Enterprise Proof of Insurance Requirement
 

For the first time ever, after renting many times an Enterprise agent said that I was required to show my proof of insurance if I was declining coverage. After stating multiple times that I didn't have my card with me the agent agreed to waive the requirement this time.

I don't like sharing more personal information than I have to. I searched the agreement and the google and didn't find a policy relating to this.

Has anyone else ever experienced this?

I run an independent rental car operation and I require all new customers to show proof of insurance. I will call their agent and verify it over the phone if I have to. Also, when I travel I always have my insurance card in my wallet in case people ask. Looking at it from their perspective, perhaps it was an attempt at a sale, but I have been burned by people who claimed to have full coverage, then wrecked the car and it turned out they had none.

Hence why I choose to undertake the extra effort to make sure the customer has full coverage.

I completely understand the reason in which you, especially as a smaller operator, would want to verify insurance.

However, in this instance I am a somewhat regular customer with Enterprise who has rented from this specific location 15-20 times alone. If this is a well documented policy then I understand that is their business' right to make the request but I have been unable to find where this is written policy. I just about always decline the rental companies insurance and have never been asked for proof of insurance in the 200 ish times I have rented a car.

I think that you are probably right in that this was a thinly veiled attempt to get me to buy their insurance.

In your circumstances I can see why you were so annoyed. A customer with an established relationship should, in my opinion, be given only a token attempt at a sales pitch "going to use your insurance today? Ok, decline here". Sadly, with Enterprise you'll never find consistency. Employees come and go and the only way to move up is to sell, sell, sell so you probably got one of the over-eager ones. But of course, you probably know all of this.

Reason number 234 why I don't like renting from Enterprise.

I rent frequently from Enterprise. In my town there are 3 car rental agencies. Enterprise is the most convenient. If they ever pulled a stunt like this, I'd shrug and walk out.

had this happen at a neighbourhood location in Portland. They asked for my insurance, deductible, insurance card (which until recently wasn't required to be kept on you in WI, so I didn't actually have it with me since I had no need to), my employer, employer contact number, a phone number other than my cell phone, the city I was going to.

I provided them with what I could. I was on a consulting job, so I was working for myself for that trip. They got my fax number for the employer contact number. My other than cell phone number was my google voice number which rings to my cell phone. I provided a deductible of zero since I was paying for it with my Presidental plus mastercard which has primary insurance (this was a fun secondary conversation to have)

I've rented from several off airport Enterprise locations and never had such hassles. On-site, and even most off airport ones. This was enough to keep my from renting from Enterprise, National, and Alamo (unless it happens to be the winner on hotwire or priceline). Enterprise seems to be the worst when it comes to "damage" as well.

nowhere in the rental agreement does it state, you must have coverage.

Are you sure about that? On the back of my rental agreement it states:

"You agree to provide primary auto liability, collision and comprehensive insurance covering you, us and the vehicle."

I find it unlikely we're the only ones with such language.

How do you deal with customers whose insurance is provided through the credit card they pay with?

Honestly, they don't come here. We get customers who can't rent anywhere else or customers whose vehicle is in our service department. I would say less than 5% of our customers use an actual credit card. If someone ever did say that, I'd take them at their word and take the risk that they were lying/didn't know.

I'm under 25, and on the Enterprise website, the rental requirements for the local Enterprise location states I need to have proof of liability coverage to rent from them. I'm fine with it since they're upfront about it - but if they sprung it on me out of the blue i'd be pissed off too.

Using the Hertz Underage Coupon avoids that problem.

Yes, but I have liability coverage regardless, and my local Hertz location is a franchise so they're a bunch of pricks about honouring coupons and CDP perks. Plus Enterprise hasn't charged me an underage fee yet. So they are very much the lesser of two evils in this town. Outside of Ottawa, though, I generally use Hertz (or National).

Not an Enterprise Fan
 

I dislike Enterprise for the way they ask about your existing insurance coverage...What is your insurance company? How much is your liability coverage? It's all a technique to pressure into buying their add-on insurance.

I've avoided them completely for years, but yesterday had to take a car in for service and was offered an Enterprise loaner car. The sales rep excessively chatted me up, then got into the rental car with me and asked how much liability coverage I had. Since I have insurance for my personal car, plus was using an Amex card with their primary coverage, I merely replied "Plenty of coverage."

She wanted a number and was not happy with this answer :)

I noted that she was helping Enterprise do its market research by asking the make, year and model of the car that I had taken in for service.