Comments on: Mandatory car rental insurance?

By: Car Hire Insurance

Car Hire Insurance — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 12:11:47 +0000

You are right. You must carry proofs of your car insurance when you lease. Also there is a great need of checking the credit card. You posted beneficial information. It would be beneficial for the people.

By: Jack Bauer

Jack Bauer — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 21:54:20 +0000

To Lara:

Now I have to reply to YOU: Are YOU really sure that the Damage Waiver will ward off the deductible? Because I got the DW when I rented a car, and my card was charged anyway…Or is it that YOU get a cut from these very profitable fees customers pay for rentals? hmmmmm?

By: Lara Black

Lara Black — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:11:18 +0000

I have to reply to this comment, even though it is several months later.

I am a former Enterprise Rent-a-car employee. Yes, your deductible was taken for an accident that wasn’t your fault. But guess what?

YOU are the party responsible for the car YOU rent. Yes they held your deductible “hostage” until they got paid by the other party’s insurance. What would have happened if the at-fault part was uninsured? You got it! YOU and YOUR insurance would have been responsible for the repairs to the car YOU rented.

Don’t want to give up your deductible? Really simple solution: Take the damage waiver. Then you don’t have to even go through your insurance to repair the rental car, regardless of who is at fault in an accident.

Taking the damage waiver makes a lot of sense, particularly when the total cost of the damage waiver is going to be less than your deductible. Example, say DW = $9.00 per day, times 5 days of rental, Total = $45.00. That’s really cheap for peace of mind that you’re not going to end up paying out a $500 deductible because of an uninsured motorist who hit your rental. Nothing happens? Still really cheap for peace of mind.

By: Dean Peters

Dean Peters — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 07:54:04 +0000

One other thing to note – be ready to have your deductible held hostage even if you’re in an accident that’s not your fault.

A few years back I rented from Enterprise – noting that my auto insurance, credit card and auto club all covered accidents – as I declined the rental insurance. I was asked for the amount of my deductible on my auto insurance.

The next day while in the rental, an individual decided to turn left across three lanes oncoming traffic, I being the unfortunate schlub in lane 3, was denied right-of-way and we collided.

Even though the police officer – and oh yes, I refused to move off the road until an officer got there as it was not my vehicle – cited the other driver, Enterprise held my deductible until they could get the other individual’s insurance company to pay.

It was almost 2 months until I got “my money” back in the form of a check. Of course, no interest was applied for this little loan.