Renting a car
 

Hi everyone,

Does anyone have any advice for renting cars in Ontario? I'm still on my UK license as I have just activated my PR, over 25.

I've noticed that insurance is not included in the price at enterprise, and makes it very expensive. Are there other companies who include insurance?

Any tips would be much appreciated!!

Re: Renting a car
 

Charge the rental to a credit card that includes insurance for rental cars and decline the rental company's insurance. Just that saving justified the cost of an Amex card for me.

Re: Renting a car
 

Rental cars include minimum liability only, in ON it is $200k, nowhere near enough in my view. Credit cards are for collision damage waiver only and do not cover any liability. I don't believe European cards have CDW coverage either.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe...article624007/

Re: Renting a car
 

In the beginning of my post, I'd have to mention, that one is not supposed to, or better said, it is illegal to, hold more than one license, however that law seems to focus on Canadian provinces rather than other countries?

Thus I am not certain, if I am defrauding the system here: I hold two driver's licenses, one of France, the other of the province of Ontario. ( I simply re-took all the tests in Ontario and made it from G1 to G2 and then to a full G-Class license) When making a reservation for a rental car, I use the French address of my parents in France, and arrive at the car rental station with my French driver's license. This way I usually get way better prices and better insurance deals included and got the French passport to back everything up....

If I did it all on the Ontario license, I'd be paying considerably more, often 30 to 40% more. I am sort of guessing, I am getting the deals, which are meant for European tourists?

Re: Renting a car
 

Technically in ON its illegal to hold more than one license. In your situation, the rental car company doesn't give a crap. Who does is the police. If you're driving any car in ON and you get pulled over you should show the ON license regardless of what license you booked the rental with.

I'll likely be doing a Maltese license in preparation to move down there (they don't exchange licenses from Canada so i've no other choice if I want to drive there whilst resident), and as you know the ON one is a PITA to get, so there's no way in hell i'll surrender it. I'll just use the ON one here, and the Maltese one there.

Re: Renting a car
 

'A driver may not apply for, secure or retain in his or her possession more than one driver’s licence' Section 35.1e Ontario Highway Traffic Act.

CanLII - Highway Traffic Act, RSO 1990, c H.8

Using a foreign license and someone else address to rent a car and save on insurance would invalidate the insurance. If there was an accident and you had to give your details to the police, or other driver, which one would you give? If there was a claim over and at fault accident, which address would you be served at and use for correspondence? All is good and saves money until something goes wrong. Then you find the insurance was a waste of money as it did not cover anything. Risky to save a few bucks.

There was no such rule for more than one license when we came to Canada, so we both have our UK and BC license. As one sits in a drawer and has not seen the light of day in years, it is unlikely to cause a problem. If I were to start using it to rent a car, or drive, this would be in breach of the Motor Vehicle Act.

Re: Renting a car
 

Aviator is correct and, as always, offers the conservative option.

I kept my UK license and used it for years, decades even, to rent cars in the US. The advantage of this arrangement was that the points for traffic offenses didn't end up on my ON license. Note that I also drove without insurance in ON for seven or eight years and my ex didn't bother obtaining an ON license for fifteen years after we arrived; when stopped by the police she showed her foreign license and made an effort to sound new around here. Oh, and I had two cars on CO plates in ON for years because US insurance is 10% of the cost of Canadian insurance.

I offer this background in order that posters may judge that my advice on rental car insurance, while effective in saving money, is not necessarily the approach a belt and braces person would choose.

Re: Renting a car
 

I'm currently driving a rental car because I put mine in for service and, during the test drive, a wheel fell off and there was a subsequent collision and the car has to go to a body shop.

Today I reversed the rental car into a parked vehicle. I found the owner of the parked vehicle who thanked me for finding her "so I don't have to blame one of my kids for that", hugged me and went on her way. I still have to deal with the rental agency so we'll see how my policy of declining everything plays out.

Re: Renting a car
 

:lol:

Maybe better for you to settle out of pocket if you can, your premiums are high enough as it is ;)

Similar thing, after calling us about 2x a week on clockwork we finally brought in my mum's car to do the "safety" recall on the block heater (safety wrapped in quotes because we don't use the block heater, so it could've waited until we wanted the winter tyres on) , but since they were badgering us we asked for a loaner vehicle. As an under-21 I "can't" drive the loaner vehicle as per their policy.... But it doesn't really matter as i'm covered by my (fully comp) car insurance under any car I drive in ON. Just not by whatever insurance they have.

Re: Renting a car
 

You confuse me. The way Canadian car insurance works is that you are covered under the car owners policy. Your insurance does not cover you to drive somebody else's car...

Re: Renting a car
 

My insurance covers what the insurance policy of the "lender" doesn't... In this case under 21s are not covered under the dealership's insurance, so our insurance covers me. Right from our state farm agent.

Re: Renting a car
 

From the OP
Whenever you rent a car in Ontario you do have insurance within the rental agreement (Third Party Only) you can top this up to cover 'all risk' that could be perceived as expensive.
Coming from UK to Canada it probably would feel too bad