What to do when having an incident with a rental car
 

Hello everyone,

I have been reading several threads on this forum for a while and I finally registered because I'd like to ask more experienced users a couple of questions about rental cars. My apologies if this has been explained before, I could not find the information in other threads.

I do not own a car (my commute to work has convenient, fast transit links), but I am lately renting cars every second weekend (that is, twice a month for three days each time -not counting holidays somewhere else, which increases that-). I almost always use Enterprise for my weekend rentals, since they have a branch conveniently located close to my office where they got great weekend deals.

I have never had an car accident or incident (flat tire, dead engine, etc) in my entire life. But renting cars this often as I am doing at present, I can see an unexpected event happening to me sooner or later. Hence, I'd like to be prepared.

Every time I rent, I always refuse the CDW offered by Enterprise (my United MileagePlus Visa covers it), but I always take liability.

1) So here goes my first question: is the above a wise choice, or am I under/over-insured?

2) What would be the right procedure to follow if I ever had an accident? Are there any differences in the procedure when I hit something/someone (and hence would be making use of Enterprise's liability insurance) Vs when someone else hits me (I would be using my Visa's CDW)?

3) What about the procedure to follow when I get a flat / dead engine, or something similar? Who do I contact, and what am I covered for?

Thanks a lot in advance,

Leon

Welcome to FT LeonS!

1) You can never be over insured.

2) You would work through enterprises claims to get them to cover the 3rd party items. If it was related to the car you were driving you would call up your credit card and start a claim.

3) A a mechanical issues would most likely be Enterprises fault and they would send you a replacement. A flat tire you would call up your credit card and start a claim.

OP - There is no right or wrong answer. Before you start, go and read every word of the various insurance policies which you may have through your auto, homeowners, umbrella, CC and so on.

Focus on liability. Cars can get repaired. People are more expensive.

I would worry less about flat tires and the like. There should be a clear explanation of what to do with your rental. If not, ask.

Thank you for the answers!

What I meant by "over insured" is paying for something that I don't need. For instance, I believe that purchasing the CDW insurance offered by Enterprise is an unnecessary expense when my Credit Card is offering it for "free" (aka for using it to pay for the rental)

Since I use Enterprise most of the time, I'll ask them next time whether they cover flat tires / dead engines and what the right procedure to follow it in that case.

I never had a car accident in my entire life yet, that I am sure it's just a matter of time until my first incident... :rolleyes: