Tad Borek wrote:

- quote -

For the record, my insurance was/is with State Farm.

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Yep, that's why I called them about it. The credit card I used was a
Visa (gold, if it matters). As I said, they capped my loss-of-use
reimbursement at $375 (this was in addition to my deductible reimbursement).

Thanks for the good words,
-Will

Will Trice wrote:
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Will,
I was just on the phone with our insurer (AIG) adding a car we just
bought and I asked about loss of use. The rep, who didn't seem new, said
"that's a great question, I have no idea." She put me on hold for five
minutes and came back that "loss of use" is the one thing that isn't
covered.

But my VISA seems to take up the slack - from usa.visa.com: "it will pay
for the outstanding deductible portion or other charges, including valid
administration and loss-of-use charges not covered by your applicable
automobile insurance policy."

Good thing for everyone to look into, the insurance is generally a
rip-off, but if you might be out $2,000 for bogus loss-of-use charges,
it looks like a better deal. Assuming it's your only option.

I like your "prove to me that you would have rented it out" answer. It
sounds like something right out of a contract-law case book. Good for
you for leaning back on that one.

-Tad

John Richards wrote:

- quote -

I asked about that specifically. The response form my credit card
company was that I had authorized Hertz to charge my credit card at the
time of the rental transaction. That authorization was held open
(because of the damage to the vehicle, I guess). This would prevent me
from cancelling the card immediately after I left the lot and never
paying for the vehicle at, I suppose. But you would think that the
authorization would have some reasonable time limit.

-Will

one thing your credit card and auto policy doesnt cover is the loss of
use of the vehicle fee the leasing company hits you with.they charge
you for every day the vehicle isnt on the road making money when its in
an accident

"Will Trice" <wwtrice[at]paragondynamics.com> wrote in message news:44FAF423.4020901[at]paragondynamics.com...
- quote -

Somehow it doesn't seem kosher that an outfit can charge to a cancelled
credit card, and the card issuer will honor the charge. What's the point
in ever cancelling a credit card if charges can continue to accrue to it
forever after?

--
John Richards

Will Trice wrote:
- quote -

Great story :-) I'm going to check with my auto insurer to see if the
$9.xx item on my policy "Car rental & travel expense" will cover a
"loss of use" charge from a rental agency.

Every once in a while an agressive clerk and their manager
will tell you some charge, often insurance or pre-paid gas,
is mandatory when it is not. Then you may be a rush or
you had a good advance-booking deal, to shop other
companies at the time. Then you have to decide.
I suspect this partly due to fact is thar many local offices
are franchises where the local owner/manager might not quite
be in step with the national office.

Charlie wrote:

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I rent cars very frequently, for business and for pleasure (although
much more for business). I never take the insurance, but...

A buddy of mine was in town one winter, I was in the market for a new
4WD vehicle, so I rented a Ford Explorer from a Ford dealership in town
that also has a Hertz office, declining the insurance. My buddy and I
went snowmobiling, making good use of the 4WD to get up to the trails.
As this was my first time driving a 4WD, I was going a little fast on
the way back (typical SUV driver overconfidence - you can go, but can
you stop?). Lost control of the vehicle and scraped the passenger side
off against a tree. (A testament to the vehicle - nobody was hurt, and
after getting pulled back onto the road, it was still drivable, albeit
that my buddy now had to ride in the back seat and we had to use garbage
bags to cover various orifices into the passenger compartment.)

Returning the vehicle to the dealership was a bit like starring in a
Monty Python movie (walk into the office, drop off the keys, and mention
deadpan, "there may be a little bit of damage..."). Ah, but my car
insurance covered rentals, extra insurace from my credit card covered my
deductible, so no problem.

Except 6 months later a new charge showed up on my credit card for
$1600. I called the dealership - they said it was for "loss of use."
The vehicle had been in the shop for 45 days getting repaired, so they
charged me for an additional 45 days of rental fees. I checked my
rental contract - indeed, this was in the contract. I called my credit
card company, "Can they do this - it's six months later for cripe's
sake?" Apparently they can, since my card was authorized when I rented,
they could do it even if I had cancelled the card in the intervening 6
months. My car insurance did not and does not cover loss of use. Ah,
but the credit card insurance does. They sent me a check for $375 -
that's their maximum loss of use coverage. So things were a little better.

After a little research on the web, I gambled. I disputed the $1600
charge with my credit card company on the premise that the dealership
should only charge me loss of use for the days on which all their other
cars were rented (if they had other cars, then the lack of mine would
not have caused lost revenue). The credit card company excepted this as
a basis of dispute and credited my account pending response from the
dealership. They never responded.

This is a long-winded way of saying that the additional insurance is
sometimes handy, but it is expensive and I never take it and it's never
burned me.

-Will

P.S. I didn't end up buying an Explorer. They have a tendency to go
off the road and hit trees.

Charlie wrote:
- quote -

My current insurance coverage applies to rentals, and that is a clause
in the contract. If I charge the rental to my credit card, there is
insurance coverage there as well.

I made a mistake once by listening to some fast-talking little chicklet
at the rental agency. (It was a time of a lot of stress and grief). I
understood the cost of their insurance was $33 a month. Ooops. It was
$33 per day, and I ended up settling (over the phone) with the rental
company for reimbursement of half the money. The rental agencies will
offer the insurance - at my rates, it brought them more money than the
rental itself.

Keep your auto insurance current, with the clause for rentals, pay with
a credit card offering the same, and you already have redundant
coverage. As for repairs on the road - can't help you there, but AAA
might.

How smart is it to buy the offered insurance for all inclusive insurance
coverage on a rental car for a week or so? The "smart money" tips and
advisories say not to buy this coverage because your base automotive
insurance already covers any damage. That is, after deductible and
exclusive of anything not covered on your auto policy.

The last time I used a rental car the offered policy was $66 for a week.
That is a seriously steep price on an annual level. It would seem to
me that if I was on a trip somewhere even a mild scratch, let alone
reshaped sheet metal or broken glass or plastic components might make
the freedom to walk away and forget well worth while. Just another
small cost of travel, along with over-priced sorry meals and
exorbitant hotel and motel room rates.

That last rental car was only a few months back. I left my car properly
parked on the side of a residential street in the middle of a line of
other small sedans. When I returned the car was alone and the trunk lid
had taken a severe hit above all primary body parts. Two weeks -
initially promised for 5 days. Use of the rental car was local and I
declined the extra cost of that offered insurance. When I returned the
rental car its condition was slightly better than when I started- about
a quarter tank more gasoline. Far away from home might be quite different?

While I have mostly answered my own question, I would like to read your
opinions and any experiences you have had or stories you have heard
about problems with rental cars and unexpected charges or costs? And
yes. In a few weeks I will be out of town using a rental car again for
the - other than above- first time in years.