Rental Car "Gotchas"

Author Message   Larry W. Carnes Senior Member Username: Larry Post Number: 1075 Registered: 06-2003 Posted From: 12.65.150.47 Posted on Sunday, February 21, 2010 - 09:52 pm:    "car-rental agencies now hold renters responsible for damage caused by "acts of nature," including hail storms, floods"" I believe it, now that I've read it. But it really seems morally wrong. If the agency has a fleet of 20 cars....15 on the lot and 5 rented out......and a viscious hail storm comes along, they have to bite the bullet on the 15 but stick the renters for repair of the other 5. One of those cases where they do it to us because they CAN. I think it would be a great marketing ploy for one rental company to advertise they don't stick their customers for clearly Act of God damages. The other companies would probably be shamed and/or motivated by lost revenue into following suit.   Jack T. Paxton Senior Member Username: Jpaxton Post Number: 783 Registered: 07-2003 Posted From: 24.27.231.67 Posted on Sunday, February 21, 2010 - 12:01 pm:    Larry/all: I Googled to the link shown and edited some of the pertinent info. A bit long but should be must reading before renting: http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/TravelForLess/SteerClearOfThe se5CarRentalTraps.aspx?page=2 Trap No. 4: Paying for damage that's not your fault Most major car-rental agencies now hold renters responsible for damage caused by "acts of nature," including hail storms, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes and other disasters. Even if you couldn't have predicted the act or prevented the damage, you're on the hook. Trap No. 5: Getting lost in the insurance maze The usual advice you hear -- skip the coverage the rental-car company offers you -- is way too simplistic. In general, the coverage you've got on your personal vehicle will carry over to a rental, says Loretta Worters of the Insurance Information Institute. Your homeowners or renters policy probably covers your personal property if it's stolen from the car. But if you've dropped comprehensive and collision coverage on your own car -- something many people do to save money on older vehicles -- you don't have that coverage for your rental, either. That means you could be held responsible for damage to or the theft of your rental. "That's a big issue that most people don't think about," Worters said. You might be saved by your credit card, particularly if it's a gold or platinum version that promises to pay for damage to a rental car. Even then, though, there are limits. For example: Certain vehicles, including SUVs, luxury cars, pickups and vans, often aren't covered. Long-term rentals (over two weeks, for example) may not be covered. Losses caused by an unauthorized driver or a driver who violates the rental agreement typically aren't covered. If you get popped for driving under the influence, for example, or you take the car out of the geographic area designated by the contract, your credit-card issuer probably won't pay. There's no shortcut: You need to review both your auto-insurance policy and your credit card's benefit guide. (If you don't have those handy, call the companies and have them send you copies.) You also might consider taking the rental-car agency's coverage if you've had an at-fault accident recently or a series of other claims against your auto insurance. That way, you won't have to notify your insurer if you have yet another incident. The few bucks you'll pay for the coverage could be dwarfed by higher premiums or the hassle of finding another insurer after yours drops you cold   Larry W. Carnes Senior Member Username: Larry Post Number: 1073 Registered: 06-2003 Posted From: 12.65.120.97 Posted on Saturday, February 20, 2010 - 01:40 am:    All the cars I've rented in the last 3 years in Colorado Springs plainly stated "Unlimited INSTATE Miles". Enough said. One thing I HAVE wondered about, though: I generally decline CDW, since I rent with a USAA Platinum Mastercard. Last time, the agent was still trying to extoll the virtues of buying the extra insurance, saying it might come in handy if I got caught in a hail storm. I don't see why the renter would be liable for hail damage. Looks to me that the agency's cars would be just as banged up if they were setting uncovered in the lot instead of being driven around by a renter. So what's the deal here.....are the renters liable for hail damage?   FHYL Advanced Member Username: Fhyl Post Number: 301 Registered: 11-2008 Posted From: 68.68.137.178 Posted on Friday, February 19, 2010 - 04:45 pm:    Thanks for the second heads up. About a year ago I rented a one-way van from Budget @ Ft Belvoir, VA to move stuff to my new NC condo. When negotiating the drop off charge, I found out that the closest Budget office was in SC (2 miles south of the NC/SC state line). But for the least expensive drop-off charge I had to drive the van 50 miles north to Wilmington, NC. In the course of negotiations, I was advised that if crossed the NC/SC state line to fuel-up ( three miles south where gas is cheaper by several cents/gallon) the GPS would note it and my rental rate would rise. So it doesn't suprise me since rental companies used GPS to monitor limits, traffic violations are a natural. But with NY, CA and other states enacting prohibitions on GPS monitoring, they are basically leagalizing ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES. What's next legal illegals?? And Cheating on taxes??? Ain't life grand? ...and yes, RTFP....read the fine print!   Phyllis DeLancey Senior Member Username: Phyllis Post Number: 2586 Registered: 06-2003 Posted From: 99.93.230.232 Posted on Friday, February 19, 2010 - 03:28 pm:    Jack I seem to remember someone renting a car at Dover and driving to NY a few years back and was charged for going "outside the limit." We rent often in Dover and always ask about the interstate and milage. So far we have had no trouble. Thanks for the warning.   Jack T. Paxton Senior Member Username: Jpaxton Post Number: 782 Registered: 07-2003 Posted From: 24.27.231.67 Posted on Friday, February 19, 2010 - 12:00 pm:    A news article in the Orlando Sentinel this morning warned seniors (and others, of course) to read the fine print when renting a car. Key points warn about unlimited mileage possibly applying only to a specific state or area and exceeding those limits might void the contract or impose heavy mile charges for the distance outside a specified area. The article detailed how rental agencies would know if you decided to "sneak" or deviate from geographic limits. More and more rental company cars are equipped with GPS units that allow monitoring. These operate whether or not you, as a driver, ask for the rental company's GPS guidance option. The article also told of drivers being charged $150 for every time the auto exceeded 79 mph for a minute or two. The article went on to say that California and New York and possibly other states have enacted legislation prohibiting rental companies from using GPS this way but you can't count on being exempt anywhere else. Caveaut: Read the fine print!