me 'about a scratch on the side' that they claimed ran all the way down the length of the vehicle. Now I know I didn't get it on the trip, and believe the van was ok when I dropped it off, but after a few minutes of questions I said, "Well, what about the LDW? I got when I rented the van". That was the end of the discussion. I didn't have to do anything else and never heard about it again. They got it fixed and filed a claimed under the LDW.

I looked at it this way, I am taking their $20K, $30K or $40K vehicle out for a while. Do I really want to be fighting with everyone if something happens to the vehicle over tens of thousands of dollars just because I wouldn't pay $10 or $20 per day to cover that?

Even on your car insurance or insurance as part of the credit card that you use, there will be all kinds of back and forth over who is going to cover it or not. If you have the LDW, then there is no discussion, it is covered and no fighting about by who.

If money is so tight that I can't afford another $10 or $20 per day, then I really shouldn't be using someone else car.

[samsamsam]

I only rent for a few days at a time if I need to out of state. I just get the insurance. The headache and BS are just too much. In theory you could crash it into a tree and not owe anything.

If money is tight, I understand. I don't want to make it seem I am swimming in money and throw it away needlessly.

I just think the time and hassle and potential out of pocket is too much to bother with.