chicago747

Question for people who travel for work....when renting a car do you add the insurance? And if so, which of the insurance options do you add?

My BF has a conference to attend in Florida and it's about an hours drive from either TPA or MCO so he's going to rent a car. I told him to at least get damage to the car, but that adds $30/day. It's only a 2 day rental and he's the boss so it's not like someone will give him crap for adding it. I was just wondering if frequent business renters add the insurance.

When we rent for personal reasons I usually decline all coverage and pay with an Amex which I have added the premium insurance to my account. But I told him for a work trip I don't see why we'd want to have our personal insurance get dinged if he had an accident on the company's time.

jrl767

"he's the boss" -- he should know whether there are written company policies regarding employee travel; he should know what they actually say; he should know if the company actually maintains travel insurance for employees on company business -- and he should follow company policy

pinniped

The insurance is built into our corporate contract. Everywhere I've worked has said the same thing - decline all of the other add-on options. Use our code for work rentals and you're covered.

He should get guidance from his travel department. If they don't have a corporate contract they may want him to buy insurance. I haven't been in that situation before.

chicago747

He works for a smallish non-profit that the previous E.D. and current/former staff never really travelled....so there is no formal travel policy. All his other ground travel is usually via Uber or cab.

But appreciate the feedback....I'll tell him this super helpful dude said he should know.

AltaBound

It will depend on the NPO's insurance coverage. If they have a non-owned auto rider then there is no need to purchase the daily coverage. Otherwise I would advise to him to purchase the daily coverage. In the event of an unforeseen incident the rental outfit will be much easier to deal with if they know it is covered in-house.

Craig6z

You are on the right track, but the employer should be purchasing a blanket hired auto rider. Non-owned is designed to primarily protect the employer from liability when the employee is driving their personal car on business.

The hired auto coverage when bought by a company as part of a larger package is generally quite affordable (a fraction of what daily CDW waivers would cost in aggregate). Often it is underwritten based upon estimated rental days across the enterprise for the year.

Patricia Lippitt

In my years of car rental, I have never added on any extra insurance. Touch wood, never needed it, think its just an extra expense when you would never need it. It's not a holding deposit, they just take your money!

EAJuggalo

Your personal insurance wouldn't get dinged if you paid for the Premium insurance from AMEX. The premium insurance is primary. I would pay the $23 or whatever it is to AMEX to have the piece of mind. Or use a CSP or CSR if you have one.

yyznomad

I often add the LDW (which is technically not insurance, in the formal sense of the word).

Loose Cannon

The company I contract with has (or at least had) it in their contract.

Badenoch

When renting a car for business I get the full insurance package and I mean all of it. The money isn't coming out of my pocket and unless I'm charged with a traffic offense an accident won't affect my personal insurance rating.

During my wage slave era I was on a business trip in Northern Ontario and had an mishap that left a rental car quite badly damaged but still sufficiently drivable to get it back to the airport. I explained what happened to the agency rep who was very unhappy. I reminded him I'd purchased the full insurance package, got on the plane and flew home and never heard another thing about it.

CPRich

It's built into our negotiated rates, but policy is to get it when using a company outside of our preferred vendors, when needed.

Qwkynuf

Thats funny!

A few years ago I finished a trip to NY with a stupid-early flight out of JFK. I switched hotels so that I was at the Hampton Inn where the Van Wyck crossed Belt Pkwy. At 3:30 am, as I am struggling to maneuver my rented Mustang convertible out of their too-small parking lot, I caught the front bumper cover on the trailer hitch of the F250 parked next to me and ripped the right side completely free. I jumped out and first tried to snap it back in place (which didn't work), and then tried to yank it the rest of the way off (which also didn't work), so I gave up and drove it down the Van Wyck with the bumper cover grinding on the pavement. Got a very strange cocked-head look from the return agent as he guided me in to the return line. I just smiled and said "Whoops! Good thing my company includes the insurance in their rate!"

I got a packet of forms in the mail about a month later, filled out the incident report, and never heard another thing about it.

I sure wish I could have heard the thoughts going through his mind as I was grinding my way into that lot....